Secrets of Power BI Performance Analyzer
Proposed session for SQLBits 2026TL; DR
Understand how to use all the information available in Performance Analyzer in Power BI to tune your reports.
Session Details
Performance Analyzer has been around in Power BI Desktop forever and now it's available in the browser for published reports too. But did you know that if you export data from it there's a lot more information available in there than is visible in the Performance Analyzer pane? In this session you can learn more about this extra data and how you can visualise it, what it tells you about how Power BI reports work, and how you can use it for performance tuning.
3 things you'll get out of this session
* Learn the basics of Performance Analyzer
* See what extra data is available when you export results from Performance Analyzer, and how to interpret that data
* Use this information to tune Power BI reports
Speakers
Chris Webb's other proposed sessions for 2026
Fabric Power Hour - 2026
Performance tuning Dataflows Gen2 - 2026
Tuning Power BI Copilot with AI Instructions - 2026
Chris Webb's previous sessions
What's new in Power Query in Power BI, Fabric and Excel?
Find out about new Power Query features in Power BI Desktop, Fabric Dataflows and Excel.
Connect Excel to Power BI data with Live Connected Tables
In this session you'll learn how to create Live Connected Tables and what the advantages and disadvantages of using them are.
Fabric Power Hour
The famous Power BI Power Hour returns, but this time it has expanded to cover the whole of Fabric!
Fabric Direct Lake Deep Dive
Learn how the new Direct Lake mode for Power BI in Microsoft Fabric works
BI Power Hour
Be AMAZED by the silliest product demos you've ever seen! LAUGH! CRY! Reconsider your career choices!
Query folding in Power Query
Find out what query folding is, why it's important for performance and what can stop it happening.
Performance Tuning Power Query And Dataflows In Power BI
Performance tune Power Query in Power BI and Power BI Dataflows
Creating Tables In Power Query And M Using #table()
Generate tables of data using the #table M function in Power Query
Power BI: Business Intelligence Strategy, Vision, & Roadmap
Power BI enables customers and partners to do more with their data. Come to this session to learn about the latest information about our strategy, vision, and roadmap for Power BI.
Performance tuning Power BI dataset refresh
So your dataset is taking too long to refresh. What can you do? In this presentation you’ll learn about all the different components that can contribute to slow refresh performance such as the data sources you’re using,
Advanced analytics features in Power BI
In this session you’ll learn about some of these advanced analytical features in Power BI, including: the Analytics pane on visuals; the Key Influencers visual and other AI features.
Top tips for the accidental Power BI administrator
In this session you'll learn real-world experience from Microsoft's Customer Advisory Team about what you need to manage and administer Power BI.
Introduction To Dataflows In Power BI
Learn how dataflows can be used to load data in Power BI.
Using Analysis Services MD as a Data Source for Power BI
Learn how to get the most of your SSAS MD cubes when using Power BI as a front-end
Introduction to Azure Analysis Services
Learn to build Analysis Services models in the cloud
Building A Reporting Solution Using Power Query
See how to use Power Query to build a detail-level reporting solution
Power Query: Beyond The Basics
An in-depth session on advanced Power Query functionality and the M language
DAXMD: SSAS Multidimensional meets DAX and Power View
This session looks at the most significant new functionality to be added to SSAS Multidimensional in recent years: support for the DAX language and Power View.
Advanced Security with Analysis Services Multidimensional
This session will cover advanced security topics in the Analysis Services Multidimensional model.
Fun with Scoped Assignments in MDX
This session will introduce the concept of scoped assignments in MDX and show how they can be used to solve various calculation problems.
Basic BISM
This session explains what the BI Semantic Model in SQL Server Denali is, how it is related to Analysis Services, and provides a brief introduction to the new Tabular model.
Implementing Common Business Calculations in DAX
This session will introduce the basic concepts of the new multidimensional calculation language, DAX, and show how to implement several common calculations in it
Common Analysis Services design mistakes and how to avoid them
Learn about the most frequently made Analysis Services design mistakes, the problems they cause, and how to fix them or not make them in the first place