Boosting Performance in Power BI: A Guide to Incremental Refresh and Hybrid Tables

Introduction to incremental refresh & it’s benefits

Power BI is a powerful tool for data analysis and visualization, and two of its most impactful features are Incremental Refresh and Hybrid Tables. These features are designed to optimize data handling and improve performance, especially when dealing with large datasets.

Incremental Refresh is a method of refreshing only the data that has changed or been added since the previous refresh, rather than the entire dataset. This is especially useful for large datasets, where complete refreshes can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.

Benefits of Incremental Refresh:

• Refresh: Refreshing only the most recent data saves time and effort.
• Performance: Improved performance by reducing data source load and resulting in faster refresh rates.
• Reliability: Reduced risk of long-term connections to volatile data sources.

Introduction to Hybrid Tables & It’s benefits

Hybrid tables provide the benefits of both DirectQuery and Import modes. They allow part of the table to be stored in DirectQuery mode for real-time data access, while the rest of the table is stored in Import mode for better performance.

Benefits of Hybrid Tables:

• Real-Time Data: DirectQuery partitions ensure that the latest data is always available.
• Performance: Imported partitions provide faster query performance for historical data.
• Flexibility: Hybrid Tables can be used in conjunction with Incremental Refresh to optimize both data freshness and performance

Implementing Incremental Refresh and Hybrid Tables

To set up Incremental Refresh:

• Define Parameters: Use Power Query to define date/time parameters (RangeStart and RangeEnd).

• Configure Refresh Policy: Configure an incremental refresh policy in Power BI Desktop.

• Publish: Publish the model to Power BI Service, where the refresh policy will be automatically applied

To set up Hybrid Tables:

1. Partition Data: Create partitions for the table, designating some for DirectQuery and others for Import.
2. Combine Modes: Ensure that the table is configured to use both DirectQuery and Import modes.
3. Optimize: Adjust settings to balance real-time data access and performance

Real-World Examples of Incremental Refresh and Hybrid Tables in Power BI

Example 1: Retail Sales Analysis

A large retail company uses Power BI to analyse sales data from thousands of stores across the country. The company configured Incremental Refresh to update only the last month’s data daily while keeping historical data intact.

Example 2: Financial Reporting

A financial institution uses Power BI for monthly financial reporting. They deal with large volumes of transactional data, which need to be updated regularly. The institution set up Incremental Refresh to update only the latest transactions, ensuring that the monthly reports are always up to date without the need for full dataset refreshes.

Example 3: IoT Data Monitoring

A technology company utilizes Power BI to examine data from IoT sensors installed in various locations. The sensors generate large amounts of data continuously. The company configured Incremental Refresh to update sensor data every hour, focusing only on the new data generated since the last refresh.

Example 4: Healthcare Data Analysis

A healthcare provider uses Power BI to analyze patient data for research and reporting purposes. They handle sensitive and large datasets that require frequent updates. The provider set up Incremental Refresh to update patient records daily, ensuring that the latest data is always available for analysis.

Conclusion

Incremental Refresh and Hybrid Tables are critical capabilities for managing huge datasets in Power BI. They strike a balance between data freshness and performance, making it easier to manage dynamic data effectively. Using these features will ensure that your Power BI reports are both responsive and dependable.

About CloudThat

Established in 2012, CloudThat is an award-winning company and the first in India to offer cloud training and consulting services for individuals and enterprises worldwide. Recently, it won Google Cloud’s New Training Partner of the Year Award for 2025, becoming the first company in the world in 2025 to hold awards from all three major cloud giants: AWS, Microsoft, and Google. CloudThat notably won consecutive AWS Training Partner of the Year (APJ) awards in 2023 and 2024 and the Microsoft Training Services Partner of the Year Award in 2024, bringing its total award count to an impressive 12 awards in the last 8 years. In addition to this, 20 trainers from CloudThat are ranked among Microsoft’s Top 100 MCTs globally for 2025, demonstrating its exceptional trainer quality on the global stage.  

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