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Power BI: Refresh Data

Spotlight - Power BI Refreshing Data

Intermediate
17m total
6 lessons

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Level : Intermediate
Duration : 17m total
Lesson : 6
Format : Spotlight
Version : Current
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Course description

Power BI – Refreshing Data is a foundational course designed to help learners understand how data is stored, accessed, and refreshed within Power BI. As reports and dashboards rely on timely and accurate data, this course explores the five core storage modes—Import, DirectQuery, Live Connect, Dual Mode, and Push Mode—and their implications for performance, scalability, and refresh behavior. Learners begin by reviewing Import Mode, the most common and beginner-friendly approach, where data is copied into the Power BI file for fast, local access. The course then introduces DirectQuery and Live Connect, which allow for real-time connections to external data sources, and explains how these modes affect modeling, refresh cycles, and user permissions. Participants will also explore Dual Mode, which combines Import and DirectQuery for optimized performance, and Push Mode, used when external services push data into Power BI. Each mode is examined for its pros and cons, helping learners understand when and why each is used. Finally, the course covers refresh types, including query caching and tile refreshes, and how they relate to dashboards and service-based reports. By the end of the course, learners will be equipped to collaborate with IT teams, choose appropriate storage modes, and ensure their reports reflect current data.

What you’ll learn

  • Understand the fundamentals of Spotlight - Power BI Refreshing Data
  • Work confidently with the core tools and features
  • Build toward intermediate-level fluency
  • Apply skills to real, on-the-job tasks
  • Follow best practices and avoid common pitfalls
Power BI Microsoft 365 Data Literacy

Course outline

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