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Azure Synapse Analytics
Per-Property Rows from JSON in Spark on Microsoft Fabric
Spark doesn't always interpret JSON how we'd like. For example, if each key/value pair in a JSON object is conceptually one item, Spark won't give you a row per item by default. This article shows how to nudge Spark in the right direction.
How to access multi-select choice column choice labels from Azure Synapse Link for Dataverse with PySpark or SQL
Learn how to access multi-select choice column choice labels from Azure Synapse Link for Dataverse using PySpark or SQL.
Introduction to Python Logging in Synapse Notebooks
The first step on the road to implementing observability in your Python notebooks is basic logging. In this post, we look at how you can use Python's built in logging inside a Synapse notebook.
How to access choice labels from Azure Synapse Link for Dataverse with SQL
Learn how to access the choice labels from Azure Synapse Link for Dataverse using T-SQL through SQL Serverless and by using Spark SQL in a Synapse Notebook.
How to access choice labels from Azure Synapse Link for Dataverse with PySpark
Learn how to access the choice labels from Azure Synapse Link for Dataverse using PySpark.
Star Schemas are fundamental to unleashing value from data in Microsoft Fabric
Ralph Kimble's 1996 Star Schema principles still apply in Cloud Native Analytics.
Adopt A Product Mindset To Maximise Value From Microsoft Fabric
In this post I describe how adopting a product mindset will help you to extract maximum value from Microsoft Fabric.
Exploring Strategies Enabled By Microsoft Fabric
Explore building situational awareness and leveraging strategic opportunities with Microsoft Fabric in this concise overview.
Notebooks in Azure Databricks
This blog post explores interactive notebooks in Azure Databricks. An Azure Databricks Notebook is a powerful data science tool that support exploratory data analysis, hypothesis testing, data cleaning and transformation, data visualisation, statistical modeling and machine learning.
Developing a Data Mesh Inspired Vision Using Microsoft Fabric
Explore Microsoft Fabric, inspired by Data Mesh, for a data-driven strategy. Learn to approach a Data Mesh vision using this powerful tool.
How Does Microsoft Fabric Measure Up To Data Mesh?
Explore Data Mesh's influence on Microsoft Fabric, addressing gaps in data product marketplace, standards, master data management, and governance.
Microsoft Fabric Is A Socio-Technical Endeavour
Creating a successful organisation-wide data and analytics platform isn't just about architecture, schemas and semantic models. It's also about culture, organisational design and people. This blog explores the socio-technical nature of data and analytics and how this should influence your approach to adoption of Microsoft Fabric.
Copilot - Are You Ready to Unleash the Power of AI in Self Service Analytics?
Explore AI-powered self-service reporting with tools like Copilot in Power BI and Microsoft Fabric, balancing benefits and pitfalls.
Microsoft Fabric: Announced
Microsoft Fabric unifies Power BI, Data Factory & Data Lake on Synapse infrastructure, reducing cost & time while enabling citizen data science.
What is OneLake?
Explore OneLake, Microsoft Fabric's core storage for data in Azure & other clouds. Discover its role in Fabric workloads, the OneDrive equivalent for data storage.
Azure Synapse Analytics versus Microsoft Fabric: A Side by Side Comparison
In this Microsoft Fabric vs Synapse comparison we examine how features map from Azure Synapse to Fabric.
Intro to Microsoft Fabric
Microsoft Fabric unifies data & analytics, building on Azure Synapse Analytics for improved data-level interoperability. Explore its offerings & pros/cons.
Notebooks in Azure Synapse Analytics
Discover the use of Synapse Notebooks in Azure Synapse Analytics for data analysis, cleaning, visualization, and machine learning.
Working with JSON in Pyspark
This blog shows how to transform a document based format to a tabular format whilst managing all the nested properties
Customizing Lake Databases in Azure Synapse Analytics
Explore Custom Objects in Lake Databases for user-friendly column names, calculated columns, and pre-defined queries in Azure Synapse Analytics.
How to create a semantic model using Synapse Analytics Database Templates
Explore Azure Synapse Analytics Database Templates and learn to create semantic models in this 2nd blog of the series.
What is a Lake Database in Azure Synapse Analytics?
Explore Lake Databases in Azure Synapse Analytics: analyze Dataverse data, share Spark tables, and design models with Database Templates.
Sharing access to synchronized Shared Metadata Model objects in Azure Synapse Analytics
Learn how to grant non-admin users access to Spark synchronized objects with SQL Serverless in Synapse Analytics using the Shared Metadata Model.
What is the Shared Metadata Model in Azure Synapse Analytics, and why should I use it?
Explore Azure Synapse's 'Shared Metadata Model' feature. Learn how it syncs Spark tables with SQL Serverless, its benefits, and tradeoffs.
Managing schemas in Azure Synapse SQL Serverless
Explore Azure Synapse's SQL Serverless for on-demand data lake queries, its benefits, and challenges in managing schemas and maintaining data sync.
How to use Azure Synapse SQL Serverless to connect Data Lake and Power BI
TL;DR - Using Azure Synapse SQL Serverless, you can query Azure Data Lake and populate Power BI reports across multiple workspaces.
How to test Azure Synapse notebooks
Explore data with Azure Synapse's interactive Spark notebooks, integrated with Pipelines & monitoring tools. Learn how to add tests for business rule validation.
How to safely reference a nullable activity output in Azure Synapse Pipelines and Azure Data Factory
Discover Azure Data Factory's null-safe operator for referencing activity outputs that may not always exist. Learn to use it effectively.
How to trigger an Azure Synapse pipeline run from C#
A rundown of how to trigger an Azure Synapse pipeline run from C# code.
How Azure Synapse unifies your development experience
Modern analytics requires a multi-faceted approach, which can cause integration headaches. Azure Synapse's Swiss army knife approach can remove a lot of friction.
How to fix the "You need permission to access workspace..." error in Azure Synapse Analytics
Fix the "You need permission" error in Azure Synapse Analytics with this guide, addressing its causes and solutions for Data Engineers/Developers.
How to use the Azure CLI to manage access to Synapse Studio
Assign roles in Synapse Studio for Azure Synapse Analytics devs using Azure CLI. Accessible by Owners/Contributors of the resource.
Does Azure Synapse Link redefine the meaning of full stack serverless?
Explore Azure Synapse Link for Cosmos DB's impact on 'full stack serverless', No-ETL, and pay-as-you-query analytics.
How to use SQL Notebooks to access Azure Synapse SQL Pools & SQL on demand
Wishing Azure Synapse Analytics had support for SQL notebooks? Fear not, it's easy to take advantage rich interactive notebooks for SQL Pools and SQL on Demand.
Deploy an Azure Synapse Analytics workspace using an ARM Template
Explore deploying Azure Synapse Analytics workspaces using ARM templates, a popular infrastructure deployment method for organizations.
Azure Synapse Analytics: How serverless is replacing the data warehouse
Serverless data architectures enable leaner data insights and operations. How do you reap the rewards while avoiding the potential pitfalls?
Talking about Azure Synapse on Microsoft Mechanics!
I was recently invited on to Microsoft Mechanics to talk about the new on-demand SQL Serverless offering within Azure Synapse. If you have been following along with my previous blog posts you will know that we've been hard at work applying Azure Synapse against real customer workloads. In the video I take you through the service by solving a real-world IoT problem for one of our telco customers.
Benchmarking Azure Synapse Analytics - SQL Serverless, using Polyglot Notebooks
New Azure Synapse Analytics service offers SQL Serverless for on-demand data lake queries. We tested its potential as a Data Lake Analytics replacement.
Azure Synapse for C# Developers: 5 things you need to know
Did you know that Azure Synapse has great support for .NET and #csharp? Learning new languages is often a barrier to digital transformation, being able to use existing people, skills, tools and engineering disciplines can be a massive advantage.
Does Azure Synapse Analytics spell the end for Azure Databricks?
Explore why Microsoft's new Spark offering in Azure Synapse Analytics is a game-changer for Azure Databricks investors.
5 Reasons why Azure Synapse Analytics should be on your roadmap
Explore 5 key reasons to choose Azure Synapse Analytics for your cloud data needs, based on years of experience in driving customer outcomes.
Long Running Functions in Azure Data Factory
Explore Azure Durable Functions as an alternative to long-running operations, overcoming HTTP Triggers' 230s limit in Azure Load Balancer.