SQLBits 2024

Get a Load of this - Realistic Load Testing for Power BI, explained!

This session will showcase the value of Load Testing Power BI reports, with live demos of the open-source Realistic Load Test tool.
Are you a Power BI developer or admin?

Do you have Power BI reports that work great during development and UAT, but performance drops once released to production with multiple users?

Or perhaps you're a decision maker, and want to know how much Premium capacity to buy? Or whether you need to invest in Fabric?

You need automated Power BI Load Testing!

In this session we will discuss Power BI production report performance woes by answering:

- Why do Power BI performance issues arise unexpectantly in production?
- Why do we need load testing?
- How can we carry out load testing with Power BI reports?
- How can we use load testing to understand what the right level of Premium capacity is for our tenant?
- How can we use Load Testing to quantify the benefits of DirectLake mode in Fabric?

We will go through a live demo of the Realistic Load Tool, which uses a PowerShell script to replicate a specified amount of users opening a report simultaneously. We will discuss what to keep in mind when using the tool, what are its restrictions, and how to use it most effectively for your own reports.