How to Connect MariaDB to Power BI

How do I connect MariaDB to Power BI?

Use an ODBC/MySQL connector to stream MariaDB tables into Power BI for live dashboards.

Welcome to the Galaxy, Guardian!

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Description

Why connect MariaDB to Power BI?

Linking MariaDB to Power BI lets analysts build interactive reports on operational data without exporting CSVs.A live connection refreshes visuals on each dataset refresh cycle.

What prerequisites are needed?

Install Power BI Desktop, the MySQL ODBC 8.0 driver (works for MariaDB), and verify that the MariaDB server allows remote TCP connections on port 3306.

How do I create a DSN?

Open ODBC Data Sources → Add → MySQL ODBC 8.0 Unicode Driver → enter Data Source Name, server host, port 3306, database name, and credentials.Test the connection before saving.

How do I connect in Power BI Desktop?

Select Get Data → ODBC → choose the DSN → Connect. Pick DirectQuery for live updates or Import for cached snapshots, then select the required tables.

How can I filter large tables at import?

Click Transform Data → Advanced Options → enter a SQL statement such as SELECT * FROM Orders WHERE order_date > CURRENT_DATE - INTERVAL '30 days'.This limits data volume and speeds refreshes.

How do I build relationships?

After loading, open Model view. Drag Orders.customer_id to Customers.id and OrderItems.product_id to Products.id to enable cross-table measures.

How do I schedule refreshes?

Publish the report to Power BI Service, open Settings → Datasets → Scheduled Refresh, provide gateway credentials, and set the frequency (up to 8× daily on Pro).

What security best-practices apply?

Create a read-only MariaDB user, restrict its privileges to the reporting schema, and enforce SSL.Rotate passwords regularly and log all access.

Why How to Connect MariaDB to Power BI is important

How to Connect MariaDB to Power BI Example Usage


-- Verify MariaDB user has minimal rights for BI
SHOW GRANTS FOR 'user_ro'@'%';
-- Sample BI aggregation query
SELECT DATE(order_date)   AS order_day,
       SUM(total_amount)  AS daily_revenue
FROM   Orders
GROUP  BY DATE(order_date)
ORDER  BY order_day;

How to Connect MariaDB to Power BI Syntax


-- ODBC connection string format
Driver={MySQL ODBC 8.0 Unicode Driver};
Server=hostname_or_ip;Port=3306;Database=ecommerce;
User=user_ro;Password=********;Option=3;

-- Example SQL used in Power BI 'Advanced options'
SELECT c.name,
       o.id   AS order_id,
       o.total_amount,
       p.name AS product_name,
       oi.quantity
FROM   Customers   c
JOIN   Orders      o  ON o.customer_id = c.id
JOIN   OrderItems  oi ON oi.order_id = o.id
JOIN   Products    p  ON p.id = oi.product_id
WHERE  o.order_date >= CURRENT_DATE - INTERVAL '90 days';

Common Mistakes

Using the MariaDB ODBC 3.1 driver. Power BI expects MySQL 8.0 syntax; use the MySQL ODBC 8.0 driver instead to avoid authentication errors.
Importing entire fact tables. Large datasets slow refreshes; filter or aggregate in the Advanced Options SQL window before loading.