Deep dives across data, automation & AI

Using OneLake Shortcuts to Query Data in ADLS Gen2 and Amazon S3 Without Copying It

OneLake Shortcuts let you query data in ADLS Gen2 and Amazon S3 directly from Microsoft Fabric — no copying, no pipelines, no duplication. This deep-dive lesson covers the internal architecture, credential configuration, Spark and T-SQL querying patterns, performance optimization, and the security model you must understand before deploying shortcuts in production.

Building a Fabric Data Warehouse with T-SQL: Tables, Views, and Cross-Database Queries

Learn how to design and build a production-ready dimensional model in Microsoft Fabric Warehouse using T-SQL. This lesson covers DDL for fact and dimension tables, view design patterns, and cross-database queries that join warehouse and lakehouse data without moving it.

Direct Lake Mode in Power BI: How It Works and When to Use It over Import and DirectQuery

Direct Lake mode reads Delta Parquet files directly from OneLake into Power BI's in-memory engine — delivering Import-speed performance without scheduled refreshes. Learn how framing, transcoding, and fallback work, and build a production-ready Direct Lake semantic model from a Fabric lakehouse.

Implementing the Medallion Architecture in Microsoft Fabric: Bronze, Silver, and Gold Layers

Learn how to design and build a production-ready medallion architecture in Microsoft Fabric using three separate lakehouses for Bronze, Silver, and Gold layers. This lesson goes beyond theory — you'll write real PySpark notebooks with MERGE patterns, quarantine logic, and Delta optimization for Power BI Direct Lake reporting.

Transforming Data with Spark Notebooks in Microsoft Fabric: PySpark for Lakehouse Tables

Learn how to use PySpark in Fabric Spark notebooks to clean, enrich, and write production-quality Delta tables to your lakehouse. Covers deduplication, Delta merge, partitioning, and parameterized notebooks that plug into Data Pipelines.

Orchestrating Loads with Fabric Data Pipelines: Copy Activities, Parameters, and Schedules

Learn how to build reliable, automated data pipelines in Microsoft Fabric from the ground up. This hands-on lesson covers Copy Activities, dynamic parameters, activity chaining with dependencies, and scheduled triggers — everything you need to load data without manual intervention.

Ingesting Data with Dataflow Gen2: Power Query Skills in Microsoft Fabric

Dataflow Gen2 is more than a drag-and-drop ETL tool — it's a Power Query runtime with query folding, a staging layer, and Delta table output built into Microsoft Fabric. This deep-dive lesson teaches you how to connect to diverse sources, write effective M transformations, maximize query folding, configure incremental refresh, and troubleshoot the failures that trip up even experienced practitioners.

Fabric Lakehouse vs Warehouse: Choosing the Right Store for Your Workload

Both the Fabric Lakehouse and Warehouse store Delta tables in OneLake — so why does picking the wrong one cause so much pain? This lesson explains the architectural differences that actually matter and shows you how to make a confident, defensible choice for any workload.

Building Your First Lakehouse in Microsoft Fabric: Files, Tables, and the SQL Analytics Endpoint

Learn how to create a Microsoft Fabric Lakehouse from scratch, load CSV files into both the Files and Tables zones, and query your data using the SQL Analytics Endpoint. This hands-on lesson builds the foundational skills you need for every Fabric data engineering project.

OneLake Explained: One Copy of Data, Delta Tables, and Shortcuts

OneLake is the storage backbone of Microsoft Fabric — but understanding it deeply means going beyond the marketing pitch. This lesson covers how OneLake is physically structured, how Delta Lake transaction logs actually work, how Shortcuts virtualize data across clouds, and the operational pitfalls that will slow you down if you skip them.

Fabric Capacities and Workspaces: F SKUs, Trials, and Setting Up Your First Workspace*

What Is Microsoft Fabric? Workloads, OneLake, and How It Fits with Power BI

Microsoft Fabric promises to end the fragmentation of modern data stacks — but what actually is it, and how does it work? This foundational lesson breaks down every Fabric workload, explains how OneLake eliminates data duplication, and shows exactly where Power BI fits into the picture.