How to Set Up Enterprise Gateway in Power BI

Connecting your on-premises data, like a company SQL server, to the cloud-based Power BI service is essential for keeping your reports fresh and relevant. The bridge that makes this connection possible is the Power BI on-premises data gateway. This article will walk you through exactly what the gateway is, why you need it, and provide a step-by-step guide to get it installed and configured.

What is a Power BI Gateway (and Why Do You Need One)?

Imagine Power BI Service as a beautifully designed dashboard sitting in the cloud. Now imagine your company's sales data lives on a secure server in your office. The dashboard in the cloud can't just reach down and grab that local data whenever it wants, it needs a secure tunnel to do so. The Power BI on-premises data gateway acts as that secure tunnel or bridge.

In simple terms, the gateway is a piece of software you install on a computer within your local network. It securely receives data refresh requests from the Power BI Service, fetches the required data from your on-premises sources (like SQL Server, Oracle, SharePoint Server, or even basic files), and then sends that data back up to the cloud to update your datasets, reports, and dashboards.

Without a gateway, you would be limited to manually republishing your Power BI Desktop file every time you wanted to see updated data. The gateway automates this entire process with scheduled refreshes, ensuring your team is always making decisions based on the most current information available.

On-Premises Gateway vs. Personal Gateway

When you download the gateway, you'll be presented with two modes: on-premises and personal. For any team or business setting, you should almost always choose the on-premises mode (which was previously called the "Enterprise gateway").

• On-premises data gateway (Standard mode): This is the recommended choice. It runs as a Windows service, meaning it's always on and doesn't require you to be logged into the machine. Multiple users can be granted permission to use it, and it supports both scheduled refreshes and DirectQuery/Live connection for services like SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS).
• On-premises data gateway (Personal mode): As the name implies, this mode is for individual use. It runs as a regular application, meaning it only works when you are logged into the computer where it's installed. It can only be used by one person - you - and is really only meant for scenarios where you are the sole creator and consumer of reports.

For the rest of this guide, we will focus exclusively on setting up the standard, multi-user on-premises gateway.

Prerequisites & System Requirements

Before you start the installation, a little prep work will make the process much smoother. Here’s a quick checklist of what you'll need:

• A Power BI Pro or Premium Per User account: You'll need credentials for a Power BI account to register the gateway.
• A supported Windows OS: Windows 8, Windows Server 2012 R2, or a later version. Use a server OS for production environments.
• .NET Framework: Version 4.8 or later. The installer usually checks for this, but it's good to confirm beforehand.
• Minimum Hardware:
• A dedicated, always-on machine: Do not install the gateway on your personal laptop. It needs to run on a machine that will always be on and has a stable network connection to your on-premises data sources. This machine doesn't need to be the same server where your data lives, but it must be on the same local network.

Step-by-Step Installation Guide

With an understanding of what the gateway is and the prerequisites in place, you’re ready to install it. Follow these steps carefully.

1. Download the Gateway Installer

First, you need to download the latest version of the gateway software.

• Log in to your Power BI Service account at app.powerbi.com.
• Click the Download icon (a downward arrow) in the top-right corner of the screen.
• From the dropdown menu, select Data Gateway.
• This will open a web page. Click the "Download Standard Mode" button to get the installer executable.

2. Run the Installer

Once the download is complete, locate the installer file (e.g., GatewayInstall.exe) and run it as an administrator.

• Accept the terms of use and privacy statement.
• Choose the installation path. The default location is generally fine.
• Click Install and let the wizard do its thing.

3. Sign In and Register the Gateway

After the core files are installed, the configuration wizard will launch. This is where you connect the software to your Power BI tenant.

• Provide an email address: Enter the email address associated with your Power BI Pro or Premium account and click "Sign in." You will be prompted to authenticate.
• Register a new gateway: Since this is a fresh installation, select the option to "Register a new gateway on this computer."
• Name your gateway: Give your gateway a descriptive name that you'll recognize later (e.g., "Company-Sales-Gateway").
• Create a Recovery Key: You will be asked to create and confirm a recovery key. This is extremely important. The recovery key is like a master password for your gateway. You'll need it if you ever have to migrate, restore, or take over the gateway on a different machine.

Pro Tip: Save Your Recovery Key!

Store your recovery key somewhere secure, like a password manager. If you lose it, you cannot recover it. Your only option would be to create a new gateway from scratch and reconfigure all of your data sources. Treat this key with care.

Once you've entered the key, click Configure. The wizard will finalize the registration.

Configuring the Gateway in the Power BI Service

Installing the gateway is only half the battle. Now you need to configure it in the Power BI service so it knows which data sources to connect to.

1. Add a Data Source to the Gateway

Once the gateway is installed, you need to tell it which local data sources it is allowed to connect to.

• In the Power BI service, click the Settings cog in the top-right corner and select Manage connections and gateways.
• You should see the gateway you just registered listed under the On-premises data gateways tab.
• Click the three dots next to your gateway name and select + Add data source, or click the "New" button at the top of the page.
• You'll be brought to a new connection settings page. Fill out the details:
• Click Create. Power BI will test the connection. If successful, you'll see a green checkmark indicating the "Connection successful" message.

2. Grant Users Access to the Gateway

By default, only the gateway administrator (you) can use it. To allow other report creators on your team to refresh their datasets using this connection, you need to add them as users.

• Go back to the Manage connections and gateways page and click on your gateway.
• Select the Administrators or Users tab. You typically only need a couple of administrators but add team members who will schedule refreshes under the "Users" tab.
• Start typing a user's name or email from your organization and select them. Define their permissions level for using the data sources associated with the gateway.

Using the Gateway with a Report and Setting a Schedule

Now for the final piece: connecting your published report to the gateway and automating refreshes.

1. First, create your report in Power BI Desktop using an on-premises data source that a data connection has now been set up for like a SQL Server.
2. Publish the report to the Power BI Service.
3. Navigate to the Workspace where you published the report. Find your new dataset (it will have the same name as your report) and click the three dots (...) and select Settings.
4. Expand the Gateway and cloud connections section. You should see an option to map your dataset's connection to the on-premises data source you configured earlier. Select your gateway and apply the settings. Since you already entered the credentials earlier, this should map correctly.
5. Scroll down to the Scheduled refresh section. Toggle it on. You can now set the refresh frequency (Daily, Weekly) and add specific times for the refresh to occur (e.g., every weekday at 8:00 AM).

And that's it! Your report is now connected and will refresh automatically according to the schedule you set, pulling fresh data from your on-premises servers right into the cloud.

Final Thoughts

Setting up the on-premises data gateway is a foundational skill for any serious Power BI professional. It’s the critical component that transforms your static, local reports into dynamic, automated business intelligence assets that your entire organization can rely on for timely insights.

While mastering the connection and refresh process in tools like Power BI is crucial, it’s often just one part of a larger, time-consuming reporting cycle. At Graphed, we built our platform to eliminate the repetitive, manual tasks that get in the way of acting on your data. Instead of configuring gateways and manually setting up refresh schedules across multiple platforms, we provide one-click integrations with your key marketing and sales data sources - like Google Analytics, Salesforce, and Shopify. And instead of spending hours in a complex report builder, you can just ask questions in plain English - like "create a dashboard showing ad spend vs revenue by campaign over the last 90 days" - and get a live, real-time dashboard in seconds. If you're looking to turn reporting busywork into actionable insights, we invite you to give Graphed a try and see how talking to your data is faster than wrangling it.