Looking at Microsoft Fabric as a possible solution for your business’s data needs? We’re going to take a quick dive into Microsoft Fabric, why it’s causing such a stir in tech circles to break down the essence of what makes it tick, and why it truly is a groundbreaking addition to data storage and management.Â
OneLake: Your Data’s New Best Friend
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OneLake: Your Data’s New Best Friend
Imagine a single, logical data lake that’s like a “OneDrive for data.” That’s OneLake, a pivotal component of Microsoft Fabric. It’s not just any lake—it’s built on the sturdy foundation of Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2. Each user gets their very own OneLake instance, making it a core part of the Fabric system.
OneLake takes a smart approach to data storage. It houses all data as a single copy in Delta tables using the Parquet format. Think of it as super-charged data storage, offering guarantees of Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability (ACID). And don’t miss the cool Shortcuts feature, which lets you virtually access data from other cloud sources like AWS S3, expanding OneLake’s data prowess.
A Compute Wonderland
Microsoft Fabric is all about flexibility. OneLake seamlessly supports different compute engines like T-SQL, Spark, KQL, and Analysis Services. It’s like having a toolbox full of options for different data operations. Use the one that suits your task the best, and you’re all set!
Data Governance in the Spotlight
Data security and governance just got an upgrade with Fabric. It follows a clever approach of defining security rules once and applying them everywhere. Your custom-made security rules play nice with the data, making sure every computing engine plays by the same rules. It’s like a “data mesh” concept, giving various business groups control over their own data playground.
From Engineering to Science: Fabric Has You Covered
Fabric’s application scope is a true all-rounder. From data engineering and analysis to data science, it’s got your back. Need visual ELT/ETL? Say hello to Data Factory. Complex transformations using SQL and Spark? Synapse Data Engineering is your go-to. Machine learning? That’s where Synapse Data Science shines. Streaming data processing using KQL? Real-Time Analytics has your back. SQL operations over columnar databases? Synapse Data Warehousing is the one. Plus, Fabric brings AI-assist magic through Copilot for SQL and introduces Data Activator, a no-code tool that works like a charm.
Wallet-Friendly Pricing
Fabric’s pricing model is designed to be flexible and inclusive. It offers organizational licenses, both premium and capacity-based, along with individual licenses. Choose the one that fits your needs, and you’re off to the races. The capacity billing is available in both per-second and monthly/yearly options. Keep in mind that this pricing approach may evolve over time.
In a Nutshell
With Microsoft Fabric, you’ve got yourself a game-changer in the world of data analytics. Its OneLake concept, varied compute engines, robust data governance, and versatile application scope make it a contender for tackling modern data challenges. So, if you’re looking for a comprehensive solution that’s adaptable to the ever-evolving data landscape, give Microsoft Fabric a closer look. It might just be the key to unlocking your data’s potential! 🚀
Not sure if Microsoft Fabric makes sense for your business? Colaberry, a Microsoft Partner, can help you decide what makes the most business sense. Offering a wide variety of services and budget-friendly solutions, Colaberry is here to help you no matter where you are in your digital journey.
The Hidden Cost of Development or Technical Debt – Spotting And Stopping It
Technical debt is an often hidden cost a company incurs when a data department is forced to take shortcuts in a project or software development. It is the result of developers’ decisions to prioritize speed over long-term efficiency and stability and not having adequate resources to ensure overall quality. These decisions lead to the accumulation of errors, making the system harder to maintain and scale over time. Technical debt often accumulates unnoticed, as companies focus on delivering products quickly rather than addressing the underlying issues.
How to know if you are accumulating technical debt. What you should look out for:
Delayed project timelines: Technical debt can cause projects to take longer to complete, as developers have to spend more time fixing issues with patches and one-off solutions as they continue to build on it or use it for a longer period of time.
Decreased quality: Technical debt can lead to low-quality products, making it harder to maintain and scale the system over time.
High maintenance costs: Technical debt can become more expensive to maintain over time, as developers have to spend more time fixing bugs and maintaining the project.
Avoiding it altogether is the smartest solution however, it is often not noticed until it is a huge impediment to continued progress. One way to avoid it from the beginning is to use an outside firm like Colaberry to help with maturity assessments that evaluate the maturity of your data landscape and provide recommendations for improvements and prioritization. Using an outside company helps ensure you receive unbiased feedback and evaluations as they are not invested in any particular product or solution which is a possibility with internal evaluations.
These services provide businesses with the necessary expertise, tools, and infrastructure to be able to analyze the data and develop solutions that improve efficiency, stability, and scalability. By using managed data services, your businesses can focus on delivering features quickly while also ensuring that your systems remain efficient and stable over time.
Having the resources to flex with a project or product needs can be the key to long-term success rather than trying to retain the talent you need on a full-time basis.
Another solution to avoiding technical debt is to ensure you have an adequate amount of analysts who are skilled in the latest tech stacks to identify areas of technical debt and develop solutions that improve efficiency, stability, and scalability. When you choose Colaberry as a partner you get data talents who are skilled in using the latest technology such as AI & Chat GPT to ensure they can meet your product’s technical demands on time and on budget.
Technical debt can have significant consequences on your overall system’s health and competitiveness. By using managed data services to oversee your data department or hiring additional data analytics talent from Colaberry, you can prevent technical debt from accumulating in the first place. Colaberry has a team of experienced data analytics professionals who can analyze complex systems and develop solutions that improve efficiency, stability, and scalability. Don’t let technical debt hold your business back; contact Colaberry today to discuss a complimentary maturity assessment or what specific types of talents you need to get the job done. Colaberry is your source for simple data science talent solutions.
