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Version: current [26.x]

Microsoft Power BI with ADBC Preview

Connect Microsoft Power BI to Dremio to derive powerful insights from your data and create real-time reports. Since May 2025, the Power BI connector for Dremio has an option to use the Arrow Database Connectivity (ADBC) driver. The ADBC driver improves performance especially for large result sets.

Prerequisites​

To try out the option in Preview, you must meet the following prerequisites:

  • Verify that you are using Dremio Software 25.0+
  • Verify that your deployment of Microsoft Power BI has been upgraded to the May 2025 release (or later)

Enable the ADBC Option for a New Connection​

  1. In Power BI Desktop, click Get data.
  2. In the Get Data dialog, locate and select Dremio Software, and click Connect.
  3. In the Dremio Software dialog, in the Server field, specify your hostname with the adbc:// prefix. Example: adbc://acme-company.dremio.com
  4. (Optional) Complete the other fields in the dialog as you normally would.
  5. Click OK.
  6. Authenticate using your username and password, and click Connect.

Enable the ADBC Option for an Existing Connection​

  1. In Power BI Desktop, go to Data source settings, select your source, and click Change source.
  2. In the Dremio Software dialog, update the Server field by adding the adbc:// prefix before the hostname. Example: adbc://acme-company.dremio.com. If you're unable to edit the source this way, click Transform data, click Advanced Editor in the Home tab, in the dialog that comes up update the hostname/server with the adbc:// prefix, and click Done.
  3. Click OK.
  4. Reauthenticate using your username and password, and click Connect.

Limitations for the Preview​

This functionality is currently in Preview and should not be deployed in a production environment.

ADBC Option will not be enabled automatically. It must be enabled by the owner of the report.

Authentication is supported only via username and password.

Encryption is limited to the host root Certificate Authorities (CA) list.

Direct Mode

  • Chaining functions is supported but some complex scenarios may not work as expected.
  • Complex optional parameters for functions are not supported.

Complex Data Types such as Maps and Intervals are not supported.

Feedback​

Your feedback will help improve the experience for Power BI with ADBC. To provide feedback on the preview of the ADBC option in the Power BI connector for Dremio, click here.