Best Practice to reduce the size of dataset in Power BI

Reducing the size of the dataset in Power BI is essential for optimizing performance, improving data refresh times, and ensuring efficient report loading. Here are some best practices to reduce the size of your dataset in Power BI:

1. Data Import Optimization:

   • Only import the necessary data columns and rows needed for analysis. Avoid importing unnecessary columns or large datasets that are not relevant to your analysis.
   • Use data shaping and transformation techniques in Power Query to filter, clean, and aggregate data before loading it into Power BI. This helps reduce the size of the dataset and improves query performance.

2. Data Model Optimization:

   • Use efficient data modeling techniques to minimize the number of tables, relationships, and calculated columns in your data model.
   • Normalize your data model by breaking down large tables into smaller, more manageable tables and creating appropriate relationships between them.
   • Use calculated columns sparingly and optimize DAX expressions to minimize resource consumption.

3. Data Compression:

   • Leverage Power BI's built-in data compression algorithms to reduce the storage footprint of your dataset.
   • Enable data compression options such as VertiPaq compression and row/column store compression to optimize storage and improve query performance.

4. Data Source Optimization:

   • Optimize your data sources to only extract and load the required data for analysis.
   • Consider using data source query folding to push data transformation and filtering operations back to the data source, reducing the amount of data loaded into Power BI.

5. Incremental Data Refresh:

   • Implement incremental data refresh strategies to only refresh and load new or updated data into Power BI, rather than refreshing the entire dataset.
   • Use incremental loading techniques such as partitioning, date-based filtering, and incremental refresh policies to reduce data refresh times and improve efficiency.

6. Data Aggregation:

   • Pre-aggregate and summarize data at a higher level of granularity to reduce the number of rows and columns in your dataset.
   • Use aggregation functions such as SUM, AVERAGE, MAX, MIN, etc., to aggregate data at the source or within Power BI to reduce the size of the dataset.

7. Data Archiving and Purging:

   • Implement data archiving and purging strategies to remove obsolete or historical data from your dataset.
   • Archive older data to long-term storage or separate data repositories to reduce the size of the active dataset in Power BI.

8. Monitor and Optimize:

   • Regularly monitor dataset size, query performance, and data refresh times using Power BI performance monitoring tools and techniques.
   • Analyze query execution plans, data model size, and data refresh logs to identify bottlenecks and areas for optimization.

By following these best practices, you can effectively reduce the size of your dataset in Power BI, optimize performance, and ensure efficient data analysis and reporting.