Troubleshooting On-Premises Data Gateway in Power Automate
A company wants to automate the process of moving files from a local network drive to SharePoint Online. Which Power Automate feature should they use?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
On-premises data gateway with cloud flow
The on-premises data gateway is required to connect to a local network drive from a cloud flow. Power Automate cloud flows run in the cloud and cannot directly access on-premises file systems without a gateway. Option B is wrong because cloud flows with a SharePoint connector can only connect to SharePoint Online, not to a local drive. Option C is wrong because UI flows are for automating user interface interactions, not file transfers. Option D is wrong because business process flows provide guided step-by-step processes and are not for file automation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
On-premises data gateway with cloud flow
Why this is correct
An on-premises data gateway creates a secure outbound channel from your local network to Microsoft cloud services, letting a cloud flow reach the file share on the local drive. This directly satisfies the requirement to automate moving files from a local network drive into SharePoint Online.
- ✗
Cloud flow with SharePoint connector
Why it's wrong here
A cloud flow cannot reach a local network drive directly, since its connectors run in Microsoft's cloud without access to on-premises file shares. Cloud flows with the SharePoint connector suit scenarios where both source and destination are already cloud-accessible.
- ✗
UI flow
Why it's wrong here
UI flows record and replay clicks and keystrokes in a desktop session, which is fragile and unnecessary for a file transfer. They are the correct approach when automating a legacy application that exposes no API or connector.
- ✗
Business process flow
Why it's wrong here
Business process flows guide users through defined stages of a manual, interactive process and cannot move files between systems. They are the right choice when enforcing a consistent, staged workflow with human data entry across a case or approval.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 701 original PL-900 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PL-900 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PL-900 exam.