Thomas LeBlanc
Business Intelligence Architect | Microsoft Data Platform MVP
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
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Thomas LeBlanc is a business intelligence architect, SQL Server expert, trainer and author. He has been building performant data warehouse solutions and visualizations for the past 20 years and has certifications in Power BI, Fabric, Dimensional Modeling and Data Vault 2.0. He graduated from LSU in Quantitative Business Analysis with a concentration in Management Information Systems. Microsoft awarded him Data Platform MVP in 2017 and has been renewed every year since.
For the past 20 years, he has focused on data warehouse solutions(on-premises and Azure) using Microsoft tools like Integration Services(SSIS), Analysis Services(SSAS), Power BI(on-premises and cloud), Synapse, Microsoft Fabric and Azure Data Factory. He recently published the second edition of Power BI Performance Best Practices.
Being involved in the data community since 2012, he helps the Baton Rouge User Groups with meetings every month and hosting a SQLSaturday every year. He has spoken at conferences like PASS Summit, SQLSaturday, Live360, VSLive, Dynamics Community Summit NA and Power Platform events for since 2012.
You can visit his website at Thomas-LeBlanc.com, read articles on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomaslleblanc/) or follow him on Bluesky (@PowerBIDude).
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Topics
Using Co-Pilot in Power BI and Fabric
Adoption to using AI in your daily work is inevitable. Let's see where this new tool can assist in the daily task of a business intelligence architect or developer. This sessions will show where to use it and where it does not provide value. Examples will come from various people in the industry who are helping Microsoft find the optimal use of a technology that can enhance your work day.
Transition from Data Analyst to Data Engineer: Upgrading Skills from DataFlows Gen2 to Notebooks
The session shows an analyst how to use notebooks to perform the same actions as Dataflow Gen2. Looking at 4 areas: source, transformation, cleansing, and destination, examples include append/merge query to dataframe joins, text replace functionality, split and concatenate columns, as well as pivot/unpivot, data type changes, and removing duplicates. We will finish off with engine optimizations.
To Direct Lake a model or Not...That is the question
Wow, so I have an additional option for a semantic model. You ever want to ask Microsoft to stop giving us additional options? I have. Let's look at the conditions best suited for semantic model modes. I have a friend that loves composite models and enjoys the Hybrid option. Does this work better? Let's find out. Come join us on a journey to the never-ending world of semantic model options. Don't know what a semantic model is? Well, we will explain that as well!!!
The Four Flavors of Power BI
Power BI started as a free desktop visualization tool. Then, deploying to the Power BI Service allowed cloud-based dashboards. Eventually Microsoft had to support enterprise customers. This brought the Premium edition to the table. Once Premium can on board, the On Premises edition of Reporting Services was updated to include Power BI Reports in the portal. All these options can be confusing, so let's get together and separate the costs from the needs. This session will help anyone interested in using Power BI for small to large companies.
Power BI DAX Query View
Can now script DAX measures and test in the model with the new DAX Query View. There are 3 options to view DAX queries and we will go thru all of them in 15 minutes
Power BI Calculation Groups
Calculation groups are now in the desktop app. Before, you had to use Tabular Editor. Come see a 15 minute presentation on creating calculation groups and the new Data Model pane in the desktop.
Ins and Outs of Fabric Monitoring
Have you ever asked the question 'What is Fabric doing with resources and how do I measure these things?" Well, this session is for you. We are first going to explain the current way to measure usage in the Fabric environment. Then, we will proceed to use the monitoring app provided by Microsoft. We will move on to external queries that can be run to help see where these resources are being used. By the time you finish this session, you are going to want to immediately login to your system and try these options. Do not worry, we will cover the data engineering as well as the Power BI resources.
Goals:
Learn what Capacity Units (CUs) are in a capacity
Monitor CUs with Microsoft tools
Use external tools to measure resource consumption
Effective Visualizations with Power BI
Using data visualizations help pen point positives or negatives with almost any data set. Power BI has lots of default visualizations plus custom ones that can be added. The art of selecting the best depends on the kind of data and what has been done to prepare the data. This session will guide attendees through selecting the right visualizations for the given data. Hints will be given on how to better suit the data for effective visualizations.
Power BI: AI and ML
AI & ML in Power BI are clicks not code. This session starts out using simple visuals to dive into descriptive analytics. It progresses to more AutoML like analysis of the data with the AI visuals. Then, we will step thru features added to Dataflows and PowerBI to utilize PowerQuery and AutoML. The preparation of the data will be demonstrated with Dataflows. The analytics retrieve from this feature helps with cleansing and preparation. All is done within Power BI service and skills already possessed by the analyst. The model will be trained and tested before data is used to predict a result.
What is Fabric?
This lighting talk will review the useful items Microsoft has made available in Fabric in the Public Preview. We will talk about the tools for a Data Engineer versus a Business Intelligence developer versus a Data Scientist.
Using Azure Data Factory (ADF) to Load a Slowly Changing Dimension table
Slowly changing type 2 dimensions are typical in data warehouses. This enables historical tracking of attributes in a dimensional model. Power BI does not need a special indicator for this, just good modeling at the dimension and fact levels. Data Factory is the ETL/ELT tool used with Azure data services. Azure Synapse uses the same interface for pipelines. The slowly changing dimensions pattern is required for anyone integrating source data into a data mart. This session will demo a technique for implementing a pipeline for tracking historical changes in a dimension table.
The ends and outs of Visualizations
Using data visualizations help pen point positives or negatives with almost any data set. Power BI has lots of default visualizations plus custom ones that can be added. The art of selecting the best depends on the kind of data and what has been done to prepare the data. This session will guide attendees through selecting the right visualizations for the given data. Hints will be given on how to better suit the data for effective visualizations.
The end game: Lakehouse in Fabric
Power BI continues to make strides in enabling the service to do more and more in the data lake space. This session will traverse through the new tools for managing a lakehouse in the Power BI service. We will look at the initial ETL (extract, transform & load) tool (Power Query) to create data flows. Then, show the progression of Power Query used for Data Marts. The session will conclude on the latest release of Power BI to use pipelines and notebooks to manage data for visualizations.
Power BI licensing in 20 minutes
This session will walk thru the Power BI licenses. The main areas will be features, cost and resources. We will navigate the service for options that are enabled or disabled for a licensed user. Each license has a different storage for content and abilities to share - or distribute content.
Power Bi and Dimensional Modeling
What is dimensional modeling? Why is it needed for Power BI? Are there benefits to using dimensional modeling with Power BI? Yes, dimensional modeling is best for modeling in Power BI. The terms most frequently used to describe dimensional modeling is star schema or facts and dimensions. Even though the Kimball Group has ‘retired’, the methodology spelled out by this group still works great in today’s business intelligence reporting. Facts are for the measures with surrogate keys to related dimensions. The dimensions are the place for de-normalized attributes for slicing and dicing data. There won’t be any cons listed during this session, only the benefits like performance improvements and simplicity as we roll through the demos.
Power BI Administration
With the expansion of features and licensing options for Power BI, the administration has become more and more important. Instead of just tweaking the data connection you now have to control roles within the workspace, data gateway as well as capacity(s). Within the workspace, the roles have expanded from admin to member, contributor and viewer with options for re-sharing and a build permission. Beyond roles, we now have to multiple options for monitoring the system and the community has created some cool template apps to help. Let's review these and other hidden gems for managing the Power BI environment at Live!360!
Making Power BI Run Faster!!!
This session will review the areas of performance problems and helpful tools. From data refreshes to model calculations and visual rendering to data model design, performance tuning is vital to keep the attention of a report user. More than 5 or 6 seconds for a refresh can drive someone to not use a report. There are many ways to handle tuning, but it should start in the design. This is not always the case, so internal and external tools are there to guide the current developer. We will talk about query folding, minimizing data loaded as well seeing the difference between the storage and formula engines. Come join me for tuning Power BI reports and the data models.
Introduction to Execution Plans
Using Execution Plans to performance tune SQL Server queries can be a great starting point to help a database application run optimally. Execution Plans have been around for some time now and Microsoft has improved the interface and extra tools with every release.
Join Thomas as he walks through the history of execution plans. The session will progress to Scans and Seeks while dipping into Loops and Lookups. These are the basic skills needed to start using execution plans. We will conclude the session with the new features released with SQL Server 2019.
Intro to Microsoft Fabric
This lighting talk will review the useful items Microsoft has made available in Fabric in the Public Preview. We will talk about the tools for a Data Engineer versus a Business Intelligence developer versus a Data Scientist.
How to become a data analyst in 20 minutes
What are the skills needed to be a data analyst? What jobs are available for a data analyst? What can I look forward to in a career once I outgrow the analyst position?
Faster Power BI Reports
This session will review the areas of performance problems and helpful tools. From data refreshes to model calculations and visual rendering to data model design, performance tuning is vital to keep the attention of a report user. More than 5 or 6 seconds for a refresh can drive someone to not use a report. There are many ways to handle tuning, but it should start in the design. This is not always the case, so internal and external tools are there to guide the current developer. We will talk about query folding, minimizing data loaded as well seeing the difference between the storage and formula engines. Come join me for tuning Power BI reports and the data models.
Introduction to SQL Server Query Data Store
SQL Server’s Query Data Store is a brilliant option for databases if you are a DBA or have to do performance tuning on T-SQL queries. This feature of SQL Server 2016 or higher is contained within a database with configuration options for storage of history and query plans. The option has many benefits you can take advantage of today, but also this is an option for future upgrades to new SQL Server versions because of the history contained in the database rather than the instance.
Performance Tuning for Developers
This session highlights the starting point for using the execution plans from SQL Server to assist in query tuning. Briefly, we will look at the history to get an idea of how Microsoft has improved the display through Graphical Plans and Missing Index suggestion. What is the difference between a Table and Clustered Index Scan? What is a Lookup? How do you improve performance of Lookups? What are the different types of Loops? How to get more information from the Plan with the properties window?
Time Intelligence in Power BI
Once a model is built in Power BI, the developer will need to understand what's already built to help with date grouping. A simple data table can be added as a dimension table from a Data Mart or built with a DAX formula. This session will look at the Date Table in a Tabular Model in Power BI. The flow will continue into the DAX functions most useful. There will be a guide with example code for groupings and filters. The Time Intelligence in Power BI data models is one option a developer should always include.
Transition from SSIS to Azure Data Factory
With v2 (and possibly v3), ETL developers are going to wonder how to migrate or re-create data flows in Azure. The session will look at the history of Azure Data Factory and explore the differences between it and SSIS. A new mind set is needed, but just like SSAS from cubes to tabular, it is all for the better.
What's new in SQL Server 2019 for Analytics
SQL Server 2019 has many new features for everybody, but for analytics, this session gets more specific. To increase performance, the column store index has some enhanced Batch mode processing and re-indexing improvements. Analysis Services (SSAS) has been update for the long awaited Calculation Groups which is similar to Scoping in Multidimensional. DAX updates include Single Calculation (filter context) and Sideways recursion. Performance improvements with window aggregate functions for those not using SSAS. The Power BI Report Server has been improved along with more Mobile display options. The session will end with some of the updates for Polybase and data virtualization.
FABCON 2026 & SQLCON 2026 - SESSIONS Sessionize Event Upcoming
Power BI & Fabric Summit 2026 Sessionize Event Upcoming
DFW PowerBI & Fabric User Group User group Sessionize Event
Microsoft Fabric Global Online Conference - North American Edition Sessionize Event
Power BI & Fabric Summit 2025 Sessionize Event
SQL Saturday Houston Sessionize Event
Power BI & Fabric Summit 2024 Sessionize Event
SQL Saturday Atlanta 2024 - BI & Data Analytics Sessionize Event
SQL Saturday Baton Rouge 2023 Sessionize Event
SQL Saturday Columbus 2023 Sessionize Event
Power BI Summit 2023 Sessionize Event
SQL Saturday Austin 2023 Sessionize Event
Data Insight Summit Sessionize Event
Power BI Fest Sessionize Event
Live! 360 Orlando 2021 Sessionize Event
PASS Data Community Summit 2021 Sessionize Event
SQLSaturday Orlando 2021 Sessionize Event
Power BI Summit Sessionize Event
Power Platform Virtual Conference Sessionize Event
Thomas LeBlanc
Business Intelligence Architect | Microsoft Data Platform MVP
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
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