data storage in Power BI

Question

Where is data stored in Power BI

Amira Bedhiafi · Answer

It depends on how you're connecting to and modeling your data. Imported Data (Import Mode ) - Storage location: Data is compressed and stored within the Power BI dataset (.pbix file). - Backend: Stored in an in-memory columnar storage engine (VertiPaq). - Performance: Very fast for querying, as data is in-memory. - Where: Once published, the data resides in the Power BI Service (Azure-based) — specifically in Azure Blob Storage and indexed using Azure SQL Database. DirectQuery / Live Con nection - Storage location: Data remains in the source system (e.g., SQL Server, Oracle, Azure Synapse, SSAS). - Power BI just sends queries to fetch data as needed. - No data is stored in Power BI, except metadata and visuals. Composite Models - Combines Import and DirectQuery. - Part of the data is stored in Power BI; part is queried live. Power BI Dataflows - If using Dataflows (Power BI Premium / Pro): - Data is stored in Azure Data Lake Gen2 behind the scenes. Power BI Service Storage - Datasets and reports published to Power BI are stored in your Power BI tenant (hosted on Microsoft Azure). - If you're using Power BI Premium, storage is associated with a dedicated capacity. - Free/Pro licenses get 10 GB per user of storage. - Premium workspaces can use up to 100 TB (or more, depending on the capacity tier).