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Why CData for SharePoint Excel Services Power BI Connectivity
Break free from data loading limitations and on-premises restrictions of SharePoint Excel Services reporting in Power BI. Easily connect Microsoft Power BI with live SharePoint Excel Services data for up-to-date visual analysis and reporting.
High-performance SharePoint Excel Services Connectivity
Eliminate SharePoint Excel Services performance & query speed issues in minutes
Large datasets often slow down reports and dashboards in Power BI due to its in-memory model. However, CData's Power BI Connector for SharePoint Excel Services overcomes these challenges with advanced query optimization and Direct Query support. By leveraging Direct Query, you can avoid loading your entire SharePoint Excel Services dataset into local memory and instead benefit from efficient server-side processing.
Breakthrough Power BI data volume and storage limits
Power BI Pro imposes a 1GB dataset size limit, and even Premium workspaces have constraints on query performance. The CData Power BI Connector supports Direct Query, reducing the amount of data retrieved when analyzing SharePoint Excel Services data. Instead of loading the entire SharePoint Excel Services dataset, only the necessary subset of query results is returned for your reports, optimizing performance and efficiency.


Microsoft Power BI

Comprehensive SharePoint Excel Services data and metadata discovery
Find the SharePoint Excel Services data you need for reports — fast and easy.
The SharePoint Excel Services Connector provides full access to both data and metadata, enabling efficient automated data exploration and discovery. It features intelligent row scanning, type detection, relationship mapping, and support for unstructured data. These capabilities allow Power BI to recognize data fields without the need for casting or conversion, making it easier and faster for users to create meaningful reports.
Simplify report development with SQL-like querying
Certain data sources, such as SharePoint Excel Services and other NoSQL databases, lack native support for SQL-like queries, often requiring data transformation before use in Power BI. CData simplifies this process with a built-in SQL transformation layer that automatically translates SQL queries into real-time data source calls. This enables seamless SharePoint Excel Services integration, making it as straightforward as connecting to a traditional relational database.
Live SharePoint Excel Services reporting. No ETL Required
Mitigate security & compliance risks vs. other integrations
CData's live Power BI connectivity for SharePoint Excel Services overcomes the challenges associated with traditional integration methods like ETL and local data replication. Unlike data replication, live querying enhances security and compliance by eliminating risks such as data staleness, inconsistency, and corruption. It also reduces exposure from overprivileged access and delayed revocation while minimizing the attack surface created by duplicate copies. Additionally, live connectivity simplifies regulatory compliance by ensuring better adherence to data residency, retention policies, and auditability requirements.
Native Power BI Gateway and Power Platform support
SharePoint Excel Services Power BI Connector supports the use from Power BI Gateway. Power BI on-premises gateway allows publish and auto-refresh the data set in your Power BI Desktop to Power BI cloud and other Microsoft Power Platform services such as Power Apps and Power Automate.
Cloud-to-cloud integration with auto-refresh
Sometimes setting up Power BI Gateway is not an option. IT departments often resist installing the Power BI on-premises gateway due to security concerns over data access and credential storage. They may also be reluctant because of the added maintenance burden and potential network vulnerabilities.
CData Connect Cloud transforms SharePoint Excel Services data connectivity by removing the need for a local gateway. This enables Power BI service users to refresh data seamlessly within Power BI, ensuring they always work with the latest SharePoint Excel Services data. While it doesn't yet support Direct Query mode, CData Connect Cloud is the ideal choice for deploying auto-refreshing Power BI reports in the cloud.

Connect Power BI to SharePoint Excel Services
Watch the video overview for a first hand look at how easy it is to connect Power BI to live data from SharePoint Excel Services with CData.
- Leverage Direct Query capabilities to enhance analytics performance for large SharePoint Excel Services data sets.
- Extensive schema discovery capabilities for every data source. Explore tables, columns, keys, and other data constructs based on user identity.
- Easily connect Power BI directly with complex data structures through flexible and extensible flattening.
- Deploy Power BI reports that automatically refresh on-prem or to the cloud.
- And more!
Frequent SharePoint Excel Services Power BI Connectivity questions
Common questions about integrating SharePoint Excel Services with Microsoft Power BI.
Does SharePoint Excel Services support Power BI?
SharePoint Excel Services doesn't natively integrate with Power BI, but CData Power BI Connectors for SharePoint Excel Services enable seamless SharePoint Excel Services analytics and reporting. Our connectors provide real-time, direct access to SharePoint Excel Services data in Power BI, allowing you to build dynamic dashboards without complex ETL processes. With CData, you get secure, high-performance connectivity for better insights.
How do I connect to SharePoint Excel Services from Power BI?
Moving data from SharePoint Excel Services to Power BI doesn't have to be difficult. The SharePoint Excel Services Power BI Connector enables real-time, direct Power BI SharePoint Excel Services connectivity, eliminating complex ETL.
How It Works
- Install the PowerBI SharePoint Excel Services connector and open Power BI Desktop.
- Connect via Get Data > More > CData SharePoint Excel Services using your credentials to connect SharePoint Excel Services and Power BI.
- Access live data, run SQL queries, and build dynamic dashboards.
- Publish reports to Power BI Service for seamless sharing.
That's all there is to it. With secure, high-performance Power BI SharePoint Excel Services integration, CData simplifies SharePoint Excel Services bi, analytics and reporting. For more information, read the Power BI SharePoint Excel Services Connector getting started guide.
What are the advantages of using the CData SharePoint Excel Services data Connector for Power BI?
The CData SharePoint Excel Services Connector offers key advantages for seamless SharePoint Excel Services Power BI integration:
- SharePoint Excel Services Real-Time Analytics (DirectQuery): Live, direct query access to SharePoint Excel Services data in Power BI eliminates extracts and refreshes. This is especially powerful for working with large SharePoint Excel Services datasets, as it allows you to analyze massive amounts of data without the limitations of in-memory processing. DirectQuery ensures your reports always reflect the latest SharePoint Excel Services information.
- Performance & Scalability: Optimized queries ensure fast data retrieval and handle growing data volumes efficiently. Even with massive datasets, the CData connectors make SharePoint Excel Services PowerBI integration fast and reliable.
- Comprehensive Data Access: The SharePoint Excel Services BI connector provides comprehensive access to SharePoint Excel Services Data and SharePoint Excel Services metadata, empowering you to understand the structure of your data and build more robust and accurate reports. This deep SharePoint Excel Services metadata integration simplifies data discovery and ensures your Power BI reports accurately reflect the meaning and context of your SharePoint Excel Services data.
- Enterprise-Grade Security: The SharePoint Excel Services PowerBI connector supports modern security standards and enterprise authentication methods, making it easier to comply with security policies.
Ultimately, the SharePoint Excel Services to Power BI connector delivers fast, secure, and customizable access to SharePoint Excel Services in Power BI for analytics and reporting.
How does the CData SharePoint Excel Services connector work with Power BI Service?
Yes, all of our connectors support connecting Microsoft Power BI and SharePoint Excel Services integration from Power BI Service by using the Microsoft Power BI Gateway. Instructions for installing and configuring the Power BI Gateway are available in the online SharePoint Excel Services help file.
Where can I download the SharePoint Excel Services Connector for Power BI?
All of the CData Power BI Connectors for PowerBI SharePoint Excel Services integration are freely available for download online. A 30-day trial of the SharePoint Excel Services Connector download can be found alongside other supported SharePoint Excel Services integration technologies like ODBC, JDBC, ADO.NET, SQL Server SSIS, and more.
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