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Fix Power BI Refresh Fails with Analysis Services Connection Timeout

Guest Writer Oct 9, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is experiencing intermittent failures with scheduled Power BI model refreshes due to an Analysis Services connection timeout.

How to Fix Power BI Refresh Fails with an Analysis Services Connection Timeout

Product: Microsoft Power BI
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Running scheduled dataset refreshes in Power BI Service connected to Analysis Services.
Observed behavior: Scheduled refreshes intermittently fail with an Analysis Services connection timeout error, while manual refreshes and other datasets work normally.

Before you start

Verify that your On-premises Data Gateway is online, updated to the latest version, and that the data source credentials are still valid before troubleshooting deeper connection issues.

Solution 1Recommended

Consult the Microsoft Fabric Power BI Forums

Since this is a specific Power BI Service and Analysis Services issue, gathering your error logs and seeking expert help in the official forums is the most effective approach.

Connection timeouts in Power BI Service often stem from complex network routing, gateway configurations, or backend Analysis Services limits that require specialized investigation.

Gather Refresh History

Navigate to the Power BI Service, go to your workspace, find the failing dataset, and click on 'Settings' > 'Refresh history' to copy the detailed error logs.

Document Gateway Details

Note down your on-premises data gateway version, server specifications, and the exact data source configuration being used for the dataset.

Post to Microsoft Forums

Visit the official Microsoft Fabric Power BI forums. Create a new topic including your refresh history, gateway details, data-source information, and the complete error message to allow specialists to investigate.

Consult the Microsoft Fabric Power BI Forums

Provide Comprehensive Details: Specialists require the complete error message ('The connection either timed out or was lost') and gateway configurations to accurately diagnose Analysis Services timeout issues.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do manual Power BI refreshes succeed while scheduled ones fail?

Scheduled refreshes often run during peak hours when server resources or network bandwidth are heavily utilized, causing Analysis Services connection timeouts. Manual refreshes might occur during off-peak times with less server load.

How can I prevent Analysis Services timeouts in Power BI?

Ensure your On-premises Data Gateway is updated, optimize your queries to process data faster, and schedule dataset refreshes during off-peak hours to reduce backend server strain.

Where can I find the exact Power BI refresh error logs?

In the Power BI Service, navigate to your workspace, select the affected dataset, click on the ellipsis (...) for More options, choose 'Settings', and view the 'Refresh history' tab to see detailed failure messages.