Introduction
Microsoft Fabric continues to evolve, bringing new features that enhance data exploration, modeling, collaboration, and development. Here’s a breakdown of the latest Microsoft Fabric updates and why they matter for your business.
Explore This Data: A New Entry Point from a Visual
With the new Explore This Data option in the visual options menu, users can interact with their data more intuitively. This feature allows users to tweak visuals, modify chart types, apply filters, and gain deeper insights without navigating away from reports. The experience is designed to be lightweight yet powerful, improving accessibility for business users.
Our element61 perspective: This feature aligns with Microsoft’s vision of empowering self-service BI in Microsoft Fabric. It lowers the barrier to entry for less technical users, enabling them to explore data and uncover insights using Power BI. Additionally, it serves as a great entry point for users to discover the full potential of Power BI and its capabilities.
Semantic Model Version History
The public preview of Semantic Model Version History introduces enhanced version control for self-service users. Versions are automatically captured in an Office-like history pane, allowing users to restore previous versions or manually save milestones. This feature ensures seamless management of changes, particularly for web-edited Premium semantic models.
Our element61 perspective: Version history for Power BI semantic models is a game-changer. It addresses critical pain points, such as accidental overwrites or deployment errors, which were previously difficult to recover from. This update adds reliability and peace of mind, making model development safer and more efficient for data teams.
TMDL Scripting Experience (Preview)
Power BI Desktop now introduces the TMDL view, a modern scripting interface for semantic model development. It includes a rich code editor with advanced search-and-replace functions, shortcuts, and multi-line editing. The feature promotes reusability by enabling teams to share scripts and implement standardized elements like calendar tables or calculation groups.
Our element61 perspective: TMDL has always been a game-changer since its release. The ability to interact with models in TMDL format directly in Power BI Desktop significantly enhances the semantic model development experience. It provides developers with greater control, flexibility, and efficiency, making it a must-use feature for advanced users.
Folder Support in GIT
By mid-February, Microsoft Fabric will support full folder structure mirroring in Git. Nested folders will be fully synchronized, and changes to folder structures will be reflected as commits. This update ensures a consistent and organized experience for teams using Git for version control and collaboration.
Our element61 perspective: Folders in Microsoft Fabric were a great addition, but their lack of compatibility with Git limited their usability in complex Microsoft Fabric architectures. With this new feature, teams can finally use folders comfortably, improving project organization and collaboration.
OneLake Catalog: Table & Column Descriptions
The OneLake Catalog now displays table and column descriptions from the data model editor, providing extended metadata visibility. This enhancement helps data consumers quickly identify relevant tables and encourages data producers to document their organizational knowledge effectively.
Our element61 perspective: Improved documentation is a win for both data producers and consumers. As Microsoft expands this capability to other data artifacts, teams will benefit from greater transparency and usability, ensuring data is well understood and properly utilized.
Python Notebook (Preview)
Microsoft Fabric introduces native Python support, providing BI developers and data scientists with an integrated coding environment. Built-in libraries, seamless access to Microsoft Fabric Lakehouse, and SQL interaction streamline Python workflows. IntelliSense support and pre-installed libraries like DuckDB and Polars further enhance the experience.
Our element61 perspective: Sometimes, Spark can be overkill for small Python tasks. This feature provides a cost-effective alternative, as Python notebooks consume less memory than Spark. It allows developers to efficiently run lightweight Python scripts within their Microsoft Fabric environment, making it ideal for advanced analytics and machine learning.
Notebook Live Versioning
Microsoft Fabric notebooks now feature built-in version control. Automatic checkpoints are created every five minutes, and users can manually create checkpoints to mark milestones. A diff view allows users to compare versions and restore previous ones when needed.
Our element61 perspective: In scenarios where notebooks are not Git-integrated or teams need to quickly track changes, notebook live versioning offers a user-friendly alternative. It simplifies version tracking and fosters a more organized and reliable development environment.
Mirroring Now Supports CI/CD (Preview)
Microsoft Fabric mirroring now integrates with CI/CD workflows, enabling users to manage and deploy mirrored databases using Git for source control and automated deployment pipelines.
Our element61 perspective: Previously, it was difficult to fully leverage mirroring in Microsoft Fabric due to the lack of CI/CD support. With this update, teams can now incorporate mirroring into their architecture, unlocking its full potential for streamlined and reliable deployments.
Final Thoughts
These new features reinforce Microsoft Fabric’s commitment to improving usability, collaboration, and efficiency. Whether you’re an analyst exploring data, a developer scripting models, or a data scientist leveraging Python, these updates provide valuable enhancements to your workflow.
As always with post-holiday releases, Microsoft delivers a major update for Microsoft Fabric and Power BI, packed with long-awaited features! Stay ahead by incorporating these capabilities into your daily operations and maximize the potential of Microsoft Fabric.
Need Help Getting Started
If you’re looking to leverage these new features or want to explore how Microsoft Fabric can transform your data strategy, our team of experts is here to help. Contact us today to schedule a consultation or learn more about how we can support your business in unlocking the full potential of Microsoft Fabric.
