Using an exisiting gateway

[Anonymous]

I might be missing something here, but after a bunch of googling and reading documentation I wanted to check.

So, my client has a set up gateway to their SQL server. They have a report that is connected over that gateway and everything seems to be ok.

They tasked me to create a new report with sample data. Now, when it's done I want to connect the report to the live data from the server. I get their login information (the account is connected to the gateway that is set up), I install the gateway on-premise service. I put in the login information yet PBI still can't talk to the SQL server. I opened the ports. What am I missing?

[v-jingzhang · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous 

On-premises gateway is used to connect Power BI Service and on-premises data sources. If you want to connect your PBI desktop to your client's SQL Server data base, both of them are on-premises and there is no need to use a gateway. You just need to change the data source. If your sample data is also from a SQL Server DB, you can change that in Data source settings easily. See https://addendanalytics.com/how-to-change-the-data-source-in-power-bi/ 

If you want to change data sources dynamically, you can use query parameters. See https://radacad.com/change-the-source-of-power-bi-datasets-dynamically-using-power-query-parameters 

If you want to change data source type, you can read https://radacad.com/change-the-data-source-type-of-the-power-bi-dynamically-using-power-query-parameters 

If you want to use this report in Power BI Service, you don't need to install a gateway either. You can ask the existing gateway's administrator to add you as a user of this data source. After you publish the PBI report to their Power BI Service, it will detect the data source on the gateway for the dataset automatically. Read Add users to a data source section in Add or remove a gateway data source - Power BI | Microsoft Docs

Best Regards,
Community Support Team _ Jing
If this post helps, please Accept it as Solution to help other members find it.

[amitchandak]

@Anonymous , On the machine you have on-premise gateways, are you able to access the SQL server using these details? and On-premise gateway is up and running and logged in

Also, you need to exact the same details that you have given in the power bi file.

[Anonymous]

Hey @amitchandak , thanks for the fast reply.

I don't have the login information to the server due to some security constraints. I would just like to find a way to reuse their exisitng gateway and connect to my PBI desktop without getting that login information. Is that even a possibility?