Power BI dataflows vs datamarts: What's the difference???

[@FrankPreusker]

Good job Adam! The next logical video would be to position Datasets vs Datamarts. I see many overlaps here (eg data modeling, live connect/direct connect, ...) and I would appreciate your views in one of the next videos :-)

[@hankoswart8757]

Thanks Adam, but reading through the comments there seems to be confusion (which I share) around the difference between datasets and datamarts

[@Valdore1000]

Yeah, I rather stay with my Azure SQL/Dedicated SQL pool and do most stuff via good ol' SQL and prep data for Import for BI (or views) and actually also use some git repository and control over what's being done - this is more drag and drop chaos.

[@nilswtal8966]

Nice video. However, I did'nt really get the huge difference to a dataset besides the web-application stuff. Would be great to hear more about the differences (without targeting Apple users with the web part) as DM is a premium feature while datasets are already available with Pro!

[@robertbarkovicz800]

Adam, can you recommand a scenario of how to use dataflows and datamarts for an efficient way with incremental load?

[@topcataj]

Feeling even more confused after this. It's so hard to understand and navigate the different options that are available. SO many different tools, things that change over time, I have no idea how we're meant to construct a sensible enterprise environment form this stuff. I've been trying to find out about dataflows and there are serious limitation like only the owner being able to edit them, now I'm wondering if it's the right thing to use but between DAX, Power query, power query online via dataflow, data marts, data lakes/warehouses, fabric etc... I am completely lost

[@williamsanzvivanco3817]

Basically a PowerQuery Online in which you can integrate multiple DataFlows. Maybe as a Power BI Dataset connection but without the DirectQuery limitations. An alternative as DataVerse, but integrated on Power BI with PowerQuery Machine. All of that.

[@LandscapeInMotion]

Thanks Adam - Datamarts: Apart from a new great UI experience, and the “all in one” area for modeling and reporting, and SQL DB - I really don’t see the point. I mean, it’s a premium product, so why would use Datamarts when I have the power of Dataflows?? Perhaps MS need to put Datamarts into the Power BI Pro license - would make HEAPS more sense!! I guess if Microsoft are trying to phase out Power BI Desktop, then this is a step in the right direction!

[@9zQx86LT]

MS could have released more advance ETL features into Dataflows with bug fixes instead of releasing this Datamart

[@datoalavista581]

Thank you for keeping good communication !!

[@YannickPauwels]

Great video describing the pro's, cons and considerations regarding datamarts & dataflows

[@komanguy]

This video makes me want to know more on datamarts! It seems to be the missing feature in power bi service to enable us to create measures and relationships on the web! I’m going to check it up. Thanks a lot for this brief but useful description.

[@torsteinzahledvardsen8146]

Adam, this is rampage awesome videos!! You bring clarity to the world, tytytyty

[@thomasivarsson1291]

I don't like that MS apprehends a well known architecture part like data mart. This creates a lot of confusion about the product. A data mart is usually a db on top of one or several DWH. All demos I have seen of Power BI DM use databases with integrated dimensions keys. Power BI DM is not a data integration tool but it can create DM on top of sources with keys and granularity integration.

[@anderpaim10]

Hey Adams, i hope that to be very well!!! It could very well have generated an objective video of the differences (PROS and CONS) of using datasets, dataflows and datamarts 😎😎😎

[@josejoseph6098]

Nice presentation on Dataflow and Datamart. Thank you

[@Chris-gt7ob]

I would love to see more videos about datamarts and practical use cases!

[@tiago5a]

Is it possible to use Python in the dataflow to transform data? Thanks

[@coolblue5929]

Great revision of the use cases for dataflows, would like to see a more detailed run through on datamart scenarios. I thought you were a bit lighter on that side of the comparison.

[@pratafwd]

Does any of these allow to persist data for post transformation?

[@joelgagnon1]

Great functionality! Is there a chance for it to become GA at some point?

[@kamarshahafizu7074]

Nice Job Adam, can we use existing dataset to create a new datamart in power BI? thanks in advance

[@jdg12800]

Thanks for the video. I would like to use a Datamart as my corporate data warehouse. Is this a bad idea at this point? I would also like a video on how datamarts could be used to transition an Access Database (Standalone) to SQL with a nice Star Schema.

[@ediths1784]

What would you use for SCD with an Dataverse data source?

[@virgolee2209]

So I have been creating reports with data imported to a dataset (coming from multiple sources), how does datamart fit in the structure? Replacing the dataset completely?

[@BryanCampbell888]

Late breaking question here for Dataflows... Is there a dev tool or programmatic method to control refreshing specific partitions on DF? API or Powershell? Backed by ADLg2? Or is the incremental metadata locked up unless you republish PQ?

[@Rrabbit_swim]

Nice and clear , thank you!

[@massimocolaceci]

Hi Adam, thanks for the great video. I wonder how a common scenario (staging dataflow --> transformations dataflow) could be implemented with a datamart. Thanks

[@MT-oy2uk]

Do datamarts have any additional cost?

[@rahulmaurya9444]

Is it possible to share the datamart outside the organization so they can create dataset using that data. If possible pls create video on that

[@majdyazigi8185]

I think Microsoft should be encapsulating all of these databases, datamarts, dataflows, datsets, dataverse, data... with some unified platform and call it Power Data which makes the underlying data source for all Power products... Because it is confusing for us to have all of them now..

[@MinhNguyen-cr7wn]

So to recap this video, Dataflow is like when you have master's DB/ OLAP in master company and you're in PowerBI service team area, you want to pick some of its table and do major ETL to further report or re-use for another team But Datamart is like when your team does not fulfill permission to access master DB/ OLAP, ... so you can use Datamart and ask IT team to pull some of the partitions you need to do your report, whatever, ... Is this understanding method proper?

[@AgulloBernat]

In your first video on datamarts you mentioned that datamarts can be used with people outside the organization, how does this work? anyone with the connection string can connect to the Azure SQL instance? that would be a use case from my perspective

[@myusrn]

I needed a story to compute some metrics [ e.g. count of records with foo, bar and foobar present ] on the 1st and middle of every month. I found that i could use power bi dataflow legacy to schedule execution of sql statement that produced a single record with each of those count based metrics in a column that it stuffed into an azure data lake storage gen2 container entry. Then i was able to use power bi data source connector support for azure data lake storage gen2 container to pull in the set of all those individual 1 record files and create a trend lines chart for all thos metrics as the months ticked by. Now with power bi data factor dataflows gen2 solution they no longer rely on an azure data lake storage gen2 container so this maneuver to get a all the scheduled metric computations as a data set isn't going to work. any insights as to how i should be accomplishing this metrics computation and display of the set over time in current power bi experience?

[@Mim_BI]

Adam, that's brilliant !!!

[@Mrglasshalfempty]

Would it be fair to say that Dataflows are equivalent to Power Query in the cloud, while Datamarts are equivalent to the Data Model in the cloud? Basically replacing the "Transform Data" and the "Data Model" parts of desktop, allowing creating a dataset without needing desktop?

[@amritpriadarsy995]

In datamart, I am not getting the option of Power BI dataset in get data option.

[@abdulraaziq7055]

I get an error asking me a Gen2 PPU or PPC for creating datamart on my Power BI workspace. I am already on a 60 day trial of PPU. Whats actually the difference between the Gen2 and previous licensing model?

[@raybrosius8220]

Good Succinct explanation as always!! Is there a way to connect a Power Page to a Power BI datamart? If I'm a business user and I have my datamart, but I want/need a way to update some of the reference data.. can I use the new Power Pages to create a simple simple app to update basic reference data?

[@ChPetru]

Hey guys (in the cubes), if I imported data into DataMart from a DataFlow, if I delete the DataFlow will it break the DataMart? Or the DataMart duplicated the queries and I can now safely delete the source DataFlow. Thanks!

[@jonathanriver1716]

Thanks, Adam for this video. I think that would also make sense to compare datamart vs datasets since they are more alike. Is that something we can see in the future, please?

[@AgulloBernat]

Data marts can also be like a Premium Dataflow with enhanced compute engine one, but now you can really check if your transformatiaons downstream are folding or not

[@marcelo1689]

It seemed to me a datamart is just a layer that allows opening a new dataset in design mode. So far I could not bring a dataset into a datamart. So in order to create a datamart the user needs to access SQL data, which defeats the purpose. A dataflow can be used but I still cannot have RLS security to filter dataflows to the user, so it is not practical.

[@marcelo1689]

Also, I thought a datamart could be used to allow more than one developer maintain a dataset in the cloud. But I cannot give that permission to more than one person, the creator.

[@coolblue5929]

Datamart is, as well as a SQL Server DB, essentially a dataset, you can set up your RLS there. If you really want to query tables in a dataset, you should be able to do it with the AAS database connector.

[@texmexdragon2160]

I've tested creating a datamart. We have a P1 capacity SKU and even just adding a basic dataflow to my datamart causes my capacity to exceed 50%. What gives?

[@HDREconomist]

My big issue with my work in datamarts so far is that the dataset it generates being a DQ dataset isn't great. It takes the benefits of the AS compute engine and shoves it in a box which I don't like. This wouldn't be a problem if I could then easily create an import dataset from my datamart Azure SQL DB but that process has failed everytime where refresh would take more than 30 minutes which means I'm stuck with this really inefficient DQ model. This is probably okay in small to medium data use cases but for a DB that can hold up to 100GB of information, even at the 20GB point, not being able to take that data out of the Azure SQL DB and into an import Power BI dataset feels bad. I don't want to query tables with millions of records in direct query.

[@InonoYazy]

Thanks! It helps!

[@newbi4655]

Thank you, great video Adam. Data marts designed for self service business users who may be blocked by IT. Sounds promising, however as it's only available to Premium users, I'm already blocked by IT. Do you know if this feature will be expanding to Pro users anytime soon? Understand users need to pay for new products, but has a target audience been missed, by restricting access to only premium users?

[@HDREconomist]

It can also be used on a Premium Per User basis which at that price point is a very strong value proposition.

[@shadowitself]

In general, You've described distinction efficiently so great thanks about that :) What would be even more helpful is to focus on life-basis example ok, from my expirience - DF are super hiper useful when using it as a dims (as You said) but if endpoints goes above 1 mln than performance is unacceptable does the DM are dealing with it better??? does it replace DS or works rather as auxillary tool? I, check it on my own of course, however those questions are really ones which bothers analysts :)

[@robertbarkovicz800]

I think that shifting development from experts to simple business people is an excellent idea to make Microsoft even more rich. Leads to chaos, never ending redundance and inefficience use of more and more resources. The major challenge is how to leverage self service products without all that chaos. Hard to to manage!

[@СамвелХачатрян-ж7й]

Good attempt to beat out Tableau from market

[@SranioDrljaca]

Datamarts = Dataflow + Dataset with enabled preview feature "DirectQuery for PBI datasets and AS" + Server Endpoint so that Excel user connect himself, but with Premium per User Price

[@Krubblan]

Where are datasets coming in? Measures for example. for example if I connect with excel, how do I get a sum of sales in the right way? Second we can create relationships in the datamart, but, it possible to define the relationship in the datamart by code not only GUI? efficiency! thanks for a great video!

[@FedericoLov]

at 3:21 sorry but dataflows have a timeout of 10 minutes. Definitely not great for heavy ETL that takes a long time to process.

[@remib5863]

I had dataflows running for 10+ hours. Not great to say the least but it'possible.

[@BarongoCalvine]

Power BI Dataflows or Azure Data Factory?

[@mshparber]

Dataflow is a Power Query in the Service and Datamart is a Data Model in the Service, no?

[@AgulloBernat]

if you want to do datascience you'll probably want your fact tables in the datalake as well, not just the dimensions

[@blofeld2430]

Two words : "query validation", as long as it's there, dataflows might be a bad idea.

[@9zQx86LT]

Datamarts are very buggy at the current stage!! You will get all those SQL Server like stupid errors.

[@mjc5439]

“stay up to date with all the videos from both Patrick and -myself- *me* ” … Patrick and ME. #FTFY

[@JohnHall]

Useless.