NEW WHITEPAPER: Using Power BI in a Hybrid Environment

  • Article

Summary: Many organizations are taking advantage of the benefits of cloud computing such as lower capital expenditures and increased agility, while still maintaining data in on-premises data stores. This paper describes best practices for security, networking, and component architecture for building a hybrid business intelligence (BI) environment by using a combination of Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Azure, and on-premises data sources.

Authors: Joseph D'Antoni, Stacia Misner

Technical Reviewers: Ed Price, Carla Sabotta, Cindy Gross, Olivier Matrat, Kay Unkroth, Derrick VanArnam, Adam Saxton, David Torres, Greg Low, Ross LoForte

Published: August, 2014

Applies to: SQL Server, Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft Azure

 

To review the document, please download the Word document:

Using Power BI in a Hybrid Environment  

Introduction

This document details the tasks necessary to implement Microsoft Power BI for Office 365 in a hybrid environment. It describes best practices for security, networking, and component architecture for building a hybrid business intelligence (BI) environment by using a combination of Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Azure, and on-premises data sources.

In addition, we describe options and best practices for each service you might include in a hybrid environment. This document also provides guidance for integrating security and identity management in a hybrid environment, as well as how to configure Power BI to refresh data from supported sources within this environment.

Note  Because Azure services can change frequently, please refer to the Microsoft Azure website for the offerings and range of features currently available.

The goal of this document is to help you understand how to design an architecture in which these services can securely interact not only with each other, but also with your on-premises environment.

The target audience for this document is system and network administrators as well as business intelligence (BI) solution architects and developers who want to implement Power BI for Office 365 in a hybrid environment. To get the most out of this document, you should have a basic understanding of virtual private network (VPN) connections and cloud computing. To learn more about cloud computing, see Microsoft Azure, the Microsoft Azure Infographic (all Azure Infographics), and Get Started with Office 365. To learn more about VPNs, see Connect an on-premises network to a Microsoft Azure virtual network.

Author Bios

Joseph D'Antoni is a Senior Architect with over a decade of experience working in both Fortune 500 and smaller firms. He is currently Solutions Architect for SQL Server and Big Data for Anexinet in Blue Bell, PA.  He is frequent speaker at major tech events, a Microsoft SQL Server MVP, and blogger about all topics technology. He is the co-president of the Philadelphia SQL Server Users Group.  He holds a BS in Computer Information Systems from Louisiana Tech University and an MBA from North Carolina State University.

Stacia Misner is a consultant, educator, mentor, author, and SQL Server MVP, specializing in business intelligence solutions since 1999. During that time, she has authored or coauthored multiple books about BI. Her latest books include Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services 2012 (Microsoft Press, 2013) and Business Intelligence in Microsoft SharePoint 2013 (Microsoft Press, 2013). Stacia provides consulting and custom education services through her company, Data Inspirations; speaks frequently at conferences serving the SQL Server community; and serves as the chapter leader of her local PASS user group, SQL Server Society of Las Vegas. She is also a contributing editor for SQL Server Pro magazine. Stacia writes about her experiences with BI at blog.datainspirations.com and tweets as @StaciaMisner.

Technical Reviewers:

  • Ed Price, Senior Customer Program Manager, Power BI, Azure, and SQL Server BI, Microsoft
  • Carla Sabotta, Senior Content Developer, SQL Server BI and Power BI, Microsoft
  • Cindy Gross, Senior Program Manager, Azure Customer Advisory Team, Microsoft
  • Olivier Matrat, Principal PM Lead, Azure Analytics Customer Advisory Team, Microsoft
  • Kay Unkroth, Senior Program Manager, Power Pivot and Analysis Services, Microsoft
  • Derrick VanArnam, Content Publisher, Power BI, Microsoft
  • Adam Saxton, Senior Escalation Engineer, Business Intelligence, Microsoft
  • David Torres, Senior Director, Global Data & Analytics, Avanade
  • Greg Low, SQL Server MVP and Principal Mentor, SQL Down Under
  • Ross LoForte, Tech Solutions Professional, Business Intelligence, Microsoft

To review the document, please download the Word document:

Using Power BI in a Hybrid Environment  

 

Special thanks to the authors (SQL Server MVPs Joey and Stacia) and to all the reviewers!

- Ninja Ed