Connecting Your Data: A Deep Dive into Power BI Gateway Types and Working
Power BI gateways are used to enable real-time data refresh and connect to on-premises data sources from the Power BI service.
In Power BI, a Gateway is a software that allows you to connect to on-premises data sources, such as databases or file systems, and bring that data into the Power BI service. There are two types of gateways:
- Personal Gateway: A personal gateway allows a single user to connect to on-premises data sources from Power BI. It can be installed on a personal computer or laptop and is typically used for scenarios such as data modeling and report development.
- Enterprise Gateway: An enterprise gateway allows multiple users to connect in order to on-premises data sources from Power BI. It can be installed on a server within an organization’s network and is typically used for scenarios such as report distribution and data refresh.
To use a Power BI gateway, you need to install and configure it on your local network. Once the gateway is installed, you can connect to on-premises data sources from the Power BI service by specifying the gateway as the connection method. The gateway will then act as a bridge between the Power BI service and the on-premises data source, allowing data to be transferred between the two.
You can configure the gateway to perform scheduled data refresh at regular intervals, or you can set it up to refresh the data on demand. The frequency and timing of data refresh can be controlled through the Power BI service or through the gateway itself.
Keep in mind that Power BI gateways are separate from the Power BI service and require installation, configuration, and maintenance by your IT department. They are an optional component of the Power BI platform and may not be needed in all scenarios.
When you install a gateway, it creates a secure connection between the data source and the Power BI service, so that data can be transferred between the two. The gateway runs in the background, and you can schedule data refreshes to ensure that the data in your reports is up-to-date.
To set up a gateway, you need to install the gateway software on a computer that is running 24/7 and has access to all the data sources you want to connect to. Once the gateway is installed, you need to configure it to connect to your data source, and then connect it to your Power BI account.