Figuring Out Fabric: Learn Fabric in 30 minutes. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 17:02:05 -0400 https://sqlgene.com en-us © 2026 SQLGene Training, LLC yes 38025dda-5e93-5257-8015-2d65fc02ca57 Eugene Meidinger episodic false Each week I’ll be interviewing experts and users alike on their experience with Fabric, warts and all. I can guarantee that we’ll have voices you aren’t used to and perspectives you won’t expect.

Each episode will be 30 minutes long with a single topic, so you can listen during your commute or while you exercise. Skip the topics you aren’t interested in. This will be a podcast that respects your time and your intelligence. No 2 hour BS sessions.

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Power BI, Microsoft Fabric Eugene Meidinger https://storage.buzzsprout.com/xb24axmqxgh6ntiurjx98xqilhw9?.jpg Figuring Out Fabric: Learn Fabric in 30 minutes. https://sqlgene.com Eugene Meidinger Ep. 28 Getting the Badge vs. Actually Learning Fabric Ep. 28 Getting the Badge vs. Actually Learning Fabric In this episode Aleksi Partanen about certifications, learning Fabric, and community. We talk about the Fabric certs and how much value they do or do not provide. We talk about community and motivations for being involved and cultivating communities.

YouTube: Aleksi Partanen – Master Microsoft Fabric
Fabric Forge: skool.com/fabricforge
CertiAce: certiace.com
Subreddit mentioned in the episode: r/MicrosoftFabric

]]> In this episode Aleksi Partanen about certifications, learning Fabric, and community. We talk about the Fabric certs and how much value they do or do not provide. We talk about community and motivations for being involved and cultivating communities.

YouTube: Aleksi Partanen – Master Microsoft Fabric
Fabric Forge: skool.com/fabricforge
CertiAce: certiace.com
Subreddit mentioned in the episode: r/MicrosoftFabric

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-19653793 Mon, 17 Aug 2026 06:00:00 -0400 1586 1 28 full false Ep. 27 Fabric Pipelines vs. Dataflows vs. Notebooks Ep. 27 Fabric Pipelines vs. Dataflows vs. Notebooks Fatima Jallow, a data consultant based in Stockholm, helps us understand data movement in Fabric and when to use pipelines and dataflows. We talk about how pipelines specialize in orchestration. She shares with us her journey from executive assistant to data architect. Finally she talks about some challenges building a metadata-driven pipeline in Fabric from scratch.

Resources

]]> Fatima Jallow, a data consultant based in Stockholm, helps us understand data movement in Fabric and when to use pipelines and dataflows. We talk about how pipelines specialize in orchestration. She shares with us her journey from executive assistant to data architect. Finally she talks about some challenges building a metadata-driven pipeline in Fabric from scratch.

Resources

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-19517154 Tue, 04 Aug 2026 16:00:00 -0400 1840 1 28 full true Ep 26. - Balancing keeping up with old and new tech Ep 26. - Balancing keeping up with old and new tech Simon Sabin talks about how SQL Bits picks sessions when the data world keeps splintering into more tools. We talk about the tension between Fabric and the older stack people still use at work, and why session selection has to cover both. We also talk about why discernment is the skill you need with AI, since the model is an "automated idiot" and you have to catch when it's wrong. Power Query's declarative engine comes up too, along with the pub quizzes and board game nights SQL Bits runs so introverts can actually meet people.

Resources

]]> Simon Sabin talks about how SQL Bits picks sessions when the data world keeps splintering into more tools. We talk about the tension between Fabric and the older stack people still use at work, and why session selection has to cover both. We also talk about why discernment is the skill you need with AI, since the model is an "automated idiot" and you have to catch when it's wrong. Power Query's declarative engine comes up too, along with the pub quizzes and board game nights SQL Bits runs so introverts can actually meet people.

Resources

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-19284423 Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:00:00 -0400 2000 1 26 full false Ep. 25 - Python Notebooks Ep. 25 - Python Notebooks Sandeep Pawar talks about Python notebooks in Microsoft Fabric and why Power BI developers should learn them. We talk about semantic link as the entry point for Power BI developers into Python, and how notebooks open up solutions for orchestration, monitoring, and administration that are hard to do any other way. We also talk about PySpark, and why understanding Spark internals matters just as much as writing the code.

Links

]]> Sandeep Pawar talks about Python notebooks in Microsoft Fabric and why Power BI developers should learn them. We talk about semantic link as the entry point for Power BI developers into Python, and how notebooks open up solutions for orchestration, monitoring, and administration that are hard to do any other way. We also talk about PySpark, and why understanding Spark internals matters just as much as writing the code.

Links

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-18518504 Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:00:00 -0400 2058 full false Ep. 24 Fabric Community Ep. 24 Fabric Community In this episode, Shannon Lindsay from the Microsoft Community team joins me to talk about, well, community! We talk about her trajectory from non-profit space, to Power BI developer, to Microsoft employee. We go over how social media is fragmented and the joy of finding your friends.

]]> In this episode, Shannon Lindsay from the Microsoft Community team joins me to talk about, well, community! We talk about her trajectory from non-profit space, to Power BI developer, to Microsoft employee. We go over how social media is fragmented and the joy of finding your friends.

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-18281434 Wed, 03 Dec 2025 10:00:00 -0500 1914 1 24 full false Ep. 23. Dealing with Fabric Overwhelm Ep. 23. Dealing with Fabric Overwhelm In this episode, Shabnam Watson talks about dealing with Fabric overwhelm and how her bureaucratic experiences with Azure and Synapse motivated her to learn Fabric. She talks about how it's important to focus on finding a way that works with the tool instead of finding the "best" way. In general, the best lesson is to find ways to tie your new learning. We also touch on the DP-600/DP-700 certifications.

]]> In this episode, Shabnam Watson talks about dealing with Fabric overwhelm and how her bureaucratic experiences with Azure and Synapse motivated her to learn Fabric. She talks about how it's important to focus on finding a way that works with the tool instead of finding the "best" way. In general, the best lesson is to find ways to tie your new learning. We also touch on the DP-600/DP-700 certifications.

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-18277882 Mon, 01 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0500 1867 1 23 full false Ep. 22 Making Fabric Feel Like Home Ep. 22 Making Fabric Feel Like Home In this episode, Microsoft MVP Prathy K talks about her journey into Microsoft Fabric from her MSBI background. She explains how Fabric felt like "coming home" since she could map SSIS, SSRS, and SSAS concepts to new tools. We discuss how medallion architecture is really just rebranded data warehousing layers and why Fabric can feel overwhelming if you haven't kept up with the big data world.

]]> In this episode, Microsoft MVP Prathy K talks about her journey into Microsoft Fabric from her MSBI background. She explains how Fabric felt like "coming home" since she could map SSIS, SSRS, and SSAS concepts to new tools. We discuss how medallion architecture is really just rebranded data warehousing layers and why Fabric can feel overwhelming if you haven't kept up with the big data world.

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-18135725 Wed, 05 Nov 2025 10:00:00 -0500 1817 1 22 full false Ep. 21 - Reverse interview, should you switch to Microsoft Fabric? Ep. 21 - Reverse interview, should you switch to Microsoft Fabric? In this episode, Microsoft MVP Angela Henry asks me questions about Microsoft Fabric. We compare the current Fabric development timeline to the old Power BI development timeline. I talk about when Fabric makes the most sense, in my personal opinion. It was a surprise this episode to hear about SSRS.

]]> In this episode, Microsoft MVP Angela Henry asks me questions about Microsoft Fabric. We compare the current Fabric development timeline to the old Power BI development timeline. I talk about when Fabric makes the most sense, in my personal opinion. It was a surprise this episode to hear about SSRS.

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-17781559 Wed, 03 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0400 1833 full false Ep. 20 - Power BI Accessibility Ep. 20 - Power BI Accessibility In this episode, Juliana Smith talks about accessibility in Power BI. She talks about starting out as a data scientist and moving to Power BI. We talk about how impairments can be temporary or varied and how accessibility helps everyone. We discuss simple, low-effort changes like font sizes, labels, and color contrast.

]]> In this episode, Juliana Smith talks about accessibility in Power BI. She talks about starting out as a data scientist and moving to Power BI. We talk about how impairments can be temporary or varied and how accessibility helps everyone. We discuss simple, low-effort changes like font sizes, labels, and color contrast.

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-17703844 Wed, 20 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0400 1629 1 20 full false Ep. 19 - Getting into Microsoft Fabric Ep. 19 - Getting into Microsoft Fabric In this episode, Heidi Hastings joins to discuss the practical realities of adopting Microsoft Fabric. We cover her early exposure to Fabric through the MVP preview, the challenges of understanding and implementing it across real-world projects, and the often-overlooked learning curve for newcomers. 

Heidi shares insights into common misconceptions driven by marketing materials, gaps in documentation, and the difficulty of navigating architectural decisions like Lakehouse vs. Warehouse. 

Links

]]> In this episode, Heidi Hastings joins to discuss the practical realities of adopting Microsoft Fabric. We cover her early exposure to Fabric through the MVP preview, the challenges of understanding and implementing it across real-world projects, and the often-overlooked learning curve for newcomers. 

Heidi shares insights into common misconceptions driven by marketing materials, gaps in documentation, and the difficulty of navigating architectural decisions like Lakehouse vs. Warehouse. 

Links

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-17624296 Wed, 06 Aug 2025 09:00:00 -0400 2141 1 19 full false Ep. 18 - SQL DB on Fabric Ep. 18 - SQL DB on Fabric In this episode, Sukhwant Kaur the PM for SQL DBs in Fabric, talks about the new feature. She talks about how management is much easier, which is great for experimentation. SQL DBs are very popular for metadata pipelines and similar. It’s exciting as a way to enable writeback and curated data storage for Power BI. We also talked about AI features and workload management.

Links

]]> In this episode, Sukhwant Kaur the PM for SQL DBs in Fabric, talks about the new feature. She talks about how management is much easier, which is great for experimentation. SQL DBs are very popular for metadata pipelines and similar. It’s exciting as a way to enable writeback and curated data storage for Power BI. We also talked about AI features and workload management.

Links

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-17587644 Wed, 30 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0400 1948 full false Ep. 17 - Fabric Notebooks Ep. 17 - Fabric Notebooks In this episode, we talk with Emilie Rønning about notebooks. We talk about how notebooks can be used for data engineering and when to get started with them. One of the nice things about notebooks is that you can easily debug individual steps instead of having to search a whole script for an error. We also discuss when to learn notebooks. Near the end we talk about how exporting notebooks risks exfiltrating data.

Links

]]> In this episode, we talk with Emilie Rønning about notebooks. We talk about how notebooks can be used for data engineering and when to get started with them. One of the nice things about notebooks is that you can easily debug individual steps instead of having to search a whole script for an error. We also discuss when to learn notebooks. Near the end we talk about how exporting notebooks risks exfiltrating data.

Links

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-17551305 Wed, 23 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0400 1763 1 17 full false Ep. 16 - Administering Fabric Ep. 16 - Administering Fabric In this episode, Elayne Jones talks about being an expert reference for the IT Center of Excellence and about administering Fabric. We talk about the types of things that can be administered and some of the challenges.

]]> In this episode, Elayne Jones talks about being an expert reference for the IT Center of Excellence and about administering Fabric. We talk about the types of things that can be administered and some of the challenges.

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-17514804 Wed, 16 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0400 1549 1 16 full false Ep. 15 - Fabric or Databricks Ep. 15 - Fabric or Databricks In this episode, Meagan Longoria talks about Databricks and helps us compare it to Fabric. The general conclusions is Databricks is still the mature tool, but Fabric is making improvements. 

In reality, there is space for a hybrid approach and if you have to start somewhere with Fabric, it likely makes sense to start with Power BI and work your way back, where this value. We also talk about how the way Fabric is structured can sometimes lead to messy workspaces.

Links

]]> In this episode, Meagan Longoria talks about Databricks and helps us compare it to Fabric. The general conclusions is Databricks is still the mature tool, but Fabric is making improvements. 

In reality, there is space for a hybrid approach and if you have to start somewhere with Fabric, it likely makes sense to start with Power BI and work your way back, where this value. We also talk about how the way Fabric is structured can sometimes lead to messy workspaces.

Links

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-17476921 Wed, 09 Jul 2025 09:00:00 -0400 2112 1 15 full false Ep. 14 Changing Data Culture Ep. 14 Changing Data Culture In this episode, Ewa Hutmacher talks about driving change and changing cultures in a organization. I think it’s fair to say that adjusting to Fabric and centralizing your data is a big organizational change. It was new to me to hear there are ways to track and monitor organizational change.

]]> In this episode, Ewa Hutmacher talks about driving change and changing cultures in a organization. I think it’s fair to say that adjusting to Fabric and centralizing your data is a big organizational change. It was new to me to hear there are ways to track and monitor organizational change.

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-17369143 Wed, 02 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0400 2413 1 14 full false Ep 13. Power BI, Your First Job, and the PL-300 Ep 13. Power BI, Your First Job, and the PL-300 In this episode, Evelyn talks about getting certified in the Tableau and Power BI. We talk a little a bit about how each is different. For her, BI was an ideal career because it was in the middle of her two passions: art and IT. We also discuss getting her first job and studying for the PL-300.

]]> In this episode, Evelyn talks about getting certified in the Tableau and Power BI. We talk a little a bit about how each is different. For her, BI was an ideal career because it was in the middle of her two passions: art and IT. We also discuss getting her first job and studying for the PL-300.

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-17023651 Wed, 25 Jun 2025 10:00:00 -0400 1929 1 13 full false Ep. 12 - Power BI, Data Viz, and Solving the Right Problem Ep. 12 - Power BI, Data Viz, and Solving the Right Problem T. from Data Rocks talks about how data viz is a tiny subset of information design. The key is to focus less on just charts, but more about how the data is communicated and received. We talk about how what the user does with it separates a pile of charts from a successful design flow. I found this conversation helpful to understand it means to be good at data viz.

Links

]]> T. from Data Rocks talks about how data viz is a tiny subset of information design. The key is to focus less on just charts, but more about how the data is communicated and received. We talk about how what the user does with it separates a pile of charts from a successful design flow. I found this conversation helpful to understand it means to be good at data viz.

Links

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-16979780 Mon, 14 Apr 2025 22:00:00 -0400 1817 1 12 full false Ep. 11 - Data Science, Career Paths, Learning Fabric Ep. 11 - Data Science, Career Paths, Learning Fabric In this episode, Steph Locke covers a wild career from data science consultant to startup owner to Microsoft manager. We talk about what’s required to work in data science. We also talk about the interaction of large language models and coding. Finally, we talk about adjusting to Power BI and Fabric.

Links


]]> In this episode, Steph Locke covers a wild career from data science consultant to startup owner to Microsoft manager. We talk about what’s required to work in data science. We also talk about the interaction of large language models and coding. Finally, we talk about adjusting to Power BI and Fabric.

Links


]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-16934401 Mon, 07 Apr 2025 18:00:00 -0400 2319 full false Ep. 10: Fabric and Instructional Design Ep. 10: Fabric and Instructional Design In this episode with Ellen Burns-Johnson, we talk about when we worked on a cloud game for Azure Synapse, ADF, Power BI. A big lesson learned from that is a big challenge today for Fabric is getting different teams and personas to communicate with each other; it's not just about the technology. Ellen's first impression is "it seems like Microsoft is trying to 'product away' the communication layer". 

Links

]]> In this episode with Ellen Burns-Johnson, we talk about when we worked on a cloud game for Azure Synapse, ADF, Power BI. A big lesson learned from that is a big challenge today for Fabric is getting different teams and personas to communicate with each other; it's not just about the technology. Ellen's first impression is "it seems like Microsoft is trying to 'product away' the communication layer". 

Links

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-16877352 Mon, 31 Mar 2025 12:00:00 -0400 2254 1 10 full false Ep. 9 - Fabric in Government Ep. 9 - Fabric in Government In this Episode Els Van Vessem talks about the challenges of implementing Fabric in the government. In it they talk about doing proof of concepts with Fabric and the limitations when your data is confidential, protected and on-premises. Data sovereignty often means sticking to a hybrid approach. We also discuss the challenges of similarly named products with slight differences.

Links

]]> In this Episode Els Van Vessem talks about the challenges of implementing Fabric in the government. In it they talk about doing proof of concepts with Fabric and the limitations when your data is confidential, protected and on-premises. Data sovereignty often means sticking to a hybrid approach. We also discuss the challenges of similarly named products with slight differences.

Links

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-16855124 Tue, 25 Mar 2025 01:00:00 -0400 2108 1 9 full false Ep 8. CI/CD in Fabric Ep 8. CI/CD in Fabric Apologies for the audio; I stupidly forgot to double check my mic this episode.

In this episode, Erin Dempster gives us an outside view of fabric focused on CI/CD. We talk about both deployment pipelines and devops pipelines and how she uses both tools in concert. This episode is interesting because it touches on the challenges of integrating a variety of data sources for an insurance company and using CI/Cd to keep everything in sync.

]]> Apologies for the audio; I stupidly forgot to double check my mic this episode.

In this episode, Erin Dempster gives us an outside view of fabric focused on CI/CD. We talk about both deployment pipelines and devops pipelines and how she uses both tools in concert. This episode is interesting because it touches on the challenges of integrating a variety of data sources for an insurance company and using CI/Cd to keep everything in sync.

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-16806883 Mon, 17 Mar 2025 12:00:00 -0400 1773 1 8 full false Ep. 7 - Semantic Link and Semantic Link Labs Ep. 7 - Semantic Link and Semantic Link Labs In this episode, Stephanie Bruno talks about semantic link and semantic link labs, which allow you to better manage your Power BI resources with Fabric notebooks. Semantic allows you to query and work directly with your semantic model. Semantic Link Labs allows you to automate running the best practices analyzer against your model. I've heard nothing but great things about it.

Links

]]> In this episode, Stephanie Bruno talks about semantic link and semantic link labs, which allow you to better manage your Power BI resources with Fabric notebooks. Semantic allows you to query and work directly with your semantic model. Semantic Link Labs allows you to automate running the best practices analyzer against your model. I've heard nothing but great things about it.

Links

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-16724629 Mon, 03 Mar 2025 10:00:00 -0500 1733 full false Ep 6. Scouting out Fabric Ep 6. Scouting out Fabric In this episode, Krystina Mishra talks about being an accidental Fabric admin. She talks about the challenges of being part of a centralized IT team that operational and business teams. She talks about the challenges of how everything with Dynamics 365 is slightly different than every other data source and how everything is convoluted with Synapse. She also talks about how there are nuanced differences between a P1 and an F64.

Links



]]> In this episode, Krystina Mishra talks about being an accidental Fabric admin. She talks about the challenges of being part of a centralized IT team that operational and business teams. She talks about the challenges of how everything with Dynamics 365 is slightly different than every other data source and how everything is convoluted with Synapse. She also talks about how there are nuanced differences between a P1 and an F64.

Links



]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-16682462 Mon, 24 Feb 2025 08:00:00 -0500 2149 1 6 full false Ep. 5 - Realtime Intelligence Ep. 5 - Realtime Intelligence In this Episode, Frank Geisler explains Realtime Intelligence in Microsoft Fabric. We learn how RTI is its own thing in Fabric and is not directly backed by Parquet like a Lakehouse is. We also dig into the distinction between real-time analytics and real-time intelligence. The latter is not just reporting but being able to trigger activity based on it.

Links

]]> In this Episode, Frank Geisler explains Realtime Intelligence in Microsoft Fabric. We learn how RTI is its own thing in Fabric and is not directly backed by Parquet like a Lakehouse is. We also dig into the distinction between real-time analytics and real-time intelligence. The latter is not just reporting but being able to trigger activity based on it.

Links

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-16642110 Mon, 17 Feb 2025 19:00:00 -0500 2010 1 5 full false Ep 4. Fabric Lakehouse versus Warehouse Ep 4. Fabric Lakehouse versus Warehouse In this episode, Ginger Grant talks about the differences between warehouse and lakehouses in Fabric. We talk about how Warehouses make more sense if you are doing a lot of ad-hoc querying. In most other cases, Lakehouse will be easier and fewer steps.

Links

]]> In this episode, Ginger Grant talks about the differences between warehouse and lakehouses in Fabric. We talk about how Warehouses make more sense if you are doing a lot of ad-hoc querying. In most other cases, Lakehouse will be easier and fewer steps.

Links

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-16595463 Mon, 10 Feb 2025 10:00:00 -0500 1907 1 4 full false Ep 3. Extracting Data from Legacy Systems Ep 3. Extracting Data from Legacy Systems In this episode, Kellyn Gorman talks about the challenges of getting data out of legacy systems (i.e. relational data bases) into Fabric. She explains that whoever hosts the data wins. She talks about often content talks about the golden path or focuses on the marketing content, but it's much rarer to see content that deals with the difficult edge cases.

We talk about how despite being Software as a Service, in order to learn Fabric you will need to learn networking, authentication, and infrastructure more broadly. We talk about how it's impossible to completely get away from hardware and infrastructure.

]]> In this episode, Kellyn Gorman talks about the challenges of getting data out of legacy systems (i.e. relational data bases) into Fabric. She explains that whoever hosts the data wins. She talks about often content talks about the golden path or focuses on the marketing content, but it's much rarer to see content that deals with the difficult edge cases.

We talk about how despite being Software as a Service, in order to learn Fabric you will need to learn networking, authentication, and infrastructure more broadly. We talk about how it's impossible to completely get away from hardware and infrastructure.

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-16553224 Mon, 03 Feb 2025 10:00:00 -0500 2138 1 3 full false Ep. 2 Medallion Architecture with Cathrine Wilhelmsen Ep. 2 Medallion Architecture with Cathrine Wilhelmsen Cathrine explains how there isn't a single solution for architecting your data lake with Microsoft Fabric. We walk through all the different moving pieces of getting started with Fabric and lakehouses. Catherine touches on some different ways of implementing medallion in Fabric. She also makes the point Medallion is not the same as Dev / QA / Prod. Lastly, we talk about source control and branching workspaces in Fabric.

Links

]]> Cathrine explains how there isn't a single solution for architecting your data lake with Microsoft Fabric. We walk through all the different moving pieces of getting started with Fabric and lakehouses. Catherine touches on some different ways of implementing medallion in Fabric. She also makes the point Medallion is not the same as Dev / QA / Prod. Lastly, we talk about source control and branching workspaces in Fabric.

Links

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-16509518 Mon, 27 Jan 2025 07:00:00 -0500 2125 1 2 full false Ep 1. Data Movement with Kristyna Ferris Ep 1. Data Movement with Kristyna Ferris In this Episode, I interview Kristyna Ferris about the different types of data Movement in Microsoft Fabric. Specifically, we talk about gen 2 dataflows, data pipelines, and Spark notebooks. We see how you start simple and work your way up. Kristyna shares the "faucets first" approach at P3 adaptive.

Links

]]> In this Episode, I interview Kristyna Ferris about the different types of data Movement in Microsoft Fabric. Specifically, we talk about gen 2 dataflows, data pipelines, and Spark notebooks. We see how you start simple and work your way up. Kristyna shares the "faucets first" approach at P3 adaptive.

Links

]]> Eugene Meidinger Buzzsprout-16466357 Mon, 20 Jan 2025 12:00:00 -0500 1972 1 1 full false Kristyna Ferris Eugene Meidinger