Azure Analysis Services database
Power BI is a data visualization tool that provides businesses with an easy and cost-effective way to generate insights from their data. Power BI can connect to a variety of data sources, including Azure Analysis Services database. In this article, we’ll be discussing the Power Query M language code for connecting to the Azure Analysis Services database data source from inside Power BI.
Overview of Azure Analysis Services
Azure Analysis Services is a fully managed platform as a service (PaaS) that provides businesses with the tools to build and deploy analytical solutions in the cloud. It’s a popular choice for businesses that want to analyze large volumes of data and generate insights that can be used to drive better decision making.
Power Query M Language
Power Query is an ETL (extract, transform, load) tool that is used to retrieve and transform data from different sources. Power Query is built using the M language, which is a functional programming language used to manipulate data.
In Power BI, the Power Query editor provides a graphical interface that allows users to create queries using the M language. However, users can also write M language code directly in the editor to retrieve and transform data.
Connecting to Azure Analysis Services from Power BI
To connect to the Azure Analysis Services data source from inside Power BI, follow these steps:
1. Open Power BI Desktop.
2. Click on “Get Data” in the Home tab.
3. In the “Get Data” dialog box, select “Azure” and click on “Azure Analysis Services” and click on “Connect”.
4. In the “Azure Analysis Services” dialog box, enter the server URL and the database name, and click on “OK”.
5. If prompted, enter your Azure Analysis Services credentials.
6. Once connected, you can select the tables and columns that you want to import into Power BI.
Writing M Language Code for Connecting to Azure Analysis Services
While the graphical interface in the Power Query editor is useful, sometimes it’s more efficient to write M language code directly in the editor to retrieve and transform data. Here’s an example of M language code that can be used to connect to an Azure Analysis Services database from inside Power BI:
let
Source = AnalysisServices.Database(“https://myserver.azure.com/mydatabase”),
query = Source{[Name=”mytable”]}[Data]
in
query
In this example, we’re using the `AnalysisServices.Database()` function to connect to an Azure Analysis Services database. We’re then using the “mytable” table from the database and retrieving its data.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve discussed the Power Query M language code for connecting to the Azure Analysis Services database data source from inside Power BI. We’ve also provided an overview of Azure Analysis Services and the M language. By using the M language code, businesses can efficiently retrieve and transform data from their Azure Analysis Services database and generate insights that can drive better decision making.
