Summary
This chapter was all about creating the best data model for our reports. We covered a lot of ground and hit many topics, all of which might be in the exam.
The important takeaways are as follows.
Simpler is better. Simple models are easier to create reports on and usually result in faster rendering. That means your report consumers will be happier and you will receive fewer complaints from them!
The star schema pattern is a great tool. Star schemas usually lead to smaller, faster models, as Power BI is built to consume star schema-type models natively. Also, star schemas lead to good relationships. Which brings us to the next point.
It's all about good relationships. As you will find out in almost every chapter of this book going forward, relationships are the key to Power BI reporting. Good relationships lead to good, interactive reports. Good relationships lead to accurate slicing and dicing of data.
Use your own date table. Dates are extremely important...