Connect to SQL Server databases without gateways

[alan1]

I believe that technically there's not much difference between connection to SQL Azure and SQL Server exposed on the internet. However the first one can be refreshed/access directly from Power BI and the other requires a gateway application running. Why is that? We are running a separate copy of SQL Server (on a VM in Azure, ironically) specifically for Power BI data and having to manage the whole gateway setup for it feels really excessive and unnecessary.

[baraak]

same here. we're dealing with a company that accepted to provide a read-only access to our database on their premises. but they will not accept installing a Power Bi gateway.

[mukesh19rana]

In addition to installing the gateway, you need to whitelist specific IP addresses from your on-premise network and this is not a onetime activity it seems. PowerBI is designed in a way that these IP’s keeps changing every week or so in background without prior information. Hence it is not a workable/reliable solution for any organisation securing its on-premises infrastructure. The usage of PowerBI is blocked for such organisations as there are no guidelines around specific list of IP addresses to be white-listed.