Power BI Gateway Is Online But Cannot Connect To Data Sources

[Moxam]

So this is a strange one. I have a gateway that refreshes reports that are based on excel sources and an ODBC connection. It used to run fine until day before yesterday. I thought it was because the Gateway was not updated, but I updated it today and the problem still persists.

I decided to remove the reports and re-upload them, no luck. It says the gateway is online, but every connection under that gateway is offline. When I try to edit the credentials, the service will not allow me to do it, claiming it cannot authenticate me. Again, nothing had changed and I redid everything as it was the first time.

Anyone ever see anything like this before?

[aj1973]

The ODBC driver was to connect to what source?

Can you please screenshot the Gateway and connections in the service?

[Moxam]

@aj1973Please see the screenshots below in the service, Excel files on the same Gateway all work. Can't access the machine at this moment to share gateway screenshot directly but the service says its online:

[aj1973]

Are you using ODBC driver to connect to Excel files? Is the machine or the ODBC drive off line some how?

[Moxam]

The machine with the ODBC drive is very much on. Every other software, including Power BI Desktop, connects to it just fine and refreshes or pulls data.

As for the Excel connections, I simply chose file as the connection type, provided the full path name to the file and used the Windows authentication method to log in.

[aj1973]

For sure the Gateway isn't the issue. Try privacy level = none

[Moxam]

Tried that level and every other level. Same result. That's why I'm pulling my hair out because nothing seems to work. The machine with the gateway is a virtual machine. Don't know if that matters.

[aj1973]

That's what it is then, VM. Yes it matters.

Is this the first time you are trying to set up connection outside your network?

[Moxam]

Not the first time. It was the same configuration as before that used to work perfectly.

[aj1973]

Not talking about the configuration... The configuration has been done in the VM I beleive. But you found out that the refresh is not working then you wanted to fix it out side the VM, is it not?

[Moxam]

No I didn't try to fix it outside of the VM. The VM is not in Azure by the way.

[aj1973]

Did you try to refresh the report in the desktop? if not then please do and then republish it, maybe the fact that you updated the Gateway has something to do with it.

[Moxam]

Yes, just to verify that it wasn't the ODBC that is the problem. It's probably a Microsoft related issue itself. Who knows.

[Moxam · Accepted solution]

@aj1973Apparently, the server machine needed to be restarted and updated which fixed the problem. I feel so dumb right now but thank you for being so helpful, you really added to my reportoire of troubleshooting.

[aj1973]

I had the feeling that something needed to done at the server level, like maybe updating the ODBC.. But glad you fixed it

You are welcome.

[aj1973]

Hi @Moxam 

what is the message you get when you edit credentials?

[Moxam]

Unable to update connection credentials. Unable to connect to the data source. Either the data source is inaccessible, a connection timeout occurred, or the data source credentials are invalid. Please verify the data source configuration and contact a data source administrator to troubleshoot this issue.

The message above. I know the credentials are correct, because they worked for months before and we did not change the credentials at the source.

[aj1973]

Could it be the way of authentication protocole has changed by IT team? Oauth2 vs Windows

[Moxam]

Tried that too. They said they never changed anything.

[Moxam]

@aj1973In addition, Power BI Desktop and DBeaver are fine with the credentials.