Data Modeling
Star schemas, fact and dimension tables, relationships, and date tables — the foundation everything else in Power BI is built on.
Data Modeling
A well-shaped data model is what makes DAX simple and reports fast — this section covers star schemas, the fact/dimension split, relationships, and the patterns (bridge tables, slowly changing dimensions) that come up as a model grows.
Fact Table (transactions, events — the numbers)
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| relationships
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Dimension Tables (who, what, where, when — the descriptive context)Start Here
Introduction
What a data model is, and why its shape matters more than any single DAX formula.
Star Schema
The standard shape for a Power BI model — one fact table surrounded by dimension tables.
Relationships
How tables connect, cardinality, and cross-filter direction.
Fact Tables
What belongs in a fact table, and what doesn't.
Dimension Tables
Building the descriptive tables a fact table relates to.
Date Tables
Why time intelligence needs a real, continuous calendar table.
Where to Go Next
- Bridge Tables and Many-to-Many Relationships — for relationships a simple one-to-many can't represent.
- DAX — the calculations this model shape is built to support.