Prepare Data in Power BI Desktop

The estimated time to complete the lab is 45 minutes

In this lab you commence the development of a Power BI Desktop solution for the Adventure Works company. It
involves connecting to source data, previewing the data, and using data preview techniques to understand the
characteristics and quality of the source data.

In this lab you learn how to:

Open Power BI Desktop

Set Power BI Desktop options

Connect to source data

Preview source data

Use data preview techniques to better understand the data

Lab story

This lab is one of many in a series of labs that was designed as a complete story from data preparation to
publication as reports and dashboards. You can complete the labs in any order. However, if you intend to work
through multiple labs, we suggest you do them in the following order:

1. Prepare Data in Power BI Desktop

2. Load Data in Power BI Desktop

3. Model Data in Power BI Desktop

4. Create DAX Calculations in Power BI Desktop, Part 1

5. Create DAX Calculations in Power BI Desktop, Part 2

6. Design a Report in Power BI Desktop, Part 1

7. Design a Report in Power BI Desktop, Part 2

8. Create a Power BI Dashboard

9. Perform Data Analysis in Power BI Desktop

10. Enforce Row-Level Security

Exercise 1: Prepare Data

In this exercise you will create eight Power BI Desktop queries. Six queries will source data from SQL Server, and
two from CSV files.

Task 1: Save the Power BI Desktop file

In this task you will first save the Power BI Desktop file.

1. To open the Power BI Desktop, on the taskbar, click the Microsoft Power BI Desktop shortcut.

1. To close the getting started window, at the top-right of the window, click X.
 1. To save the file, click the File ribbon tab to open the backstage view.

2. Select Save.

1. In the Save As window, navigate to the D:\PL300\MySolution folder.

2. In the File Name box, enter Sales Analysis.

1. Click Save.

Tip: You can also save the file by click the Save icon located at the top-left.

Task 2: Set Power BI Desktop options

In this task you will set Power BI Desktop options.

1. In Power BI Desktop, click the File ribbon tab to open the backstage view.

2. At the left, select Options and Settings, and then select Options.
 1. In the Options window, at the left, in the Current File group, select Data Load.

The Data Load settings for the current file allow setting options that determine default behaviors when
modeling.

2. In the Relationships group, uncheck the two options that are already checked.

While having these two options enabled can be helpful when developing a data model, you disabled them
earlier to support the lab experience. When you create relationships in the Load Data in Power BI
Desktop lab, you’ll learn why you are adding each one.

3. Click OK.

4. Save the Power BI Desktop file.

Task 3: Get data from SQL Server

In this task you will create queries based on SQL Server tables.

1. On the Home ribbon tab, from inside the Data group, click SQL Server.
2. In the SQL Server Database window, in the Server box, enter localhost.

In this lab you’ll connect to the SQL Server database by using localhost. This isn’t a recommended practice
when creating your own solutions. It’s because gateway data sources cannot resolve localhost.

3. Click OK.

4. If prompted for credentials, in the SQL Server Database window, select Use my current credentials. Then
Connect.

5. In the Navigator window, at the left, expand the AdventureWorksDW2020 database.

The AdventureWorksDW2020 database is based on the AdventureWorksDW2017 sample database. It

has been modified to support the learning objectives of the course labs.

6. Select—but don’t check—the DimEmployee table.

7. In the right pane, notice a preview of the table data.

The preview data allows you to determine the columns and a sample of rows.

8. To create queries, select the checkbox next to the following six tables:

DimEmployee

DimEmployeeSalesTerritory

DimProduct

DimReseller

DimSalesTerritory

FactResellerSales
 9. To apply transformations to the data of the selected tables, click Transform Data.

You won’t be transforming the data in this lab. The objectives of this lab focus on exploring and profiling
the data in the Power Query Editor window.

Task 4: Preview SQL Server queries

In this task you will preview the data of the SQL Server queries. First, you will learn relevant information about
the data. You will also use column quality, column distribution, and column profile tools to understand the data
and to assess data quality.

1. In the Power Query Editor window, at the left, notice the Queries pane.

The Queries pane contains one query for each table you checked.

2. Select the first query—DimEmployee.

The DimEmployee table in the SQL Server database stores one row for each employee. A subset of the
rows from this table represents the salespeople, which will be relevant to the model you’ll develop.

3. At the bottom left, in the status bar, notice the table statistics—the table has 33 columns, and 296 rows.

4. In the data preview pane, scroll horizontally to review all columns.

5. Notice that the last five columns contain Table or Value links.

These five columns represent relationships to other tables in the database. They can be used to join tables
together. You’ll join tables in the Load Data in Power BI Desktop lab.

6. To assess column quality, on the View ribbon tab, from inside the Data Preview group, check Column
Quality.

The column quality feature allows you to easily determine the percentage of valid, error, or empty values
found in columns.
 7. For the Position column (sixth last column), notice that 94% of rows are empty (null).

8. To assess column distribution, on the View ribbon tab, from inside the Data Preview group, check Column
Distribution.

9. Review the Position column again, and notice that there are four distinct values, and one unique value.

10. Review the column distribution for the EmployeeKey (first) column—there are 296 distinct values, and 296
unique values.

When the distinct and unique counts are the same, it means the column contains unique values. When
modeling, it’s important that some model tables have unique columns. These unique columns can be used
to create one-to-many relationships, which you will do in the Model Data in Power BI Desktop lab.

11. In the Queries pane, select the DimEmployeeSalesTerritory query.

The DimEmployeeSalesTerritory table stores one row for each employee and the sales territory regions
they manage. The table supports relating many regions to a single employee. Some employees manage
one, two, or possibly more regions. When you model this data, you’ll need to define a many-to-many
relationship.

12. In the Queries pane, select the DimProduct query.

The DimProduct table contains one row per product sold by the company.

13. Horizontally scroll to reveal the last columns.

14. Notice the DimProductSubcategory column.

 When you add transformations to this query in the Load Data in Power BI Desktop lab, you’ll use the
DimProductSubcategory column to join tables.

15. In the Queries pane, select the DimReseller query.

The DimReseller table contains one row per reseller. Resellers sell, distribute, or value add to the
Adventure Works products.

16. To view column values, on the View ribbon tab, from inside the Data Preview group, check Column
Profile.

17. Select the BusinessType column header.

18. Notice the new pane beneath the data preview pane.

19. Review the column statistics and value distribution in the data preview pane.

20. Notice the data quality issue: there are two labels for warehouse (Warehouse, and the misspelled Ware
House).

21. Hover the cursor over the Ware House bar, and notice that there are five rows with this value.

You’ll apply a transformation to relabel these five rows in the Load Data in Power BI Desktop lab.

22. In the Queries pane, select the DimSalesTerritory query.

The DimSalesTerritory table contains one row per sales region, including Corporate HQ (headquarters).
Regions are assigned to a country, and countries are assigned to groups. In the Model Data in Power BI
Desktop lab, you’ll create a hierarchy to support analysis at region, country, or group level.

23. In the Queries pane, select the FactResellerSales query.

Exercise 1:
Prepare Data

The FactResellerSales table contains one row per sales order line—a sales order contains one or more line
items.

24. Review the column quality for the TotalProductCost column, and notice that 8% of the rows are empty.

Missing TotalProductCost column values is a data quality issue. To address the issue, in the Load Data in
Power BI Desktop lab, you’ll apply transformations to fill in missing values by using the product standard
cost, which is stored in the related DimProduct table.

Task 5: Get data from a CSV file

In this task you will create a query based on a CSV file.

1. To add a new query, in the Power Query Editor window, on the Home ribbon tab, from inside the New
Query group, click the New Source down-arrow, and then select Text/CSV.

2. In the Open window, navigate to the D:\PL300\Resources folder, and select the ResellerSalesTargets.csv
file.

3. Click Open.

4. In the ResellerSalesTargets.csv window, review the preview data.

5. Click OK.
 6. In the Queries pane, notice the addition of the ResellerSalesTargets query.

The ResellerSalesTargets CSV file contains one row per salesperson, per year. Each row records 12
monthly sales targets (expressed in thousands). Note that the business year for the Adventure Works
company commences on July 1.

7. Notice that no column contains empty values.

When there isn’t a monthly sales target, a hyphen character is stored instead.

8. Review the icons in each column header, to the left of the column name.

The icons represent the column data type. 123 is whole number, and ABC is text.

You’ll apply many transformations to achieve a different shaped result consisting of only three columns:
Date, EmployeeKey, and TargetAmount in the Load Data in Power BI Desktop lab.

Task 6: Get additional data from a CSV file

In this task you will create an additional query based on a different CSV file.

1. Use the steps in the previous task to create a query based on the D:\PL300\Resources\ColorFormats.csv
file.

The ColorFormats CSV file contains one row per product color. Each row records the HEX codes to format
background and font colors. You’ll integrate this data with the DimProduct query data in the Load Data in
Power BI Desktop lab.

Task 7: Finish up

In this task you will complete the lab.

1. On the View ribbon tab, from inside the Data Preview group, uncheck the three data preview options that
were previously enabled in this lab:

Column quality

Column distribution

Column profile

2. To save the Power BI Desktop file, in the Power Query Editor window, on the File backstage view, select
Save.

3. When prompted to apply the queries, click Apply Later.

Applying the queries will load their data to the data model. You’re not ready to do that, as there are many
transformations that must be applied first.

4. If you intend to start the next lab, leave Power BI Desktop open.

You’ll apply various transformations to the queries and then apply the queries to load them to the data
model in the Load Data in Power BI Desktop lab.