Power BI: Data Gateway Information

Overview

The on-premises data gateway provides quick and secure data transfer between on-premises data and several Microsoft cloud services, such as Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate, Azure Analysis Services, and Azure Logic Apps. A virtual network (VNet) data gateway helps you to connect from Microsoft Cloud services to your Azure data services within a virtual network without the need of an on-premises data gateway. On-premises and VNet data gateway documentation can be found here. Since the on-premises standard data gateway is more common, this information sheet focuses on it.

The on-premises standard data gateway acts as a bridge, providing quick and secure data transfer between on-premises data (data that is not in the cloud) and the Power BI, Power Automate, Logic Apps, and Power Apps services.

Gateways are FREE to use.

Considerations:

• There are two types of on-premises gateways: personal and standard. The standard gateway is recommended, as personal is meant for one-person use and only works with Power BI.
• The user installing the gateway must be the admin of the gateway.
• Don't install a gateway on a computer, like a laptop, that might be turned off, asleep, or disconnected from the internet. The gateway can't run under any of those circumstances.
• If you're planning to use Windows authentication, make sure you install the gateway on a computer that's a member of the same Microsoft Entra environment as the data sources.
• If a gateway uses a wireless network, its performance might suffer. We recommend that you set the gateway on a wired device for best network performance.
• You can install up to two gateways on a single computer: one running in personal mode and the other running in standard mode. An on-premises data gateway (personal mode) can be used only with Power BI. You can't have more than one gateway running in the same mode on the same computer.
• You can create gateway clusters. A cluster is a collection of physical gateways, allowing high availability and avoiding single points of failure. Because you can install only one standard gateway on a computer, you must install each additional gateway in the cluster on a different computer.
• You can install a gateway on a VM that’s turned on 24x7.
• If you use a virtualization layer for your virtual machine, performance might suffer or perform inconsistently.
• You could install other applications on the gateway machine, but these applications might degrade gateway performance. If you do install other applications on the gateway machine, be sure to monitor the gateway closely to check if there's any resource contention.
• When using an on-premises data gateway (standard mode) to access a data source on a remote domain, the gateway has to be installed on a domain joined machine having a trust relationship with the target domain.
• Gateways aren't supported on Server Core installations.
• Gateways aren't supported on Windows containers.
• The gateway can't be installed on a domain controller.
• On-premises data gateway FAQ can be found here.

Steps to Install a Standard On-Premises Data Gateway

1. Review Prerequisites

Ensure the following:

• You're using a Windows 64-bit OS (Windows Server 2012 R2 or later, Windows 10 or later).
• The machine is always on and connected to the internet.
• .NET Framework 4.8 or later is installed.
• You have an Azure Active Directory (AAD) account with appropriate permissions.
• You have outbound internet access to specific Azure service URLs and IP ranges.

2. Download the Data Gateway Installer

• Go to the official Microsoft page: https://powerbi.microsoft.com/gateway/
• Click Download gateway (Standard mode).

3. Run the Installer

• Double-click the downloaded installer file.
• Choose Standard mode (this allows multiple users and is suitable for enterprise use).
• Click Install.

4. Sign In

• After installation, the setup will prompt you to sign in using your Microsoft organizational account (AAD account).

5. Register the Gateway

You have two options:

• Register a new gateway on this computer
  • Provide a name for the gateway.
  • Set a recovery key (used to restore or move the gateway).
• Migrate, restore, or take over an existing gateway
  • Use this if you're reinstalling or recovering a gateway.

6. Configure Gateway Settings

• After registration, the gateway connects to the cloud.
• You can manage:
  • Service account (default is "NT SERVICE\PBIEgwService")
  • Network connectivity mode (recommended: HTTPS)
  • Diagnostic logs, ports, and proxy settings (if needed)

7. Verify and Test the Gateway

• Open the Gateway app or go to Power BI Service > Manage Gateways.
• Ensure the gateway shows as Online.
• Test your data source connections using the gateway.

8. Add Data Sources

• In Power BI Service or Power Platform admin center:
  • Go to Manage Gateways.
  • Add data sources (SQL Server, Oracle, SharePoint, etc.).
  • Configure credentials and privacy levels.

9. Share Gateway Access

• Grant access to users or groups to use the gateway for their reports, flows, or apps.

10. Maintain the Gateway

• Monitor performance and logs.
• Keep the gateway software updated.
• Restart services as needed.
• Backup recovery keys securely.

Need more help?

If you have questions or run into issues with your data gateway setup, feel free to reach out to our support team at support@roghnu.com. We're here to help!