What is BigQuery BI Engine?
BigQuery BI Engine is an in-memory analysis engine for sub-second queries on BigQuery data. The service keeps frequently queried data in RAM, enabling interactive dashboards without noticeable loading times. BI Engine works transparently with BigQuery, without changes to queries or data models.
Core Features
- In-Memory Caching: Automatic caching of frequently queried columns and tables
- Sub-Second Latency: Response times under one second for dashboard queries
- Automatic Optimization: Intelligent selection of which data to keep in cache
- Looker Studio Integration: Native integration for optimal dashboard performance
- BigQuery Compatibility: Full support for BigQuery SQL and security model
Typical Use Cases
Executive Dashboards
Executive dashboards with real-time KPIs respond immediately to filters and drilldowns. No wait times when switching between views.
Self-Service Analytics
Business analysts explore data interactively without SQL knowledge. BI Engine enables fluid interaction even with large data volumes.
Embedded Analytics
Dashboards embedded in applications benefit from fast loading times. End users experience responsive analytics without cloud-specific knowledge.
Benefits
- Dramatically improved dashboard performance
- No changes to existing queries required
- Consistent data through automatic synchronization
- Simple activation without infrastructure effort
Integration with innFactory
As a Google Cloud Partner, innFactory supports you with BI Engine: capacity planning, dashboard optimization, Looker Studio integration and performance tuning for interactive analytics.
Available Tiers & Options
BI Engine
- Sub-second queries
- Automatic caching
- Looker Studio integration
- Additional costs
- Limited storage capacity
Typical Use Cases
Technical Specifications
Frequently Asked Questions
What is BigQuery BI Engine?
BI Engine is an in-memory analysis engine that keeps frequently queried BigQuery data in RAM. Dashboards and reports benefit from sub-second response times.
How does BI Engine work?
BI Engine automatically creates optimized in-memory representations of tables or columns. Data is updated on demand and stays synchronized with the source.
Which BI tools are supported?
BI Engine is fully integrated with Looker Studio and Looker. Other tools like Tableau can benefit through BigQuery JDBC/ODBC drivers when using SQL passthrough.
How is BI Engine billed?
BI Engine is billed by reserved capacity in GB RAM. Capacity is configured per region and billed monthly.
