If you are using Power BI to connect to a PaaS resource on a virtual network in Azure, you may need a data gateway. While the on-premises data gateway has been available for years, there is a new offering called a virtual network data gateway that is currently in preview.
The virtual network data gateway securely communicates with the data source, executes queries, and transmits results back to the service, just like the on-premises data gateway. However, it does not require provisioning a virtual machine in the same network or a peered network of the Azure data source.
What to Know Before You Start
Before you use a virtual network data gateway, there are a few limitations to be aware of:
- Virtual network data gateways are available only in workspaces configured with a license mode of Power BI Premium, Premium Per User (PPU), or Power BI Embedded. Pro licenses are not currently supported.
- VNet data gateways are not available in all regions. The gateway has to match the region of the target VNet, but not your Power BI home region.
- Power BI dataflows and datamarts are not supported.
- Your VNet must be in the same tenant as the Power BI tenant containing the VNet data gateway.
Creating Your Virtual Network Data Gateway
To create a virtual network data gateway, follow these three steps:
- Register Microsoft.PowerPlatform as a resource provider in the subscription containing the target VNet.
- Add a new subnet to your VNet and associate it with the Microsoft Power Platform.
- Create the VNet data gateway in Power BI or the Power Platform Admin center.
To register the resource provider, go to your subscription in the Azure Portal, select Resource Providers on the left, and search for “Microsoft.PowerPlatform”. If the provider is not registered, select it and choose Register.
On your target VNet, create a new subnet and set the Subnet Delegation to Microsoft.PowerPlatform/vnetaccesslinks. This step is crucial for the VNet data gateway to function properly.
In Power BI, go to the settings button, then choose Manage Connections and Gateways. Switch to Virtual network data gateways and click on “New” to create a new gateway. Provide the necessary details such as subscription, resource group, VNet, subnet, gateway name, and high availability/load balancing settings.
Using Your Virtual Network Data Gateway
To use the virtual network data gateway, create a data source in Power BI and select Virtual Network Data Gateway at the top before entering your connection information. The newly created VNet data gateway should be available for selection in the list.
The VNet data gateway can be used for imported or DirectQuery connections. If you want to enable Single Sign-On (SSO) via Azure AD for DirectQuery queries, you can do so. Otherwise, the credentials you enter on this connection will be used to connect for imported dataset refresh or DirectQuery.
After publishing a dataset to PowerBI.com that connects to the data source defined in Connections, configure the dataset to use the connection. In the dataset settings, under Gateway Connections, associate the data source with the previously created connection using the “Maps to” drop-down box.
With the virtual network data gateway, you can connect Power BI to your Azure SQL database via a private endpoint without the need to manage a virtual machine in Azure. Although there are some limitations, it provides a secure and efficient way to access your data sources on a virtual network.