Microsoft Fabric- What, Why, Who, When, How
What is Fabric?
The Microsoft Fabric Platform provides customers with a SaaS-ified, open, lake-centric, full-featured data, analytics, and AI platform that meets all of their data Analytics needs.
Microsoft Fabric aims to revolutionize data engineering and data analytics by promoting the concept of having only one copy of data stored in a central lake(one lake), using the industry-standard Delta Parquet format. This means organizations can avoid unnecessary data replication and have a true single source of data.
By adopting this unified approach, organizations can now create a more efficient and streamlined data engineering process. They no longer need to replicate data solely to work with different technologies. This eliminates redundancies, simplifies data management, and promotes a true single source of data for analysis and decision-making.
Microsoft’s Fabric represents a significant step towards redefining the data analytics landscape. It allows for the storage and utilization of data in a standardized format, eliminating unnecessary replication and enabling seamless integration with various Microsoft tools. This advancement empowers organizations to work with a true single source of data, streamlining their workflows and maximizing their data assets
Watch the video on GuyinCube/ Microsoft Power BI Offical Channel
My Video
Key Highlights of Fabric
One Copy
One Lake
Unified Integrated Environment
One Security
One Compute(common Compute)
Why should I use it
In recent decades, prosperous enterprises have accumulated and retained vast volumes of data from various sources such as applications, services, and IoT sensors. Effectively managing and deriving value from this data has become crucial for the survival and success of organizations. However, realizing the transformative potential of data is an exceedingly difficult task.
The problem lies in the segregation of data, which leads to inconsistencies and discrepancies. Maintaining a single, reliable source of information becomes virtually impossible. The process of integration is time-consuming, expensive, and demands significant resources. Business units tend to guard their vital performance metrics, creating barriers to transparent information sharing. Inaccurate reports often lead to misinterpreted insights. Furthermore, subpar data quality undermines the effectiveness of new AI models. All of these factors stifle growth and limit possibilities for organizations.
There is a multitude of technologies available to address the challenges of data analytics, each with its unique licensing, cost, storage format, and dependencies. To effectively handle the complications of data analytics, we need to have a project that outlines how to initiate the project and determine the appropriate tools to use.
Data analytics consists of four key stages: collection, integration, analysis, and presentation. At each stage, there is a multitude of choices available, including various options within the Azure ecosystem. Some examples of these options, each with different storage formats, licenses, and other considerations, are provided below.
Collection
Data Factory
Pipeline
Dataflow
DataBricks
Streaming Dataflow
Integration
SQL
Model
Experiment
Synapse Data Engineering
DataBricks
Analysis
Power BI
Database
Notebooks
KQL Queryset
Presentation
Power BI
Report
Dashboard
To address these challenges, Microsoft Fabric was developed. Our aim is to streamline our analytics portfolio while preserving the strong reputation and customer loyalty associated with Power BI, Synapse, and Data Factory — brands that are widely recognized and respected today.
Microsoft’s Fabric represents a significant step towards redefining the data analytics landscape. It allows for the storage and utilization of data in a standardized format, eliminating unnecessary replication and enabling seamless integration with various Microsoft tools. This advancement empowers organizations to work with a true single source of data, streamlining their workflows and maximizing their data assets.
Please refer to my previous blog for key features, components, and definitions related to Microsoft Fabric: https://medium.com/microsoft-power-bi/microsoft-fabric-new-age-analytics-ba90b894633f
Who Should Use it
Based on the type of Customers
Green Field Customer
Microsoft Fabric provides your organization with the capability to consolidate data from diverse sources into a unified environment, seamlessly integrating with your preferred analytics tools. This enables you to establish a comprehensive analytics engine quickly and efficiently. With Microsoft Fabric, you can enjoy enhanced control and security over your data and insights, thanks to its robust security and governance features. Additionally, Microsoft Fabric offers a transparent and user-friendly billing model, allowing you to optimize your analytics budget effectively.
Azure Synapse Customer
Microsoft Fabric represents a progressive advancement from Azure Synapse, offering an enhanced analytics experience in the form of a more user-friendly Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution. By embracing Microsoft Fabric, you can continue to leverage the remarkable benefits and expansive scalability provided by Synapse, while also gaining access to new capabilities that elevate your entire analytics approach.
With Microsoft Fabric, you have the power to consolidate your data and analytics tools within a unified environment, enabling the establishment of a singular, reliable source of truth. Furthermore, the integration with Power BI empowers you to democratize the creation of interactive reports and deliver actionable insights to users through their preferred applications. This inclusive approach facilitates a data-driven decision-making culture, empowering individuals across your organization to make informed choices on a daily basis.
Azure Data Lake and Azure SQL customers
Azure Data Lake and Azure SQL customers working with technologies like data lakes, data pipelines, and SQL should strongly consider Microsoft Fabric. The platform’s seamless integration, enhanced control and security, transparent billing model, advancement from Azure Synapse, and integration with Power BI make it an ideal choice for these customers. By adopting Microsoft Fabric, organizations can streamline their analytics processes, effectively manage their data, and gain valuable insights to drive informed decision-making. Whether consolidating data, ensuring data security, optimizing costs, or democratizing analytics, Microsoft Fabric provides a comprehensive solution tailored to the specific needs of Azure Data Lake and Azure SQL customers.
Power BI Customer
Microsoft Fabric offers an enriched experience by seamlessly integrating powerful data tools and services, such as Microsoft Synapse, into the familiar user interface of Power BI. Synapse serves as a robust foundation for all your analytics workloads, enabling you to modernize your data warehouse and migrate from legacy analytics appliances.
With Microsoft Fabric, you can unify these diverse tools and connect them with your disparate data sources, all within a single environment. This consolidation establishes a reliable and authoritative source of truth for all your data, enabling data analysts and citizens alike to uncover more accurate and consistent insights than ever before.
Moreover, Microsoft Fabric alleviates security concerns that often arise when managing an assortment of analytics solutions. With its inherent security and governance capabilities, you can have peace of mind knowing that your data is protected throughout the entire analytics process.
Other Cloud Customers
Unleash the full potential of your data with Microsoft Fabric. Whether you’re seeking a unified, single-source solution or exploring alternative technologies and cloud options, Microsoft Fabric empowers you to centralize your data management and leverage a comprehensive suite of analytical experiences. By harnessing the power of Microsoft Fabric, you can transform your data into a competitive advantage today while laying a solid foundation for future AI innovations.
Microsoft Fabric encompasses a wide range of capabilities, including data integration, data engineering, data warehousing, data science, real-time analytics, applied observability, and business intelligence. All of these features are seamlessly hosted on a lake-centric Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform, allowing you to simplify your operations and establish a single, reliable source of truth for your data.
With Microsoft Fabric, your teams can instantly process, analyze, and collaborate with data without being burdened by the complexities of infrastructure configuration and management. Our open architecture ensures compatibility with various clouds, tools, and services, enabling you to connect to the specific resources you need while maintaining data governance and fostering trust throughout your organization.
Furthermore, Microsoft Fabric offers a simplified consumption-based model, streamlining the purchasing process and providing a cohesive framework for all your workload needs within the Fabric ecosystem. Experience the power of Microsoft Fabric and unlock the true value of your data.
Based on Role
C-Level Executive
As a C-level executive, choosing Microsoft Fabric as your data management solution can bring significant benefits to your organization. Here are compelling reasons why you should consider opting for Microsoft Fabric:
Unified Single Source of Truth: Microsoft Fabric provides a unified environment where all your data sources can be consolidated, allowing you to establish a single source of truth. This eliminates data silos and ensures consistent and accurate insights across your organization.
Democratized Access: With Microsoft Fabric, you can democratize access to data and analytics tools. This means that everyone, from data analysts to business users, can leverage the power of analytics and make data-driven decisions, fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making throughout your organization.
Comprehensive Security and Data Protection: Microsoft Fabric prioritizes security and data protection, providing robust measures to safeguard your valuable data. You can trust that your data is protected with advanced security features and governance controls, ensuring compliance with regulations and protecting against unauthorized access.
Cost Optimization: Microsoft Fabric enables you to optimize costs by consolidating your data management and analytics processes into one platform. This eliminates the need for multiple solutions and reduces complexity, ultimately leading to cost savings and improved efficiency.
Open and Governed Foundation: Microsoft Fabric offers an open and governed foundation, allowing you to connect with a wide range of technologies, tools, and services. This flexibility enables you to choose the best-fit solutions for your organization while maintaining governance and data stewardship.
Time Savings and Increased Visibility: By leveraging Microsoft Fabric, you can streamline your analytics projects and reduce the time required for implementation. The unified platform simplifies processes, enhances collaboration, and provides increased visibility into the analytics workflow, enabling faster decision-making and more efficient project execution.
Choice of Technologies: Microsoft Fabric supports a wide range of technologies, allowing you to leverage your preferred tools and frameworks. This flexibility ensures that you can work with the technologies that best align with your organization’s needs and expertise, enabling optimal performance and productivity.
In summary, opting for Microsoft Fabric as your data management solution empowers your organization with a unified, secure, and governed platform. It provides a single source of truth, democratized access to data and analytics, cost optimization, and the flexibility to choose the technologies that best suit your organization’s requirements. With Microsoft Fabric, you can drive efficiency, innovation, and data-driven decision-making across your entire organization.
Data Architect/Analyst
For Data Architects and Analysts, Microsoft Fabric offers compelling reasons to choose it as the preferred data management solution. Here are enhanced benefits tailored to their roles:
Unified System: Microsoft Fabric provides a unified system that brings together data integration, data engineering, data warehousing, and data science capabilities into a single platform. This consolidation eliminates the need for multiple disjointed tools and simplifies the data management process, allowing Data Architects and Analysts to work with a cohesive and streamlined system.
Reducing Data Copies: With Microsoft Fabric, the need for duplicating data across various systems is significantly reduced. This helps Data Architects and Analysts to establish a more efficient and streamlined data pipeline, eliminating data redundancies and reducing the complexities associated with managing multiple data copies.
Focus on Design: By leveraging Microsoft Fabric, Data Architects and Analysts can shift their focus from managing and configuring underlying technologies to designing robust data architectures and optimizing analytical processes. The platform takes care of the infrastructure and technical aspects, allowing professionals to concentrate on delivering efficient and effective data solutions.
Lakehouse and Data Warehouse Advantages: Microsoft Fabric enables Data Architects and Analysts to harness the benefits of both the lakehouse and data warehouse paradigms. The platform combines the scalability and flexibility of a data lake with the structured query capabilities of a traditional data warehouse. This empowers professionals to design and implement comprehensive data architectures that leverage the strengths of both approaches, ensuring optimal performance and versatility.
Seamless Integration: Microsoft Fabric seamlessly integrates with a wide range of tools and services, providing Data Architects and Analysts with the flexibility to leverage their preferred technologies. Whether it’s connecting with popular business intelligence tools or utilizing advanced analytics frameworks, the platform allows seamless integration, enabling professionals to work with their preferred tools while taking advantage of the unified environment provided by Microsoft Fabric.
Improved Collaboration and Efficiency: By utilizing Microsoft Fabric, Data Architects and Analysts can collaborate more effectively with their peers and stakeholders. The unified platform promotes smoother collaboration and knowledge sharing, enabling teams to work together efficiently, streamline processes, and expedite project delivery.
In summary, Microsoft Fabric empowers Data Architects and Analysts with a unified and streamlined system, eliminating data redundancies, allowing them to focus on design rather than technology implementation, and providing the ability to take full advantage of the lakehouse and data warehouse concepts. With seamless integration, improved collaboration, and optimized efficiency, Microsoft Fabric enables Data Architects and Analysts to create robust data architectures and deliver valuable insights to drive business success.
Business Analysts
Business Analysts can reap several benefits by choosing Microsoft Fabric as their data management solution. Here are some key points highlighting the advantages for Business Analysts:
Enhanced Data Accessibility: Microsoft Fabric provides Business Analysts with easy access to a unified and centralized data environment. This allows them to retrieve, analyze, and interpret data from various sources quickly and efficiently, enabling them to make informed decisions and gain valuable insights.
Simplified Data Exploration: With Microsoft Fabric, Business Analysts can easily explore data using intuitive tools and features. The platform offers user-friendly interfaces and visualizations, enabling analysts to navigate and interact with data effortlessly, fostering a deeper understanding of business trends and patterns.
Seamless Integration with Business Intelligence Tools: Microsoft Fabric seamlessly integrates with popular business intelligence tools, such as Power BI. This integration empowers Business Analysts to leverage their existing BI skills and work within their preferred toolset, while still benefiting from the unified data environment provided by Microsoft Fabric.
Collaborative Analytics: Microsoft Fabric facilitates collaborative analytics by enabling Business Analysts to share and collaborate on data and insights with stakeholders across the organization. This promotes a data-driven culture, encourages collaboration, and facilitates better decision-making throughout the business.
Self-Service Analytics: Microsoft Fabric empowers Business Analysts to become self-sufficient in their analytics endeavors. With the platform’s intuitive interfaces and self-service capabilities, analysts can independently access, manipulate, and analyze data, reducing their reliance on IT teams for data-related tasks.
Streamlined Data Governance: Microsoft Fabric provides robust data governance capabilities, ensuring that Business Analysts have access to accurate and reliable data. This promotes data integrity, compliance, and proper data stewardship, enabling analysts to work with trustworthy data and maintain data quality standards.
Time and Cost Savings: Microsoft Fabric streamlines the data management process, allowing Business Analysts to focus on analyzing data rather than managing technical complexities. This saves time and reduces costs associated with data preparation, integration, and maintenance, enabling analysts to deliver insights more efficiently.
In summary, Microsoft Fabric offers Business Analysts enhanced data accessibility, simplified data exploration, seamless integration with BI tools, collaborative analytics, self-service capabilities, streamlined data governance, and time and cost savings. By leveraging these benefits, Business Analysts can effectively analyze data, uncover valuable insights, and contribute to data-driven decision-making within the organization.
Data Engineers
Data Engineers can leverage Microsoft Fabric and its supporting technologies, such as data pipelines, Dataflow, SQL, Spark, and Kusto, to unlock several benefits. Here are some key advantages for Data Engineers:
Streamlined Data Pipeline Management: Microsoft Fabric provides robust tools and capabilities for data pipeline management. Data Engineers can efficiently design, orchestrate, and monitor end-to-end data pipelines, ensuring seamless data movement and transformation throughout the data lifecycle.
Scalable Data Processing with Spark: Microsoft Fabric integrates with Spark, a powerful distributed processing framework. Data Engineers can harness the scalability and performance of Spark to process large volumes of data, perform complex transformations, and run advanced analytics, enabling them to handle data-intensive workloads efficiently.
Simplified Data Transformation with Dataflow: Dataflow Gen 2, a component of Microsoft Fabric, offers intuitive data transformation capabilities. Data Engineers can use Dataflow to visually design and execute data transformations without the need for complex coding, reducing development time and increasing productivity.
Enhanced Data Storage and Querying with SQL and Kusto: Microsoft Fabric supports SQL-based querying and leverages Kusto, a powerful data analytics platform. Data Engineers can leverage their SQL skills to store, retrieve, and analyze data effectively. Kusto’s optimized querying engine ensures fast and efficient data retrieval, facilitating smooth data exploration and analysis.
Seamless Integration with Ecosystem Technologies: Microsoft Fabric seamlessly integrates with various ecosystem technologies, including data storage solutions, data lakes, and data warehouses. This allows Data Engineers to leverage their existing technology stack, integrate with third-party tools, and work with a wide range of data sources, simplifying integration and enhancing data accessibility.
Data Governance and Security: Microsoft Fabric offers robust data governance and security features, providing Data Engineers with the necessary controls to ensure data integrity and compliance. Data Engineers can implement data governance policies, enforce access controls, and monitor data usage to maintain data quality and protect sensitive information.
Collaboration and DevOps Support: Microsoft Fabric promotes collaboration and supports DevOps practices. Data Engineers can collaborate with other team members, such as Data Scientists and Analysts, by sharing data assets, metadata, and insights within a unified environment. Additionally, Microsoft Fabric supports Data Pipelines and GIT and enables seamless integration with DevOps processes for a streamlined development, testing, and deployment of data pipelines and analytics solutions.
In summary, Microsoft Fabric, along with its supporting technologies like data pipelines, Dataflow, SQL, Spark, and Kusto, provides Data Engineers with streamlined data pipeline management, scalable data processing, simplified data transformation, enhanced data storage and querying capabilities, seamless integration with ecosystem technologies, robust data governance and security, and collaboration and DevOps support. By leveraging these benefits, Data Engineers can efficiently design and manage data workflows, process and transform large volumes of data, and ensure the availability and accessibility of high-quality data for the entire organization.
Microsoft partners
Microsoft partners can derive significant benefits from the features and advantages provided by Microsoft Fabric. Here are some key ways in which Microsoft partners can benefit:
Increased Sales Opportunities: Microsoft Fabric opens up new sales opportunities for partners. The platform’s comprehensive suite of data management and analytics capabilities allows partners to offer end-to-end solutions to their customers, addressing their diverse data needs. The ability to provide a unified and integrated solution enhances partners’ sales potential and enables them to capture a larger market share.
Lower Costs and Increased Efficiency: By utilizing Microsoft Fabric, partners can leverage its cost-saving features and streamlined processes as an advantage to promote it to the customers. The platform eliminates the need for managing multiple disparate tools and systems, reducing operational costs for customers. Moreover, the efficient data management capabilities offered by Microsoft Fabric enable customers to optimize their own internal processes, leading to improved efficiency and productivity.
Technological Advantages: Microsoft Fabric equips partners with advanced technologies, such as data integration, data engineering, data warehousing, data science, real-time analytics, and business intelligence. These capabilities provide partners with a technological edge, enabling them to offer innovative and sophisticated solutions to their customers. The inclusion of technologies like Spark, SQL, and Kusto further enhances partners’ ability to deliver high-performance and scalable solutions.
Open Architecture for Solution Creation: Microsoft Fabric’s open architecture empowers partners to create customized solutions for their customers. Partners can leverage the flexibility of the platform to develop tailored offerings that address specific business challenges and requirements. The open architecture encourages solution innovation and enables partners to differentiate themselves in the market.
Quick and Efficient Solution Deployment: Microsoft Fabric’s user-friendly interfaces and intuitive tools enable partners to deploy solutions quickly and efficiently. The platform simplifies the implementation and configuration processes, reducing time-to-market for partners’ solutions. This agility allows partners to meet customer demands faster and respond to market changes promptly.
In summary, Microsoft partners can benefit from increased sales opportunities, lower costs, technological advantages, the ability to create innovative solutions within an open architecture, and quick and efficient solution deployment. By leveraging these advantages, partners can enhance their market position, deliver cutting-edge solutions, and drive business growth and success.
When should I Use It?
Plan to start a Data Analytics/Data Science project:
If you’re planning to start a data analytics or data science project, considering Microsoft Fabric can provide significant advantages. Its comprehensive Integrated suite of tools and features will empower you to effectively manage and analyze your data, enabling you to kick-start your project on the right foot with minimal investment.
Plan to upgrade/enhance Data Analytics/Data Science Project:
If you have an existing data analytics or data science project and are looking to enhance or upgrade it, Microsoft Fabric is an excellent choice. With its advanced capabilities and integration of various analytics tools Like Lakehouse, Warehouse, Power BI, etc., Microsoft Fabric can take your project to the next level, enabling you to extract deeper insights and achieve better outcomes.
Plan to migrate from In-house to Cloud or Cloud to Cloud:
If you’re planning to migrate your data analytics or data science project from in-house infrastructure to the cloud or from one cloud platform to another, Microsoft Fabric offers seamless migration capabilities like shortcuts. It allows for smooth transition and integration, ensuring that your project remains operational and efficient throughout the migration process.
Not sure how to start with a Data Analytics/Data Science Project:
If you’re unsure about how to begin a data analytics or data science project, Microsoft Fabric provides a clear and comprehensive starting point. Its intuitive interface, single consolidate environment, extensive documentation, and helpful resources will guide you through the initial steps, helping you establish a solid foundation for your project.
Looking to acquire new skills and re-skill:
If you’re looking to acquire new skills or re-skill yourself in the field of data analytics, Microsoft Fabric offers a valuable platform for learning and growth. Its user-friendly interface, proven technologies like SQL, Data Pipelines, Dataflow, KQL, and extensive learning resources, including tutorials and documentation, will enable you to develop proficiency in data analytics and expand your skill set.
By considering Microsoft Fabric for your data analytics or data science initiatives, you can leverage its capabilities to start, enhance, migrate, or acquire new skills in an efficient and effective manner.
How to Start
Login to app.powerbi.com. Click on the account manager option on the right top
You will get an option “Start Trial”, click on that. In case you already running a trial like PPU, you will not have that option and you do not need that.
Next step — Enable Microsoft Fabric for the tenant. For that Click on setting icon and go to Admin Portal
Under the tenant setting you will get an option for Microsoft Fabric Preview
Also refer: Enable Fabric: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/admin/fabric-switch
Watch my video on the same:
Microsoft Fabric terminology: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/get-started/fabric-terminology
End-to-end tutorials in Microsoft Fabric: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/get-started/end-to-end-tutorials
Official Documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/
MVP Blogs and Videos: https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/learn-about-microsoft-fabric-from-mvps/
Following are the videos I have created on Microsoft Fabric.
Microsoft Fabric: A Brief Introduction
How to enable Microsoft Fabric; on Power BI Service| Start the Fabric (Preview) trial
Microsoft Fabric-What it is, Why Use, Who Should, When and How to use
Microsoft Fabric: Various Components| Microsoft Fabric Create Workspace, Lakehouse, Warehouse
Microsoft Fabric: How to load data in Lakehouse using Dataflow Gen2
Microsoft Fabric: How to load data in Warehouse using Dataflow Gen2
Microsoft Fabric: How to load data in Warehouse using Data Pipeline | End-to-End Scenario
Microsoft Fabric: How to load data in Lakehouse using Spark; Python/Notebook
Microsoft Fabric: Integrated Machine Learning- k-Means clustering
Microsoft Fabric: Create a Date table in Dataflow Gen2, and use in Lakehouse and Warehouse| Time Intelligence with Power BI
Microsoft Fabric: How to load data in Lakehouse using Data Pipeline | End-to-End Scenario
Microsoft Fabric: What are the options to load local files in Lakehouse
Microsoft Fabric: Shortcut with Fabric and for Azure Data Lake | File vs Table Shortcut
Microsoft Fabric: Import Azure SQL Data to Warehouse | Multiple tables using Pipeline
Introduction to Microsoft Fabric in Hindi | What it is, Why to Use, Who Should, When and How to use
Microsoft Fabric in Hindi Part 2: Create Workspace, Lakehouse, Warehouse
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