Combining Multiple Data Sources in Power BI: Azure SQL DB and Cosmos DB
A data analyst needs to create an interactive report that combines sales data from Azure SQL Database and Azure Cosmos DB. The report must refresh daily. Which tool should they use?
Quick Answer
The answer is Power BI, as it is the only tool in the Microsoft ecosystem designed to combine multiple data sources in a Power BI report while supporting scheduled daily refreshes. Power BI can natively connect to both Azure SQL Database and Azure Cosmos DB through built-in connectors, allowing a data analyst to merge structured transactional data from SQL with semi-structured or NoSQL data from Cosmos DB into a single interactive dashboard. On the Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals DP-900 exam, this question tests your understanding of Power BI’s role as the primary analytics and reporting service, distinguishing it from tools like Azure Synapse Analytics or Azure Data Factory, which focus on data integration or warehousing rather than interactive visualization. A common trap is confusing Power BI with Azure Analysis Services, but remember: Power BI handles the direct connection and refresh scheduling, while Analysis Services is for semantic modeling. Memory tip: “Power BI powers the report—SQL and Cosmos are just sources to import.”
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse data integration tools (like Azure Data Factory) or data modeling services (like Azure Analysis Services) with the actual reporting and visualization tool, which is Power BI, the only option that directly creates interactive reports with scheduled refresh.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Power BI
Power BI is the correct tool because it is designed for creating interactive reports and dashboards, and it can directly connect to both Azure SQL Database and Azure Cosmos DB as data sources. Its scheduled refresh capability allows the report to refresh daily without manual intervention, meeting the requirement for an interactive, combined report.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Azure Data Factory
Why it's wrong here
Azure Data Factory orchestrates and schedules data movement between stores but produces no interactive visual report, so the daily refresh requirement is met while the reporting requirement is not. It is tempting because it connects Azure SQL Database and Azure Cosmos DB, and it is correct when the goal is ETL pipelines feeding a separate reporting layer.
- ✗
Azure Synapse Studio
Why it's wrong here
Azure Synapse Studio authors pipelines and SQL pools within a Synapse workspace; it cannot natively query Cosmos DB's document API alongside Azure SQL Database for a single interactive report. It is tempting because Synapse handles large-scale analytics and ETL, which would fit a data-warehouse consolidation scenario rather than a daily-refreshing combined report.
- ✗
Azure Analysis Services
Why it's wrong here
Azure Analysis Services provides a semantic modelling layer for pre-aggregated data, but it cannot directly connect to Azure Cosmos DB for daily refresh without a complex custom gateway or data pipeline, failing the requirement for a single-tool interactive report combining both sources. It is tempting because it excels at creating performant, interactive reports from relational sources like Azure SQL Database, and would be correct if the Cosmos DB data were first extracted and transformed into a tabular model.
- ✓
Power BI
Why this is correct
Power BI connects natively to both Azure SQL Database and Azure Cosmos DB through built-in connectors, models the combined data, and supports scheduled daily refresh of the published dataset. This satisfies the interactive-report and daily-refresh requirements without custom ETL code.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Cosmos DB Global Distribution and Failover
Key term
Azure SQL Database
Azure SQL Database is a fully managed relational database-as-a-service (DBaaS) in Microsoft Azure, based on the SQL Server engine, that handles scaling, backups, patching, and high availability automatically.
Key term
Data
Data is raw, unprocessed information, like numbers, words, or measurements, that can be stored, processed, and analyzed by computers.
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Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on DP-900
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A data analyst needs to create a report in Power BI that combines sales data from Azure SQL Database and inventory data from Azure Cosmos DB. The report should refresh daily. Which Power BI feature should be used to combine these data sources?
easy- A.Quick Measures
- B.Data Analysis Expressions (DAX)
- C.Power BI Desktop
- ✓ D.Power Query
Why D: Power Query is the data transformation and mashup engine in Power BI that connects to multiple data sources, including Azure SQL Database and Azure Cosmos DB, and combines them into a single model. It supports scheduled refresh so the report can update daily. This is the correct feature for combining disparate sources.
Variation 2. A data analyst needs to create a Power BI report that combines sales data from Azure SQL Database and marketing data from a CSV file stored in Azure Blob Storage. The report should refresh automatically. What is the recommended approach?
medium- ✓ A.Use Power Query in Power BI Desktop to combine the data and publish with scheduled refresh
- B.Export the SQL data to Excel and combine with the CSV in Power BI
- C.Use Azure Data Factory to merge the data into a single SQL table
- D.Use DirectQuery mode from Power BI for both sources
Why A: Option A is correct because Power Query in Power BI Desktop can natively connect to both Azure SQL Database and Azure Blob Storage CSV files, combine them into a single data model, and then publish to the Power BI Service where scheduled refresh keeps the report current. This is the standard, recommended approach for mixed-source reporting with automatic refresh. Option B is wrong because exporting SQL data to Excel adds manual steps and breaks automatic refresh. Option C is unnecessary overhead since Azure Data Factory is not required just to combine two sources for a Power BI report. Option D is wrong because DirectQuery is not supported for CSV files in Blob Storage and would not provide the required automatic refresh for both sources.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This DP-900 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DP-900 exam.