PowerBI Service -> Refresh from Azure MySQL db

[dabrian99]

Fairly new to PowerBI but not the data world - I've been spinning my wheels for a while now on this. We have an Azure MySQL db that can be connected to perfectly fine from PBI Desktop.

When I upload the Desktop report to PowerBI Service (with the goal of being able to embed the reporting link in another application - which works fine), I CANNOT get the semantic model to refresh against the Azure MySQL db rendering this thing stale in terms of the data presented.

The error I am getting is:

Data source error:[ValidateMarkupTags][ccon]DataSource.MissingClientLibrary: [ccon]We were unable to find a database provider with invariant name 'MySql.Data.MySqlClient'.[/ccon]. DataSourceKind = [ccon]MySql[/ccon]....blah blah blah.....

I am starting to wonder if this is even possible given what I found on one of the MSFT tech notes:

If that is the case - is there any workaround / alternative? We have quite a few dashboards/etc developed in Desktop, all using this Azure MySQL db and it pains me to think of switching to a different back-end db type.

Thanks for any help!

[lbendlin]

Move your data to an on-prem MySQL database?

[dabrian99]

I guess that's what I was trying to avoid lol...is that confirmation that it is not even possible to connect to the Azure version?  We are trying to go cloud-first where possible so this would be a step backwards.

Alternately, it looks like Azure SQL (SQL Server) may be supported so that could be an option to.

[lbendlin]

Yeah, I wonder why Microsoft would not want you to use an Oracle product in their cloud.  No idea why that could be an issue...

[dabrian99]

Sarcasm noted. I'm new to the Microsoft power/azure stack so any perspective and expertise you're willing to lend is appreciated. My ego can handle it..I don't know what I don't know.  Honestly I don't really care what db platform gets used. If it's Azure SQL (SQLServer) because that's easier to integrate with PBI service so be it. 

It's just lost on me why I cannot connect to an 'Oracle-owned' database that is sitting in Azure cloud anyway.