Microsoft PowerBI Cloud

Author:  Eric Vasbinder

Logistics

Support Status:  Supported

Integration Method:  ODBC Direct

Connection Method:  

• OPTION A (RECOMMENDED):  AppXchange PowerBI Connector

• OPTION B:   TLS Database Endpoint (TLS VPN) OR IPSEC VPN from Customer Environment (Recommended)

• OPTION C (NO LONGER SUPPORTED FOR NEW INSTALLS):  Hosted Data Connector (a.k.a. "On Premises Data Gateway")

Hosted:

• NO

Additional Charge:  

• OPTION A:  YES

• OPTION B:  YES  (usually included in the TC1 Contract)

Description

As per many other server-side integrations to third-party products, this product is designed to use a data connector (a.k.a. a shim) that speaks to the Vista database directly using ODBC and then itself connects to the third party.

Deployment Methodology

This connection can be enabled by using our AppXchange data connector; our preferred option.  The hosted data connector may also be hosted in an environment managed by the customer or customer's IT.  That would require the use of the TLS Database Endpoint (TLS VPN) or IPSEC VPN, which would need to be stood up between the customer's environment on-premise and the Viewpoint cloud environment.

Due to manageability and future-proofing concerns, we recommend the use of Option "A" above, where the customer works with our AppXchange team to leverage the PowerBI connector provided by that team.  If that is not possible, remotely hosting PowerBI's connector and using the TLS Database Endpoint (TLS VPN) or IPSEC VPN will also work.  

Client-Side Tool

The client-side PowerBI Desktop (Builder) application must be hosted outside of our cloud, usually in the customer's environment on customer local workstations,  If you are using PowerBI Cloud, vs. using the PowerBI Client to directly connect to the Vista DB server, you will NOT need to connect PowerBI's client to Vista. 

IF you are connecting the PowerBI Client to Vista directly, you will need to leverage an IPSEC VPN or the TLS Database Endpoint (TLS VPN).  Here is a Vista Cloud FAQ article that will provide more details on this topic:  Connecting Client-Side Integrations to Cloud Vista (e.g. Excel, Crystal) 

Datawarehouse and Fabric Note

Please note that once you have the PowerBI Data connector installed in your environment, talking over a VPN option, you may easily use it to feed data through your Microsoft Fabric connection into a number of destinations including Data Lakehouses.  All you need to do is to specify the PowerBI "On Premises" data connector gateway as a data feed source for Fabric.  Once that is done, your data will be fed through the PowerBI connector and into Fabric.

Please see the following Microsoft article for more information:   https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/connect-data/service-gateway-custom-connectors

TL;DR:

Customers who need to integrate Microsoft's PowerBI Cloud with Vista in our cloud need to either use the PowerBI AppXchange connector provided by our AppXchange team, OR host the PowerBI Data Connector in a customer managed environment and connect it to Vista over a TLS Database Endpoint (TLS VPN) or IPSEC VPN tunnel.  The PowerBI Desktop builder client cannot be installed in our cloud and must be installed on the customer's local workstation.