To retrieve a filtered list of stores using an XMLA endpoint, which approach is most appropriate?

• A. EVALUATE with a SUMMARIZE of Store columns, followed by FILTER by OpenDate
• B. FILTER directly on the base Store table
• C. CALCULATE without a filter
• D. ADDCOLUMNS with all columns

Answer: (A)

When querying a tabular model through an XMLA endpoint, you want a query that returns exactly the rows and columns you need, without pulling unnecessary data. The best approach is to start with EVALUATE, then build the shape of the result with SUMMARIZE to pick only the Store columns you want, and finally apply FILTER on the specific field (such as OpenDate) to restrict the rows. This produces a compact, filtered table as the query output, which is precisely what the endpoint should return.

Using SUMMARIZE to select just the needed columns keeps the result lean, rather than returning the entire base table. Applying a FILTER inside the query ensures the data is filtered server-side, reducing data transfer and improving performance. In contrast, filtering directly on the base table without shaping the output can return more columns than necessary, and adding all columns with ADDCOLUMNS would swell the result set. CALCULATE without a filter wouldn’t produce a filtered result at all.