Installing and Configuring On Premises Data Gateway - By adding user to Active Directory

This post is intended to walk-through the process of  Installing and Configuring On Premises Data Gateway when you don't have work account (But you have a Microsoft account)

It is stated that Microsoft account can't be used to configure/register OPDGW, instead you need to use school account or work account. So does that mean a person not having work/school account cannot explore/use OPDGW- Well there is a way, you add a user to Active Directory.

Let's see how we do it

1. How to add user to Active Directory
2. Install OPDGW on local machine
3. Configure OPDGW on machine
4. Register OPDGW on Azure Portal

1.How to add user to Active Directory

• To add user to AD, login to portal and search for Active Directory

• Click on Acive Directory and Under Quick Links - select Add a user

•  Before adding user, remember you have to use following pattern

Say your Microsoft account is - xyz@gmail.com then new user should be something@xyzgmail.onmicrosoft.com, the user must have an extension of onmicrosoft.com

Out of curiosity, tried to test validation - it is in place. Error is reported if pattern is not followed

• Now we need to make the user as Global Administrator - go to All Users and select the user added in above step

Click on Directory role and select Global administrator in adjacent blade

• Now next is to Reset the password the newly created user, you can use this password to login to portal, but you will be prompted to change it at first login (copy this temporary password as this would be needed later )

• Next, is to add the above user as Owner so that the user shares same subscription. Thus all the things done by/under this user will use your subscription.  

Go to your subscription --> Access control(IAM) and add the Role as Owner and select the user created above

• In the notification, you should see following

                    

• Now final step with user, setting the password. Login to the azure portal with the new user created and you will get prompted to change the password                                    

2.Install OPDGW on local machine

• Download the OPDGW from - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=53127

• Run the installation 

3. Configure OPDGW on local machine

• Here we need to enter the User we created in step 1

If cookies are not enabled then you might see next screen 

• After you enable cookies, you should be able to continue. Provide the Name to the OPDGW to be setup and Recovery key

Here if you see, the setup wizard choose the nearest Azure Region as West India based on proximity of the location (but it can be changed, recommended to choose the closest one)

Now OPDGW is ready to use, it can be used by Logic App, Power BI, PowerApps and Flow.

You can also verify on local machine too, go to services and you can see the service as can be seen above

4.Register OPDGW on Azure Portal (associate to new user created)

• Login to Azure portal with the newly created user and search for On Premises Data Gateway
• Click on Add to register the gateway you installed on local machine
• Provide Name, Subscription , Resource Group. You will see that the installed OPDGW is already available in the drop-down list (So all the OPDGW which are configured with the current user will be populated)

• Click on Create , registration is done and now it should be available to use in the supporting Azure services
• Just a small pointer (below) while giving name few characters are not supported as of now