Migration to Microsoft Fabric Data warehouse

Migration Scenarios to Microsoft Fabric

Migrating to Microsoft Fabric involves majorly two scenarios:

1. Cloud-to-Cloud Migration

Scenario: Organizations already operating in the cloud (e.g., using Databricks, Snowflake, or Azure services) aim to transition to Microsoft Fabric to take advantage of its unified data platform.

Examples:

Transitioning from Azure Synapse Analytics to Fabric Data Warehouse.

Replacing Azure Data Factory pipelines with Fabric Data Factory for orchestration.

2. On-Premises to Cloud Migration

Scenario: Organizations with legacy or on-premises infrastructure are moving to a modern, cloud-native architecture using Microsoft Fabric.

Examples:

Migrating SQL Server databases to Fabric Data Warehouse.

Replacing traditional data warehouse systems with Fabric’s Lakehouse or Warehouse solutions.

Different Migration Approaches

1. Lift and Shift

Migrates existing data models to Fabric with minimal changes.

Ideal for smaller environments or when time and budget constraints limit re-architecture efforts.

2. Fabric Migration Assistant

A guided tool that simplifies schema and data migration.

Schema migration using DACPAC files.

Data transfer using Fabric Data Factory copy jobs.

3. Data Factory Copy Job

Enables manual or automated data migration through Fabric Data Factory pipelines.

Offers flexibility in choosing migration strategies and customizing configurations.

4. Fabric Notebooks

Converts Synapse Data Flows into Fabric Notebooks.

Leverages Spark code for advanced data transformation and processing.

5. Capacity Migration

Migrating workspaces and content from Power BI Premium capacities to Fabric capacities.

Reassign workspaces to the new Fabric capacity.

Use automated tools to streamline the migration, especially for large tenants.

Fabric Migration Assistant

Key Features:

1. Schema & Data Migration:

Automatically copies both metadata and data from the source database.

1. Schema Conversion:

Transforms the source schema into a format compatible with Fabric Data Warehouse.

1. AI-Powered Assistance:

Provides intelligent suggestions and quick resolutions for migration errors or incompatibility issues, streamlining the process.

Migration steps with Fabric Migration Assistant

1. Migrate Schema

Use a DACPAC file to transfer the schema definitions (e.g., tables, views, stored procedures) from your source system into a new Fabric Data Warehouse

2. Resolve Schema Issues

Utilize the Fabric Migration Assistant to:

1. Identify objects that couldn’t be automatically migrated.
2. Update T-SQL types and definitionsto fix compatibility issues.

3. Resolve Schema Issues

Use a copy job in Fabric Data Factory to move data from the source system into the Fabric environment.

4. Validate Migration

Perform testing and parallel comparison between the old and new warehouses to ensure:

1. Data accuracy
2. Performance consistency
3. Schema integrity

5. Cutover

Reroute application connections from the source warehouse to the new Fabric Data Warehouse. Confirm that all dependent systems are updated to use the new environment.

Migrate Azure Synapse Analytics dedicated SQL pool to Fabric warehouse using a DACPAC file

Copy metadata:

1. Select the Migrate option from fabric workspace on the item action deck.
2. Select the DACPAC option from the Migrate to Fabric source menu and click on Next

3. Choose and upload the DACPAC file of source data warehouse. Then select
4. Give name to new Fabric warehouse item you would like to migrate into. Select Next.
5. Select Migrate. A new fabric warehouse will be created, and it will start metadata migration

6. Review the metadata migration summary where You’ll see the count of migrated objects
7. Click on Show migrated objects to expand the section and get a list of objects that are successfully migrated to Fabric warehouse. Review the Details for adjustments.
8. Check for metadata migration summary. Apply filters to filter specific type of objects.

Copy Data Using Migration Assistant

• Migration Assistant helps to migrate data used by the objects you’re transferring. You can either manually use a Fabric Data Factory copy job or follow these integrated steps:
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Start the Copy Data Process: In the Migration Assistant, select the Copy data step. Click on Use a copy job.
• Create a New Copy Job: Assign a name to the job.Click Create.
• Connect to Source: On the Connect to data source page- Enter connection credentials for the source Azure Synapse Analytics (SQL DW) warehouse. Click Next.
• Choose Data to Migrate: On the Choose data page-Select the tables you want to migrate. Ensure object metadata already exists in the target warehouse.Click Next.

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• Select Destination: On the Choose data destination page-Select your new Fabric warehouse item from the OneLake catalog. Click Next.
• Map Columns: On the Map to destination page-Configure column mappings for each table.Click Next.
• Choose Copy Mode: On the Copy job mode page-Select either One-time full data copy (recommended for migration), or Continuous incremental copying and then Click Next.
• Review and Run: Review the job summary.Click Save + Run.
• Verify Completion: Check the Copy data step in Migration Assistant. Click the Back button at the top to return to the main view.Check migrated data in Fabric data warehouse

Conclusion:

In today’s data-driven landscape, Microsoft Fabric serves as a comprehensive solution for implementing end-to-end data analytics.

If you’re currently using Azure data services like Azure Synapse, and planning to migrate your data resources to Microsoft Fabric, the Migration Assistant can streamline this process.

It enables seamless migration of various Synapse resources—such as the Dedicated SQL Pool—to the Fabric Warehouse, helping you modernize your data infrastructure efficiently.

To lean more on Implementing Data Engineering Solutions Using Microsoft Fabric

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