View created in SQL query in SSMS VS Using the same SQL query created in PBI

[Rian_II]

Has anyone ever investigated the difference between:
1. A SQL query within Power BI Query Editor (when specifying connection string, selecting advanced and putting code in the SQL Command box)
2. Linking Power BI to a View in the SQL DB with exactly the same code.

I understand the choice between the two depends on the level of access you have to the SQL DB, but is there any difference in terms of performance (i.e. effect on resources) and the associated user experience when refreshing and consuming the actual report?

My assumption here is using Import, not Direct Query (don't know how the latter will affect it).

[v-piga-msft]

Hi @Rian_II ,

Actually, by my tests, the query for the two ways is the same in Advanced Editor so I think that there should be not any difference in terms of performance (i.e. effect on resources) and the associated user experience when refreshing for the two ways of connecting.

Best  Regards,

Cherry

[Rian_II]

Hi @v-piga-msft ,

Thanks for the response. Any other comments from the forum?

I understand the query is the same, but I'm wondering whether the data transfer and processing will work exactly the same? E.g:

• Is the processing to create the View always done on the DB server, or will some processing be done on the local machine which is consuming the report? 
• When using Power Query to import the data, is only the result returned to the local machine, or is all associated data retrieved with the processing then done on the local machine? (which would not be ideal)
• Any other factors that I'm not considering?

Thanks!

P.S. I understand this changes completely when using Power BI Report Server, but let's leave that out of this question for now.