Hardware Sizing for Power BI Desktop ?

[yoshihirok]

Are there the information of Hardware Sizing for Power BI Desktop ?

I want to know the information for sizing for the computer for Power BI Desktop.

Power BI Desktop include SQL Server Analysis Services - Tabular Server.

and There are the document of SQL Server 2012's  Hardware Sizeing a Tabular Solution.

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj874401.aspx

So, I want to know Hardware Sizing for Power BI Desktop.

Regards,
Yoshihiro Kawabata

[Greg_Deckler]

https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/powerbi-desktop-get-the-desktop/

[yoshihirok]

Hi, smoupre.

The document seem to minimum requirement for Power BI Desktop.

I want to the document for more performance for Power BI Desktop.

like How about CPU L2 cache, How about CPU NUMA, etc.

Regards,

Yoshihiro Kawabata

[Greg_Deckler]

Well, Desktop is just a client program for building reports. I run it on my Surface 3 Pro and Surface 4 Pro and it is very responsive. If you throw lots of hardware at it, it will be faster but I am not aware of any "these are the perfect system specs for Power BI Desktop".

[yoshihirok]

Hi, smoupre.

Yes, Power BI Desktop is Desktop client program.

I run it on my Surface Pro 4.

And, Power BI Desktop have SQL Server Analysis Services - Tabular Server in itself.

My PC's Task Manager snapshot below

Does Power BI Desktop's SQL Server Analysis Services support NUMA CPUs ?

Does Power BI Desktop's SQL Server Analysis Services support over 64 GB memory ?

Does Power BI Desktop's SQL Server Analysis Services support over 8 CPU physical cores ?

and so on.

Now, Memory module became so cheap.

Now, CPU have a lot of physical cores.

Now, Powerful workstation seems to build for Power BI Desktop.

Regards,

Yoshihiro Kawabata.

[Greg_Deckler]

I do not see that component running when I go to my task manager, so I am thinking that perhaps you are running something else and that is the reason you are seeing that. Do you have SQL Server installed on your machine? Are you running one of the gateways? It wouldn't suprise me if it was there because Power BI might use that under the hood for the data model, but I don't see it running on my workstation. However, that might be because I have SSAS installed on my Surface.

I would say that your NUMA question is more of a question about SSAS Tabular in general, one would make the assumption that Power BI, if it is using that engine, uses the same engine found with SSAS in general:

http://www.purplefrogsystems.com/blog/2014/02/ssas-tabular-performance-numa-update/

The problem for you that I see from your Task Manager screen shot however, is that it appears that you have the 32 bit version of Power BI Desktop installed. That is going to have memory and other limitations and I would recommend installing the 64 bit version instead.

[yoshihirok]

Hi, smoupre.

Please try below step to find SQL Server Analysis Services in Power BI Desktop.

Step 1. Open Power BI Desktop.

Step 2. Create any Report.

Step 3. Download "DAX Studio" from http://daxstudio.codeplex.com/

Step 4. Install "DAX Studio" 

Step 5. Open "DAX Studio". -- Opened "Connect" dialog

Step 6. Select your Report name in "Power BI Designer" in "Connect" dialog -- Connected you Report from DAX Studio.

Step 7. Select "Connect" button in DAX Studio Toolbar. --  Opened "Connect" dialog.

Step 8. Copy a text in "Tabular Server" in "Connect" dialog -- the text like : "localhost:12345".

Step 9. Open SQL Server Management Studio.

Step 10. Connect SQL Server Analysis Servcies of Step 8' text.

Please check the detail by Book "The Definitive Guide to DAX".

I DONT install SQL Server any edition on my Surface Pro 4.

I only install Power BI Desktop, SQL Server Management Studio 2016 preview on my Surface Pro 4.

Now, I'm more happy to use the Power BI Desktop by knowing it include the SQL Server Analysis Service Tabular.

Regards,

Yoshihiro Kawabata