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brmyers
‎03-19-2026 08:30 AM

Custom SQL Pools for Fabric Data Warehouse (Preview)

If you haven’t already, check out Arun Ulag’s hero blog “FabCon and SQLCon 2026: Unifying databases and Fabric on a single, complete platform” for a complete look at all of our FabCon and SQLCon announcements across both Fabric and our database offerings. 

Custom SQL Pools for Microsoft Fabric Data Warehouse (Preview) is a new capability that gives workspace administrators fine-grained control over how SQL compute resources are allocated for SQL workloads in a Fabric Data Warehouse and SQL analytics endpoint.

Previously, Fabric Data Warehouse had two isolated SQL pools and would route queries based on statement type of the query—SELECT queries versus NONSELECT operations such as ingestion queries. This out-of-the-box experience works well for many customers, helping ensure that ETL processes don’t interfere with reporting queries. However, customers running multiple applications within the same workspace have asked for more predictable isolation and greater control of the resources. Custom SQL Pools address this need by allowing administrators to define their own SQL pools and allocate a specific percentage of backend compute resources to each.

Showcasing_the_current_built-in_pool_configuration_where_each_pool_gets_50_of_thShowcasing_the_current_built-in_pool_configuration_where_each_pool_gets_50_of_th

Figure: Fabric Data Warehouse Pool Isolation

With Custom SQL Pools, you can:

  • Allocate compute using a percentage of total resources available.
  • Route queries based on Application Name or Application Name Regex.
  • Designate a default pool so queries can always execute.
  • Optimize pools for read-heavy workloads when needed.
  • Resources in each pool are isolated from each other.

This is especially useful when:

  • Multiple applications share a single Fabric warehouse or SQL analytics endpoint and compete for the same compute resources in a pool.
  • Business-critical reporting workloads are disrupted by ad-hoc queries, leading to missed SLAs or deadlines.
  • High-capacity utilization leads to throttling, creating a need for tighter control over warehouse consumption for user queries.
Custom SQL Pools scale automatically with capacity SKU changes, preserving the relative resource allocation you define as your workspace scales up or down. Configuration is available through both the Fabric UI and REST APIs, including support for service principals.

Screenshot_of_a_workspace_settings_panel_showing_SQL_pools_configuration_with_aScreenshot_of_a_workspace_settings_panel_showing_SQL_pools_configuration_with_a

Figure: Custom SQL Pool Configuration

Administrators can use the queryinsights.sql_pool_insights view to monitor SQL pools configurations, identify what pools are frequently under pressure, and proactively adjust resource percentages to ensure optimal query performance for end users.

We look forward to seeing how you use this capability to bring clearer workload isolation and performance predictability to their SQL workloads. We look forward to your feedback as we continue to refine and expand Custom SQL Pools for Fabric Data Warehouse.

Learn more about Custom SQL Pools in Fabric Data Warehouse, in the Custom SQL Pools - Microsoft Fabric | Microsoft Learn documentation.

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