Standard gateway

[NimaiAhluwalia]

Hello experts,

I am here to get some recommnedation on a use-case which I will be implementing soon.

I am going to deploy a standard gateway on a Azure VM which will be connected to on-premise SQL server, can I have some pre-req to know before I start implementing it in production.

Some more points to the above use case is that I need to share the gateway with the whole org, which will allow any user to create/refresh that report using that gateway and refresh the dataset.

I will be creating the gateway with the admin email.

Any recommendations or any useful links would be helpful, cheers!!

[rajendraongole1 · Accepted solution]

Hi @NimaiAhluwalia - Here are some recommendations and prerequisites to consider when deploying an on-premises data gateway

1. Gateway Installation Prerequisites

• Azure VM Configuration:

  • Ensure the Azure VM has the required specifications based on the expected workload. Microsoft recommends at least 8 CPU cores and 8 GB of RAM for production use.
  • The VM should be in the same region as your Azure SQL Database or Power BI tenant for reduced latency.
  • Open outbound connectivity to Power BI and Azure service endpoints:
    • Ports: 443 (HTTPS) must be open for communication.
    • URLs: Whitelist the required URLs for Power BI and Azure services. You can find the complete list here: Microsoft Power BI Gateway URLs.

• Gateway Software:

  • Download the latest version of the on-premises data gateway from Microsoft's official page.
  • Verify compatibility with your SQL Server and Power BI requirements.

• Local Network Access:

  • Ensure the Azure VM has connectivity to your on-premise SQL Server. You may need to set up a VPN or ExpressRoute to securely bridge your Azure VM and on-premises network.

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2. Gateway Setup Recommendations

• Account for Installation:

  • Use a service account (preferably a domain account) for the gateway installation. The account must have:
    • Access to the SQL Server instance.
    • Permissions to access the VM.

• Admin Email:

  • When setting up the gateway, use an organizational admin email for installation and management. This ensures centralized control and proper handover in case of role changes.

• Backup and Recovery:

  • Enable the gateway recovery key during setup. Store the recovery key securely in case the gateway needs to be reinstalled or transferred.

• 3. Sharing the Gateway

  • User Access:

    • In the Power BI Service, navigate to Manage Gateways and share the gateway with your organization.
    • Grant "Use" permissions to specific users or groups. For broader access, use Azure Active Directory (AAD) security groups.

  • Data Source Configuration:

    • Configure the SQL Server data source within the gateway. Provide credentials with appropriate access levels (read-only for most scenarios).
    • Enable Single Sign-On (SSO) using Kerberos if necessary, so users' credentials can flow to the data source.
• On-premises data gateway - Power BI | Microsoft Learn
• Guidance for deploying a data gateway for the Power BI service - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

[NimaiAhluwalia]

Hello @rajendraongole1 

Thanks for your above message, I have some questions:

1. If I turn off the VM will the gateway be down?

2. If I turn off and back on the VM will the gateway be up and running or restart and work as it, before the shut down of the VM? 

Thanks

[rajendraongole1]

Yes, turning off the Virtual Machine (VM) hosting the Power BI On-Premises Data Gateway will result in the gateway being unavailable. The gateway depends on the machine (in this case, the VM) to function, so shutting it down will stop the gateway services.

ques2:

If the gateway service is set to start automatically (which is the default configuration), the gateway should restart and function normally when the VM is powered back on. (You can check this in the Services management tool of the VM (type services.msc in the Run dialog).