Issue connecting Databricks to Power BI Service

[vamshikrishna20]

Hi All, 

Did anyone face issues connecting Power BI service to Azure Databricks using OAuth2 Authentication. It is working fine in Desktop, when i publish my direct query report to service and configure connection details, it fails with error saying unresponsive. 

can someone please help

[v-pnaroju-msft]

Hi vamshikrishna20,

We are following up to see if what we shared solved your issue. If you need more support, please reach out to the Microsoft Fabric community.

Thank you.

[v-pnaroju-msft]

Thankyou, @MohdZaid_ for your response.

Hi vamshikrishna20,

We appreciate your inquiry through the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum.

We would like to inquire whether have you got the chance to check the solution provided by @MohdZaid_ to resolve the issue. We hope the information provided helps to clear the query. Should you have any further queries, kindly feel free to contact the Microsoft Fabric community.

Thank you.

[vamshikrishna20]

Hi @MohdZaid_ - 
can you help me understand this - enable trusted public access for Power BI Service IP ranges?

[MohdZaid_ · Accepted solution]

Hey @vamshikrishna20 , 

The phrase “Or enable trusted public access for Power BI Service IP ranges” refers to allowing the Power BI Service (which runs in Microsoft’s cloud) to reach your Azure Databricks workspace over the internet, even if your workspace is normally restricted inside a VNet (Virtual Network).

Here’s what it means in simpler terms:

• Azure Databricks in a VNet: Often, organizations deploy Databricks inside a private network for security. This means it cannot be accessed directly from the public internet. Only devices inside the VNet (or connected via VPN/ExpressRoute) can reach it.
• Power BI Service: When you publish a report to the cloud, the Power BI Service needs to connect to Databricks from Microsoft’s servers. If your Databricks workspace is private, it cannot connect by default, leading to “unresponsive” errors.
• Trusted Public Access: Microsoft publishes the IP ranges used by Power BI Service. By configuring your network/firewall to allow incoming connections from these IP ranges, you let Power BI Service access Databricks securely without opening it completely to the internet. Essentially, you’re whitelisting the Power BI Service servers.

In short: It’s a way to let Power BI Service reach your private Databricks workspace without making it fully public, by trusting only Microsoft’s IP addresses.

If this solved your issue, please mark it as the solution so others can find it easily.

If it helped, a quick ‌‌ Kudos is always appreciated it helps highlight useful answers for the community.

Thanks for being part of the discussion !!!

[MohdZaid_]

Hey @vamshikrishna20  , 

If your report connects successfully in Desktop but fails after publishing to Microsoft Power BI with an “unresponsive” error, the issue is usually related to how authentication or networking is handled in the Service not with the report itself.

When using OAuth2 with Azure Databricks, Power BI Desktop authenticates using your local session. However, once published, the Power BI Service must authenticate independently in the cloud. If the OAuth configuration is not fully supported or correctly set up in the Service, the connection can fail.

Most Common Causes

1. OAuth not supported for Service in your setup
   In many enterprise scenarios, OAuth via personal user login works in Desktop but is unreliable or unsupported for DirectQuery in the Service.
2. Firewall / Network Restrictions
   If Databricks is deployed inside a VNet with restricted public access, Power BI Service (which runs in Microsoft’s cloud) may not be able to reach it.
3. Missing or Incorrect Credential Configuration in Service
   After publishing, you must:
   • Go to Dataset → Settings → Data Source Credentials
   • Reconfigure authentication
   • Ensure the same auth method is selected
4. Tenant Settings Blocking Service Principal or OAuth Flow

Recommended Fix (Best Practice) - Instead of OAuth with a personal account, configure a Service Principal (App Registration) in Microsoft Entra ID and grant it access to Databricks. Then:

• Enable Service Principal access in Databricks
• Assign it to the workspace
• Use it for authentication in Power BI Service
• Configure the connection using Service Principal credentials

This removes dependency on user tokens and avoids refresh or DirectQuery failures caused by expired or interactive OAuth sessions.

If Databricks Is Private (VNet Enabled)

If your Databricks workspace has no public endpoint:

• You will need an On-premises Data Gateway
• Or enable trusted public access for Power BI Service IP ranges

If this solved your issue, please mark it as the solution so others can find it easily.

If it helped, a quick ‌‌ Kudos is always appreciated it helps highlight useful answers for the community.

Thanks for being part of the discussion !!!