Cannot connect to a (localdb) sql server from Power BI service on the web

[SSIMPSON]

I am having trouble creating a Power BI Service data source connection to a local SQL server on my laptop. This is from the service not the desktop version.

I have the on-premise gateway installed on my laptop and I can use it on powerbi.microsoft.com to connect to an AWS SQL server as long as the gateway service is running. So I know the gateway is working.

But when I try to create a new Data Source to (localdb)\mssqlserver from powerbi.microsoft.com it says it cannot find the server or it is inaccessible. I have tried several ways of typing in the server name but no connection is achieved.

I can use the local DB from Power BI Desktop, but cannot connect to it on the web service through the gateway.

Where do I look for the problem? Am I typing in the server name incorrectly? Or is it something else?

Thanks

[shukla]

I have the same issue, have gateway (personal mode) installed but not able to connect to localdb in my laptop from Power BI Service. I just want to get this working. 

[lbendlin]

The design principles are still valid.  Power BI Service has no idea what "localdb"  means.  It needs a fully qualified machine name and database instance name.

[lbendlin]

Please show the gateway connection dialog.

Your setup is in violation of a couple of design principles

- never run anything else on a gateway cluster member

- never run a gateway cluster member on a machine that can be switched off arbitrarily

- never use localhost addressing with gateways

- never run a gateway on a single cluster member.

etc.