Microsoft Fabric API for GraphQL

Microsoft Fabric continues to evolve with powerful enhancements to its API for GraphQL, a cutting-edge data access layer that simplifies and optimizes how applications query multiple data sources. By leveraging GraphQL, developers can abstract backend complexities and deliver all required data in a single API call, improving performance and development efficiency. 

In this latest release, Microsoft introduces key upgrades, including support for Azure SQL and Fabric SQL databases, saved credentials for secure data access, a monitoring dashboard for API activity tracking, and full CI/CD support. Let’s explore these exciting new features and how they enhance your development workflow. 

New Supported Data Sources: Azure SQL & Fabric SQL Databases 

One of the most highly anticipated updates is the integration of Azure SQL and Fabric SQL Databases (Preview) into the API for GraphQL. This enhancement enables seamless querying of structured data within Microsoft’s ecosystem, unlocking a unified and efficient way to access and manipulate SQL-based data. 

Why this matters: 

• Seamless Data Integration: Whether building advanced applications or simple dashboards, developers can now fetch and manipulate SQL data effortlessly through GraphQL. 

• Optimized Query Performance: By abstracting backend complexities, GraphQL minimizes unnecessary data fetching and improves API efficiency. 

• One-Click API Creation: With Fabric SQL Databases, you can generate a GraphQL API directly from your database in a single click, making the API available in minutes. 

This update enhances both data analysis, reporting, and application development, making it easier than ever to harness the power of your data. Specifically for Fabric SQL databases, you can create a GraphQL API directly from your database in one click and have an API endpoint available in minutes:

Saved Credentials for Secure & Simplified Access 

Security and data access management have been significantly improved with Saved Credentials, allowing APIs to connect securely to backend data sources without exposing client credentials. 

Key Benefits: 

• Enhanced Security: Reduce the risk of exposing sensitive credentials by using pre-configured, secure connections. 

• Simplified Access Management: Users no longer require direct access to backend databases, ensuring tighter access control. 

• Flexible Authentication: Developers can choose between: 

• Saved Credentials: Persistent credentials for streamlined access. 

• Client Credentials Authentication: Pass-through authentication using single sign-on (SSO), authorizing access based on the requesting user. 

By eliminating manual credential handling, saved credentials provide a more secure and scalable authentication mechanism for GraphQL APIs. 

Monitoring Dashboard & Request Logging 

Understanding API usage and performance is crucial, and Microsoft Fabric’s new API request activity monitoring dashboard provides real-time insights into API performance and request logs. 

Features & Advantages: 

• Aggregated Metrics: View high-level API activity trends over different time periods. 

• Detailed Request Logging: Dive deep into specific requests to troubleshoot issues and optimize performance. 

• Improved Debugging: Quickly identify and resolve API bottlenecks and inefficiencies. 

By integrating request logging and monitoring, Microsoft Fabric ensures that developers and administrators have full visibility into API operations, making troubleshooting and performance tuning easier than ever. 

CI/CD Support: Streamlining Development & Deployment 

To enhance the developer experience, Microsoft Fabric now supports continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) workflows for API for GraphQL. 

What’s New? 

• Git Integration: Sync GraphQL API definitions with GitHub or Azure DevOps, ensuring version-controlled updates. 

• Deployment Pipelines: Automate transitions between Development, Testing, and Production environments. 

• Seamless API Import & Export: Migrate API definitions effortlessly between workspaces. 

With these enhancements, developers can collaborate more effectively, maintain consistency across environments, and deploy updates with confidence.

Conclusion 

Microsoft Fabric’s API for GraphQL has taken a significant leap forward, empowering developers with better data integration, security, monitoring, and CI/CD capabilities. These enhancements bring improved efficiency, security, and control over API management, allowing businesses to build and scale applications with ease. 

For expert data solutions tailored to your business, contact us at Numlytics. Transform your data into actionable insights!