Synapse v/s Fabric

Question

Hello Team,

We have a requirement to build a DWH with existing structured data volumes of 5TB and would have to ingest 500GB of data on a daily basis. We are trying to figure out which one to choose between Microsoft Fabric and Azure Synapse Analytics. Are there any suggestions / guidelines based on which we can choose either one ?

Regards,

Nagesh CL

Answer 1

Hi @Nagesh CL
Thanks for the question and using MS Q&A platform.

Based on your requirement to build a data warehouse (DWH) with 5TB of existing structured data and a daily ingestion of 500GB, here’s a comparison of Microsoft Fabric and Azure Synapse Analytics that should help you decide:

Scalability and Data Ingestion:

• Azure Synapse Analytics: Built to handle large data volumes and is highly scalable. With Synapse Pipelines and Azure Data Factory integration, it’s well-suited for your requirement of ingesting 500GB daily. It can also separate compute from storage, allowing flexible scaling.
• Microsoft Fabric: While Fabric is scalable, it’s optimized for analytics and business intelligence workflows. It integrates Power BI deeply, making it easier to manage data-to-insights workflows. For heavy daily ingestion, Synapse may offer more robust capabilities.

Data Storage and Management:

• Azure Synapse: Utilizes Azure Data Lake Storage (ADLS) for a more flexible and scalable data lakehouse model. You have the ability to query both structured and unstructured data with high performance.
• Microsoft Fabric: Leverages OneLake for unified data storage but offers less flexibility in separating compute from storage. It’s better suited if simplicity and integration with Power BI are your main concerns.

Analytics and Reporting:

• Azure Synapse: Ideal if you need powerful, customizable ETL processes and big data analytics. It integrates seamlessly with Azure Machine Learning for predictive analytics.
• Microsoft Fabric: If your priority is self-service analytics and reporting, Fabric’s tight integration with Power BI might be an advantage. It simplifies the analytics pipeline and is great for business users needing fast access to insights.

Cost and Implementation:

• Azure Synapse: Offers more flexibility in terms of infrastructure management, but this can also result in higher operational costs, especially with large-scale data.
• Microsoft Fabric: Can be more cost-efficient for teams focused on BI and less on large-scale data processing, as it centralizes and simplifies the analytics process.

Recommendation:

If your focus is on data warehousing with high daily ingestion and the need for complex data processing, Azure Synapse Analytics would likely be a better fit. However, if your goal is to have a more streamlined analytics pipeline with a focus on self-service BI and Power BI integration, Microsoft Fabric could be a more efficient choice.

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

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