Skip to main content
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Get Fabric Certified for FREE during Fabric Data Days. Don't miss your chance! Request now

Reply
krishna_murthy
Helper II
Helper II

how to connect server to power bi desktop

Hi Team,

We have received new requirement in server we have a SQL server those need to connect into power bi desktop which is confidencial , how we can connect 

is that we have to VPN then we have to try (if yes in personal laptop which app we can try for VPN)
any other way we can connect 

5 REPLIES 5
Ahmed-Elfeel
Responsive Resident
Responsive Resident

Hi @krishna_murthy,

 

First Step is to Connect to Your Company's VPN:

  • Get the VPN app from your IT team (Contact your IT department they will provide you with the correct VPN application Like Cisco AnyConnect or FortiClient or Palo Alto GlobalProtect and the connection details (server address and your login credentials)

Second Step is Connecting Power BI Desktop to SQL Server:

  • Open Power BI → Get Data → SQL Server

  • Enter Server name (from IT)
  • Choose Authentication (Windows or SQL login)
  • Click Connect

Third Step is for Scheduled Refresh:

  • If you publish your report to the Power BI Service and need the data to update automatically you need a Gateway
  • You need to coordinate with your IT team to ensure the gateway is set up and that your published dataset in the Power BI Service is configured to use it (On premises Data Gateway)

I hope understood your Issue very well 😅❤️

if this post helps, then I would appreciate a thumbs up and mark it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.
tayloramy
Community Champion
Community Champion

HI @krishna_murthy, can we have more details? 

 

Are you trying to connect your SQL server database to a report in Fabric? If so you will need a data gateway. 

 

If you found this helpful, consider giving some Kudos. If I answered your question or solved your problem, mark this post as the solution.

lbendlin
Super User
Super User

Not clear which way you need this connection. 

 

To connect INTO Power BI Desktop you need to know the port of the local SSAS instance (for example via DAX Studio) and then use your Analysis Service connector to run DAX or MDX queries and store the results in your SQL Server.

 

Power BI does not provide any function to manage VPN connection creation or maintenance. That is something you need to do yourself, outside of Power BI.

Hi @krishna_murthy ,

Thanks for reaching out to the Microsoft fabric community forum. 

 

I would also take a moment to thank @lbendlin   , for actively participating in the community forum and for the solutions you’ve been sharing in the community forum. Your contributions make a real difference.

I hope the above details help you fix the issue. If you still have any questions or need more help, feel free to reach out. We’re always here to support you .

 

 

Best Regards, 
Community Support Team

Praful_Potphode
Continued Contributor
Continued Contributor

Hi @krishna_murthy 

 

choice of VPN depends on the security protocol of the organization.there are tons of VPN client available in market.every organization configures it as per their budget and requirements.

once VPN is connected, you can connect to SQL Server using SQL Server  connector in PBI Desktop.

 

Please give kudos or mark it as solution once confirmed.

 

Thanks and Regards,

Praful

Helpful resources

Announcements
Fabric Data Days Carousel

Fabric Data Days

Advance your Data & AI career with 50 days of live learning, contests, hands-on challenges, study groups & certifications and more!

October Power BI Update Carousel

Power BI Monthly Update - October 2025

Check out the October 2025 Power BI update to learn about new features.

FabCon Atlanta 2026 carousel

FabCon Atlanta 2026

Join us at FabCon Atlanta, March 16-20, for the ultimate Fabric, Power BI, AI and SQL community-led event. Save $200 with code FABCOMM.