Connecting Microsoft SQL Server to Power BI

Before we dive into the tutorial, let's understand the importance of Microsoft SQL Server and Power BI, along with the advantages of connecting them.

Click here to access the tutorial showing the ways to share reports in Power BI.

Microsoft SQL Server is a robust database management system that allows you to store, access, and manage large volumes of data efficiently. It is widely used by companies around the world to store transactional and analytical data.

Power BI , on the other hand, is a powerful data visualization and analysis tool from Microsoft. It allows you to import data from various sources, create interactive reports and impressive dashboards, and share valuable insights with your team.

Advantages of Connecting SQL Server to Power BI

Now that we understand what Microsoft SQL Server and Power BI are, let's explore why you might want to connect them:

Attractive Data Visualizations: Power BI offers a variety of data visualization options, from simple charts to interactive dashboards, making data more understandable and engaging.

Real-time Analysis: By connecting SQL Server to Power BI, you can perform real-time analysis of your data, allowing for more agile and informed decision-making.

Data Consolidation: Power BI allows you to consolidate data from multiple sources, including SQL Server, into one place, simplifying the analysis of data from different departments or systems.

Now that we have a clear understanding of what each platform offers, let's get to the step-by-step!

Centralizing data in Microsoft SQL Server with Kondado

1. Registering Your Microsoft SQL Server as a Destination in Kondado: Now that you have your database, it's time to enter Kondado and register it to receive data from your tools. To register your Redshift as a destination, follow the step-by-step shown in our documentation.

2. Creating Your Data Sources: Connectors are the data sources or tools from which you want to extract data to centralize in your Data Warehouse. To register your data sources in Kondado, visit our wiki and follow the respective step-by-step instructions.

3. Creating Your First Integration: Now that your data destination and your connectors are registered, you can create your first integration. To learn how to create your first integration,follow the onboarding step-by-step guide in the platform.

Connecting Microsoft SQL Server to Power BI

Open Power BI Desktop on your computer and on the Power BI startup screen, click on “Get Data”.

In the window that opens, you can either go to the search section on the upper left side and look for “Microsoft SQL Server” or select “Database” and then “Microsoft SQL Server”. The first option is demonstrated in the image.

Fill in the details of the server where your SQL Server is hosted, and the name of the database. Then click “OK” to connect to the SQL Server.

Select the “DirectQuery” option so that the data is updated in Power BI as it is updated in your database.

Provide your database user credentials and password.

Select the tables or queries that you want to import into Power BI and click “Load” to import the data.

Done! Your Microsoft SQL Server database has been successfully integrated with Power BI, which allows you to explore, analyze, and visualize your data in a more efficient and intuitive way.