Categories: Practice Assessment for Exam PL-300
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PL-300 Practice Question Explained – Which File Location Requires an On-Premises Data Gateway?

powerbi_gateway_diagram

When preparing for the PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst certification, understanding data gateways is critical. Gateways act as a bridge between Power BI Service (in the cloud) and your on-premises data sources.

Let’s go through a common exam-style question and break down why one answer stands out as correct.

📌 Question:

You plan to get data from flat files for a Power BI semantic model.

You need to select a location to store the files.

Which location requires an on-premises data gateway? (Select only one answer)

  1. OneDrive for Business
  2. Personal OneDrive account
  3. SharePoint Online Team Sites
  4. Shared folder on a local network

✅ Correct Answer: 4. Shared folder on a local network

🧠 Why This is the Right Answer:

Power BI Service is cloud-based, meaning it can directly connect to cloud storage services like OneDrive and SharePoint Online without needing a gateway.

However, a shared folder on a local network is on-premises. Power BI Service cannot directly access local network drives or file shares.

To bridge this gap, you need an On-Premises Data Gateway. This gateway:

  • Acts as a secure middleman between Power BI Service and your local data.
  • Ensures scheduled refreshes work for your reports and dashboards.
  • Supports both Import and DirectQuery modes (where applicable).

🚫 Why the Other Options Don’t Require a Gateway:

1. OneDrive for Business

  • It’s part of Microsoft 365 cloud services.
  • Power BI can connect and refresh data directly via the cloud without a gateway.

2. Personal OneDrive account

  • Also a cloud service (consumer OneDrive).
  • Power BI can pull files directly over the internet without a gateway.

3. SharePoint Online Team Sites

  • SharePoint Online is a cloud-hosted service.
  • Direct connection is possible without a gateway.

🏁 Final Thoughts:

Think of it this way:

If the data is in the cloud → No gateway needed.
If the data is on-premises → Gateway needed.

For this question, “Shared folder on a local network” is clearly an on-premises location, so it requires an On-Premises Data Gateway.

Mastering this concept will help you not only pass the PL-300 exam but also design robust, refreshable Power BI solutions in real-world scenarios.