🏭🗒️Microsoft Fabric: Kusto Query Language (KQL) [Notes]

Disclaimer: This is work in progress intended to consolidate information from various sources for learning purposes. For the latest information please consult the documentation (see the links below)! 

Last updated: 9-Feb-2025

[Microsoft Fabric] Kusto Query Language (KQL)

• {def} a read-only request to process query language [1]
• designed for data exploration and summarization [1]
• very similar to SQL
• the explain command can be used to transform SQL into KQL code
• ⇐ not all the SQL syntax can be translated
• statements are sequenced being executed in the order of their arrangement
• funnel like processing where data is piped from one operator to the next
• data is filtered, rearranged or summarized at each step and then fed into the following step
• statements are sequenced by a pipe (|)
• returns data in a tabular or graph format
• designed and developed to take advantage of cloud computing through clustering and scaling compute [2]
• ideal engine to power fast, real-time dashboards
• case-sensitive in general 
• named after the undersea pioneer Jacques Cousteau [2]
• operation sequence
• filter data
• aggregate data
• order data
• modify column output
• supports standard data types 
• string
• a sequence of zero or more Unicode characters
• characters are encoded in UTF-8.
• int 
• 32-bit whole-number integer
• long
• signed 64-bit whole-number integer
• real (aka double)
• 64-bit decimal-based number 
• and provides high precision with decimal points.
• decimal
• a 128-bit decimal number
• provides the highest precision of decimal points
• {recommendation} if precision is not needed, use the real type instead [2]
• bool 
• a boolean value that can be a true (1), false (0), or null
• datetime 
• represents a date in the UTC zone
• timespan 
• represents a time interval
•  days, hours, minutes, seconds, milliseconds, microseconds, tick
• if no time frame is specified, it will default to day
• dynamic
• a special data type that can take 
• any value from the other data types
• arrays
• a {name = value} property bag
• guid
• a 128-bit globally unique value
• statement types
• tabular expression statement
• let statement
• used to 
• set variable names equal to an expression
• create views
• ⇐ used mostly to 
• help break complex expressions into multiple parts, each represented by a variable
• sett constants outside the query to aid in readability
• set statement
• used to set the query duration
• {tool}Microsoft Santinel 
• {def} a cloud native SIEM and SOAR that provides cyberthreat detection, investigation, response, and proactive hunting, with a bird's-eye view across your enterprise [3]
• {tool} Kusto Explorer
• {def} user-friendly interface to query and analyze data with KQL [4]
• {tool} Azure Data Studio 
• {def} lightweight, cross-platform data management and development tool for data professionals [5]

Previous Post  <<||>> Next Post

References:
[1] Microsoft (2024) Real-time Analytics: End-to-End Workshop
[2] Mark Morowczynski et al (2024) The Definitive Guide to KQL: Using Kusto Query Language for Operations, Defending, and Threat Hunting
[3] Microsoft Learn (2024) Azure: What is Microsoft Sentinel [link]

[4] Microsoft Learn (2024) Kusto: Kusto.Explorer installation and user interface [link]
[5] Microsoft Learn (2024) SQL: What is Azure Data Studio? [link]

Acronyms:

KQL - Kusto Query Language (
SIEM - security information and event management

SOAR - security orchestration, automation, and response
SQL - Structured Query Language

UTC - Universal Time Coordinated