Introduction
Microsoft Fabric is a data integration platform that enables organisations to connect, transform, and orchestrate data across various sources and systems. It provides a unified data management solution, allowing users to integrate, process, and analyse data in real-time.
Key features
- Data Ingestion: Fabric supports real-time data ingestion from various sources, including cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments.
- Data Transformation: It offers a wide range of data transformation capabilities, including data mapping, data quality, and data validation.
- Data Orchestration: Fabric enables users to create, schedule, and manage data pipelines across multiple sources and systems.
- Data Integration: It supports various data integration patterns, including ETL, ELT, and real-time data integration.
- Data Governance: Fabric provides data governance capabilities, including data quality, data security, and data compliance.
- Scalability: It is designed to handle large volumes of data and scale to meet the needs of enterprise organisations.
Who develops the product
Microsoft Fabric is developed by Microsoft Corporation, a well-established and reputable technology company with a long history of developing innovative software solutions.
Product Maturity
Microsoft Fabric is a relatively new product, released in 2022, and is considered part of the modern data stack. It is built on top of Azure Data Factory and Azure Synapse Analytics, which are mature products with a proven track record.
Usage Examples
- Integrating data from multiple sources, such as databases, APIs, and files, for real-time analytics and reporting.
- Transforming and processing large datasets for machine learning and data science applications.
- Orchestrating data pipelines across multiple environments, including cloud and on-premises (though there are some reported complexities with on premise data sources).
Integration Capabilities
Microsoft Fabric integrates with various Microsoft products, including Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse Analytics, and Power BI, as well as third-party tools and systems.
Target Market
Microsoft Fabric is designed for enterprise organisations, particularly those with complex data integration and management needs. It is suitable for large-scale data engineering and analytics projects.
Pricing
Microsoft Fabric pricing is based on a pay-as-you-go model, with costs tied to data ingestion, processing, and storage. There are no upfront costs or licensing fees.
Reception
Data Engineers
Data engineers generally find Microsoft Fabric to be a powerful and flexible tool, though reviews are mixed for now. Some users have reported issues with performance and scalability, but overall, it is considered a valuable addition to the modern data stack.
Executives
Executives appreciate Microsoft Fabric’s ability to integrate with other Microsoft products and provide a unified data management solution. They also value its scalability and security features, which align with their organisation’s data governance and compliance requirements.