Marco Russo's Blog
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SQLBI+ updates in January 2023
After the SQLBI+ launch in November 2022, we released the first update with additional content: two sessions about Time Intelligence and one whitepaper about the new DAX window functions. This is much more than the single Time Intelligence session we… Read more

Creating database aliases on SQL Server 2022
If you create server aliases for SQL Server connections, you should be aware of the changes introduced in SQL Server 2022. At SQLBI we use aliases to identify the server’s name in the connection of our sample files (Power BI… Read more

What happened in the DAX world in 2022
Here we are, at the end of another year, to see what happened in the DAX world. Read more

Fixing incorrect dictionary size reported by VertiPaq Analyzer
There are cases where the dictionary size reported by VertiPaq Analyzer (used by DAX Studio, Bravo for Power BI, and Tabular Editor 3) does not correspond to the actual memory required by the dictionary. However, the number reported is technically… Read more

DAX Studio 3 released!
DAX Studio 3 was released today. This new, major version offers a new user interface and user experience, providing a modern look and feel without losing any of the features available in previous versions. On the contrary, in DAX Studio… Read more

Different filter behaviors in SUMMARIZECOLUMNS and CALCULATETABLE
We recently updated SUMMARIZECOLUMNS on DAX Guide by adding an example that clarifies the difference between a filter applied to SUMMARIZECOLUMNS and a filter applied to CALCULATETABLE. Most of the times, you can move a filter from a SUMMARIZECOLUMNS argument… Read more

The Whiteboard video series on the SQLBI YouTube channel
The Whiteboard is a new series on the SQLBI YouTube channel where I use a whiteboard to describe abstract DAX and Tabular concepts in a more interactive way. I usually represent these concepts by drawing on a whiteboard in our… Read more

Using SELECTEDVALUE with Fields Parameters in Power BI
If you try to use SELECTEDVALUE on the visible column of the table generated by the Fields Parameters feature in Power BI, you get the following error: Calculation error in measure ‘Sales'[Selection]: Column [Parameter] is part of composite key, but… Read more
Creating your own Contoso star schema database
When working on the Mastering Tabular video course, we needed a sample database with more data than what we had at our disposal in existing sample databases. We also wanted to be able to control the content so that different… Read more

About waiting time for Power BI Desktop to open
Did you ever experience a long waiting time while opening a Power BI Desktop file? There could be many reasons for that, but if you have calculated columns and/or calculated tables in your model, you should be aware that they… Read more