Connect Redshift to Power BI: A Comprehensive Guide

By: Published: July 7, 2020

Redshift To Power BI

Do you want to visualize your Amazon Redshift data using an amazing BI software like Power BI? If yes, then you have landed in the right place. Visualization plays a crucial role in BI. It is used to identify trends and patterns in your data and gives you a complete view of your business. Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Analytics and Business Intelligence platform listed Microsoft Power BI as one of the most popular BI tools for visualization in 2019.

In this blog, you will learn how to connect Redshift to Power BI. You will also learn about Hevo Data Pipelines, which will get data into Redshift for simplifying the process of data analysis in Power BI.

Table of Contents

Introduction to Amazon Redshift 

Amazon Redshift is one of the most popular cloud-based data warehouses. It is fast, scalable, and cost-effective. The basic architecture of Amazon Redshift includes clusters and nodes. Nodes are referred to as a collection of computing resources, and when these nodes are organized, they form clusters. Each cluster consists of at least one leader node and one or more compute nodes. The client application sends a query to the leader node, who then forms an execution plan. It acts in coordination with the compute nodes for the parallel execution of plans. After the compute nodes have finished their execution, the leader node aggregates the result and sends it back to the client node.

This is how data is structured and computed in Amazon Redshift. Let’s look at how you can use Power BI for a better understanding of the data.

Features of Amazon Redshift

  • Enhanced Performance: Amazon Redshift provides fast query performance on the dataset ranging from gigabytes to exabytes. It uses Massively Parallel Processing (MPP) data warehouse architecture to provide enhanced performance.
  • Easy Implementation: You can set up, deploy, and manage Redshift easily. It offers automatic data backup, flexible querying, etc.
  • Cost-Effective: It is cost-effective as it uses pay as you go policy and have no upfront cost. 
  • Scalability: Amazon Redshift scales quickly. You can change the number or type of nodes in a few clicks. 

Introduction to Microsoft Power BI

Microsoft Power BI is a business analytics service. It is one of the most powerful data visualization tools. It offers a simple and easy-to-use interface. It is available in two different versions – Power BI Desktop and Power BI Mobile. It allows custom visualization. It can be used with a wide range of data sources such as SQL Server, Redshift, Oracle Database, etc. You can also publish your data reports on the web using enterprise gateways. 

Features of Microsoft Power BI

  • Easy Set-Up: You can sign up for free and start your data visualization in minutes. 
  • Interactive Platform: Power BI offers a simple and interactive platform for generating reports of your dataset. You don’t have to write codes anymore as a few clicks are sufficient to achieve your goal. 
  • Real-Time: Your data is available for visualization in Power BI in real-time. You can solve problems as they occur and capture opportunities. 
  • Customized Visualization: You can create your fully customized visualization in Power BI using custom visuals SDK. 

Hevo Data: Integrate your Data for Better Analysis

Hevo is a No-code Data Pipeline. You can easily load your data in the Redshift in real-time. Hevo makes sure that you fulfill your needs at a reasonable price. It offers pre-built data integrations from 100+ data sources, including Amazon Redshift. Using Hevo, you can get data into Redshift for simplifying the process of data analysis in Power BI.

Get Started with Hevo for Free

Let’s look at some unbeatable features of Hevo:

  • Easy Implementation: Hevo offers a simple and intuitive user interface. 
  • Fully-Automated: You can automate your entire ETL process without writing any custom code.
  • Zero Maintenance: Once you’re done with the setup, Hevo manages all future tasks automatically.
  • Fault-Tolerant: Hevo can automatically detect anomalies from the incoming data and informs you immediately. 
  • Security: Hevo makes sure that your data is secured by using two-factor authentication and end-to-end encryption.
  • Zero Data Loss: Hevo makes sure that data is transferred from source to destination in real-time without any loss or change in data.
Sign up here for a 14-Day Free Trial!

Prerequisites

  • AWS Account.
  • Power BI Desktop.

Connect Redshift to Power BI Using Connector

You can connect Redshift to Power BI directly using the in-built connector. Let’s talk about it in the following steps:

  1. You need to access Power BI and select “Get Data” from the home ribbon.
  2. Select “Database” from the left categories and then select “Amazon Redshift”. Click “Connect”.
Get Data
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  1. Specify the server name and database name and then click the “DirectQuery” option. You can now select “Ok”. 
Select the Server Name
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  1. Specify your username and password. You can use the server name to avoid any SSL errors. Click “Connect” and proceed.
  2. In the navigator window, select your desired data table and click “Load”.
Select Data
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You can now publish your report on the web using the enterprise gateway. 

Drawbacks 

  • This process is a laborious task, as you first have to establish a connection between the two platforms. 
  • If you want to publish your data on the web, you have to go through a lot of steps to establish a gateway.  

Conclusion 

In this blog, you have learned how to connect Redshift to Power BI. Your data in Amazon Redshift can be visualized using Power BI for a better understanding of patterns and trends and without any noise. But if you want to consolidate your data from different sources into Redshift to simplify the data analysis process, then you go opt for fully automated service, Hevo.  

Visit our Website to Explore Hevo

Hevo is a No-code Data Pipeline. It makes sure that minimal efforts are required from your side. Hevo offers pre-built integration from 100+ data sources at a reasonable price.

Want to take Hevo for a spin? Sign Up for a 14-day free trial and experience the feature-rich Hevo suite first hand. You can also have a look at the unbeatable pricing that will help you choose the right plan for your business needs.

Share your thoughts and experience of connecting Redshift to Power BI in the comment section below. 

Oshi Varma
Freelance Technical Content Writer, Hevo Data

Driven by a problem-solving ethos and guided by analytical thinking, Oshi is a freelance writer who delves into the intricacies of data integration and analysis. He offers meticulously researched content essential for solving problems of businesses in the data industry.

No-code Data Pipeline for Amazon Redshift