Power BI – Visualize Geographic Spatial Data from SQL Server in Power BI

azurepower-bispatial-databasesql server

Is it possible to directly query geographic spatial data form SQL Server in PowerBI like its possible with Tableau?
https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2018/05/14/visualize-geographic-spatial-data-from-sql-server-directly-in-tableau-2018-1/

I know there is the "workaround" with ArcGIS Online but this means I have to keep two datasets up to date, the ArcGIS Online shapefile and the spatial data in SQL Server.

Best Answer

So my research at this point points to NO... which is startling. I even watched an entire ESRI UC presentation on the subject from last summer (link), and even investigating the Mapbox components, here are my conclusions:

  • There is no way to display native SQL Server geometry in PowerBI
  • The ArcGIS Maps for PowerBI seem to only point to LAT/LON data in your table - NOT your geodatabase, or even the geometry in the back-end of your SQL Server-driven geodatabase
  • ArcGIS Maps for PowerBI does give added heatmap and other drive-time analyses, basemaps, etc., but again only being driven from LAT/LON
  • If you point to columns containing addresses or zip codes, it will simply geocode those locations against ArcGIS services, rather than draw the geometry you already have in your SQL Server database
  • Mapbox for PowerBI is similar to ArcGIS for PowerBI, though we have a bit more research to do, the allure of Mapbox's version is the ability to bring in custom basemaps.

I'm sorry I don't have much more to report, as this seems like a no-brainer for the "ArcGIS / Microsoft Relationship". It seems they are treating maps in PowerBI the same way they have handled geometry in SQL Server - leave it to ArcGIS, and if they can't do it, it can't be done.

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