07 May 2024

🏭🗒️Microsoft Fabric: The Metrics Layer (Notes) [new feature]

Disclaimer: This is work in progress intended to consolidate information from various sources.
Last updated: 07-May-2024

The Metrics Layer in Microsoft Fabric (adapted diagram)
The Metrics Layer in Microsoft Fabric (adapted diagram)

[new feature] Metrics Layer (Metrics Store)

  • {definition}an abstraction layer available between the data store(s) and end users which allows organizations to create standardized business metrics, that are rooted in measures and are discoverable and intended for reuse
    • ⇐ {important} feature still in private preview 
  • {goal} extend existing infrastructure 
    • {benefit} leverages and extends existing features
  • {goal} provide consistent definitions and descriptions [1]
    • consistent definitions that include besides business logic additional dimensions and filters [1]
    • ⇒ {benefit} allows to standardize the metrics across the organization
    • ⇒ {benefit} enforce to enforce a SSoT
  • {goal} easy management 
    • via management views 
    • [feature] lineage 
    • [feature] source control
    • [feature] duplicate identification
    • [feature] push updates to downstream uses of the metrics 
  • {goal}searchable and discoverable metrics 
    • {feature} integration
      • based on Sempy fabric package
        • ⇐ a dataframe for storage and propagation of Power BI metadata which is part of the python-based semantic Link in Fabric
  • {goal}trust
    • [feature] trust indicators
    • {benefit} facilitates report's adoption
  • {feature} metric set 
    • {definition} a Fabric item that groups together a set of metrics into a mini-model
    • {benefit} allows to reduce the overall complexity of semantic models, while being easy to evolve and consume
    • associated with a single domain
      • ⇒ supports the data mesh architecture
    • shareable 
      • can be shared with other users
    • {action} create metric set
      • creates the actual artifact, to which metrics can be added 
  • {feature} metric
    •  {definition} a way to elevate the measures from the various semantic models existing in the organization
    • tied to the original semantic model
      • ⇒ {benefit} allows to see how a metric is used across the solutions 
    • reusable
      • can be reused in other fabric artifacts
        • new reports on the Power BI service
        • notebooks 
          • by copying the code
      • can be reused in Power BI
        • via OneLake data hub menu element
      • can be chained 
        • changes are propagated downstream 
    • materializable 
      • its output can be persisted to OneLake by saving it a delta table into a lakehouse
      • {misuse} data is persisted unnecessarily
    • {action} elevate metric
      • copies measure's definition and description
      • ⇒  implies restructuring, refactoring, moving, and testing a lot of code in the process
      • {misuse} data professionals build everything as metrics
    • {action} update metric
    • {action} add filters to metric 
    • {action} add dimensions to metric
    • {action} materialize metric 

Acronyms:
SSoT - single source of truth ()

References:
[1] Power BI Tips (2024) Explicit Measures Ep. 236: Metrics Hub, Hot New Feature with Carly Newsome (link)
[2] Power BI Tips (2024) Introducing Fabric Metrics Layer / Power Metrics Hub [with Carly Newsome] (link)

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