Power BI Gateway Installation Guide: How to Install and Configure Power BI Gateway 

March 20, 2023

Youssef
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Power BI is a user-friendly tool with impressive drag-and-drop features and self-service capabilities. Clients can deploy on-cloud platforms and Power BI on-premises.

The Power BI Gateway installation process is very simple. In this article, we’ll discuss the actionable steps about Power BI Gateway installation. Let’s get started! 

What is a Power BI Gateway and How Does It Work?

The Power BI Gateway is an important software to access the data on-premises network. For on-premises data sources, this gateway works as a gatekeeper. It is almost free to use and, in some cases, relatively inexpensive. 

How Does It Work?

The request goes through the gateway if someone needs to access on-premises data from a web-based app. The gateway makes connections and transfers data.

Mainly these cloud services create reports which require data from on-premises services. With the help of encrypted credentials, these services go to Gateway cloud services.

What are the Main Use Cases of Power BI Gateway?

Power BI Gateway is a tool used to connect on-premises data sources to the cloud-based Power BI service. The main use cases of Power BI Gateway are:

  1. 1

    Accessing On-Premises Data

    Power BI Gateway allows you to securely access data sources such as SQL Server, Oracle, SharePoint, and Excel, among others. This means you can leverage your existing data infrastructure and use Power BI to create reports and dashboards based on that data.

  2. 2

    Refreshing Data

    Power BI Gateway can refresh data from on-premises data sources automatically or on a scheduled basis. This means you can have up-to-date data in your reports and dashboards without manually importing data every time.

  3. 3

    Data Privacy

    Power BI Gateway ensures that sensitive data stays on-premises and is not exposed to the cloud. This means you can comply with data privacy regulations while still using Power BI.

  4. 4

    Collaboration

    Power BI Gateway allows multiple users to collaborate on the same report or dashboard. This means that teams can work together to create and maintain reports and dashboards based on on-premises data.

  5. 5

    Hybrid Deployments

    Power BI Gateway enables you to create hybrid deployments that combine on-premises and cloud-based data sources. This means you can leverage the strengths of both to create powerful reports and dashboards.

What are the Key Features of Power BI Gateway?

  • Cost Effective

    It is inexpensive and free, but sometimes there is a small fee but relatively less expensive.

  • Easy to Use

    It is easy to use. Any person with average skills can figure it out. Once you get the data into the Power BI service, graphs and tables that make sense of that specific data are not as complex.

  • Innovation

    Microsoft releases updates monthly. When you open it, it will notify you of any pending updates.

  • Data Sources

    Power BI connects multiple data sources. It can connect with SQL servers and other databases.

Which Type of Power BI Gateway is Available?

There are three main types of Power BI Gateway personal mode gateway, standard or recommended mode gateway, and visual network.

  1. 1

    Recommend or standard mode gateway

    This allows multiple users to connect to multiple on-premises data sources. You can consume data in Azure logic apps, PowerApps, Microsoft flow, etc. You can quickly establish direct connections with different data sources by installing this data gateway. 

  2. 2

    Personal Mode Gateway

    In the case of Personal mode on-premises data gateway is used by only one user to connect different data sources. This is recommended when only one person requires access to the data source. 

  3. 3

    Virtual Network Gateway

    A virtual network gateway allows users to connect to multiple data sources encrypted by virtual networks. It doesn’t need any installation, such as Microsoft managed service. It is suitable for complex situations.

What are the Pre-installation Requirements for Power BI Gateway?

These are the minimum requirements for the pre-installation for Power BI Gateway;

  • Operating System: 

    Windows 8 or later, Windows Server 2012 R2 or later (64-bit).

  • Hardware: 

    A 64-bit processor with at least 8 GB of RAM and 2 GB of available disk space.

  • Network: 

    You need to have a reliable and stable internet connection with a static IP address. The gateway needs to be able to communicate with Power BI service over the internet.

  • Firewall: 

    You need to configure your firewall to allow inbound and outbound traffic on the following ports: 80, 443, 5671, and 9350-9354.

  • Software: 

    You need to have the latest version of .NET Framework installed on the machine where you plan to install the gateway. You can download it from the Microsoft website.

Step-by-step Guide on How to Download and Install Power BI Gateway? 

Power BI Gateway installation is possible on a window server or PC. It’s worth installing it on a device that can be turned off because the gateway services will stop, and data refresh will also stop. To install the gateway, follow these steps.

  1. 1

    The first step is to log onto the Power BI services, and you have to sign in to the  account with your credentials.

  2. 2

    Below the download section and press the button ‘’Data Gateway’’.

  3. 3

    Open that Download gateway on the next page.

  4. 4

    Open the file as an administrator after the downloading process.

  5. 5

    When the application starts, on the first page, press Next to proceed.

  6. 6

    Then it opens the next page, select the On-premises data gateway (recommended), and press Next.

  7. 7

    An application will open, and it may take a few minutes to install.

  8. 8

    When the application is successfully downloaded, it will open the sign-in page to the service.

Gateway in Power BI: Steps on Configuring and Accessing Data

After the process of  Power BI Gateway installation, the next step is to configure it, which will help to connect to the power service. These are the steps to connect the Power BI service to the gateway.

  1. 1

    When the first page for login-in opens, press on sign-on.

  2. 2

    Enter your email address that is already used for logging in to the Power BI service and move towards the Next.

  3. 3

    You need to note that the user can and has administrative rights in the Power BI service workspace.

  4. 4

    Provide a password and sign in to the account.

  5. 5

    On the next page, a notification will appear as ‘’Gateway not found, please try to configure the Gateway’’. And you just downloaded the gateway on.

  6. 6

    Just move and press Configure.

  7. 7

    Press Register a new gateway on this computer and then move to the Next.

  8. 8

    Then, you must set a proper name for a gateway and an 8-digit recovery key and press Configure.

Once the gateway is configured, the gateway will show a message saying the gateway is online and ready for use. You can close it.

The gateway has been successfully downloaded and configured on the PC and is now ready for use by Power BI, as mentioned.

Tips for Troubleshooting Common Issues when Installing Power BI Gateway

The followings are the main tips for troubleshooting common issues if you are going for Power BI Gateway installation:

  • The Gateway version works on a 64-bit

    You cannot install Gateway (Personal mode) If your system has a 32-bit version. Your OS must be a 64-bit version. You need to install Gateway (Personal mode) on a 64-bit computer.

  • Unable to the installation of services on the same computer

    You cannot install the analysis services connector and data management gateway on the same computer as the personal mode gateway. You have to change its type from personal to recommend.

  • Operation Time Out

    Operation timed out is the common message shown if the physical or virtual machine, the computer on which you are installing the gateway, has a single-core processor. Close any unnecessary processes and applications and try to install them again.

What are the Benefits and Drawbacks of Power BI Gateway?

Benefits

  • Affordability

    One of the most important advantages of using Power BI for data visualization and analysis is that it is less expensive and affordable.

  • Custom Concepts

    Power BI offers a wide range of custom visualizations. Visualizations created by developers for a specific purpose. Custom visuals are available on the Microsoft marketplace.

  • Excel Integration

    You have the option to upload and view your data in excel in Power BI. You can select data in a dashboard and export it to excel. You can then open excel and see the same data in tabular form in an excel spreadsheet.

  • Access of Data

    Power BI provides great access to the data sources and datasets you create when you design reports. All the data you import from data sources and work with is stored in one central location. 

Drawbacks

  • Visual Layout

    Power BI doesn’t provide many options for customizing your visualizations to suit your needs if you do. As such, users have limited time for what they can change in visuals.

  • Handling Large Volumes of Data

    Power BI has a maximum limit of about 2 GBs of data at a time. If you want to use even larger volumes of data, you need to upgrade from the free version to the paid version of Power BI. 

  • Difficult and Complex to Understand

    When your purpose of use is more than just creating reports in Power BI Desktop, you need to learn several other tools like Power BI services and Power BI report server.

Best Practices For a Successful Power BI Gateway Installation 

  • Review All the Requirements of the System

    Before the installation process Power BI gateway, make sure that your system meets the minimum requirements. And must check that your operating systems, software, and hardware are compatible with the gateway.

  • Set the Gateway Configuration

    It is important to configure it that meets the needs of your organization. Also, consider the number of data sources, users, and connections required.

  • Consider FIrewall Setting

    It allows traffic to and from the gateway. You may require to work with your IT department to open the necessary protocols.

  • Requirements to Run the Services

    Use the dedicated machines to run the services and use the service accounts also.

  • Monitor Gateways All the Time

    Check them regularly for errors, warnings, and other issues that might affect their performance.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed and set up Power BI Gateway. This gives you access to a whole new world of data insights and analysis.

With the power of Power BI at your fingertips, you can now seamlessly connect your on-premises data sources to the cloud and enjoy real-time access to your critical business data. Dive in, explore, and discover the full potential of Power BI Gateway!

FAQ

Is Power BI Gateway free?

Power BI Gateway is free to use. Sometimes there is a small fee but relatively less expensive.

Is a Gateway a database?

Gateway is a database connection service that connects an on-premises database and a database that is hosted on a third-party cloud system.

Is a Gateway an API?

No, a Gateway is not an API. A Gateway software component acts as an intermediary between different applications, systems, or networks.

It is used to route and manage data traffic and can also do things like load balancing, security, and translating protocols.

Is Gateway hardware or software?

A gateway is hardware; it acts as a gate between two different networks. It might be a server, router, and firewall that are hardware devices.

What are the components of a Gateway?

A delegator and a sink are the main components of the gateway.

What are the alternatives to Power BI Gateway?

Dashboard fox is a powerful alternative to Power BI service. And Dundas, Zoho analytics, and pyramid analytics can be used as alternatives to Power BI.

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About the author

Youssef

Youssef is a Senior Cloud Consultant & Founder of ITCertificate.org

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