What is necessary for a secure connection between the on-prem Microsoft SQL Server database and a Power Apps app?

For establishing a secure connection between an on-premises Microsoft SQL Server database and a Power Apps application, a Data Gateway is essential. The Data Gateway acts as a bridge that enables secure data transfer between on-premises data sources and cloud services, which includes interaction between Power Apps and the SQL Server located behind a firewall.

Using a Data Gateway, Power Apps can access and retrieve data from the SQL Server database, facilitating a seamless experience while ensuring that the data remains secure and compliant by allowing only authorized traffic. This tool also helps maintain the integrity of the data, ensuring that sensitive information isn't exposed to the public internet.

The alternatives—such as Cloud Connector, Virtual Network, and Web API—serve different purposes in managing connectivity and data access but do not specifically provide the secure, direct link required for connecting on-premises SQL Server with Power Apps in the way a Data Gateway does.