Microsoft Build 2023: Satya Nadella Unveils Microsoft Fabric in Keynote

Microsoft Fabric, a new analytics solution announced at Microsoft Build. They clarify that the opinions expressed are their own and not representative of Microsoft. Fabric is described as an all-in-one analytics solution for enterprises, covering various aspects such as data movement, data science, real-time analytics, business intelligence, data integration, data warehousing, and more. The author mentions that they have been working on Fabric for 18 months and have conducted a private preview program with numerous users providing feedback.

The blog post emphasizes the similarities between Fabric and Power BI, stating that Fabric is built on the same SaaS foundation as Power BI. Users familiar with Power BI will find Fabric familiar as well, as it utilizes similar workspaces, navigation, collaboration, content management, and administration features. The post acknowledges that the new capabilities in Fabric, related to data integration, data science, data engineering, data warehousing, and real-time analytics, are an evolution of existing Azure data services such as Azure Synapse, Azure Data Factory, and Azure Data Explorer. Users experienced with these services will find the new capabilities in Fabric familiar.

The blog post introduces OneLake, a SaaS data lake that is a fundamental component of Fabric. It highlights that OneLake is built on ADLS Gen2 and offers openness and compatibility with various file types and APIs. The post emphasizes the benefits of OneLake, including delta file storage, decoupling of storage and compute, integration with existing data, and its central role in the Fabric platform.

The author explains that Fabric aims to provide a comprehensive set of user experiences tailored to different data practitioners, including data scientists, engineers, developers, BI developers, and report authors. These experiences are designed to work natively with the data stored in OneLake, eliminating the need for extensive integrations and enabling teams to focus on delivering value through their data work.

The blog post concludes by stating that the integrated, open, flexible, and SaaS nature of Fabric represents a significant inflection point in the data field, comparable to the advent of the cloud. The author believes that Fabric will eliminate many existing problems in data work and looks forward to a future where Fabric becomes the new standard for data projects.

The post recommends exploring official blog posts and joining virtual events to learn more about Fabric's capabilities and features.