DP 700 Master Cheat Sheet
DP 700 Master Cheat Sheet
   •    Purpose: Spark workspaces provide an environment for developing and executing Spark
        applications within Microsoft Fabric. These settings control how Spark jobs are executed,
        resource allocation, and other crucial parameters.
o Cluster Configuration:
                    ▪   Node Count: Determine the number of nodes in your cluster. This impacts
                        processing power and cost.
o Spark Configuration:
o Security:
                    ▪   Access Control: Configure user permissions and access levels to control who
                        can create and execute Spark jobs within the workspace.
   •    Purpose: Domains in Microsoft Fabric provide a way to organize and manage resources,
        users, and data access within a workspace. Domain settings control how these resources are
        managed and secured.
o Data Governance:
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                    ▪   Data Lineage: Track the origin and transformations of data to improve data
                        quality and traceability.
                    ▪   Data Quality Rules: Implement rules to monitor and enforce data quality
                        standards.
o User Management:
                    ▪   Roles and Permissions: Define roles with specific permissions within the
                        domain, allowing for fine-grained access control.
                    ▪   User Groups: Create groups of users and assign them to specific roles or
                        permissions.
o Resource Management:
                    ▪   Cost Control: Monitor and control costs associated with resource usage
                        within the domain.
In Summary:
    •   Both Spark workspace settings and domain workspace settings play crucial roles in managing
        and optimizing data engineering workloads within Microsoft Fabric.
    •   Spark workspace settings focus on configuring the Spark environment for optimal job
        execution, while domain workspace settings focus on broader governance, security, and
        resource management aspects.
    •   By carefully configuring these settings, organizations can ensure efficient, secure, and cost-
        effective data processing within their Microsoft Fabric environment.
Note: These are general explanations. The specific configuration options and their impact may vary
depending on the version of Microsoft Fabric and your specific use case. Refer to the official
Microsoft Fabric documentation for the most up-to-date and detailed information.
    •   OneLake is Microsoft Fabric's unified data storage layer. It's a single, scalable, and secure
        repository for all your organization's data, regardless of its source or format.
                    ▪   External App Access: This setting allows or restricts access to OneLake data
                        by applications outside of the Microsoft Fabric environment.
                    ▪   Data Sync with OneLake File Explorer: Enables or disables the use of the
                        OneLake File Explorer, a tool for interacting with OneLake data.
• Key Considerations:
            o   Security: Carefully evaluate and configure external app access to ensure that only
                authorized applications can interact with your sensitive data.
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            o   Usability: Determine if the OneLake File Explorer is necessary for your organization's
                workflows and enable it accordingly.
   •    Data Workflows are the core of data processing and transformation within Microsoft Fabric.
        They orchestrate tasks like data ingestion, cleaning, transformation, and loading into target
        systems.
o Resource Allocation:
                    ▪   Storage Resources: Define storage limits and quotas for data used in
                        workflows.
                    ▪   Logging Level: Adjust the level of detail captured in logs for troubleshooting
                        and performance analysis.
• Key Considerations:
In Summary
Both OneLake and Data Workflow workspace settings play crucial roles in establishing a secure,
efficient, and reliable data environment within Microsoft Fabric. By carefully configuring these
settings, organizations can optimize data processing performance, enhance data security, and gain
better control over their data workflows.
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• Purpose:
o Track changes to your data engineering assets (pipelines, dataflows, notebooks, etc.).
o Improve code quality and maintainability through code reviews and history tracking.
o Fabric integrates seamlessly with Git repositories like GitHub and Azure DevOps.
            o   You can connect your Fabric workspace to a Git repository and synchronize your
                assets.
o Changes made in Fabric are reflected in the Git repository, and vice versa.
• Workflow:
        Connect to Git: Establish a connection between your Fabric workspace and the chosen Git
        repository.
Synchronize: Push changes from Fabric to Git or pull changes from Git to Fabric.
        Branching and Merging: Utilize Git branching strategies (e.g., GitFlow) for parallel
        development and feature releases.
        Code Reviews: Conduct code reviews within Git to ensure quality and adherence to best
        practices.
• Purpose:
            o   Define and manage database objects (tables, views, stored procedures, etc.) as a
                unit.
• Key Concepts:
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o Project File: A single file that contains all the database objects and their definitions.
            o   Build Process: The process of compiling and validating the project file, generating
                deployment scripts.
• Workflow:
Create a Project: Define a new database project and add the necessary database objects.
Develop and Test: Develop and test database objects within the project environment.
Deploy: Deploy the database objects to the target environment using the generated scripts.
        Version Control: Integrate database projects with version control systems (like Git) to track
        changes and enable rollbacks.
• Improved Collaboration: Enhanced teamwork and code sharing among data engineers.
• Better Code Quality: Improved code maintainability and adherence to best practices.
• Enhanced Control: Better tracking of changes and ability to rollback to previous versions.
In the context of Microsoft Fabric, deployment pipelines are a crucial mechanism for managing the
lifecycle of your data engineering solutions. They enable you to:
   •    Move items between workspaces: This includes dataflows, notebooks, datasets, and other
        artifacts.
   •    Control the flow of changes: Ensure that changes are thoroughly tested before being
        deployed to production environments.
• Reduce errors: Minimize the risk of human error during manual deployments.
1. Define Stages:
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2. Add Workspaces:
            o   Define conditions for successful deployment, such as passing unit tests or manual
                approvals.
4. Automate Deployments:
o Trigger deployments based on events, such as code check-ins or successful test runs.
Example Scenario:
Imagine you have a dataflow that extracts data from a source, transforms it, and loads it into a target
table. You can create a deployment pipeline with the following stages:
• Development: This is where you develop and test the dataflow locally.
    •   Staging: The dataflow is deployed to a staging environment that closely resembles the
        production environment.
    •   Production: The final deployment to the production environment where the dataflow
        processes real-time data.
• Improved Quality: Thorough testing in each stage reduces the risk of errors in production.
    •   Increased Efficiency: Automated deployments save time and effort compared to manual
        processes.
By effectively creating and configuring deployment pipelines, you can streamline your data
engineering workflows, improve the quality of your solutions, and accelerate the time to market for
your data-driven initiatives.
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Note: This is a general overview. Specific implementation details may vary depending on your
specific requirements and the complexity of your data engineering solutions.
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    •   Purpose: To control who can access and interact with a specific Microsoft Fabric workspace.
        This is the first layer of security.
• Methods:
              o   Workspace Roles: Assign predefined roles (e.g., Viewer, Contributor, Admin) to users
                  or groups. Each role has specific permissions within the workspace.
              o   Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) Integration: Leverage existing Azure AD groups
                  and roles for seamless access management.
              o   Custom Roles: Create custom roles with tailored permissions to fine-tune access for
                  specific needs.
    •   Purpose: To control access to individual items (e.g., datasets, pipelines, notebooks) within a
        workspace. This provides more granular security.
• Methods:
              o   Permissions on Items: Set permissions (e.g., Read, Write, Execute) on specific items
                  for individual users or groups.
              o   Data Classification: Apply sensitivity labels to data to enforce access controls based
                  on the sensitivity level.
              o   Dynamic Data Masking: Restrict access to sensitive data within tables or columns
                  based on user roles or other criteria.
In essence:
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    •   Workspace-level controls act as a broad gatekeeper, determining who can even enter the
        workspace.
    •   Item-level controls provide fine-grained control within the workspace, allowing you to
        specify who can access and perform specific actions on individual data assets.
By effectively implementing both workspace-level and item-level access controls, you can ensure that
your data remains secure and that only authorized users can access and work with it.
Microsoft Fabric provides robust security features to control access to data at various levels:
o Restricts access to specific rows within a table based on the user's role or attributes.
            o   Implemented using security predicates (e.g., WHERE clause in SQL) that filter data
                dynamically for each user.
o Example: A sales manager can only see sales data for their specific region.
            o   Prevents users from viewing sensitive information like social security numbers or
                credit card details.
            o   Configured using security policies that define which columns are visible to different
                user groups.
• Object-Level Security:
            o   Implemented through role-based access control (RBAC), where users are assigned
                roles with specific permissions on objects.
o Controls access to files and folders within the OneLake data lake.
            o   Leveraged through Azure Data Lake Storage permissions and integration with Azure
                Active Directory.
            o   Hides sensitive data from unauthorized users while allowing authorized users to see
                the full data.
            o   Implemented by masking sensitive data (e.g., credit card numbers, social security
                numbers) with placeholder characters (e.g., 'X') when accessed by users without the
                necessary permissions.
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            o   Helps protect sensitive data while still enabling data analysis and reporting for
                authorized users.
    •   Least Privilege Principle: Grant users only the minimum necessary permissions to perform
        their job duties.
    •   Regular Reviews: Regularly review and update access controls to ensure they remain aligned
        with business needs and security best practices.
    •   Data Classification: Classify data based on sensitivity levels (e.g., public, internal,
        confidential) to guide access control decisions.
    •   Monitoring and Auditing: Monitor access activities and audit logs to detect and respond to
        potential security threats.
• Enhanced Data Security: Protects sensitive data from unauthorized access and misuse.
    •   Improved Compliance: Helps organizations comply with data privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR,
        CCPA).
    •   Increased Trust and Confidence: Builds trust with customers and employees by
        demonstrating a commitment to data security.
    •   Improved Data Governance: Provides better control over data access and usage within the
        organization.
• Purpose:
• How to Apply:
o In Item Settings:
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• Key Considerations:
            o   Label Definitions: Clearly define the criteria for each sensitivity label within your
                organization.
            o   User Permissions: Ensure appropriate users have the necessary permissions to apply
                and modify sensitivity labels.
            o   Label Inheritance: Understand how labels are inherited from data sources and how
                downstream inheritance impacts labeling decisions.
• Purpose:
o Data Quality: Signify that an item has been reviewed and approved for use.
            o   Trust and Reliability: Build trust among users by indicating that an item is of high
                quality and can be relied upon.
• How to Endorse:
o Manual Endorsement:
o Automated Endorsement:
• Key Considerations:
o Endorsement Criteria: Establish clear and objective criteria for endorsing items.
            o   Version Control: Consider how endorsements are handled across different versions
                of an item.
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In Summary
Applying sensitivity labels and endorsing items are crucial for data governance and security within
Microsoft Fabric. By effectively implementing these features, organizations can:
Orchestrate processes
Choosing Between a Pipeline and a Notebook in Microsoft Fabric
In Microsoft Fabric, both pipelines and notebooks are valuable tools for data engineering tasks, but
they serve different purposes:
• Pipelines:
o Modularity: Break down large tasks into smaller, manageable units (activities).
o Reusability: Easily reuse and modify existing pipelines for different scenarios.
             o   Scheduling and Triggers: Built-in support for scheduling and triggering pipelines
                 based on events (e.g., file arrival, database changes).
• Notebooks:
             o   Flexibility: Support various languages (Python, Scala, SQL) and libraries for data
                 manipulation and analysis.
    •    Complex Workflows: When you need to orchestrate multiple steps, such as ingesting data
         from various sources, transforming it using different tools, and loading it into multiple
         destinations.
    •    Repetitive Tasks: For tasks that need to be executed regularly or triggered by external
         events.
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    •    Data Pipelines: To create robust and maintainable data pipelines that can be easily
         monitored and managed.
• Exploratory Data Analysis: For initial data exploration, cleaning, and transformation.
• Iterative Development: For tasks that require iterative development and refinement.
    •    Custom Analysis: When you need to perform custom analysis or use specialized libraries not
         readily available in pipeline activities.
In Microsoft Fabric, you can schedule pipelines and trigger them based on various events to
automate data processing tasks. Here's a breakdown:
Scheduling Pipelines:
• Start/End Time: Define a specific start and end time for the schedule.
Event-Based Triggers:
    •    File System Events: Trigger pipelines when files are added, modified, or deleted in specific
         locations (e.g., Azure Blob Storage, local file system).
    •    Database Events: Trigger pipelines when changes occur in databases (e.g., new rows
         inserted, data updated).
• Webhooks: Trigger pipelines in response to events from external systems via webhooks.
1. Create a Pipeline: Design and build your data pipeline using the desired activities.
2. Configure Triggers:
             o   Scheduled Triggers: In the pipeline settings, define the recurrence pattern, time
                 zone, and start/end time.
             o   Event-Based Triggers: Select the appropriate trigger type (e.g., file system, database)
                 and configure the event parameters.
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   3. Deploy and Monitor: Deploy the pipeline and monitor its execution to ensure it's running as
      expected.
Implement orchestration patterns with notebooks and pipelines, including parameters and
dynamic expressions
Orchestration Patterns
• What is Orchestration?
             o   In the context of data science and machine learning, orchestration refers to the
                 automated and coordinated execution of a series of tasks or processes. This can
                 involve:
             o   Reproducibility: Ensures that data science experiments can be reliably repeated with
                 the same results.
             o   Scalability: Allows for scaling data processing and model training to handle larger
                 datasets and increased demand.
• Notebooks:
o Advantages:
o Limitations:
• Pipelines:
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o Advantages:
o Examples:
1. granulate.io
granulate.io
• Parameters:
               o   Allow you to define configurable values that can be easily modified without changing
                   the underlying code.
o Examples:
▪ Data paths
▪ Model hyperparameters
▪ Resource configurations
               o   Enable you to easily experiment with different configurations and tune model
                   performance.
• Dynamic Expressions:
o Examples:
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    1. Data Ingestion: Define a pipeline step to extract data from a data source (e.g., Azure Blob
       Storage, SQL Database).
    2. Data Transformation: Include steps for data cleaning, preprocessing, and feature
       engineering.
    3. Model Training: Train a machine learning model using a chosen algorithm (e.g., scikit-learn,
       TensorFlow, PyTorch).
    4. Model Evaluation: Evaluate the trained model's performance using appropriate metrics (e.g.,
       accuracy, precision, recall).
    5. Model Deployment: Deploy the trained model to a suitable environment (e.g., Azure
       Container Instances, Azure Kubernetes Service).
    •    Azure Machine Learning Pipelines: Understand the core components of Azure Machine
         Learning Pipelines, including pipelines, components, datasets, and compute targets.
    •    Parameterization: Learn how to define and use parameters effectively within pipelines and
         components.
    •    Dynamic Expressions: Explore how to leverage dynamic expressions to create flexible and
         adaptable pipelines.
    •    Debugging and Monitoring: Understand how to debug pipeline executions and monitor
         pipeline performance.
In Summary
Orchestration plays a crucial role in streamlining and automating the machine learning lifecycle. By
effectively utilizing notebooks, pipelines, parameters, and dynamic expressions, data scientists can
build robust and efficient solutions that can be easily scaled and deployed in production
environments.
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            o   Definition: This involves loading the entire dataset from the source system into the
                data warehouse or data mart.
o Use Cases:
o Implementation:
                    ▪      Extract: Data is extracted from the source system using various methods like
                           database queries, APIs, file transfers (e.g., flat files, CSV), or ETL tools.
                    ▪      Load: Data is loaded into the target tables using efficient techniques like bulk
                           loading, parallel processing, and change data capture (CDC).
            o   Definition: This involves loading only the changes that have occurred in the source
                system since the last data load.
o Use Cases:
▪ Minimize data movement and processing time, especially for large datasets.
o Implementation:
                    ▪      Change Data Capture (CDC): Identify and capture changes in the source
                           system (insertions, updates, deletions) using techniques like:
                    ▪      Extract, Transform, Load (ETL): Process the captured changes and load them
                           into the target system.
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   •     Dimensional Modeling: A data warehousing technique that organizes data into two main
         types of tables:
             o   Dimension Tables: Store descriptive attributes about the facts (e.g., customer,
                 product, time, location).
o Data Cleansing:
                     ▪    Address data quality issues: Remove outliers, standardize data formats, and
                          ensure data accuracy.
o Data Transformation:
                     ▪    Data type conversions: Convert data types to match the target data
                          warehouse schema (e.g., strings to dates, integers to decimals).
o Conformance:
▪ Granularity: Ensure that the data is at the correct level of detail for analysis.
                     ▪    Accuracy: Ensure that the data is accurate and reflects the real-world
                          situation.
• Key Considerations:
o Data source characteristics: Analyze the structure and quality of the source data.
• ETL Tools: Informatica PowerCenter, Talend, SSIS (SQL Server Integration Services)
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By carefully designing and implementing full and incremental data loads, and by preparing data
effectively for a dimensional model, organizations can build robust and efficient data warehouses
that provide valuable insights for decision-making.
    •    Continuous Flow: Streaming data arrives in a continuous, real-time stream, unlike batch data
         which is processed in discrete chunks.
    •    High Volume & Velocity: Streaming data often involves high volumes of data arriving at rapid
         speeds.
    •    Low Latency Requirements: Many streaming applications require low latency processing to
         provide timely insights or react quickly to events.
1. Data Source:
            o   Identify the source of your streaming data (e.g., IoT devices, social media feeds,
                financial market data).
2. Data Ingestion:
                    ▪    Azure IoT Hub: Specifically designed for IoT device data, enabling
                         bidirectional communication and device management.
o Data Preprocessing:
3. Data Storage:
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                   ▪   Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2: Highly scalable and cost-effective for storing
                       large volumes of streaming data.
4. Data Processing:
o Stream Processing:
o Windowing Functions:
5. Data Consumption:
   2. Ingestion: Use Azure IoT Hub to ingest sensor data, perform initial data validation, and route
      data to an Event Hub.
3. Storage: Store the processed data in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2.
5. Consumption:
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o Feed the processed data to a machine learning model for predictive maintenance.
Key Considerations
• Scalability: Design a system that can handle increasing data volumes and velocities.
• Fault Tolerance: Implement mechanisms to ensure data reliability and recover from failures.
• Security: Secure your data pipelines and storage solutions to prevent unauthorized access.
    •    Monitoring: Continuously monitor your streaming data pipelines to identify and resolve
         issues.
By carefully designing and implementing a loading pattern for streaming data, you can effectively
leverage the power of real-time data to gain valuable insights and make data-driven decisions.
In the context of the DP-700 exam, which focuses on Microsoft Fabric, the choice of data store
depends heavily on the specific needs and characteristics of your data. Here are some key factors to
consider:
• Data Type:
             o   Semi-structured: Data with some structure but not strictly adhering to a fixed
                 schema (e.g., JSON, XML files).
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    •    Lakehouse: A unified storage layer combining the flexibility of a data lake with the structure
         of a data warehouse. Ideal for diverse data types, high volume, and various access patterns.
    •    Datamart: A smaller, focused data store for specific business needs. Provides faster query
         performance for targeted analyses.
The choice of transformation method depends on the complexity of the transformations, the skills of
your team, and the desired level of control and flexibility.
• Dataflows:
o Strengths:
o Use Cases:
• Notebooks:
o Strengths:
o Use Cases:
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• T-SQL:
o Strengths:
o Use Cases:
▪ Creating views and stored procedures for data access and manipulation.
In Summary:
   •     Carefully assess your data characteristics and business requirements to select the most
         appropriate data store.
   •     Choose the transformation method based on the complexity of the transformations, the
         skills of your team, and the desired level of control and flexibility.
   •     Consider using a combination of methods to leverage the strengths of each approach. For
         example, use dataflows for initial data preparation and then use notebooks or T-SQL for
         more advanced or custom transformations.
             o    In the context of data engineering, shortcuts within Microsoft Fabric provide a way
                  to quickly access and work with data located in various sources without physically
                  moving or copying the data itself.
             o    Reduced Storage Costs: Eliminating the need to store multiple copies of the same
                  data significantly reduces storage requirements.
             o    Increased Flexibility: Easily point shortcuts to different data sources as your needs
                  evolve, without affecting the underlying data.
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• Types of Shortcuts (may vary depending on the specific tools and technologies used):
            o   Linked Services: Connections to external data sources (e.g., databases, file systems)
                that allow you to query and access data without the need for data movement.
            o   Views: Virtual tables that provide a specific view or subset of data from a larger
                table.
            o   External Tables: Point to data stored in external formats (e.g., Parquet, Avro) and
                allow you to query them as if they were regular tables.
            o   Define the Source: Identify the location and format of the data you want to create a
                shortcut for.
            o   Establish Connectivity: Ensure you have the necessary permissions and credentials
                to access the source data.
            o   Create the Shortcut: Use the appropriate tools or interfaces within your data
                engineering environment (e.g., data catalog, data integration tools) to define the
                shortcut.
            o   Manage and Maintain: Regularly review and update shortcuts as data sources
                change or new requirements arise.
Implement Mirroring
            o   Changes made to the primary database are continuously replicated to the secondary
                server.
• Key Concepts:
            o   Secondary Database: The replica database that maintains an exact copy of the
                primary.
o Replication: The process of copying data changes from the primary to the secondary.
            o   Failover: The process of switching to the secondary database as the active database
                if the primary becomes unavailable.
            o   Disaster Recovery: Protect against data loss due to hardware failures, natural
                disasters, or other unforeseen events.
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             o   Configure Mirroring: Establish the connection between the primary and secondary
                 servers, configure replication settings (e.g., synchronization frequency, transaction
                 log shipping), and test failover procedures.
             o   Monitor and Maintain: Regularly monitor the mirroring process, ensure data
                 integrity, and perform necessary maintenance tasks (e.g., applying updates to both
                 servers).
Note: The specific implementation details and terminology may vary depending on the database
system (e.g., SQL Server, Oracle) and the chosen mirroring solution.
   •     Pipelines: In the context of data engineering, pipelines are automated workflows that
         orchestrate the movement and transformation of data from various sources to their
         destinations. They provide a structured way to define and execute data processing tasks.
• Key Concepts:
             o   Data Sources: Pipelines can ingest data from diverse sources, including databases
                 (relational and NoSQL), cloud storage (Azure Blob Storage, AWS S3), data lakes, APIs,
                 and more.
             o   Scheduling: Pipelines can be scheduled to run on a regular basis (e.g., daily, hourly)
                 or triggered by events (e.g., file arrival, API call).
• Benefits:
             o   Automation: Reduce manual effort and human error by automating data movement
                 and transformation tasks.
             o   Reliability: Ensure data quality and consistency by implementing data validation and
                 error handling mechanisms.
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             o   Modularity: Break down complex data pipelines into smaller, reusable components
                 for better maintainability.
             o   Traceability: Track data lineage and understand the origin and transformations of
                 data.
   •     Data Transformation: The process of converting raw data into a structured, clean, and usable
         format for analysis.
• Key Techniques:
o PySpark:
                     ▪   Optimized for fast and efficient querying of data stored in Azure Data
                         Explorer.
In Summary:
   •     Pipelines are essential for automating and managing data ingestion and transformation
         processes.
• PySpark, SQL, and KQL are powerful tools for transforming data within pipelines.
   •     The choice of tools and techniques depends on the specific data sources, transformation
         requirements, and target destinations.
Denormalize Data
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    •    Normalization: Involves organizing data into tables with minimal redundancy, often resulting
         in multiple tables linked by foreign keys.
    •    Denormalization: The process of adding redundant data to improve query performance and
         data retrieval speed.
When to Denormalize:
    •    Frequent Joins: If you frequently join tables, denormalization can reduce the number of joins
         needed, leading to faster query execution.
    •    Read-Heavy Workloads: When the primary focus is on reading data quickly, denormalization
         can be beneficial.
    •    Data Warehousing: Data warehouses often use denormalized structures (e.g., star schema)
         for efficient reporting and analysis.
Example:
Instead of having separate tables for Customers, Orders, and Order Details, you could combine
relevant information (customer name, order date, order details) into a single table.
    •    Grouping: Divides data into subsets based on specific criteria (e.g., grouping customers by
         region, orders by product category).
    •    Aggregation: Calculates summary statistics for each group (e.g., sum, average, count, min,
         max).
Example:
Calculate the total sales for each product category, the average order value for each customer, or the
number of orders placed in each month.
• Duplicates:
o Handling:
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                      ▪   Deduplication: Keep only the first occurrence or select the most recent
                          entry.
• Missing Data:
             o   Identification: Identify missing values using techniques like IS NULL or checking for
                 empty strings.
o Handling:
• Late-Arriving Data:
o Handling:
                      ▪   Change Data Capture: Track changes to source systems and apply them to
                          the target data store.
Key Considerations:
   •     Data Quality: Ensure data accuracy and consistency throughout the data engineering
         process.
• Performance: Optimize data transformations and storage for efficient query processing.
   •     Scalability: Design solutions that can handle growing data volumes and increasing processing
         demands.
In the context of the DP-700 exam (Implementing Data Engineering Solutions Using Microsoft Fabric),
the choice of streaming engine often revolves around Microsoft Fabric's own capabilities. Here's a
breakdown of key considerations:
             o   Spark Structured Streaming: This is a powerful and versatile engine within Fabric. It
                 leverages Apache Spark's distributed processing power to handle high-volume, real-
                 time data streams.
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                     ▪   Use Cases: Ideal for various streaming scenarios, including data ingestion
                         from IoT devices, social media feeds, and financial market data.
             o   Kusto Query Language (KQL): While primarily known for querying data in Azure Data
                 Explorer, KQL can also be used for stream processing within Fabric.
                     ▪   Use Cases: Suitable for stream processing tasks that involve filtering,
                         aggregation, and real-time analysis of streaming data.
             o   Data Volume and Velocity: High-volume, high-velocity streams might favor Spark
                 Structured Streaming for its scalability.
             o   Real-time Analytics Needs: If real-time insights are crucial, KQL's query capabilities
                 can be valuable.
             o   Integration with Other Fabric Components: Consider how the chosen engine will
                 interact with other parts of your Fabric solution, such as data lakes, data
                 warehouses, and machine learning models.
             o   Event Hubs Integration: Fabric can seamlessly integrate with Azure Event Hubs, a
                 highly scalable and reliable event ingestion service.
             o   Stream Processing with Spark or KQL: Once data is ingested into Event Hubs, you
                 can use Spark Structured Streaming or KQL within Fabric to process the incoming
                 stream.
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                                             SKILLCERTPRO
                     ▪   Data Loading: Load processed data into downstream systems like data lakes,
                         data warehouses, or real-time dashboards.
• Example Scenario:
                     ▪   Load the processed data into a data lake for further analysis or a data
                         warehouse for reporting.
   •     What it is: Spark Structured Streaming is a framework within Apache Spark designed for
         processing continuous streams of data. It extends the concepts of Spark SQL and DataFrames
         to handle real-time data.
• Key Concepts:
             o   Data Sources: Ingest data from various sources like Kafka, Kinesis, message queues,
                 or files.
             o   Exactly-Once Semantics: Ensure data is processed exactly once, even in the presence
                 of failures.
• Benefits:
             o   Ease of Use: Provides a high-level API for processing streaming data, making it easier
                 to develop and maintain streaming applications.
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   •     What it is: Kusto Query Language (KQL) is a powerful query language used in Azure Data
         Explorer and other Azure services like Log Analytics and Application Insights. It's designed for
         high-performance analytics on large volumes of time-series data.
• Key Features:
             o   Time Series Analysis: Excellent for analyzing data with timestamps, enabling time-
                 based aggregations, filtering, and visualizations.
             o   Flexibility: Supports a wide range of data types and offers a rich set of operators for
                 data manipulation and analysis.
• Use Cases:
             o   Log Analysis: Analyzing application logs, security logs, and system logs for
                 troubleshooting, monitoring, and security investigations.
             o   IoT Data Analysis: Processing and analyzing data from IoT devices, such as sensor
                 readings and telemetry data.
             o   Web Analytics: Analyzing website traffic logs to understand user behavior, identify
                 trends, and improve user experience.
   •     What it is: Windowing functions group data into time-based intervals or ranges, enabling
         calculations within those specific windows. This is crucial for analyzing streaming data where
         you need to aggregate or perform calculations over specific time periods.
• Types of Windows:
             o   Tumbling Window: Divides data into fixed-size, non-overlapping intervals (e.g., every
                 1 minute, every hour).
             o   Sliding Window: Divides data into overlapping intervals (e.g., a 5-minute window
                 sliding every 2 minutes).
• Applications:
             o   Calculating Metrics: Calculate metrics like average, sum, count, and other
                 aggregations within specific time windows.
             o   Detecting Anomalies: Identify unusual patterns or spikes in data within certain time
                 frames.
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             o   Real-time Monitoring: Track key performance indicators (KPIs) and monitor system
                 health in real-time.
In summary:
    •    Spark Structured Streaming is a powerful framework for processing real-time data streams
         with high throughput, fault tolerance, and scalability.
    •    KQL is a query language optimized for time-series data analysis, particularly useful for log
         analysis, IoT data processing, and operational monitoring.
    •    Windowing functions are essential for analyzing streaming data by grouping data into time-
         based intervals, enabling meaningful calculations and insights.
These concepts are fundamental for data engineers working with streaming data and building real-
time analytics solutions.
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• What it entails:
             o   Ensuring data is being ingested from various sources (databases, files, APIs, etc.) as
                 expected.
o Identifying and resolving any issues that might hinder the smooth flow of data.
• Key considerations:
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                                                SKILLCERTPRO
                     ▪      Identify any data quality issues at the source (e.g., missing values, incorrect
                            data types).
▪ Monitor data ingestion rates to ensure they align with expected volumes.
             o   Fabric Monitoring Tools: Utilize built-in monitoring features within Fabric to track
                 pipeline executions, identify errors, and view performance metrics.
             o   Logging and Monitoring Services: Integrate with external logging and monitoring
                 services (e.g., Azure Monitor, Splunk) for advanced analysis and alerting.
             o   Data Profiling: Use data profiling tools to analyze data characteristics and identify
                 potential issues.
• What it entails:
o Tracking the process of transforming raw data into a usable format for analysis.
• Key considerations:
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                                            SKILLCERTPRO
o Performance Monitoring:
o Lineage Tracking:
            o   Data Profiling: Perform data profiling on transformed data to assess its quality and
                identify potential issues.
            o   Data Lineage Tools: Utilize lineage tracking capabilities to understand the flow of
                data and the impact of transformations.
In summary:
Both data ingestion and transformation monitoring are crucial for ensuring the reliability, accuracy,
and efficiency of your data pipelines. By implementing effective monitoring strategies, you can
proactively identify and resolve issues, improve data quality, and optimize the performance of your
data engineering solutions in Microsoft Fabric.
            o   Refresh History: Directly within your Microsoft Fabric workspace, you can view the
                refresh history of a specific semantic model. This provides details like:
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             o   Monitor Hub: The Monitor hub offers a centralized view of all activities within your
                 workspace, including semantic model refreshes. You can filter and sort activities
                 based on various criteria, such as status, time, and more.
             o   Activity Output: Within the pipeline activity itself, you can view detailed output for
                 the semantic model refresh, including the status of individual tables and partitions.
Configure Alerts
   •     Purpose: Alerts proactively notify you of critical events related to your semantic model
         refreshes, such as failures or unexpected delays. This enables timely intervention and
         minimizes potential data quality issues.
• Configuration:
o Alert Rules: Define specific conditions that trigger alerts. For example:
                     ▪    Data Quality Issues: Trigger an alert if certain data quality checks (e.g., row
                          count discrepancies) fail during the refresh.
                     ▪    Azure Monitor: Integrate with Azure Monitor for more advanced alerting
                          and monitoring capabilities.
Key Considerations
   •     Monitoring Frequency: Determine how often you need to monitor refreshes based on the
         criticality of the data and your business requirements.
   •     Alert Thresholds: Carefully set alert thresholds to avoid excessive notifications while
         ensuring timely awareness of important issues.
   •     Root Cause Analysis: When an alert is triggered, investigate the root cause of the issue
         promptly to ensure quick resolution and prevent future occurrences.
   •     Proactive Issue Detection: Identify and address potential problems before they significantly
         impact data quality or downstream processes.
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                                             SKILLCERTPRO
    •    Improved Data Reliability: Ensure the accuracy and timeliness of your data by monitoring
         the success of refreshes.
• Faster Troubleshooting: Quickly pinpoint the source of issues and resolve them efficiently.
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    •    Pipelines in Microsoft Fabric orchestrate data movement and transformation tasks. They act
         as the backbone of data engineering workflows, connecting various data sources and
         destinations.
             o   Activity Logs: Examine detailed logs for each activity within a pipeline to pinpoint
                 the specific source of the error.
             o   Data Quality Issues: Address data inconsistencies, missing values, or incorrect data
                 types that might cause pipeline failures.
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             o   Debugging: Utilize debugging tools within the Fabric environment to step through
                 pipeline execution and identify the exact point of failure.
   •     Dataflows are a core component of data transformation within Fabric. They enable data
         cleansing, shaping, and enrichment using a visual interface.
             o   Data Preview: Inspect the data at various stages of the dataflow to identify
                 unexpected results or data quality issues.
             o   Transformation Logic: Review the transformation logic within each dataflow step to
                 ensure it is correct and aligns with business requirements.
             o   Error Handling: Utilize built-in error handling mechanisms within dataflows, such as
                 data validation rules and exception handling, to identify and address potential issues.
             o   Data Type Issues: Ensure data types are correctly defined and handled throughout
                 the dataflow.
Key Considerations:
   •     Proactive Error Prevention: Implement robust data quality checks, thorough testing, and
         version control to minimize the occurrence of errors.
   •     Root Cause Analysis: Investigate the root cause of errors to prevent recurrence and improve
         the overall data quality and reliability of your data pipelines.
   •     Documentation: Maintain clear and concise documentation of data pipelines and dataflows,
         including error handling procedures and troubleshooting steps.
   •     Notebooks in Microsoft Fabric are interactive environments where data scientists and
         engineers can write and execute code, visualize data, and collaborate on projects. They
         support various languages like Python, SQL, and Scala.
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                                             SKILLCERTPRO
o Runtime Errors: Issues that occur during code execution, such as:
                     ▪   Type Errors: Mismatched data types in operations (e.g., trying to add a string
                         to an integer).
             o   Logical Errors: The code runs without crashing but produces incorrect results due to
                 flaws in the algorithm or logic.
             o   Thorough Error Messages: Carefully read error messages. They often provide
                 valuable clues about the issue and the line of code where it occurred.
             o   Debugging Tools: Utilize debugging tools within the notebook environment (e.g.,
                 breakpoints, step-by-step execution) to inspect variables and identify the source of
                 the problem.
             o   Code Review: Carefully review the code for any potential issues, such as incorrect
                 variable names, missing or extra parentheses, or logical inconsistencies.
             o   Testing: Run tests on smaller subsets of data to isolate and pinpoint the source of
                 errors.
   •     Eventhouses in Microsoft Fabric are event-driven processing systems that react to real-time
         events from various sources (e.g., IoT devices, streaming platforms). They can trigger actions
         like running pipelines, sending notifications, or updating data stores.
             o   Action Execution Errors: Problems executing the actions associated with the event,
                 such as pipeline failures or service unavailability.
             o   Event Schema Mismatches: Inconsistent data structures between the event source
                 and the Eventhouse, leading to data processing errors.
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                                             SKILLCERTPRO
             o   Monitoring and Logging: Monitor event processing metrics and logs for signs of
                 errors or performance issues.
             o   Event Stream Inspection: Examine the raw event data to identify any anomalies or
                 inconsistencies.
             o   Trigger Verification: Verify that the trigger conditions are met and that the trigger is
                 configured correctly.
             o   Action Troubleshooting: Investigate the specific actions associated with the event to
                 identify and resolve any underlying issues.
             o   Event Schema Validation: Ensure that the event schema is correctly defined and that
                 all incoming events adhere to the schema.
   •     Error Handling: Implement robust error handling mechanisms within your code or workflows
         to gracefully handle unexpected situations and prevent cascading failures.
   •     Logging and Monitoring: Implement comprehensive logging and monitoring to track events,
         identify errors, and gain insights into system behavior.
   •     Testing and Validation: Thoroughly test your notebooks and eventhouses in different
         scenarios to identify and address potential issues before deployment.
   •     Continuous Improvement: Regularly review and refine your error handling and
         troubleshooting processes to improve the reliability and maintainability of your data
         engineering solutions.
• Understanding Eventstreams:
             o   Eventstreams are a core component of Azure Data Factory pipelines. They enable
                 real-time data ingestion and processing by capturing and streaming data changes
                 from various sources.
             o   They are crucial for building data pipelines that react quickly to real-time events,
                 such as IoT sensor data, financial transactions, and social media feeds.
o Connection Issues:
o Schema Mismatches:
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                    ▪   Data accumulates in the event stream, leading to delays and potential data
                        loss.
o Thorough Monitoring:
o Detailed Logging:
o Connection Verification:
o Schema Validation:
▪ Carefully review and validate the schema of the incoming data stream.
                    ▪   Use data mapping tools to ensure proper data transformation and avoid
                        schema mismatches.
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                                            SKILLCERTPRO
o Resource Throttling:
• Understanding T-SQL:
            o   T-SQL (Transact-SQL) is the standard language for accessing and manipulating data in
                SQL Server and other relational databases.
            o   It is used extensively in Data Factory pipelines for data transformation, data loading,
                and other data manipulation tasks.
o Syntax Errors:
o Semantic Errors:
▪ Logical errors in the SQL code, such as incorrect joins, filters, or aggregations.
o Access Violations:
o Deadlocks:
                    ▪   Two or more transactions are waiting for each other to release resources,
                        resulting in a deadlock.
o Thorough Testing:
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▪ Use unit tests and integration tests to validate the correctness of the code.
o Error Messages:
▪ Carefully examine the error messages generated by the SQL Server engine.
                     ▪   Error messages often provide valuable clues about the source of the
                         problem.
o Debugging Tools:
                     ▪   Utilize debugging tools to step through the T-SQL code line by line and
                         identify the source of errors.
o Code Reviews:
▪ Conduct code reviews to identify potential issues and improve code quality.
o Database Documentation:
o Performance Tuning:
   •     Data Factory Monitoring: Leverage Data Factory monitoring tools to track pipeline
         executions, identify bottlenecks, and troubleshoot issues.
   •     Debugging Tools: Utilize debugging tools provided by Data Factory to step through pipeline
         executions and inspect data flow.
   •     Best Practices: Adhere to best practices for data integration and data quality to minimize the
         occurrence of errors.
pg. 41
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Optimize performance
Optimize a Lakehouse Table
• Data Partitioning:
             o   Purpose: Divide large tables into smaller, more manageable chunks based on a
                 specific column (e.g., date, region).
o Benefits:
• Data Caching:
o Purpose: Store frequently accessed data in a faster storage tier (e.g., memory, SSD).
o Benefits:
                     ▪    Minimizes the need to read data from slower storage, improving overall
                          performance.
• Data Compression:
o Benefits:
• Data Skipping:
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                                              SKILLCERTPRO
o Purpose: Allow the query engine to quickly identify and skip irrelevant data.
o Benefits:
• Columnar Storage:
o Benefits:
• Data Indexing:
o Benefits:
Optimize a Pipeline
o Purpose: Identify and address data quality issues early in the pipeline.
o Benefits:
            o   Use Efficient Algorithms: Choose algorithms that are optimized for the specific data
                and processing requirements.
            o   Error Handling and Recovery: Implement robust error handling and recovery
                mechanisms to minimize downtime.
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                                             SKILLCERTPRO
             o   Monitor Pipeline Performance: Track key metrics (e.g., execution time, resource
                 utilization) to identify bottlenecks.
   •     Workload Characteristics: Understand the specific workloads that will be running on the
         lakehouse and the pipeline. This includes query patterns, data volumes, and performance
         requirements.
   •     Cost-Benefit Analysis: Evaluate the cost and benefits of each optimization technique. Choose
         the techniques that provide the greatest performance improvement for the given
         investment.
• Data Modeling:
             o   Star Schema: Design your data warehouse around a central fact table and multiple
                 dimension tables. This normalized structure improves query performance and data
                 analysis.
• Data Loading:
             o   Incremental Loads: Load only changed data instead of the entire dataset each time.
                 This significantly reduces loading time and processing overhead.
• Data Partitioning:
             o   Hash Partitioning: Distribute data evenly across multiple partitions based on a hash
                 of a column value.
• Data Compression:
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                                           SKILLCERTPRO
• Indexing:
• Query Optimization:
            o   Analyze Query Plans: Use query execution plans to identify performance bottlenecks
                and optimize queries accordingly.
            o   Caching: Utilize query caching to store frequently executed queries and their results,
                reducing the need to re-execute them.
• Event Processing:
            o   Change Data Capture (CDC): Capture changes to data sources and stream them to
                the event stream for real-time processing.
            o   Indexing: Create indexes on frequently queried fields in the event house to improve
                query performance.
            o   Data Partitioning: Partition data in the event house based on relevant attributes to
                improve query performance and scalability.
• Query Optimization:
            o   Use Kusto Query Language (KQL): Leverage KQL's powerful features, such as
                filtering, aggregation, and joins, to efficiently query event data.
            o   Optimize Queries: Analyze query execution plans and optimize queries to minimize
                resource utilization and improve performance.
Key Considerations:
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                                             SKILLCERTPRO
   •     Monitoring: Continuously monitor the performance of your data warehouse and event
         streams to identify and address any issues.
• Data Modeling:
             o   Star Schema: Design your data warehouse around a central fact table and multiple
                 dimension tables. This normalized structure improves query performance and data
                 analysis.
• Data Loading:
             o   Incremental Loads: Load only changed data instead of the entire dataset each time.
                 This significantly reduces loading time and processing overhead.
• Data Partitioning:
             o   Hash Partitioning: Distribute data evenly across multiple partitions based on a hash
                 of a column value.
• Data Compression:
• Indexing:
• Query Optimization:
             o   Analyze Query Plans: Use query execution plans to identify performance bottlenecks
                 and optimize queries accordingly.
             o   Caching: Utilize query caching to store frequently executed queries and their results,
                 reducing the need to re-execute them.
pg. 46
                                           SKILLCERTPRO
• Event Processing:
            o   Change Data Capture (CDC): Capture changes to data sources and stream them to
                the event stream for real-time processing.
            o   Indexing: Create indexes on frequently queried fields in the event house to improve
                query performance.
            o   Data Partitioning: Partition data in the event house based on relevant attributes to
                improve query performance and scalability.
• Query Optimization:
            o   Use Kusto Query Language (KQL): Leverage KQL's powerful features, such as
                filtering, aggregation, and joins, to efficiently query event data.
            o   Optimize Queries: Analyze query execution plans and optimize queries to minimize
                resource utilization and improve performance.
Key Considerations:
   •     Monitoring: Continuously monitor the performance of your data warehouse and event
         streams to identify and address any issues.
pg. 47
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pg. 48