Forum Discussion
Power BI Refresh Needs Local Service – Any Workaround?
I’m working with a cloud-hosted database and i used that by specific local setup before I can connect to it. Here’s how my workflow looks:
DataSources are: Clickhouse and PostgreSql
I’ve installed and configured the necessary ODBC driver on my local machine.
A local background service must be running (required by the cloud database provider).
Once that’s done, I can connect and refresh the data in Power BI Desktop without issues.
The challenge arises when trying to set up scheduled refresh in Power BI Service. Since the Power BI Service can't replicate the local configuration (ODBC setup + running service), the refresh fails, I need to manually run the Command for make the Connection active in CMD then after that only able to Refresh the Data
Here are my questions:
Is there any workaround or best practice to enable scheduled refresh in this kind of hybrid setup?
Can an on-premises data gateway help in bridging this gap—even if the actual data is in the cloud but needs local initiation?
Has anyone successfully configured scheduled refresh with similar ODBC-based cloud sources requiring local prep?
Any guidance or similar experiences would be super helpful.
Thank you
Hi Divyanshu15,
Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Fabric Forum Community.
Please refer to the following documentation to help resolve the issue.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/data-integration/gateway/service-gateway-install
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/connect-data/refresh-scheduled-refresh
If this information was helpful, kindly mark the response as accepted and give it a thumbs-up, so it may assist others as well.
Best regards,
Prasanna Kumar
10 Replies
Hi. When you are working with onpremise sources or cloud sources that require a local intervention, the solution it's using the on premise data gateway. You should be able to install the client as standard or enterprise mode. That mode runs as a Windows service. When working with a cloud source it's a good idea to run it on a VM in the same vendoor to keep the best performance at the network. Otherwise you can keep it in your laptop.
I have configured ODBC with gateway many times. The machine running the gateway client should have the odbc client installed and configured to let the Power Bi Service read it.
You can check this post (it has old pictures but it should help setting up for the first time): https://blog.ladataweb.com.ar/post/189013278236/powerbigateway-configurar-una-actualización
Once all is configured, you will be able to configure a shcedule refresh.
I hope that helps,
Hi Divyanshu15
Yes, you can enable scheduled refresh using an on-premises data gateway installed on the same local machine where the ODBC driver and background service are set up. The gateway allows Power BI Service to access your local setup and refresh the data, even if the database is cloud-hosted but needs a local initiation step. Just make sure the background service runs automatically and the gateway is always online.
Hi Poojara_D12
Thanks for the Reply Poojara_D12 , I've subscribed yourt work on youtube
Yes, I tried to set up the background service. But I didn't get success for the Clickhouse, Postgresql got connected successfully, can you help me with the resources to set up the background service to initialize the connection after the system is on.
Please help with the resources
Best
Divyanshu
Hi Divyanshu15
Thank you for subscribing.
In your case, you're using cloud-hosted ClickHouse and PostgreSQL databases that require a local background service and ODBC setup to connect. While Power BI Desktop works fine after manually running a command to activate the connection, scheduled refresh in Power BI Service fails because it can’t access your local setup. The best workaround is to use an on-premises data gateway, which allows Power BI Service to securely delegate the refresh task to your local machine. To make this work with ClickHouse, you should automate the startup command (the one you currently run manually) using tools like NSSM to run it as a Windows service or set it as a scheduled task at system startup, ensuring it initializes before the gateway attempts the refresh. Use a System DSN and ensure both the service and gateway are always running.
Hi Divyanshu15,
Just following up to see if the solution provided was helpful in resolving your issue. Please feel free to let us know if you need any further assistance.
Best regards,
Prasanna Kumar
Anonymous
Issue isnot resolved is there any doc and the guided articles for setup the Windows Service and NSSM, Please provide the same
Best
Divyanshu Gupta
Hi Divyanshu15,
Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Fabric Forum Community.
Please refer to the following documentation to help resolve the issue.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/data-integration/gateway/service-gateway-install
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/connect-data/refresh-scheduled-refresh
If this information was helpful, kindly mark the response as accepted and give it a thumbs-up, so it may assist others as well.
Best regards,
Prasanna KumarHi Divyanshu15,
We wanted to kindly check in to see if everything is working as expected after trying the suggested troubleshoot points. If there’s anything else we can assist with, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Warm regards,
Prasanna Kumar
Hi Divyanshu15,
We wanted to kindly check in to see if everything is working as expected after trying the suggested trouble shoot points. If there’s anything else we can assist with, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Warm regards,
Prasanna Kumar
