cross database from the SQL database itself (not warehouse sql endpoint)

[Jerome22]

Hi,

when it will be possible to create cross database queries from within an SQL Database?
I'm really talking about cross database inside the SQL Database like in a view or stored procedure.
OR
having an SQL Database as a target from a lakehouse

I want to load data in my SQL Database using cross databases queries like:

insert into MySQLDatabaseTable
select *
from MyLakehouse S1
where id not exists (Select 1 from MySQLDatabaseTable D1 where D1.id = S1.id)

this is working fine with my warehouses
but I want the same behavior in an SQL Database.

I don't want to use notebooks, dataflows, data copy in pipelines etc... the overhead of these tools is so crazy that 80% of my executions are spent on starting activities and not running those activities.
and this impacts my CU usage

I want just pure SQL (which is way way faster, and way way easier to maintain, specialy on small projects)

For now I'm stuck with data copy in pipelines
it's why I want to know if and when cross database queries will be supported.

Thanks.

[v-sathmakuri · Accepted solution]

Hi @Jerome22 ,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Fabric Community.

As suggetsed by @HugoQueiroz-MSF  we will definitely consider this to support in future releases.

I recommend submitting your detailed feedback and ideas through Microsoft's official feedback channels, such as the Microsoft Fabric Ideas.  

If this post helps, then please consider Accepting as solution to help the other members find it more quickly, don't forget to give a "Kudos" – I’d truly appreciate it! 

Thank you!!

[HugoQueiroz-MSF]

@Jerome22 Thanks for the feedback, this is definently a scenario we would like to support. 

@burakkaragoz OPENROWSET is coming pretty soon, stay tunned!

[burakkaragoz]

Hi @Jerome22 ,

yeah, totally get your point. Right now, cross-database queries inside SQL Databases (not warehouse endpoints) aren’t supported in Fabric. Only warehouses support that kind of behavior today.

We had the same issue – wanted to do simple INSERT INTO ... SELECT FROM across lakehouse and SQL DB, but had to fall back to pipelines or notebooks, which as you said, are heavy and slow for small jobs.

No official ETA yet on when/if SQL DBs will support cross-db queries natively. But it’s a common ask, so hopefully it’s on the roadmap.

For now, only options are:

• Use warehouse endpoints (if possible)
• Use pipelines (yeah, I know…)
• Or land the data in a shared lakehouse table and query from there

Would be great if Fabric SQL DBs supported EXTERNAL TABLE or OPENROWSET style access in the future.

If my response resolved your query, kindly mark it as the Accepted Solution to assist others. Additionally, I would be grateful for a 'Kudos' if you found my response helpful.