MetricSign
EN|NLRequest Access
Medium severitydata source

Power BI Refresh Error:
DF-SQLDW-InvalidConfiguration

What does this error mean?

A setting in the Synapse Analytics (SQL DW) connector or its dataset is invalid.

Common causes

  • 1A required field in the Synapse dataset (table name, schema) is blank or contains an invalid value
  • 2The copy method is set to an incompatible option for the Synapse tier (e.g. PolyBase is selected but the workspace is serverless)
  • 3A data flow sink setting that requires a specific Synapse configuration is missing
  • 4The Synapse linked service connection string contains an invalid parameter

How to fix it

  1. 1In ADF Monitor, read the full error message from the failed activity — it identifies which configuration setting is invalid.
  2. 2In ADF Studio, open the Synapse linked service and click Test connection — if it fails, the linked service itself is the problem.
  3. 3Open the Synapse dataset and verify the table name and schema are filled in correctly.
  4. 4Check the Sink Settings in the data flow for the copy method (PolyBase, COPY command, or Bulk insert) — switch to 'Auto' or 'COPY command' if unsure.
  5. 5Verify the Synapse pool type — serverless SQL pools do not support PolyBase; use COPY command instead.
  6. 6Re-save the linked service and dataset and retry the pipeline.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between InvalidConfiguration and IncorrectLinkedServiceConfiguration?

IncorrectLinkedServiceConfiguration is specifically about linked service properties (server name, database, auth type). InvalidConfiguration is broader — dataset settings, copy method, or sink options that don't match the Synapse pool.

Does Synapse serverless support the same copy methods as dedicated pools?

No — serverless pools don't support PolyBase or COPY INTO like dedicated pools. ADF auto-detects the pool type in newer versions. If you get InvalidConfiguration with PolyBase, switch to 'Bulk insert' or 'COPY command'.

Can this error be caused by a missing table in Synapse?

Yes — if the dataset references a non-existent table and the sink is not set to 'Create if not exists', ADF raises InvalidConfiguration. Verify the table exists or enable automatic creation in the sink settings.

Will downstream Power BI datasets be affected?

Yes — the pipeline fails without loading to Synapse. Dependent datasets will show stale data.

Official documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/data-flow-troubleshoot-guide

Other data source errors