Differences between cloud connections and data connections

[DennesTorres]

Hi,

Open the Settings in semantic model and configure the Data Source Credentials by clicking in "Edit Credentials" is something usual.

However, there is something new in this window and if not configured it starts to generate errors.

I would understand if the connections had disappeared from Data Source Credentials and appeared only in Cloud Connection, but it seems like they were duplicated, appearing in both, Data Source Credentials and Cloud Connections.




In the image above, two of the connections are duplicated, with two different places to configure credentials.

Another pending question which I don't understand is why some semantic models work well with the "Personal Cloud Connection" while others reject this connection with a strange error message (the one bellow).





One more question: I have the absolutely same semantic model, one created from a Save As from the other. The one I have published in production I never configured the cloud connections and it works perfectly. The one I published for last doesn't work if I don't configure the cloud connection, it generates the error above.

How? Why ?

P.S: Of course I understand the benefits of the cloud connections, but these behaviours I described above are very strange.

Kind Regards,

Dennes

[Anonymous]

Hi @DennesTorres 

By default, when you create a Power BI Desktop report that connects to a cloud data source and then uploads it to a workspace in the Power BI service, Power BI creates a personal cloud connection and binds it to your semantic model, for which you must provide credentials. If an existing personal cloud connection is available, you have probably already provided credentials.

That is, cloud connection just specifies a connection path, you also need to configure credentials for the connection in Data source credentials.

For more details, you can read related document link:

Connect to cloud data sources in the Power BI service - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Best Regards,
Yulia Xu

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[DennesTorres]

Hi,

So, the connections which appear in Data Source Connections are the "default personal connections" selected in the cloud connections ?

What about when the connection doesn't appear in Data Source Connections ? On the images I shared, there is one with 3 cloud connections and only 2 data source connections.

What scenario causes the error I mentioned, requiring to not use the default personal connection ?

Why the same report/semantic model is working in production without cloud connection definitions but once a copy of it was made, it started to require an explicit definition of cloud connections, generating the error I mentioned?

The documentation you shared doesn't explain much about the relation between the Cloud Connections and Data Source Connections, which seems a duplication, but not always, seems to be a choice, but not always.

Kind Regards,

Dennes