Synapse sql pool to Fabric

Question

We are currently utilizing a Synapse dedicated pool database for our data warehousing needs. We are planning to migrate to Microsoft Fabric to leverage its enhanced capabilities and features. Could you provide detailed guidance on the best approach for this migration? Specifically, we are interested in understanding the following:

1. Pre-migration steps to prepare our current Synapse environment.
2. Tools and methods for efficiently transferring data and workloads to Microsoft Fabric.
3. Potential challenges we might encounter during the migration process and how to mitigate them.
4. Post-migration steps to ensure everything is functioning correctly in the new environment.

Any insights, best practices, or resources you could share would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

Hi @DataCoder
Thank you for your question and using the Microsoft Q&A platform.
Migrating from a Synapse dedicated pool database to Microsoft Fabric is a significant step that can bring many benefits. Here’s a detailed guide to help you through the process:

Tools and Methods for Data and Workload Transfer

1. Data Transfer:
   • Azure Data Factory (ADF): Utilize ADF for large-scale data migration. ADF supports data transfer between Synapse and Microsoft Fabric with high throughput and reliability.
   • Azure Synapse Link: If applicable, use Azure Synapse Link for seamless data integration.
   • Export and Import: For smaller datasets, export data from Synapse to Azure Data Lake Storage or Blob Storage and then import into Microsoft Fabric.
2. Workload Transfer:
   • Scripts and Procedures: Migrate stored procedures, scripts, and functions by exporting them from Synapse and importing them into Microsoft Fabric. Ensure compatibility and make necessary adjustments.
   • ETL/ELT Processes: Recreate ETL/ELT processes in Microsoft Fabric using tools like Dataflows or Power Query.

You can refer to the below links for more information:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/data-warehouse/migration-synapse-dedicated-sql-pool-warehouse
https://support.fabric.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/mapping-azure-synapse-dedicated-sql-pools-to-fabric-data-warehouse-compute?ft=All

Hope this helps. Do let us know if you any further queries.

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Answer 2

Unfortunately as of today there is no exact replica of Synapse dedicated pool in MSFT Fabric as of today.

The fabric warehouse as of today is more a Synapse serverless version and not a dedicated pool version.

So some of the SQL functionalities wont be supported in todays Fabric world.

The alternative for that would be to have all your SQL transformations via either dataflow gen 2 or Notebooks rather than Stored procedures/views (SQL ) with database

The data pipeline within MSFT fabric is a replacement of synapse pipelines with an exception of dataflows. Dataflows of synapse pipelines are not supported within fabric data pipelines