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PowerConnect Hosted on Cubewise Cloud

Overview

When PowerConnect is hosted on Cubewise Cloud, Cubewise provides and manages the PowerConnect Application Server for you.
Your users connect to this server via the PowerConnect Connector installed on their laptops, and Power BI uses this server (and the Microsoft On-premises Data Gateway, if applicable) to refresh datasets.

In short:

  • Cubewise Cloud hosts and maintains the PowerConnect App Server.

  • Your users install the PowerConnect Connector locally.

  • You configure Microsoft Power BI Gateway where needed for Power BI Service refresh.

  • Power BI (Desktop or Service) retrieves data through the App Server.

Architecture at a Glance

High-level components

  • PowerConnect Application Server (Cubewise Cloud)
    Hosted and managed by Cubewise Cloud. Exposes the PowerConnect service endpoint.

  • PowerConnect Connector (Customer laptops)
    Installed on each user’s laptop. Connects Power BI Desktop to the PowerConnect App Server.

  • Power BI Desktop (Customer)
    Used by report developers to build and test reports.

  • Power BI Service (Power BI Online)
    Used to publish reports and schedule online refresh.

  • Microsoft On-premises Data Gateway (Customer)
    Required to bridge Power BI Service and the PowerConnect App Server when using scheduled refresh or DirectQuery from the service.

URL and Access

Cubewise Cloud provides you with a dedicated URL for your tenant, for example:

https://powerconnect.mycompany.cubewisecloud.com

This URL is:

  • Used by the PowerConnect Connector on each user’s laptop.

  • Configured as the target endpoint for the Power BI Gateway (for Power BI Service refresh).

Components in Detail

1. PowerConnect Application Server (Cubewise Cloud)

  • Hosted in Cubewise Cloud.

  • Manages:

    • Connections to your data sources (e.g. TM1/Planning Analytics or others, depending on your configuration).

    • Data extraction logic used by the Connector and Power BI.

  • Exposed via HTTPS so it can be securely reached from:

    • User laptops (Connector).

    • The Power BI Gateway (for Service refresh).

2. PowerConnect Connector (on each laptop)

  • Installed on each customer laptop that needs to build or refresh Power BI reports using PowerConnect in Desktop.

  • Responsible for:

    • Communicating with the PowerConnect App Server in Cubewise Cloud.

    • Acting as the data source for Power BI Desktop.

  • Configuration:

    • You configure the Connector to point to your App Server URL, e.g.
      https://powerconnect.mycompany.cubewisecloud.com.

3. Microsoft Power BI Gateway

  • Installed and managed by the customer.

  • Required so that Power BI Online (Service) can access the PowerConnect App Server endpoint.

  • Acts as a bridge:

    • Power BI Service ↔ On-premises Data Gateway + Custom Connector ↔ PowerConnect App Server (Cubewise Cloud).

Architecture / Data Flows

A. Desktop Authoring & Local Refresh

Flow when a report developer is working in Power BI Desktop:

  1. User opens Power BI Desktop.

  2. Power BI Desktop connects to the PowerConnect Connector on the same laptop.

  3. The Connector calls the PowerConnect App Server hosted on Cubewise Cloud.

  4. The App Server retrieves data from the underlying data sources and returns it via the Connector to Power BI Desktop.

Text diagram:

Key points:

  • No Power BI Gateway is involved for local Desktop refresh.

  • Each machine that needs to develop with PowerConnect must have the Connector installed and configured.

B. Power BI Service (Online) Scheduled Refresh

For reports published to Power BI Service, the refresh path changes:

  1. Report is published from Power BI Desktop to the Power BI Service.

  2. A Power BI Gateway is configured with the Custom Connector to connect to the PowerConnect App Server URL.

  3. When a scheduled (or on-demand) refresh occurs:

    • Power BI Service connects to the Gateway.

    • The Gateway ask the Custom Connector to send the request to the PowerConnect App Server on Cubewise Cloud.

    • The App Server retrieves data and returns it through the Gateway to Power BI Service.

Text diagram:

Notes:

  • The Gateway must be able to reach https://powerconnect.mycompany.cubewisecloud.com over HTTPS.

  • Credentials for the PowerConnect data source are configured in the Power BI Gateway.

Responsibilities

Cubewise Cloud Responsibilities

  • Host and manage the PowerConnect Application Server.

  • Provide:

    • A tenant-specific URL for the App Server.

    • Infrastructure availability, patching, and monitoring of the hosted PowerConnect instance.

  • Work with you on:

    • Initial connectivity validation.

    • Performance tuning of the App Server where applicable.

Customer Responsibilities

  • PowerConnect Connector

    • Install and configure the Connector on each required laptop.

    • Ensure users have network access to the PowerConnect App Server URL.

  • Power BI Gateway

    • Install and configure the Microsoft On-premises Data Gateway.

    • Configure the PowerConnect data source in the Gateway, targeting the App Server URL.

    • Maintain and update the Gateway as needed.

  • Power BI

    • Create and publish reports using Power BI Desktop.

    • Configure scheduled refresh settings in the Power BI Service.

Prerequisites & Networking

To use PowerConnect hosted on Cubewise Cloud, ensure:

  • Network / Firewall

    • Outbound HTTPS access (port 443) from:

      • User laptops (for the Connector) to *.cubewisecloud.com.

      • Power BI Gateway server(s) to *.cubewisecloud.com.

  • Certificates & HTTPS

    • The certificate for powerconnect.mycompany.cubewisecloud.com is trusted by:

      • User machines.

      • Gateway server(s).

  • Gateway Installation

    • The On-premises Data Gateway is installed on a machine with:

      • Internet access to Power BI Service.

      • Network access to the PowerConnect App Server URL.

Security & Authentication (High-Level)

  • Transport security:
    All communication with the PowerConnect App Server uses HTTPS.

  • Authentication:

    • Typically configured at the App Server level (e.g. application credentials, service accounts).

    • Power BI Gateway stores credentials securely and uses them for refresh.

    • User authentication and access control to reports remains handled in Power BI.

(If you have specific authentication mechanisms in your environment, you can add those details here.)

Common Pitfalls / Troubleshooting Notes

  • Connector cannot reach App Server

    • Symptom: Power BI Desktop refresh fails; Connector shows connection error.

    • Check:

      • Laptop can resolve and reach powerconnect.mycompany.cubewisecloud.com over HTTPS.

      • No corporate proxy/firewall is blocking the domain.

  • Power BI Service refresh fails

    • Symptom: Scheduled refresh error in Power BI Service.

    • Check:

      • On-premises Data Gateway is online and up to date.

      • Data source in Gateway is correctly configured with:

        • The PowerConnect App Server URL.

        • Correct credentials.

        • The On-premises Data Gateway can access the folder with the Custom Connector

      • The Gateway machine can reach powerconnect.mycompany.cubewisecloud.com over HTTPS.

  • Different behavior between Desktop and Service

    • Remember:

      • Desktop uses the Connector directly to the App Server.

      • Service uses Power BI Gateway to reach the App Server.

      • Desktop uses local laptop resources. Service uses cloud resources.

    • A scenario where Desktop works but Service fails usually indicates a Gateway or network issue.