Microsoft Fabric: A Must-learn Solution for Informed Data Professionals

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As a seasoned data aficionado and SQL expert with three decades of experience, I’ve navigated the Microsoft data product universe from SQL Server to Azure Synapse Analytics to Power BI—and all the data software and solutions in between. I’ve also witnessed the evolution of extract, transform, and load (ETL)/extract, load, and transform (ELT) operations, transforming raw data into actionable business gold to tackle industries’ most time-sensitive and intricate challenges.

 

Data was good—until it wasn’t. As data volumes exploded, it became very clear that efficient, real-time insights required data sharing and collaboration across organizations’ data silos and data roles (data engineers, scientists, and analysts). However, this proved to be easier said than done. Piecing together disparate services and storage systems is a complex, time-consuming task, further complicated by security and compliance concerns, so it’s a tall order, to say the least.

 

With the growing need for a centralized, unified, compliant solution for all data-related needs, Microsoft Fabric arrived on the scene, ready to store, secure, scale, collaborate, model, query, update, enrich, analyze, report, and create dashboards, to manage all of our multifaceted data challenges.

 

What is Microsoft Fabric?

Fabric is a unified analytics solution that delivers an integrated and simplified experience for all analytics workloads and users on an enterprise-grade data foundation with pervasive data governance, greatly simplifying data management. As an integrated software as a service (SaaS) solution, it ingests, stores, processes, and analyzes data in a single environment without the complex and time-consuming need for provisioning. It supports some of the most familiar data languages, like T-SQL, PySpark, Scala, SparkR, and others, and it accommodates all data roles. From streaming data to collaboration, Fabric is your go-to, centralized, end-to-end, AI-powered analytics platform for handling any type of data and efficiently managing your data estate.

 

OneLake, considered to be the OneDrive for your data, is a single open-format repository in Fabric—a unified, logical data lake for your whole organization. It accepts any data at any speed, whether batch or streaming, and is accessible by all analytics engines on the platform, eliminating the need for data movement or duplication.

 

Figure 1. Diagram of different experiences all accessing the same OneLake data storage. (Source: What is Microsoft Fabric?)

 

Microsoft Fabric experiences

• Data Engineering makes the most of the top-tier Spark platform for large-scale data transformation and democratization, integrating with Data Factory for efficient scheduling and orchestration.


• Data Factory merges with Power Query Online, offering over 200 native connectors for diverse data sources, both on premises and in the cloud.


• Data Science enables seamless building, deployment, and operationalization of machine learning models, enriching organizational data with predictive insights.


• Power BI is a leading business intelligence platform, helping to ensure quick and intuitive access to all data in Fabric for better informed data-driven decisions.


• Real-Time Analytics simplifies integration, efficiently handling and analyzing high volumes of data and offering powerful analytical capabilities.


• Synapse Data Warehouse delivers superior SQL performance and scale, separating compute from storage for independent scaling and natively storing data in the open Delta Lake format.

 

Figure 2. Experiences available in Microsoft Fabric.

 

Something for everyone

Imagine having the power to create your own data lakehouse or data warehouse in a matter of seconds. (Check out the Microsoft Fabric decision guide: Choose a data store.) That’s what Fabric, a SaaS platform, offers you. It allows you to centralize your data into OneLake by using common data methods, like Dataflow Gen2, data pipelines, Spark Notebooks, or T-SQL. (Explore the Microsoft Fabric decision guide: Copy activity, dataflow, or Spark.)

 

Data lakehouse

 

Figure 3. Diagram of a data lakehouse, displaying the folder structure of a data lake and the relational capabilities of a data warehouse. (Source: Explore the Microsoft Fabric lakehouse)

 

Whether you choose a data lakehouse or a data warehouse, you have easy access to robust querying and transaction capabilities. Fabric is the one-stop shop for all your data tasks across your data estate.

 

Here’s a snapshot

• OneLake is the single source of truth for your organization’s data.


• Data Warehouse is a traditional data warehouse that supports full transactional T-SQL capabilities like an enterprise data warehouse. It’s especially useful for industries like e-commerce, retail, healthcare, and others that need advanced analytics for large datasets.


• Data lakehouse is a one-size-fits-all solution for storing, managing, and analyzing any type of data. It’s also ideal for real-time data processing with live analysis.


• Copilot in Fabric brings generative AI features with new ways to transform and analyze data, generate insights, and create visualizations and reports:




• Data Engineering and Data Science. Copilot streamlines your workflow with intelligent code completion, code suggestions, automation of routine tasks, and industry-standard code templates.


• Data Factory. Whether you’re a citizen integrator or a professional data wrangler, Copilot is your ally. It offers intelligent code generation and explanations to simplify your data transformation.


• Power BI. Simply describe your data insights needs or queries, and Copilot can analyze and present the relevant data in a visually compelling report, instantly transforming your data into actionable insights.

 

How to get started with Microsoft Fabric

1. Sign up for a free Microsoft Fabric trial, and test it out.


2. For resources to help you skill up on Microsoft Fabric, check out the Microsoft Fabric Career Hub, where you can find the Microsoft Cloud Skills Challenge | 30 Days to Learn It and become eligible for 50% off a Microsoft Certification exam.


3. Review Course DP-600: Microsoft Fabric Analytics Engineer, and complete the lab exercises for each module. Plus, get more interactive practice with our end-to-end Microsoft Fabric tutorials.


4. To help prepare you for Exam DP-600: Implementing Analytics Solutions Using Microsoft Fabric, watch the recorded Exam Cram for DP-600 sessions, with me as your host.


5. For detailed information on specific topics to be covered on the exam, watch the Exam Readiness Zone DP-600 videos.


6. To hone your test-taking skills and learn the types of questions you can expect on the exam, take the free Practice Assessment for Exam DP-600.


7. Pass the Certification exam, and earn the Microsoft Certified: Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate Certification.

 

Figure 4. Steps in the Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate Certification journey. (Source: Microsoft Fabric Career Hub)

 

Consider earning a Microsoft Applied Skills credential

If you’re not quite ready to earn the Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate Certification, why not start with an Applied Skills credential? These are project-based credentials that focus on a specific skill rather than on a broad role. You can complete the online assessment in just two hours, whenever you’re ready.

Two Applied Skills scenarios that validate Microsoft Fabric skills are Implement a data warehouse in Microsoft Fabric and Implement a lakehouse in Microsoft Fabric. Both equip you with foundational Microsoft Fabric skills.

Figure 5. Applied Skills scenarios for Microsoft Fabric.

 

For more on Applied Skills credentials, read my blog post Real skills for real-time results with Microsoft Applied Skills credentials.

 

Meet Barbara Andrews, Microsoft Learn expert 

Barbara Andrews began her professional career as an accountant but soon discovered that she loves technology and has a passion for learning and teaching. She has worked with almost every on-premises Microsoft server technology (except Exchange Server) and has worked her way through many Azure services. As a Microsoft Technical Trainer, Barbara specializes in Azure infrastructure, data, and AI. She has a passion for helping working professionals and career changers build skills and pursue their dream careers, and she has upskilled more than 20,000 students, both online and in person.

 

Learn more about Barbara Andrews.

Brought to you by Dr. Ware, Microsoft Office 365 Silver Partner, Charleston SC.