Implementing Zero-ETL with Microsoft Fabric Mirroring

Design, Configure, Monitor, and Use Mirrored Data for Analytics in Microsoft Fabric !

Course Summary

Do you want to start working with mirroring in Microsoft Fabric?

This course focuses on the architecture, design decisions, and practical implementation patterns involved in using database and metadata mirroring in Fabric. This course is about understanding how mirroring works in Fabric, when to use it, how to set it up, and how to work with mirrored data effectively.

We assume you already understand the basics of Fabric, databases, and analytics tooling.

Are you trying to make operational database data available in Fabric with less complexity?
Do you need to decide whether mirroring is the right fit compared to pipelines, shortcuts, or other approaches?
Have you been unsure how Fabric mirroring differs from earlier SQL Server technologies with similar terminology?
Do you need to monitor and troubleshoot mirrored data, not just create it?

If that sounds like the kind of work you do, you’re in the right place. You’ll get clear explanations, hands-on exercises, and short quizzes to help you build understanding and apply it with confidence.

And while they’re optional, we strongly encourage you to complete the practical exercises. We have tried to make this as easy as possible. The main things you’ll need are a Fabric account and access to a supported source database for the mirroring labs.

Enroll now for $195 USD !

Modules and Lessons

Module 0: Getting started

Who is this course for ?
Who is Greg ?
What will I learn in this course ?
Configuring your lab environment

Module 1: Introduction to Microsoft Fabric Mirroring

Module introduction
What is Microsoft Fabric ?
Key Fabric workloads
What is Mirroring in Fabric ?
How mirroring differs from traditional pipelines
How mirrored data lands in OneLake
Fabric mirroring types
Currently supported data sources
Licensing and capacity requirements
When mirroring is and is not the correct choice
Lab 1
Quiz 1

Module 2: Mirroring architecture and concepts

Module introduction
How Fabric Mirroring works under the hood
OneLake and mirrored database items
Delta parquet and open data formats
Replication concepts
Read-only mirrored copies and analytics endpoints
Mirroring vs shortcuts vs dataflows
Schema handling and table selection
Permissions, workspaces, data access, and identity
Cost and capacity considerations
Common limitations and constraints
Lab 2
Quiz 2

Module 3: Setting up mirroring

Module introduction
Fabric capacity, workspace, and source database configuration
Enabling system-assigned managed identity
Configuring firewall and network rules for source databases
Creating a Fabric workspace and assigning capacity
Lab 3
Quiz 3

Module 4: Mirroring Azure SQL Database

Module introduction
Prerequisites
Creating a mirrored database
Selecting tables and configuring replication scope
Monitoring replication status
Common limitations
Lab 4
Quiz 4

Module 5: Querying and analyzing mirrored data

Module introduction
Accessing mirrored data via the SQL analytics endpoint
Querying mirrored data
Using mirrored data in Power BI reports using DirectLake
Joining mirrored data with other Fabric data
Consuming mirrored data in data science workflows
Practical patterns for analytics over mirrored data
Lab 5
Quiz 5

Module 6: Mirroring SQL Server

Module introduction
When mirroring is appropriate
Mirroring earlier versions
Mirroring from SQL Server 2025
Azure Arc and other prerequisites
Working with managed identities
Required permissions and setup sequence
Starting and validating mirroring
Monitoring replication status
Common limitations
Lab 6
Quiz 6

Module 7: Monitoring and managing mirroring

Module introduction
Monitoring initial seeding
Monitoring replication health
Understanding replication latency and lag metrics
Schema changes and object evolution
Starting, stopping, and restarting mirroring
Handling ownership issues
CI and CD considerations for mirrored databases
Common errors and how to troubleshoot them
Lab 7
Quiz 7

Module 8: Performance optimization and best practices

Module introduction
Table-selection strategy
Choosing between mirroring, shortcuts, and pipelines
Partitioning and delta file optimisation in OneLake
Managing costs with capacity units and mirroring overhead
Design patterns for medallion architecture with mirroring
Multi-source mirroring strategies
Cost awareness and operational guardrails
Quiz 8

Module 9: Security governance and compliance

Module introduction
Row-level security and column masking on mirrored data
Microsoft Purview integration for data governance
Auditing mirroring activity
Data residency and compliance considerations
Managing sensitive data during replication
Lab 9
Quiz 9

Module 10: Real-world use cases and roadmap

Module introduction
Operational reporting without impacting source OLTP systems
Unified analytics across cloud databases
Near real-time dashboards with mirrored + streaming data
Future roadmap for Fabric mirroring
Quiz 10

Module 11: Mirroring other sources

Module introduction
Mirroring Azure Cosmos DB
Mirroring Azure SQL Managed Instance
Mirroring Snowflake
Mirroring Azure Database for PostgreSQL
Open mirroring
Metadata mirroring for Azure Databricks
Mirroring Oracle
Mirroring MySQL
Mirroring SharePoint lists
Mirroring Google BigQuery
Mirroring using the REST API
Quiz 11

Module 12: Next steps

Summary and further steps

Enroll now for $195 USD !