# Connecting to Microsoft Fabric

> This topic describes how to import data into Microsoft Fabric, and how to use Live Connect. Sisense provides a native connector for the Microsoft Fabric Warehouse and Lakehouse SQL analytics endpoints, using Microsoft Entra ID service principal authentication.

*Source: https://docs.sisense.com/main/SisenseLinux/connecting-to-microsoft-fabric.htm*

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Last updated: August 30, 2026

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[Microsoft Fabric](https://learn.microsoft.com/fabric/get-started/microsoft-fabric-overview) is a unified, SaaS-based analytics platform that combines data warehousing, data engineering, and business intelligence. A Fabric **Warehouse** or **Lakehouse** exposes its data through a SQL analytics endpoint that can be queried using standard SQL.

Sisense provides a native connector for Microsoft Fabric that connects to the Warehouse and Lakehouse SQL analytics endpoints using the Microsoft SQL Server JDBC driver, over TDS (TCP port 1433, with TLS enforced). You can use the connector to import data into a Sisense [ElastiCube](https://docs.sisense.com/main/SisenseLinux/elasticubes.md), or connect your data to a Sisense [Live model](https://docs.sisense.com/main/SisenseLinux/live-connect.md).

## Supported Authentication

The Microsoft Fabric connector authenticates using **Microsoft Entra ID** with a **service principal** (an **Application (client) ID** and **Client secret**, with an optional **Directory (tenant) ID**). This is currently the only supported authentication method, since Fabric does not support SQL logins.

## Prerequisites

Before connecting to Microsoft Fabric, make sure the following are in place:

- **Fabric enablement** - Fabric must be enabled with a Fabric capacity (for example, F2) or equivalent licensing, and a SQL-backed object (a Warehouse, or a Lakehouse with its SQL analytics endpoint) must exist.
- **Service principal permissions** - The **Service principals can use Fabric APIs** tenant setting must be enabled, and the service principal needs Contributor-level access (or item-level permission) to the workspace and to the Warehouse or Lakehouse object.
- **Network connectivity** - Outbound connectivity from Sisense to the Fabric SQL analytics endpoint on TCP port 1433 must be allowed.

## Creating a New Connection

Use the Connection Management feature to build a data model. This can be accessed either from the new data model wizard or from the centralized connection view in the Data tab. For more information, see [Data Source Connection Management](https://docs.sisense.com/main/SisenseLinux/data-source-connection-management.md#CreatingNewConnections).

1. In the Model Editor of your data model, click ![+Data](https://docs.sisense.com/main/Resources/Images/+Data.png). The Add Data dialog box is displayed.
2. In the Choose Connector dialog box, [select an available **Microsoft Fabric** managed connection](https://docs.sisense.com/main/SisenseLinux/data-source-connection-management.md#AccessingandManagingAvailableConnections) or [create a new **Microsoft Fabric** connection](https://docs.sisense.com/main/SisenseLinux/data-source-connection-management.md#CreatingNewConnections).

The Connector page appears.

![Microsoft Fabric guided connection form with Address and Authentication sections](https://docs.sisense.com/main/Resources/Images/MicrosoftFabricConnector_892x624.png)

The guided form organizes the connection settings into two areas:

- **Address:** Enter the **Server** (your Fabric SQL analytics endpoint, for example `xxxxxxxxxxx.datawarehouse.fabric.microsoft.com`) and the **Warehouse** (the name of the target Warehouse or Lakehouse). Additional connection settings are optional and collapsed under **Additional configuration**.
- **Authentication:** The **Authentication Method** is set to **Microsoft Entra ID - Service Principal**. Enter the **Application (client) ID** and **Client secret** for the service principal, and, if required by your tenant, the **Directory (tenant) ID**.

**Note:**

If you prefer to connect using a manually composed JDBC connection string instead of the guided form, click **Use JDBC connection string instead** at the top of the connection dialog.

Click **Open documentation** in the connection form to come directly to this page, or **Need help from your Fabric admin?** to generate a ready-to-send request for the endpoint and permissions your Fabric administrator needs to provide.

## Limitations

- The connector supports **SQL query execution only**; native KQL syntax is not supported.
- Access is limited to **Warehouse and Lakehouse SQL analytics endpoints**. Fabric KQL Database, Azure Blob, and hierarchical files (Parquet, Avro, ORC, JSON) are not supported.
- **Service principal** authentication via Microsoft Entra ID is the only supported authentication method.