Power BI Architecture and Its Components Explained

There is so much to understand before you start with Power BI to ensure seamless business continuity and to attain sustainable business outcomes. Here, we are talking about Power BI Architecture and its components. Once you gain a grasp of it, you will get to know the right utilization of this business intelligence suite introduced by Microsoft.

If you want to read the core about Power BI, go through our recent blog “Introduction to Power BI”.

Now, let’s unfold the layers of Power BI Architecture & its Components. Learning such core things will help and make you handy while navigating through Power BI. The more you can leverage the Power BI functionality, the more you will be able to manage your enterprise data and drive scalability.

Power BI Architecture

Power BI Architecture is built on Azure cloud – Microsoft’s own data center. Microsoft has several sub-data centers across the globe that ensure data security and reliability. When you need to drive your data, your data flows through these data centers.

All you need to connect your available data sources with Power BI for secure and reliable data flow across your business channels, departments, or specific operational area. Common data sources that you imbibe could be data files, over the cloud, online services, Power BI gateways, etc.

Now, let’s explore these data sources and understand the navigational flow of Power BI Architecture:

Power BI Desktop

Power BI desktop is an on-premise data flow solution that enables users to create and share visual reports, business insights leveraging data sets. Users can download and install the Power BI desktop in their system at no cost. They can effectively make use of data analyses and visual reporting tools to connect to their available data sources to visualize the resulting data and to perform data analysis.

Power BI Gateway

Power BI gateway is connected to the data sources available on your on-premise systems. Such data sources are used to get data for reporting and analytics. Users can stay updated with reports and dashboards without replacing even a single data source. Through this system configuration, businesses can raise queries from the large available datasets and parallelly can take advantage of their existing system setup or investments they made.

Power BI Services

Power BI Services enable you to drive your secure data solutions seamlessly over the cloud network. It doesn’t require a typical hardware setup and a load of software installations as it works on the SaaS model whereby data can be accessed, shared, and managed with no hassles. Users can leverage the automatically synchronized visual reports and analytics using cross devices and cross platforms from any place and at any time. So, this is how Power BI Service Architecture works.

Power BI Apps

Power BI apps can be configured whether for mobile or tab devices to distribute visual data and business analytics in real-time. These apps can be configured for Android, iOS, and Windows operating systems. These apps help users to make instant decisions without being awaited. Users can make hassle-free use of Power BI apps as they are not required to remember every report or dashboard, they are granted access to. They can stay updated with every data move in real-time.

Components of Power BI

Power Query

Leveraging Power Query, users can raise queries for data modeling and can generate the required analytics or visual data. All you need to do is import your data to Power BI from your existing data sources.

Power BI Desktop

Power BI Desktop enables users to import data from their existing available sources. Users can raise Power queries leveraging that imported data and can finally develop custom reports, visual analysis, key metrics, and other data mapping.

Power BI Mobile

Power BI Mobile enables users to drive data efficiency using mobile devices. You can create powerful stats, visuals, and actionable insights. Such insights can be easily visualized on user-personalized dashboards to support productive decision-making.

Power Pivot

Using Power Pivot, users can make use of Data Analysis Expression language to establish a connection between Power BI and data sources, develop data models, and map & develop simple as well as complex calculations. These calculations help to create stats and analysis supporting businesses to make the right decisions.

Power View

With Power View, enterprises can visualize their data and analytical reports. Using Power View, you can craft interactive visuals in terms of graphs, charts, tables, maps, etc, that help to understand your current business circumstances, and considering them, you can decide better for your business in real-time.

Power Map

Using Power Map – a 3D data visualization tool, users can effortlessly map the data on Bing Map. Power Map allows users to receive the data in latitude and longitude format.

Power Q&A

Since Power BI is embedded with Machine Learning algorithms, it allows users to get answers to their own questions. Power Q&A helps to respond to your questions raised by reading the available data sources in a speedy way. A sample question could be – “what were the total sales last year?”

Briefing!

Now, you are aware of the entire Microsoft Power BI Architecture and how it works both from the front-end & back-end parts. Hope this blog will assist you to deeply understand the Power BI practices and how you can apply the same in your organization. If you are willing to know further information, or simply seeking Power BI implementation, support, or maintenance services, We at Dynamics Square will be more than happy to help you.