1.      What is Power BI Desktop

Power BI Desktop, crafted and maintained by Microsoft, is an open-source application. It empowers users to effortlessly connect to, transform, and visualize their data. With Power BI Desktop, users can construct visuals and assemble collections of visuals, which can be shared as reports within their organization with colleagues or clients .

2.      What is Power Query?

Microsoft's Power Query is a business intelligence tool created for Excel. It facilitates the importation of data from diverse sources and empowers users to clean, transform, and reshape their data according to specific requirements. With Power Query, you can craft a query once and subsequently execute it with a straightforward refresh

3.      Describe the components of Microsoft’s self-service BI solution.

The realm of self-service business intelligence (SSBI) comprises both the Excel BI Toolkit and Power BI

4.       What is self-service BI, anyway?

SSBI, short for Self-Service Business Intelligence, represents a pivotal advancement in the field of business intelligence. This innovation has empowered numerous business professionals lacking technical or coding expertise to effectively utilize Power BI, generating reports and making successful predictions. Even individuals without a technical background can craft dashboards, contributing to more informed decision-making within their business.

5.      What is DAX?

DAX, an acronym for Data Analysis Expressions, comprises a set of functions, operators, and constants employed in formulas to compute and yield values. Essentially, it aids in generating new information from existing data.

6.       What are Filters in Power BI?

The term "Filter" is evident in its meaning. Filters involve applying mathematical and logical conditions to data to extract crucial information from rows and columns. Here is a range of filters accessible in Power BI:

·         Manual filters

·         Auto filters

·         Include/Exclude filters

·         Drill-down filters

·         Cross Drill filters

·         Drillthrough filters

·         Drillthrough filters

·         URL filters–transient

·         Pass-Through filters

7.      What are Custom Visuals in Power BI?

Custom Visuals in Power BI are similar to other visualizations but are crafted using a custom SDK (Software Development Kit). The creation of custom visuals in Power BI involves the use of languages such as JQuery and JavaScript.

8.      What is GetData in Power BI?

Get Data icon in Power BI used to import data from different sources.

9.      What are advantages of using Power BI.

Here are some benefits of utilizing Power BI:

·         Facilitates the creation of interactive data visualizations within data centers

·         Empowers users to convert data into visuals and easily share them with others

·         Establishes a link for swift analysis through Excel queries and dashboards

·         Offers rapid and precise solutions

·         Enables users to query reports using straightforward English expressions

10.                    Please share some of the limitations of using Power BI.

·         Power BI does not support files exceeding 1 GB in size and does not blend imported data obtained from real-time connections.

·         Real-time connections to Power BI reports and dashboards are supported by only a limited number of data sources.

·         Dashboards and reports can only be shared with users who are logged in with matching email addresses.

·         Dashboards do not accept or transfer user, account, or other entity parameters.

11.                    What are some differences in data modeling between Power BI Desktop and Power Pivot for Excel? 

In Excel's Power Pivot, there is support solely for single-directional relationships (one to many), calculated columns, and a single import mode. On the other hand, Power BI Desktop offers more advanced features such as bi-directional cross-filtering connections, security settings, calculated tables, and multiple import options.  

12.                    Name the different connectivity modes available in Power BI? 

There are three main connectivity modes used in Power BI.

Live Connection

This connectivity type avoids storing data in the Power BI model. Any interaction with a report using a Live Connection directly queries the Analysis Services model in place. The live connection method is supported by only three data sources: SQL Server Analysis Services (Tabular models and Multidimensional Cubes), Azure Analysis Services (Tabular Models), and Power BI Datasets hosted in the Power BI Service.

Direct Query

The Direct Query connection type is accessible exclusively when connecting to certain data sources. In this connectivity type, Power BI retains only the metadata of the underlying data and not the actual data.

SQL Server Import

The default and widely used connectivity type in Power BI is SQL Server Import. It enables you to leverage the full capabilities of Power BI Desktop.  

13.                    What are the various types of refresh options provided in Power BI? 

Four important types of refresh options provided in Microsoft Power BI are as follows:

·         Package refresh - .

·         Model or data refresh -

·         Tile refresh -

·         Visual container refresh -