What is Direct Lake Mode

Definition

Direct Lake mode is a Power BI storage mode in Microsoft Fabric that lets reports query data directly from OneLake's Delta tables with near-import performance, avoiding both the data duplication of import mode and the latency of live DirectQuery connections.

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Delivers near-import query speed without importing or duplicating data
Reads Delta tables in OneLake directly, so data stays fresh
Avoids the latency and source load of traditional DirectQuery
Simplifies architecture by querying the lakehouse in place

Real World Example

A team's Power BI report uses Direct Lake mode to read large Delta tables straight from the lakehouse, giving fast interactive performance on current data without the scheduled refreshes that import mode would require.

FAQs

How does Direct Lake differ from import and DirectQuery?

It reads Delta tables directly from OneLake with near-import speed, avoiding import's duplication and DirectQuery's latency.

Why is Direct Lake fast?

It loads OneLake's columnar Delta data directly into memory as needed, achieving performance close to fully imported data.

When is Direct Lake the right choice?

When you want fast Power BI performance on fresh, large lakehouse data without duplicating it through import refreshes.