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How to use Microsoft Fabric with Dataverse

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Microsoft has made it easier than ever to connect Dataverse, the core data service behind Power Apps and Dynamics 365, to Microsoft Fabric, its unified analytics platform.

With the Link to Microsoft Fabric feature, you can integrate your Dataverse data into OneLake, Fabric’s built-in data lake, without the need for complex pipelines or multiple data copies.

This guide will show you how to set up and use Link to Microsoft Fabric to unify, analyze, and act on your data, whether you’re building insights in Power BI, creating workflows in Power Apps, or performing advanced analytics in Fabric.

What You Need to Get Started

Before diving into the setup process, make sure you have the following:

  1. Power BI Premium or Fabric Capacity:
    • You need a premium license or a Fabric trial capacity in the same Azure region as your Dataverse environment.
  2. System Administrator Access:
    • You must be an admin in both your Dataverse environment and the Power BI workspace.
  3. Fabric Trial:

How to Link Microsoft Dataverse to Microsoft Fabric

Follow these steps to set up and use the Link to Microsoft Fabric feature:

Step 1: Open Power Apps

  1. Sign in to Power Apps (make.powerapps.com).
  2. Select the Dataverse environment where you want to enable the link.

Step 2: Link Dataverse to Microsoft Fabric

Navigate to the Tables section in the left-hand menu.

  1. On the command bar, click Analyze > Link to Microsoft Fabric.
  2. The system launches a wizard to guide you through the setup process:
    • Select a Fabric Workspace:
      • Choose an existing Fabric workspace or create a new one.
    • Validate Settings:
      • The wizard ensures your Fabric and Dataverse environments are in the same Azure region.
  3. Once validated, the system creates:
    • A Synapse Lakehouse.
    • A SQL Endpoint.
    • A Power BI Dataset.

Step 3: Grant Access to Other Users

  1. Open the Fabric workspace you created.
  2. Share the workspace with other team members to enable collaboration.
  3. Ensure permissions are properly configured for users to view and work with the linked Dataverse data.

Step 4: Analyze Data in Fabric

Use Power BI:

  • Open the Power BI dataset created by the Link to Fabric process.
  • Use Power BI tools to build dashboards and visualize your data.
  1. Query Data with SQL:
    • Open the SQL Endpoint in Fabric for querying Dataverse data using SQL commands.
  2. Explore Lakehouse:
    • Access the linked Dataverse tables in the Synapse Lakehouse for advanced analytics and data integration.

Step 5: Build Apps and Automations

With your Dataverse data linked to Fabric, you can:

  1. Use Power Apps to build low-code apps that act on insights from Fabric.
  2. Automate workflows using Power Automate, such as sending notifications based on trends identified in Power BI.

Best Practices for Using Link to Microsoft Fabric

  1. Track Changes in Dataverse:
    • Ensure the Track Changes property is enabled on all Dataverse tables you want to link. This ensures real-time updates to Fabric.
    • To enable this, navigate to Dataverse > Tables > Table Settings > Track Changes.
  2. Monitor Storage Usage:
    • Linking Dataverse to Fabric increases Dataverse storage consumption. Regularly monitor storage in the Power Platform Admin Center.
  3. Keep Data in Sync:
    • Use the Refresh Fabric Tables option in Power Apps to sync any newly added columns or tables to Fabric.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

  • Issue: “You must have Power BI premium or Fabric capacity in the same region.”
    • Ensure your Dataverse and Fabric environments are in the same Azure region.
    • Confirm you have the required premium capacity or trial.
  • Issue: “Creation of Fabric Lakehouse failed.”
    • Verify that your Power BI tenant admin has granted permissions to create Fabric items under Tenant Settings > Microsoft Fabric.
  • Issue: “New fields in Dataverse tables aren’t reflected in Fabric.”
    • Use the Refresh Fabric Tables option in Power Apps to update metadata in Fabric.

How Link to Microsoft Fabric Simplifies Data Workflows

  1. No Data Duplication:
    • Data remains in Dataverse but is accessible in Fabric via shortcuts, reducing complexity and ensuring security.
  2. Real-Time Insights:
    • As data updates in Dataverse, changes are instantly reflected in Fabric, Power BI reports, and SQL queries.
  3. Unified Analytics:
    • Combine Dataverse data with other sources (e.g., IoT devices, websites) in Fabric for comprehensive insights.
  4. Seamless Low-Code Integration:
    • Build low-code apps and workflows with Power Apps and Power Automate, leveraging Fabric insights.