Power BI Data Gateway in Personal Mode: Installation and Usage Tips

Summary

In this video, RAM demonstrates how to install and configure the Power BI Data Gateway in personal mode to enable data refresh for reports based on local Excel files. He explains the issue of Power BI service not being able to access local data sources and walks through the process of setting up the gateway, signing in with Power BI credentials, and ensuring proper configuration. RAM shows how the data gateway connects to the data source, ultimately achieving a successful data refresh for the report, providing a step-by-step guide for users to follow.

Takeaways

• 😀 Installing Power BI Data Gateway in Personal Mode allows you to refresh reports that are built on local data sources like Excel files.
• 😀 Power BI Service cannot directly communicate with local data sources without a gateway, leading to refresh failures if not configured properly.
• 😀 The Power BI Data Gateway in Personal Mode is specifically for individual users and only works with Power BI datasets, unlike the Standard Mode which supports other Power Platform services.
• 😀 In Power BI Service, the refresh will fail if no data gateway is configured to link the cloud service with local data sources.
• 😀 The Data Gateway installation process includes downloading the gateway, running it as administrator, and signing in with your Power BI account.
• 😀 After successful installation, the Personal Mode Data Gateway should appear in the Power BI Service, but it may need to be filtered for visibility.
• 😀 Once the gateway is installed and online, the next step is configuring the dataset to use the gateway for data source connectivity.
• 😀 The settings for the dataset need to be adjusted, including adding and testing the connection to the data source using the configured gateway.
• 😀 Once the data source credentials are updated and the privacy level is set, the data gateway can successfully connect and refresh the dataset.
• 😀 After configuring the gateway and credentials, you can perform a successful refresh of the dataset, and the refresh history will reflect the success.
• 😀 The video concludes by confirming that the Power BI Data Gateway in Personal Mode has been successfully installed and is now functioning to refresh local datasets.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the Power BI Data Gateway in Personal Mode?

The Power BI Data Gateway in Personal Mode allows users to connect their on-premises data sources, such as local Excel files, to Power BI Service in the cloud, enabling automatic data refreshes for reports built on those local datasets.

Why can't Power BI Service refresh reports built on local data by default?

By default, Power BI Service cannot refresh reports built on local data because it is hosted on the cloud and cannot access on-premises data sources directly, like an Excel file stored on your computer.

What type of data sources does the Personal Mode Gateway support?

The Personal Mode Gateway supports data sources that are only connected to Power BI datasets, like local Excel files, and cannot be used with other Microsoft Power Platform tools.

What is the difference between Personal Mode and Standard Mode of the Power BI Data Gateway?

The Personal Mode of the Power BI Data Gateway is designed for individual use and only works with Power BI datasets, while the Standard Mode can support a wider range of data sources and is typically used for organizational purposes.

How do you install the Power BI Data Gateway in Personal Mode?

To install the Power BI Data Gateway in Personal Mode, you need to download the installer, run it as an administrator, and sign in using your Power BI Service credentials. Once installed, the gateway will be configured to enable data source connections.

What do you need to do after installing the Power BI Data Gateway?

After installing the Power BI Data Gateway, you must sign in with your Power BI account to activate it. Then, you can configure the gateway to connect to your on-premises data sources, such as Excel files.

What happens if the Power BI Data Gateway is not visible in the Power BI Service after installation?

If the Power BI Data Gateway is not visible, you may need to adjust the filter settings in Power BI Service to display personal mode gateways. It could also be due to the gateway not being properly configured or online.

How do you resolve issues when the gateway is not connecting to the data source?

To resolve connection issues, you need to edit the data source credentials in Power BI Service, ensure they are set to the correct privacy level, and confirm that the gateway is properly configured to use those credentials.

How can you test if the Power BI Data Gateway is working correctly?

To test if the Power BI Data Gateway is working, you can initiate a manual data refresh in Power BI Service. If the refresh is successful, it indicates that the gateway is properly connected and functioning.

What should you check if a data refresh fails after setting up the Power BI Data Gateway?

If a data refresh fails, ensure that the data source credentials are correctly configured, the gateway is online, and that there are no connectivity issues between the local data source and Power BI Service.