Only the VNet-hosted Azure SQL database needs an on-premises data gateway

Get or connect to data
Answer Correct answer: B — Source2 only, because the VNet-isolated Azure SQL database is the sole private-network source.

You publish a semantic model to the Power BI service. The semantic model contains data from the following data sources: • Source1: A Microsoft Excel file stored in Microsoft OneDrive for Business • Source2: An Azure SQL database on a virtual network • Source3: A public website Which data sources require an on-premises data gateway?

  1. Source1 only
  2. Source2 only Correct Answer
  3. Source3 only
  4. Source1 and Source2 only
  5. Source2 and Source3 only
on-premises data gateway azure vnet gateway requirement

Community Votes

B
100%

100% of anonymous learners picked answer B. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Community Insight

A gateway is needed when the source is unreachable from the Power BI cloud service — private-network sources like a VNet-isolated Azure SQL database qualify, while OneDrive for Business and public sites are directly reachable.

A published semantic model combines an Excel file from OneDrive for Business, an Azure SQL database inside a virtual network, and a public website, and the gateway-requiring sources must be identified.

Adding OneDrive to the gateway list — OneDrive for Business is a cloud service the Power BI service connects to natively, with no gateway in the refresh path.

Community Discussion (4 comments)

VladStan 👍 9 Selected: B
You need a gateway to connect to data sources that are located in a private network, such as an Azure Virtual Network (Azure VNet). A virtual network, or VNet, is a logically isolated segment of a network that insulates traffic from the public internet. A VNet provides enhanced network security. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/guidance/powerbi-implementation-planning-data-gateways Excel file you can access via SharePoint connector and a public site is well... a public site...
tko86 👍 2 Selected: B
An Azure SQL database inside a virtual network is not publicly accessible by default. It's protected by the VNet's network security rules. Therefore, you must use a data gateway to allow Power BI to connect to it. The gateway acts as a bridge between the Power BI service and the VNet. Remember, an on-premises data gateway is required when Power BI needs to access data sources that are not directly accessible over the internet.
jaume 👍 3 Selected: B
Virtual network is the only requiring a GW as the rest should be available to all users (Organization users I mean, OneDrive for Business should be available for the company users owning such OneDrive)
LuluSkyy 👍 2
The correct answer is B. Reason is because Power Bi cannot access the virtual network without a gateway path. The excel file can be easily accessed by powerBi likewise the public website.

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Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

An Azure SQL database deployed inside a virtual network (Source2) is isolated behind the VNet's network boundary; the Power BI service cannot reach it directly, and Microsoft's gateway documentation prescribes the on-premises data gateway (or VNet gateway variant) precisely for data sources on private networks. Source1 (OneDrive for Business) and Source3 (a public website) are cloud-reachable endpoints that the service connects to without a gateway.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Option A wrongly adds the OneDrive file, which needs no gateway. Options D and E compound the error by pairing OneDrive or the public site with Source2 — each extra source named does need no gateway, so any multi-source answer overstates the requirement. Options B alone correctly scopes the gateway to the only private-network source in the list.

Community Comment Notes

A highly endorsed comment explains the principle directly: a gateway is for private-network sources such as an Azure VNet, while OneDrive and public sites are cloud-accessible. Another adds that the VNet's network security rules block the Power BI service without a gateway path.

Official Reference

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/connect-data/service-gateway-onprem

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