Forum Discussion
On-prem data gateways
Hi clp1986
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One gateway can serve multiple workspaces : No need to install one per workspace. Use gateway clusters for redundancy/load balancing.
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Centralize management : A small admin team manages setup, updates (monthly), and monitoring (Gateway health in Power BI Admin portal or Azure Monitor).
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Add/update sources once : Data sources and credentials are stored centrally in the gateway; updates apply across all workspaces.
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Automation : Use PowerShell/REST APIs for bulk tasks (add users, register/update sources, assign permissions).
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Best practices : Use service principals (not personal accounts), apply naming conventions, and plan for clusters from the start.
Helpful references:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/connect-data/service-gateway-deployment-guidance
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/power-bi/gatewayshttps://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/guidance/powerbi-implementation-planning-data-gateways
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/connect-data/service-gateway-onprem-indepth
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Hi clp1986,
Thankyou collinq and rohit1991 for your reply on the issue.
If the response provided by the community member addressed your query, could you please confirm? It helps us ensure that the solutions provided are effective and beneficial for everyone.
If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out!
Thank you.
Super UserHi clp1986 ,
The number of gateways that you will need depends on the types of data volume you are using and/or the amount of data and/or the locations of the data and if you need to separate them in any way. You can easily use one single gateway and with thh Fabric SKU's you can size it appropriately for your needs.
I do recommend that you use a dedicated Server for the gateway though. You can also cluster the gateway servers if you are going to have larger data movement or you just want to have more than one source of potential failure.
As for updating, the gateway is its own thing. The Data Sources are assigned to the Gateway(s) by those with the right permissions. So, I recommend that you have 2 Power BI Administrators (1 as a backup). That person understands the gatewasy and data sources and who can see what. Pretty much only the administrator needs to have direct access to the gateway. Workspaces are again a separate item. With a different set of permissions and needs.
I suggest you review the security levels that are between all of these layers so that you can stick with the minimum amount of security required and don't open this up to potential issues of somebody deleting or changing something accidentally.