What is the use of On-Premises Gateway for PowerBI Desktop application

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I am starting exploring POwerBI domain and trying to migrate my project SSRS Reports to powerBI Platform.

I have few Basics queries regarding this new tool. I would be thankful to you if you can provide me clarity!

I have understood the use and importance to Gateway for connection report to datasource in app.POWERBI.com site.

If i publish report from powerBI desktop to my Dashboard then in my dashboard(at app.powerBI.com) dataset.reportdata will not be refreshed untill i have gateway installed and configured.

BUT my Question is - Do i require Gateway for importing data in my PowerBI Desktop?

I experienced that i can get data from my server(on premise) to report in powerbi Desktop.

Thanks,

Sushant.

[Seth_C_Bauer · Accepted solution]

@Anonymous I am not aware, nor have I experianced the need to have a gateway, when connecting to any data source from the Desktop. As long as you have access to the data source, you should be able to pull any data you need.

[v-huizhn-msft]

Hi @Anonymous,

As I tested, I create a report in Power Bi desktop, publish the .pbix file to service, share it to a use who is in the same workgroup with me. If I refresh the report, the use can see the new.

In addition, please verify the difference batween gateway and access to the data source. Please review @Seth_C_Bauer and @dkay84_PowerBI post which describes it clearly.

Best Regards,
Angelia

[Seth_C_Bauer · Accepted solution]

@Anonymous I am not aware, nor have I experianced the need to have a gateway, when connecting to any data source from the Desktop. As long as you have access to the data source, you should be able to pull any data you need.

[Anonymous]

Thanks!

Yes you are right @Seth_C_Bauer even i am also able to import data into report from powerbi desktop.

but in my organization every body will not have access to prod database, so isnt there a method for impersonation like gateway which provides indirect access to Database?

In powerBI service's Dashboard they will be able to refresh report if we add their names in Gateway users.

But how they can use report in dekstop application?

regards,

Sushant.

[dkay84_PowerBI · Accepted solution]

If you publish to a workgroup then the individuals you add to the group will be able to see it

[Anonymous]

Hi,

If the user cant access the on-premises DB directly then on adding that user to gateway/workgroup will he be able to access data from on-Premise DB inside 'PowerBI Dektop App'?

[dkay84_PowerBI]

When an author connects to an on prem data source (Direct Query or import) via the desktop, they have to provide credentials for the data source. When you publish to PowerBI.com, in order for the service to communicate with the on prem data source you use a gateway. You add the data source to the gateway, not the user(s). If you publish to a work group, you essentially are giving the people in the group authorization to use your credentials to consume the reports and dashboards. If you just share the pbix file, then you don't need a gateway, and the other users will be asked to authenticate when they open the file and attempt a manual refresh.

[Seth_C_Bauer]

@Anonymous Are you talking about users that should be able to build reports on the dataset, or users that are just consumers of reports you build?

When you as the report author create a report, publish and share it - by default, you are the only one that can refresh the dataset. All others don't need direct access to the datasource. Your credentials serve that purpose, so they essentially inherit your perms to read data from the reports.

If you deploy to a shared workspace, the same applies, you created the dataset so others are essentially using your creds to read data.

The gateway is slightly different in that the user would need access to the data source, as well as the gateway in order to publish a report that could utlize it.

There are other varaitions depending on connection type and source that would require the end user to have permissions on the DB or model, but I don't think you care about that.