Configure ADBC or ODBC driver for Power BI

Important

This feature is in Public Preview.

Power BI connections to Azure Databricks use one of two drivers: Arrow Database Connectivity (ADBC) or Open Database Connectivity (ODBC). Arrow Database Connectivity (ADBC) is the default for all new Power BI connections created in the UI, but pre-existing connections continue to use ODBC unless you manually update them. This page explains how to switch a connection between the two drivers.

The Arrow Database Connectivity (ADBC) driver is a modern, columnar API standard designed for analytical applications, enabling efficient data transfer between databases and client tools using the Apache Arrow format. For the latest updates to the ADBC driver, see the changelog.

To use the ADBC driver, use Power BI Desktop 2.145.1105.0 or above.

Important

Power BI plans to transition all Power BI connections to ADBC. Databricks recommends switching to and testing ADBC now to provide feedback and help ensure a disruption-free migration. For Microsoft's transition timeline and migration options, see Transition from ODBC to ADBC drivers.

Note

You must use only one driver type per semantic model. Configure every Azure Databricks connection within a semantic model to either ADBC or ODBC.

Azure Databricks continues to enhance this connector and add new capabilities. Upgrade to the latest version, try it out, and Submit product feedback.

Switch existing connections to ADBC

Some existing Power BI connections continue to use the ODBC driver unless you manually update them. You can switch individual dashboards to use ADBC by editing the implementation.

To switch an existing connection to the ADBC driver for a specific dashboard:

  1. Open the desired dashboard in Power BI.
  2. Click Transform Data.
  3. Click Advanced Editor in the Query option section.
  4. Specify Implementation="2.0" to switch to the ADBC driver. 
    let
    Source = Databricks.Catalogs("adb-<workspace-id>.<random-number>.azuredatabricks.net", "/sql/1.0/warehouses/<sql-warehouse-id>",
     [Catalog=null, Database=null, EnableAutomaticProxyDiscovery=null, Implementation="2.0"]),
    powerbi_Database = Source{[Name="powerbi",Kind="Database"]}[Data],
    default_Schema = powerbi_Database{[Name="default",Kind="Schema"]}[Data],
    dashboard_data_Table = default_Schema{[Name="dashboard_data",Kind="Table"]}[Data]
in
    dashboard_data_Table

Connect to a Lakehouse//RT warehouse

Lakehouse//RT only accepts connections that use the Statement Execution API, a REST-based execution path. It does not support the legacy Thrift protocol that the ODBC driver relies on, so you must use the ADBC driver.

Make sure you meet the following requirements when connecting from Power BI:

  • For Power BI Desktop, connecting to Lakehouse//RT requires Power BI Desktop v2.156.951.0 (July 2026) or above.
  • In the Power BI service, connecting to Lakehouse//RT with the Databricks connector fails, because the service tests connections using ODBC regardless of the driver you configure. As a workaround, use the Azure Databricks connector instead. You can use the Azure Databricks connector with a Azure Databricks workspace on any cloud by authenticating with a personal access token (PAT) or a service principal.

To connect Power BI Desktop or the Power BI service to a Lakehouse//RT warehouse:

  1. Get the Server hostname and HTTP Path of your Lakehouse//RT warehouse.
  2. Connect to the warehouse from Power BI, following the connection steps for Power BI Desktop or the Power BI service. Under Advanced options, set both of the following options:
    • For Implementation, select 2.0 - ADBC, which uses the ADBC driver.
    • For Protocol, select REST(SEA), which routes queries through the Statement Execution API.

For the queries, table types, and Azure Databricks features that Lakehouse//RT supports, see Lakehouse Real-Time.

Switch back to ODBC

If you prefer to use ODBC instead of ADBC for new connections, you have two options:

  • If you want to use the ODBC driver for a specific connection in Power BI Desktop or Power BI Service, select default as the Implementation.
  • If you want to continue to use the ODBC driver for all new connections in Power BI, disable the ADBC feature preview to restore ODBC in Power BI Desktop.

To use the ODBC driver for all new connections:

  1. On Power BI Desktop, click File > Options and settings > Options.
  2. Click Preview Feature.
  3. Clear Use new Databricks connector implementations.

If you want to configure a specific connection to use the ODBC driver, set default as the Implementation. See the steps outlined in Switch existing connections to ADBC.

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