Decoding Data and AI with Debbie – Episode 1: What is Microsoft Fabric Link?

Let’s face it: not everyone wakes up excited about data pipelines, licensing models, or Microsoft Fabric Link. But what if someone could break down those buzzwords into something clear, concise, and maybe even enjoyable? That’s exactly what you’ll get in our new video series, Decoding Data and AI with Debbie. Hosted by Debbie Altham, Senior Director for Sikich’s Data & AI practice, each episode unpacks a timely topic in the world of Data & AI with the help of a product or subject-matter expert. 

Whether you’re knee-deep in Microsoft Dynamics 365 or just starting to explore how AI can impact your business, this series is here to make the technical feel practical—and human. 

Episode 1: Fabric Link, Explained 

In our first episode, Debbie sits down with Dynamics 365 expert Rob Dowsett to break down Fabric Link—what it is, why it matters, and how it fits into the broader Microsoft data landscape. 

Here’s a comprehensive look at what was covered: 

Watch the Episode 

What is Fabric Link? 

Fabric Link is a new capability designed to connect your business data, primarily from Dynamics 365 and Power Apps, to Microsoft Fabric, Microsoft’s next-gen data platform. It enables data to be surfaced from Dataverse into Fabric without requiring traditional replication or multi-step exports.  

Unlike older tools like BYOD or Export to Data Lake, Fabric Link doesn’t force you to manage your own SQL database or manually set up pipelines. It’s a streamlined, Microsoft-managed bridge to your Fabric Data Lake. 

Where Does It Fit In? 

If you’ve used Export to Data Lake before, Fabric Link might feel familiar. But it’s a significant upgrade: 

• BYOD let you push data to your own Azure SQL DB, but it required managing your own infrastructure. 
• Export to Data Lake improved flexibility but still required manual configuration and Azure maintenance. 
• Synapse Link offers more powerful features but comes with cost unpredictability and technical complexity. 

Fabric Link is the evolution of those tools, offering a plug-and-play experience for organizations that want easy access to their Dynamics 365 data in Fabric. 

How Smart is Fabric Link? 

Very. One of the biggest advantages is that Fabric Link uses built-in Spark technology, eliminating the need for you to manage compute infrastructure or convert data manually. This is a big shift from Synapse Link, which required Spark compute to transform data into Parquet format—adding both cost and complexity. 

With Fabric Link, Spark is baked in, and the cost is predictable. You simply choose a SKU (compute tier) based on your organization’s needs, and you can scale up or down as needed. 

Fabric Link vs. Synapse Link 

So, when should you use Fabric Link, and when is Synapse Link a better fit? 

• Fabric Link is ideal for organizations that don’t already have a deeply embedded data strategy and want to take advantage of Microsoft’s growing Fabric ecosystem. 
• Synapse Link is better suited for enterprises using non-Microsoft data platforms like Snowflake or who require a more custom, cloud-native analytics architecture. 

In short: 

→ If you want something fast, simple, and natively integrated with Fabric, go with Fabric Link. 
→ If you need advanced control and are already using third-party data platforms, Synapse Link might still be your best bet. 

What Are the Limitations? 

As with any new product, there are a few caveats: 

• Refresh latency: Right now, Fabric Link refreshes Dynamics 365 data into Fabric approximately once per hour. Microsoft is actively working to reduce that to 15 minutes and eventually closer to real-time. 
• Dataverse storage consumption: Because Fabric Link draws from Dataverse, it uses up your allocated Dataverse storage. Depending on how much data you push through, you may need to purchase more. 
• No Fabric = No Fabric Link: Fabric Link only works if you have a Microsoft Fabric license. If not, you’ll need to use Synapse Link or another integration tool. 

That said, for most Dynamics users, these tradeoffs are more than manageable, especially when weighed against the ease of setup and maintenance. 

So… Why Use Fabric Link? 

If you’re using Dynamics 365 (Finance, Supply Chain, Field Service, Customer Engagement, or even Business Central), Fabric Link offers a low-barrier, high-value way to start pulling your data into a modern analytics platform. It helps eliminate complex pipeline builds, reduces reliance on IT-managed infrastructure, and supports scalable reporting, AI/ML use cases, and more—at a predictable cost. 

Plus, you can start small with Power BI and grow into AI and machine learning use cases over time. 

Contact Us 

Interested in seeing how Fabric Link—or Microsoft Fabric overall—could fit into your data strategy? Our Data & AI team is here to help. 

Contact us today to get started.