Microsoft Fabric offers multiple experiences, such as Data Engineering and Data Science, which provide tools to analyze data and generate insights. Among these, the Data Activator experience stands out as it enables users to automate actions based on insights derived from data.
Data Activator continuously monitors data from sources like Eventstreams and Power BI reports, triggering actions when predefined conditions are met.
Use Cases for Data Activator
Data Activator can be applied in various scenarios, including:
- Manufacturing Workflows: Tracking workflows and automatically stopping the process if a defect is detected.
- Warehouse Inventory Management: Monitoring inventory levels and triggering alerts when the warehouse is nearing capacity or when inventory updates are delayed.
In addition to business applications, Data Activator can also be used for technical solutions, such as:
- Infrastructure Monitoring: Monitoring website logs and triggering security alerts.
- Data Pipeline Monitoring: Alerting on failures in data load pipelines.
Microsoft Fabric includes a built-in simulator that provides a realistic hands-on experience with Data Activator.
To follow the steps below, you will need either a Microsoft Fabric trial capacity or a workspace with a minimum of F2 capacity enabled.
Working with Data Activator
We will work with the sample data provided by the Simulator in Microsoft Fabric.
Step 1: Navigate to your workspace and switch to the Data Activator experience. Select the Reflex Sample (Preview).
Step 2: A screen with multiple options will open. Let’s explore them.
Key Components of Data Activator
Objects
Objects encapsulate the source, triggers and actions
Events
Events are the observations that Data Activator monitors. They can be based on Event Streams or Power BI visuals.
Properties
Properties in Data Activator are used to encapsulate logic that can be reused across multiple triggers.
Actions
When a trigger condition is met, Data Activator automatically performs pre-defined actions.
Step 3: On the left pane, select the ‘Medicine package is too warm’ trigger. You will see three panels:
a. Property Panel: Here, you can modify the property being monitored.
b. Condition Panel: Set the condition (threshold) for triggering the action. Options include less than, greater than, increases by, decreases by, etc. You can also add filter conditions to ensure only specific items trigger the action.
Action Panel: Define the action to be triggered when the condition is met. By default, you can send an email or a Teams message. Additionally, you can create custom actions using Power Automate.
Below is a sample email triggered by Data Activator using the ‘Send me a test alert’ button:
Data Sources for Data Activator
Data Activator can be used in conjunction with two sources:
1. Power BI – Triggers can be set on Power BI visuals to perform actions when conditions are met. This requires Power BI Premium capacity or a Fabric capacity of F64 or higher.
In the image below, the ‘Set Alert’ option on a visual in a report opens a dialog box where trigger options can be configured.
2. EventStream – Data Activator can also be used with EventStream, a Fabric item designed for real-time analysis. For example, IoT devices in a production factory can be connected to EventStream via Azure Event Hub.
Conclusion
In this blog, we explored a working example of Data Activator that can be easily replicated in other environments. Data Activator is a powerful feature of Microsoft Fabric, seamlessly integrated with other tools to provide a streamlined workflow. It empowers organizations to take immediate, real-time actions based on data insights.
This underscores a vital point: to avoid false alarms, it is crucial to ensure the quality of the data is maintained throughout the entire process.
