With the introduction of Microsoft Fabric, a new flavor of SQL Database has emerged—built to power unified data experiences across analytics, AI, and business intelligence. But what sets it apart from traditional SQL Server or Azure SQL Database?

In this session, we’ll unpack the rationale behind this new SQL engine and explore its advantages for data professionals. You’ll learn how SQL in Fabric simplifies data integration, enhances collaboration through native support for Notebooks and Power BI, and extends analytics possibilities with built-in support for Azure OpenAI and vector-based queries.

Expect a practical walkthrough: from initial setup and data ingestion to generating insights with Power BI and monitoring performance. We'll also explore how Fabric’s SQL engine fits into the broader data architecture—and whether DBAs and data engineers need to “retrain” or simply “retool.”