Datamart... Synapse Component or Power BI Component?

[dbeavon3]

Some time ago, there was discussion about whether datamarts should be hosted in Synapse or Power BI.  See:

https://kyleake.medium.com/unblocking-power-bi-should-data-mart-be-implemented-in-azure-synapse-anal...

They were introduced and, for a while, we all thought Power BI was the winner and would host datamarts forever (in a "public preview" form at least).

But recently I've started coming upon the term "synapse datamart", like in the following profile (image).  It doesn't seem like the term is used as an abstract concept (as Kimball might have used it).  It seems like there may be an actual microsoft product called a "synapse datamart".  Is anyone aware of this?  It this the same as the Power BI datamart?  Will it be hoisted to a new/different home and live in the Azure portal for Synapse?

[dbeavon3]

@jaweher899 Thanks for the information.  I had googled for a long time, and came up with little information about the "Synapse" variety of a datamart.

The article which I linked (ᴋʏʟᴇ ᴋᴏʀᴋʀɪᴅ's) seemed to imply that one or the other of these tools would be the winner  - not both.

If you take your second paragraph (or even the third) and replace the words "Synapse" with "Power BI", then most of it would still be true.  Don't get me wrong, I'm much more interested in building my big-data-assets *OUTSIDE* of Power BI .  And I do understand the difference between the types of "citizen developer" offerings in Power BI, and the platform offerings in the Azure cloud.  But it's still confusing thing to name both of these products "datamart", especially when *BOTH* of these are likely to be used as data sources for Power BI reports. 

Many people who work with big data would say that the term "datamart" was already overloaded - even before Power BI and Synapase.  It is often a buzz-word used by management ("pointy haired bosses"), and it means whatever they want it to mean.  I started to feel a bit sick when Power BI started using this term for their SQL storage ... since certain managers might begin asking their developers to "lift-and-shift" all of their Synapse Analytics assets out to the Power BI datamarts. That is a scary prospect.

Going forward, if *BOTH* of these products have a component called "datamart" then it might help generate enough confusion to encourage management to actually learn the difference (and make a better selection).  Perhaps that is the intention here? 

Can you please share a couple of your best links where we can learn more about the "Synapse Datamart"?  As-of now this thread of ours is already the top-most result on my google searches.  People may use this as an avenue to look for additional information...

[RuksharHial]

Please share if you find more insight on Synapse Datamart.

[jaweher899]

Yes, the term "Synapse Datamart" refers to a specific feature in Azure Synapse Analytics. It is not the same as the Power BI datamart.

The Synapse Datamart is a new feature that allows you to create a data mart in Azure Synapse Analytics using the SQL pool. It provides a fast and scalable way to store and query data, similar to a data warehouse. The Synapse Datamart can be used to create a dedicated data store for a specific business unit or set of users, and it can be populated using data from various sources, such as SQL Server, Azure Blob Storage, and Azure Data Lake Storage.

The Synapse Datamart is designed to work with Azure Synapse Analytics, which is a cloud-based analytics service that combines big data and data warehousing. Azure Synapse Analytics provides a unified experience for data preparation, management, and analysis, and it includes a range of tools for data integration, streaming, and machine learning.

In contrast, the Power BI datamart is a feature in Power BI that allows you to create a simplified data model and reuse it across multiple reports. The Power BI datamart is optimized for use with Power BI, and it is designed to provide a fast and efficient way to query and analyze data.

While both the Synapse Datamart and the Power BI datamart are designed to provide fast and efficient data storage and analysis, they are different products that serve different purposes. The Synapse Datamart is intended to be used with Azure Synapse Analytics, while the Power BI datamart is intended to be used with Power BI.

[RuksharHial]

Hi,Can you please help me with the creation of data mart in synapse.