What is Purview in Microsoft Fabric

Are you worried that in the pursuit of valuable insights from data your company is exposing itself to the risk of security breaches or non-compliance with regulations?

In today’s world, where data drives innovation and decisions, it is crucial not only to use it effectively but above all to manage it safely and in compliance with the law. This is where AI transformation enters the stage, and Microsoft Fabric, with built-in Microsoft Purview, offers a comprehensive solution that combines the power of analytics with reliable data protection.

Microsoft Fabric, as an advanced analytics platform, provides the tools necessary for effective data use. A key element of this platform is Microsoft Purview, which ensures reliable security, protection, and compliance of data with regulations.

Thanks to this, enterprises can not only analyse their data but also be confident that it is safe and compliant with current regulations.

What is Microsoft Fabric?

Microsoft Fabric is a comprehensive, integrated data and analytics platform designed for enterprises seeking a simple yet versatile solution for collecting, processing, and analyzing information. The platform operates in the SaaS (Software as a Service) model, which ensures ease of use, high scalability, and security.

A key assumption of the platform is the unification of resources and services in one consistent environment. Instead of integrating solutions from various providers, Microsoft Fabric offers a unified technology stack based on Microsoft Azure cloud, which streamlines work for both business teams and IT specialists.

Data in Microsoft Fabric is stored in OneLake, a central repository that eliminates the need to use multiple, often dispersed data stores. This allows companies to manage access more efficiently, maintain data consistency, and ensure regulatory compliance.

Built-in artificial intelligence (AI) mechanisms help better understand data and use it in Microsoft Azure AI Services and specific applications, from real-time reporting to advanced machine learning modeling available in Microsoft Azure AI Foundry.

One of the most innovative elements of the platform is Microsoft 365 Copilot, an integral part of Fabric. Copilot is a generative AI (GenAI)-based assistant that automates routine tasks, fills gaps in expertise, and suggests optimal data operations. As a result, users can create reports faster, formulate queries, and implement data engineering processes without the need to write complex scripts.

What is more, Copilot analyzes the data context and adapts suggestions to specific business needs. As a result, organizations using Microsoft Fabric, supported by Microsoft Copilot, gain an integrated environment for efficiently connecting data from diverse sources such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales, designing advanced analytics pipelines, and leveraging machine learning algorithms as well as ready-made large (LLM) and small models (SLM) in daily work.

This consistent platform significantly reduces administrative costs, accelerates the deployment of new projects in Power Platform and Microsoft Copilot Studio, and effectively supports teams at every level in maximizing the potential of information.

What applications are included in Microsoft Fabric?

Microsoft Fabric is a suite of services with broad applications throughout the entire data processing and analytics cycle. It offers a unified platform where each component plays a key role in the ecosystem.

Thanks to this, companies gain versatile tools for migration, management, and analysis of data as well as for creating innovative AI solutions.

• Fabric Data Factory - This is a modern tool for integrating and preparing data from various sources. It allows the automation of ETL/ELT processes, task scheduling, and fast transfer of even gigantic volumes of information to target data warehouses. In addition to a rich library of connectors, Data Factory provides mechanisms functional in AI transformation, such as built-in support for intelligent data flows. Thanks to its simple interface, both experienced programmers and business specialists can quickly create data pipelines without the need to write complicated scripts.
• Fabric Data Engineering - A module created for teams specialising in advanced calculations and data engineering. It offers a Spark cluster-based environment, enabling fast processing of massive datasets and integration with other Fabric components. This fosters the creation of scalable machine learning projects, supported by configurable tools and libraries.
• Fabric Data Warehouse - A high-performance data warehouse designed with scalability and flexibility in mind. It allows the separation of computing resources from storage, enabling users to manage performance and costs independently. It supports the native Delta Lake format and integrates seamlessly with other services.
• Fabric Databases - Facilitate the management of relational and custom data structures in a centralised environment. They allow quick replication of data from various sources and consistent scaling for transactional and analytical applications.
• Fabric Data Science - A module that simplifies the design, training, and deployment of machine learning models. It supports integration with Azure Machine Learning and provides a set of tools that facilitate experiments and model lifecycle management.
• Fabric Real-time Intelligence - Provides instant collection and processing of streaming data, enabling real-time event monitoring and log analysis. This allows companies to respond quickly to dynamically changing business conditions based on current data.
• Fabric Power BI - A well-known and valued tool for visualisation and interactive data analysis. In the Fabric environment, it provides easy access to all resources in OneLake, speeding up the creation of reports and dashboards.
• Copilot in Fabric - Copilot is an AI assistant that supports users in automating tasks related to data transformation, cleaning, and modelling. Its ability to generate suggestions and code significantly accelerates the implementation of new analytical processes and learning how to use the platform.
• Fabric OneLake - A central data repository where all files and tables are collected. Thanks to consistent storage, information can be easily shared across different Fabric moduless and data duplication can be avoided.
• Microsoft Purview - A comprehensive solution for data governance and security. It allows monitoring the flow of information within Fabric and establishing governance and compliance policies.
• Fabric Industry Solutions - Provides dedicated industry-specific data solutions that form a solid foundation for data management, analysis, and key decision-making. These solutions address the specific challenges of different sectors, enabling companies to optimise processes, combine data from many sources, and use advanced analytical tools.

Microsoft Fabric combines all these areas into a unified data platform, offering the most versatile platform for big data analytics across the industry. Fabric enables organizations and individuals to transform large and complex data repositories into practical working solutions and business insights.

The importance of data management and security in unified analytics platforms

Modern organizations increasingly use unified data platforms that integrate tools for analyzing, processing, and visualizing information. Data management and protection against security breaches in such environments are crucial, as data has become one of the most valuable business assets.

Effective data management allows companies to better control the flow of information, minimize the risk of errors, and ensure compliance with legal regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA. At the same time, data protection is essential to prevent leaks that can lead to financial losses, reputation damage, and legal issues.

Analytics platforms offer advanced security mechanisms such as data encryption, access control, and user activity monitoring. However, even the best technologies require proper oversight and risk management strategies.

• The average time to detect a breach is as high as 189 days, and notification of an incident takes an average of 102 days (arXiv study).
• 24% of all breaches in 2023 were related to ransomware attacks (Verizon DBIR).
• 74% of incidents resulted from human error or deliberate employee actions (Verizon).
• Organizations using automation and artificial intelligence reduced breach costs by USD 2.2 million compared to those that did not (IBM).
• The cost of an average data breach rose to USD 4.88 million, and in the healthcare sector exceeded USD 10 million (IBM).

Effective data management and protection against threats is not only a matter of compliance with regulations but also a key element of building competitive advantage and protecting reputation in the era of digital transformation.

What is Purview in Fabric

Microsoft Purview within Microsoft Fabric is an advanced data management tool that combines data governance, protection, and compliance features in one integrated solution.

Purview enables companies to thoroughly monitor and control the entire data lifecycle, from its source to final Power BI reports. This allows organizations to better understand how data is stored, used, and secured, which is crucial in the context of AI solutions implementation. In the context of AI, Purview offers:

• Automatic data classification – identifies sensitive information such as personal or financial data, essential for training AI models in compliance with regulations.
• Compliance management – helps meet legal and industry requirements, ensuring that data used in AI projects complies with regulations.
• Integration with various data sources – enables connecting and managing data from different systems, which is key to creating comprehensive AI models.
• Data protection – applies advanced security mechanisms such as sensitivity labels, which protect data even during export or sharing.
• Supervision and audit – logs all user activities, allowing tracking and analysis of data use in AI projects.

Microsoft Purview in Fabric also integrates with other Microsoft tools, enabling the creation of a consistent and secure environment for working with data and AI.

Thanks to this, companies can effectively use data to create intelligent solutions while maintaining full control over its security and compliance.

Who is Purview in Fabric for?

Microsoft Purview in Fabric is dedicated to companies and organizations that manage large data sets and need effective tools for protection and compliance management. It is ideally suited for:

• IT and security departments responsible for data protection and regulatory compliance.
• Data analysts and data scientists who need secure access to data for analysis and AI model development.
• Managers and decision-makers who want full insight into company data management and regulatory compliance.
• Enterprises in regulated sectors such as finance, healthcare, or the public sector, where data protection is critical.

How to use Purview in Fabric in business?

To maximize the potential of Microsoft Purview in Fabric, it is worth focusing on the following areas:

• Automation of data classification – enables quick and precise tagging of sensitive information.
• Integration with existing systems – allows central management of data from various sources.
• Regular audit and monitoring – ensures ongoing tracking of user activities and detection of potential threats.
• Employee training – increases awareness of data protection and compliance.
• Use of sensitivity labels – secures data at various stages of processing and sharing.
• Using reports and analytics – provides valuable insights into the state of data management in the company.

What are the benefits of using Purview in Fabric?

Using Microsoft Purview in Fabric brings many benefits, such as:

• Increased data security – advanced protection mechanisms prevent unauthorized access.
• Easy compliance with regulations – automated tools help meet legal and industry requirements.
• Better data management – centralized management facilitates access and control over data.
• Increased operational efficiency – automation of data management processes saves time and resources.
• Improved transparency – a full picture of the data lifecycle enables better business decisions.

What are the benefits of using Purview in Fabric in a company’s AI transformation?

Using Microsoft Purview in Fabric in AI transformation brings the following benefits:

• Safe training of AI models – protection of sensitive data used to create models.
• Regulatory compliance – ensuring that AI projects meet all legal requirements.
• Optimization of data management – easy access to integrated and well-managed data.
• Increased trust in data – ensuring that data is of high quality and properly secured.
• Effective monitoring of AI projects – ability to track data usage and AI model behaviors.

How does Purview integrate with Microsoft Fabric modules?

Microsoft Purview in Fabric integrates seamlessly with other modules of the platform, creating a consistent data management environment. For example:

• Data Catalog – Purview automatically catalogs metadata from Fabric, enabling easy search and data management.
• Information Protection – allows classification and protection of data in Fabric using sensitivity labels applied across all Fabric elements.
• Data Loss Prevention (DLP) – DLP in Purview monitors and protects data in Power BI semantic models, detecting sensitive information and responding to unauthorized use.
• Audit – all user activities in Fabric are logged and available in Purview audit reports, enabling tracking and analysis of user actions.
• OneLake – Purview supports governance of data stored in OneLake, centralizing management and protection across the entire Fabric platform.

This integration enables comprehensive data management from one place, ensuring security and compliance at every stage of data processing. Thanks to this, companies can effectively use analytics and AI tools, confident that their data is properly protected and compliant with regulatory requirements.

Return on investment from implementing the unified Microsoft Fabric data platform

The Forrester report The Total Economic Impact™ Of Microsoft Fabric (TEI) shows that Microsoft Fabric provides a 379% return on investment (ROI) over three years with USD 9.79 million NPV. Analysing a company with revenues of USD 5 billion, Fabric increased the productivity of data engineers by 25% (USD 1.8 million savings), increased the efficiency of business analysts by 20% (USD 4.8 million savings), and generated USD 3.6 million in gains thanks to better decisions.

Infrastructure savings reached USD 779,000, and employee retention improved by 8%. The unified platform integrates data engineering, warehousing, science, and real-time analysis, eliminating silos. The SaaS model and intuitive interface enable data availability across the organisation, supporting data-driven strategies, according to the Forrester TEI study commissioned by Microsoft.

Summary

Microsoft Purview in Fabric is an invaluable tool for companies striving for effective data governance, protection, and compliance in a dynamic business environment. Thanks to integration with Microsoft Fabric, Purview provides comprehensive solutions that enable companies to safely store, analyze, and use data in AI and Microsoft Copilot projects.

The joint implementation of Microsoft Fabric with Purview and Microsoft Power BI provides a comprehensive and secure analytics environment. Purview ensures compliance and data protection in Fabric, which allows Power BI to create reliable visualizations. The deployment of Microsoft 365 Copilot further supports employees in analyzing data and generating reports in the secure Microsoft 365 environment. This combination not only increases efficiency and accelerates data insights but also provides peace of mind through strong security mechanisms and regulatory compliance.

Automation of classification processes, advanced protection mechanisms, and full compliance enable increased operational efficiency and risk reduction. In addition, integration with other Fabric modules creates a consistent and secure work environment that supports innovation and informed business decision-making. In the era of digital transformation, investment in Fabric and Microsoft Purview can significantly contribute to a company’s success and competitiveness in the market.