FAQs
Here you can find answers to common BI Link questions. Can't find the answer to your question? Please contact us.
BI Link FAQs
Frequently asked BI Link questions.
What is BI Link?
Channel Performance BI Link allows Charter Clients to connect to Channel Performance data directly using a variety of BI tools via native and ODBC connectors. Additional details can be found here in our documentation.
How does BI Link work?
BI Link will provide a unique set of secured credentials to get direct access to Channel Performance tables. This access will allow Charter Clients to natively connect to the data via their preferred tool of choice. Additional details can be found here in our documentation.
Will any BI Tool be supported?
BI Link is supported by all analytical tools that allow ODBC connections and have a Google BigQuery native driver.
Am I going to get access to BI Link automatically after the Release?
No, BI Link access needs to be requested via your Account Manager or Sales Engineering Rep. Please allow approximately 3 to 5 business days to receive your secured access key after the request has been submitted.
Does everyone in my organization need access and credentials?
No, not everyone in your organization should get access and credentials. The recommended approach is to only grant access to your BI super users so they can build any visualization needed. Once built, visualizations can be shared internally with other authorized users within your organization.
Will there be a limit to the number credentials and users with direct access to BI Link?
Walmart Data Ventures reserves the right to limit the number of credentials provided. However as stated above, this only applies to users that can have direct access and it doesn’t impact your ability to share any completed dashboard with other authorized users within your organization.
What if I have questions or issues with my preferred BI tool?
The Walmart Data Ventures support team should be contacted if you have any issues with the connection, including errors, time outs, and/or no data being displayed. For all other inquiries we recommend you contact the support team for your preferred BI tool.
How do I know if I have our data tables linked correctly?
Data linking may vary depending on the preferred BI tool. We outline how to validate using Power BI, Tableau, and Excel below:
Power BI: The far-right hand panel labeled "DATA" will show the tables that you have linked. Validate the respective tables shown against those listed in the Data documentation.
Tableau: In the tab labeled "Data Source", validate the respective tables shown against those listed in the Data Tables available via BI Link.
Excel: The query/data tab will show the connection is made. When you click on the table it will show the table structure.
Why am I receiving a "This visual has exceeded the available resources" error in Power BI?
The visual has tried to query too much data for Power BI to complete the result with available resources. Try filtering the visual to reduce the amount of data in the result. Visit https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/connect-data/refresh-troubleshooting-tile-errors for more details about Power BI limitations.
Why am I receiving a "Couldn't retrieve the data for this visual" error in Power BI?
This issue is associated with Power BI and is usually transient. If you try again later and still see this message, please contact Power BI support. Visit https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/connect-data/refresh-troubleshooting-tile-errors for more inquiries related to Power BI.
Why is it taking so Long to load data into our charts? It seems very slow to load compared to training videos that we have watched.
While using direct query, the jobs are running live. Latency is expected; however, it should not be such that doesn't allow you to consume the reports. For faster results we recommend filtering the data before creating.
I followed all directions to get connected using BI Link, but why is it only showing the database without showing the tables?
Confirm you VPN connection allows for Google BigQuery connections - specifically direct query. If so, please meet with your technical team to ensure your firewall isn't preventing access. Still having issues? Please contact your Account Manager.
Why am I receiving an "Access Denied" error when using Power BI Desktop?
When you try to connect to Google BigQuery from Power BI Desktop, you might get the following error message: Datasource.Error: ODBC: ERROR [HY000][Microsoft][BigQuery] (100) Error interacting with REST API: Access Denied: Project
Why is the data not matching to Insights data?
If you are concerned about any of your data, please submit a ticket and attach the analysis at the bottom of the ticket page for us to investigate.
We can't do DAX formulations because we are doing direct query, what should we do?
This is a limitation with Power BI that doesn’t exist with other BI tools such as Tabeau. Please refer to the frequently used SQL page to help pre-join tables and views prior to loading the data. This will remove depedency on DAX. Please refer to this help link for more limitation of Power BI https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/connect-data/desktop-directquery-about.
How often is the data refreshed?
Please refer to the Target Refresh Time for each data set, outlined in the Data Table Reference section of this documentation.
Do I have to reconnect every time I open my analytics tool?
No, once connected, BI Link will stay connected until the connection is removed. Users are able to refresh the connected data daily.
Is BI Link replacing any products?
No, BI link complements existing product offerings and is intended to help suppliers gain access relatively quickly while using their analytical tool of choice.
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