Microsoft Certified: Fabric Analytics Engineer AssociatePlan and implement data analytics solutions (10-15%)Medium
A retail company is migrating its historical sales data, totaling 50 terabytes, from an on-premises SQL Server database to a Microsoft Fabric Lakehouse. The migration needs to be completed within a strict two-week deadline, and network bandwidth is a significant constraint, making direct online transfer impractical for the entire dataset. What is the most appropriate method for ingesting this data into Microsoft Fabric?
- AEstablishing an Azure ExpressRoute connection for high-speed, dedicated network transfer.
- BDeploying Azure Data Box devices to physically transfer the data to Azure, then ingesting into Fabric.
- CWriting a custom Python script to upload data in chunks directly to OneLake via a VPN.
- DUsing Azure Data Factory with a self-hosted integration runtime to copy data over the internet.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Deploying Azure Data Box devices to physically transfer the data to Azure, then ingesting into Fabric.
For large volumes of data (50 TB) with network bandwidth constraints and a tight deadline, Azure Data Box is the most effective solution. It allows for offline data transfer by shipping physical devices, bypassing network limitations.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. While ExpressRoute provides high-speed connections, setting it up can take time, and it may still not be fast enough for 50 TB within two weeks if bandwidth is still a significant constraint or if the setup itself delays the project. It also requires significant upfront investment.
- C. A custom Python script would also be subject to network bandwidth limitations and would not address the core problem of slow online transfer for such a large volume.
- D. Copying 50 TB over the internet, even with ADF, would be too slow given the bandwidth constraints and two-week deadline.
Azure Data Box
Azure Data Box is a service that provides secure, rugged devices to transfer large amounts of data to Azure storage offline, bypassing network limitations.
- Suitable for terabytes to petabytes of data.
- Addresses scenarios with limited network bandwidth or high network costs.
- Devices are shipped to and from the customer's location.
Memory trick: Big data, slow net? Ship a box, forget the fret!