Introducing Power BI’s Assume Referential Integrity: A Game Changer for Performance

⦁ What is Assume Referential Integrity?

⦁ Assume Referential Integrity is a feature that optimizes query performance in Power BI by assuming that the relationships between tables are accurate and well-defined. When enabled, Power BI assumes that each row in the fact table corresponds to at least one row in the related dimension table, enhancing query efficiency.

⦁ When to Use It

⦁ This feature is ideal when you’re confident that your data model’s relationships are sound. Specifically, it’s best used when there’s a one-to-many or many-to-one relationship between tables, and the fact table doesn’t have orphan records.

⦁ Benefits

⦁ Improved Performance: Power BI can execute queries faster by optimizing aggregations and calculations.
⦁ Simplified Query Execution: It eliminates the need for complex checks on relationships, which results in smoother and quicker query execution.
⦁ How to Enable
⦁ In Power BI Desktop, you can enable Assume Referential Integrity by selecting the relationship between tables and ticking the “Assume Referential Integrity” box in the relationship properties window.
⦁ Considerations
⦁ Use with Caution: Enable this feature only when you are certain that the relationships are correctly defined. If the relationships are invalid, such as when there are missing or incorrect records, it could result in inaccurate data or cause performance issues.