Question: Can Power BI connect to DynamoDB?

Answer

Yes. Power BI can analyze DynamoDB through an intermediary such as Amazon Athena or a reporting database. A supported route is the Power BI Amazon Athena connector combined with Athena's DynamoDB federated connector.

First make the table queryable in Athena and verify the schema and permissions there. Then install the Athena ODBC driver, configure a DSN and select Amazon Athena in Power BI Desktop's Get Data dialog. Supply the DSN and choose Import or DirectQuery where supported. This connects Power BI to Athena, which performs the DynamoDB read.

For scheduled refresh through the Power BI service, configure the required gateway, driver and System DSN on the gateway machine. Confirm that the refresh identity can access Athena, its S3 results and any resources required by the federated connector.

Test query cost before attaching a frequently refreshed dashboard to a production table. Federation can trigger broad DynamoDB reads. For large reporting workloads, export DynamoDB to S3 for Athena or replicate to Redshift, then connect Power BI to that analytical copy.

Nested documents often need flattening or transformation for useful report columns. See DynamoDB data types when mapping those fields.

Sources: Microsoft's Athena connector and AWS's DynamoDB connector.