Integration with Azure Synapse Analytics
Learn how to connect Microsoft Dataverse and Power Platform with Azure Synapse Analytics to create advanced data analysis and backend integration solutions.
What is Azure Synapse Analytics
Azure Synapse Analytics is a cloud enterprise analytics service that combines data warehousing, big data, and integration capabilities. Built on Microsoft Azure, it merges components such as Azure Data Lake, Azure SQL, Apache Spark, Data Explorer, and Pipelines, providing a unified platform for processing, transforming, and analyzing large volumes of data from Microsoft Dataverse and other sources.
Its native integration with Power Platform enables near real-time analytics, business intelligence, and machine learning scenarios directly based on business data managed within Dataverse.
Integration architecture between Dataverse and Synapse
The integration between Microsoft Dataverse and Azure Synapse Analytics is achieved through the Azure Synapse Link for Dataverse. This service allows replication of data from Dataverse to Azure Data Lake and optionally to a Synapse workspace, keeping the data synchronized in near real time.
To configure this integration, an Azure subscription is required that includes at least:
- An Azure Storage Account with hierarchical namespace enabled.
- An Azure Synapse Analytics Workspace in the same region as Dataverse.
Once the services are configured, the administrator can activate the link from the Power Apps Maker Portal, selecting the Dataverse tables to synchronize.
The synchronization flow ensures that Dataverse data is replicated to Azure Data Lake, where Synapse can access it via SQL or Spark queries for analysis and complex integrations.
Pipelines and transformations with Azure Data Factory
To extend the integration process, Azure Data Factory can be used as a cloud ETL tool to orchestrate data transfer from Azure Data Lake to Azure SQL Database or Azure Cosmos DB. This approach allows you to build automated and scalable data pipelines.
A typical solution includes:
- Azure Synapse Link for Dataverse data replication.
- Azure Data Lake for temporary data storage.
- Azure Data Factory pipelines and triggers for transformation.
- Azure SQL Database or Cosmos DB as the final destination.
This architecture supports real-time or near-real-time scenarios, with data updates every 15 minutes, ensuring consistency and availability for analytics and reporting.
Using Apache Spark and Power BI
Within Azure Synapse, the Apache Spark engine enables parallel data transformation and analysis. You can write Spark notebooks in SQL, Python, or Scala to aggregate, filter, and analyze data from Dataverse. Results can be saved as permanent tables or interactive visualizations.
For more details, see Microsoft’s official documentation at Apache Spark in Synapse Analytics.
Once processed, Power BI can connect directly to the Synapse workspace using the “Azure Synapse Analytics SQL” or “Azure Synapse Analytics workspace” connectors. This enables the creation of high-performance dashboards and reports without loading data directly from Dataverse.
Backend integration benefits
Integrating Dataverse with Azure Synapse Analytics allows centralizing analytics and improving backend performance. Key benefits include:
- Reduced Dataverse load thanks to asynchronous data replication.
- Access to large volumes of data for advanced analytics and Machine Learning.
- Automatic scalability and centralized resource management.
- Ability to combine data from multiple enterprise sources.
- Direct integration with Power BI and Azure AI tools.
Frequently Asked Questions about Azure Synapse Link for Dataverse
Which Dataverse tables can be replicated?
Only tables with the track changes feature enabled can be integrated through Azure Synapse Link. This setting allows tracking changes and maintaining incremental synchronization.
Is Azure Synapse required to use the link?
No, the integration can be configured only with Azure Data Lake. However, adding Synapse Analytics allows leveraging advanced analytical features and direct SQL queries.
How often are replicated data updated?
Data replication occurs almost in real time, with updates approximately every 15 minutes, ensuring that Azure data remains consistent with Dataverse.
Want to integrate Dataverse with Synapse?
Esamatic can guide you in designing and implementing a modern, scalable data pipeline by integrating Dataverse with Azure Synapse Analytics to achieve real-time data insights.