Azure Analysis Services model using another Azure AS model as Data Source

[TMJForrester]

Hi everyone,

I'm building a new tabular model in Azure Analysis Services (1500 compatibility), and one of the data sources in my model is another Azure Analysis Services model managed by another team. Essentially I'm using Power Query's "AnalysisServices.Database" function to import small subsets of data from their model into mine via DAX queries. All of the data in both mine & the other team's model is sourced in the cloud via Blob Storage or Azure Synapse.

I can reprocess the data in my model on my local PC without issue, but when attempting to deploy to my own AAS server, I receive an error stating that an on-premises gateway is required for this connection. This shouldn't be possible as nothing is sourced on-premises: everything in my model & the other team's model is in the cloud. I've also confirmed that the "AlwaysUseGateway" setting is false in both servers.

Has anyone ever tried doing what I'm trying to do, and do you have any advice on what I can do to bypass this? I can always try installing an enterprise gateway on both servers, but I'd like to first understand why this is even required for AS models stored in the cloud.

Thank you!

[GilbertQ · Accepted solution]

Hi @TMJForrester 

The reason you need the gateway is because you are not connecting via a LiveConnection to the other AAS database, but rather importing data.

Because you are importing you will need a gateway to create the connection to import the data. 

You would only NOT require the gateway when you are doing a LiveConnection.

[TMJForrester]

Thanks for the reply. Is this just a feature with the Analysis Services connector, or is this standard whenever you import any data from the cloud into the model? I've built models in the past where I've imported data from Azure Blob Storage, for example, and I didn't need a gateway in those situations.

[GilbertQ]

Yeah in this instance it is because it is imported from AAS it is considered an on-prem source currently.