What causes DF-MSSQL-InvalidCloudType?

The linked service 'Cloud environment' setting is set to Azure Public but the SQL server is in Azure China or Azure US Government. A linked service was copied from a Public cloud ADF factory and reused in a sovereign cloud environment without updating the cloud type. The ADF data factory itself is deployed in a different region/cloud than the SQL server it is connecting to

How do I fix DF-MSSQL-InvalidCloudType?

In ADF Studio, open the SQL Server linked service and locate the 'Cloud environment' or 'Azure cloud type' setting.. Check the server FQDN in the linked service: if it ends in .chinacloudapi.cn, select 'Azure China'; if .usgovcloudapi.net, select 'Azure US Government'; otherwise select 'Azure Public'.. Update the cloud type to match the FQDN suffix and click 'Test connection'.. Re-publish the linked service and trigger a new pipeline run to confirm the fix.

Medium severitydata source

Power BI Refresh Error:
DF-MSSQL-InvalidCloudType

What does this error mean?

The ADF SQL Server linked service is configured for one Azure sovereign cloud (Public, China, or US Government) but the actual SQL server endpoint belongs to a different cloud. The server FQDN suffix reveals which cloud: .database.windows.net (Public), .database.chinacloudapi.cn (China), .database.usgovcloudapi.net (US Government).

Common causes

1The linked service 'Cloud environment' setting is set to Azure Public but the SQL server is in Azure China or Azure US Government
2A linked service was copied from a Public cloud ADF factory and reused in a sovereign cloud environment without updating the cloud type
3The ADF data factory itself is deployed in a different region/cloud than the SQL server it is connecting to

How to fix it

1In ADF Studio, open the SQL Server linked service and locate the 'Cloud environment' or 'Azure cloud type' setting.
2Check the server FQDN in the linked service: if it ends in .chinacloudapi.cn, select 'Azure China'; if .usgovcloudapi.net, select 'Azure US Government'; otherwise select 'Azure Public'.
3Update the cloud type to match the FQDN suffix and click 'Test connection'.
4Re-publish the linked service and trigger a new pipeline run to confirm the fix.

Frequently asked questions

Does this error affect all pipeline runs or just the current one?

Depends on the root cause. A persistent misconfiguration fails every run; a transient issue may resolve on retry. Check the run history.

Can this error appear in Azure Data Factory and Microsoft Fabric pipelines?

Yes — the same connector errors appear in both ADF and Fabric Data Factory pipelines.

How do I see the full error detail for an ADF pipeline failure?

In ADF Monitor, click the failed run, then the failed activity. The detail pane shows the error code, message, and sub-error codes.

Will downstream Power BI datasets be affected when an ADF pipeline fails?

Yes — a dataset refreshing after the pipeline will use stale data or fail if the target table was cleared. The Power BI refresh may succeed while serving wrong data.

Official documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/data-flow-troubleshoot-guide