Answer
- Workload impact
- Authority rules
- Gateway ownership
- Query behavior
DirectQuery can be useful for fresh operational data, but it can also let dashboard usage create unpredictable pressure on production IBM i workloads.
Many buyers are better served by a safer reporting pattern for wider use.
- Import mode
- Scheduled extracts
- Replicated reporting stores
- API-backed datasets
The deeper decision is not whether Power BI can connect. It is which access pattern gives the business fresh enough data without weakening performance, security, or ownership.