Forum Discussion
Dataflow using Gateway for SQL turns to a Personal Cloud Connect on publish
Hi bdnypa,
Thanks for the clarification, and it’s good to hear that using the semantic model works as expected.
Your expectation about the gateway helping with easier administration is understandable. However, the gateway mainly provides secure connectivity between Power BI and the data source, and it does not automatically abstract or handle server name changes unless the gateway data source configuration and semantic model are updated accordingly.To minimize maintenance when server changes occur, the recommended approach is to use a centralized semantic model and connect reports to it instead of directly connecting to the server. This way, if the server changes, you only need to update the connection in the semantic model or gateway data source, and all dependent reports will continue to work without requiring individual updates.
Thank you again for using the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum.
I'm not doubting it - it just presents me with some questions. By Oath, I am assuming it means the users Id and password, which I think would be an admistrative issue since every user who publishes would need access to the data.
What we are trying to do is create datasets that can automatically refresh from existing data processes in SQL and publish them in PBI. The dataflow seemed a natural fit, until our first user published and the data does not refresh.
What is the best way to provide users with datasets that they do not control, do not require their own personal authorization and connect to the SQL data that can automatically be refreshed? After research, it sounded like a dataflow was the answer until this suprising twist.
The workaround is as you suggested. I created the dataset on my desktop as a semantic model and published the SM. That keeps the gateway connection and does not create a second semantic model when they use it for their reports. I don't find this a straightforward and clean solution as I should just be able to make the dataflow and have that shared. For this, we need PBI desktop and update the appropriate workspaces. It is interesting to me that one changes to the cloud connection while the other retains its connection when they are both really doing the same thing.
Super UserHi bdnypa You can create a cloud connection that can be used by the Semantic Models with the dataflow as the source. Select the Fabric Dataflows connector.
Create the Cloud connection, share the connection with the users making use of it.
Map your semantic model to the dataflow connection