Microsoft Fabric Updates: Top 5 Highlights

My team is still buzzing with excitement from the Fabric Community Conference (FabCon).

In our discussions with industry experts, we sensed both excitement and confusion about Fabric's impact on the data industry. With frequent updates, it's challenging to stay informed and understand how these new features fit into your workflow.

Below we highlight five standout updates from Microsoft Fabric's April 2024 release. 

Git Integration for Fabric Synapse Warehouses

We’re excited to share one of the most anticipated updates in the Microsoft Fabric April 2024 release: Git integration for Synapse Warehouses.

Previously, Git integration was available for Microsoft Fabric components like lakehouses, pipelines, and notebooks. With this update, it now extends to warehouses as well.

This update addresses a major challenge for Fabric engineers. Until now, standard CI/CD processes, particularly in Azure DevOps, were not possible for those using warehouses inside Fabric. This update resolves that issue.

Now, you can connect your Azure DevOps instance directly with your Microsoft Fabric instance, enabling Git integration with your warehouse.

Git integration for Fabric Synapse Warehouses centralizes version control and CI/CD processes, bringing engineers closer to having Git integration across all Microsoft Fabric components.

Shortcuts to Google Cloud Storage and AWS Compatible Data Sources

Shortcuts have long been a favorite feature in Microsoft Fabric, and the recent update expanding their reach is thrilling for many users.

The concept of OneLake shortcuts is straightforward: when you pull in data from other sources, it's not stored or duplicated. Instead, a direct connection is created from Fabric to that source, allowing you to query and build reports and models seamlessly.

Users appreciate this feature because it eliminates the need to manage data in multiple locations, saving resources and maintaining a unified data space.

An exciting update this month is the addition of Google Cloud and AWS to the list of shortcut-compatible data sources. You can now connect to:

• Dataverse
• Azure Data Lake
• Google Cloud Storage
• AWS Data Storage

This means all major cloud-based data sources in the US (and globally) are now covered.

Currently, shortcuts aren't available for on-premises data sources or network-restricted environments. However, Microsoft is working on this, and we hope to include it in a future update roundup.

Security Updates

Security is paramount when storing data on cloud platforms. While cloud storage efficiently manages large data volumes, it's crucial to ensure sensitive information remains well-protected.