🏭🎗️🗒️Microsoft Fabric: Real-Time Dashboards (RTD) [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: 10-Mar-2025

Real-Time Intelligence architecture [5]

[Microsoft Fabric] Real-Time Dashboard

• [def]
• a collection of tiles
• optionally organized in pages
• act as containers of tiles
• organize tiles into logical groups
• e.g. by data source or by subject area
• used to create a dashboard with multiple views
• e.g. dashboard with a drillthrough from a summary page to a details page [1]
• each tile has 
• an underlying query
• a visual representation
• exists within the context of a workspace [1]
• always associated with the workspace used to create it [1]
• {concept} tile
• uses  KQL snippets to retrieve data and render visuals [1]
• can be added directly from queries written in a KQL queryset [1]
• {concept} data source
• reusable reference to a specific database in the same workspace as the dashboard [1]
• {concept} parameters 
• significantly improve dashboard rendering performance [1]
• enable to use filter values as early as possible in the query
• filtering is enabled when the parameter is included in the query associated with the tiles [1]
• {concept} cloud connection
• uses dashboard owner's identity to give access to the underlying data source to other users [2]
• when not used for 90 days, it will expire [2]
• ⇒ a new gateway connection must be set up [2]
• via Manage connections >> Gateways page >> Edit credentials and verify the user again
• a separate connection is needed for each data source [2]
• {feature} natively export KQL queries to a dashboard as visuals and later modify their underlying queries and visual formatting as needed [1]
• the fully integrated dashboard experience provides improved query and visualization performance [1]
• {feature} encrypted at rest
• dashboards and dashboard-related metadata about users are encrypted at rest using Microsoft-managed keys [1]
• {feature} auto refresh
• allows to automatically update the data on a dashboard without manually reloading the page or clicking a refresh button [1]
• can be set by a database editor
• both editors and viewers can change the actual rate of auto refresh while viewing a dashboard [1]
• database editors can limit the minimum refresh rate that any viewer can set
• ⇐ reduces the cluster load
• when set, database users can't set a refresh rate lower than the minimum [1]
• {feature} explore data 
• enables users to extend the exploration of dashboards beyond the data displayed in the tiles [3]
• begins with viewing the data and its corresponding visualization as they appear on the tile [3]
• users can add or removing filters and aggregations, and use further visualizations [3]
• ⇐ no knowledge of KQL is needed [3]
• {feature} conditional formatting
• allows users to format data points based on their values, utilizing 
• colors
• {rule} color by condition
• allows to set one or more logical conditions that must be met for a value to be colored [4]
• available for table, stat, and multi stat visuals [4]
• {rule} color by value
• allows to visualize values on a color gradient [4]
• available for table visuals [4]
• tags
• icons
• can be applied either 
• to a specific set of cells within a designated column [4]
• to entire rows [4]
• one or more conditional formatting rules can be applied for each visual [4]
• when multiple rules conflict, the last rule defined takes precedence over any previous ones [4]
• {action} export dashboard
• dashboards can be exported to a JSON file
• can be useful in several scenarios 
• {scenario} version control
• the file can be used to restore the dashboard to a previous version [1]
• {scenario} dashboard template
• the file can be used as template for creating new dashboards [1]
• {scenario} manual editing
• edit the file to modify the dashboard and imported the file back to the dashboard [1]
• ADX dashboards can be exported and imported as RT dashboards [6]
• {action} share dashboard
• one can specify if the user can view, edit, or share [2]
• ⇐ the permissions are not for the underlying data [2]
• permissions are set by defining the identity that the dashboard uses for accessing data from each data sources[2]
• {type|default} pass-through identity
• used when authenticating to access the underlying data source [2]
• the user is only able to view the data in the tiles [2]
• {type} dashboard editor’s identity:
• allows the user to use editor’s identity, and thus permissions[2]
• the editor defines a cloud connection that the dashboard uses to connect to the relevant data source [2]
• only editors can define cloud connections and permissions for a specific real-time dashboard [2]
• each editor that modifies the real-time dashboard needs to set up own cloud connection [2]
• if a valid connection doesn't exist, the user is able to view the real-time dashboard but will only see data if they themselves have access to it [2]
• {action} revoke a user’s access permissions
• remove access from the dashboard [2]
• remove the cloud connection.
• via Settings >> Manage connections and gateways >> Options >> Remove
• remove the user from the cloud connection.
• via Settings >> Manage connections and gateways >> Options >> Manage users >> {select User} >> Delete
• edit the Data source access permissions.
• via Data source >> New data source >> edit >> Data source access >> Pass-through identity
• ⇐ the user uses own identity to access the data source [2]
• {prerequisite} a workspace with a Microsoft Fabric-enabled capacity [1]
• {prerequisite} a KQL database with data [1]
• {setting} Users can create real-time dashboards [1]

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References:

[1] Microsoft Learn (2024) Fabric: Create a Real-Time Dashboard [link] 

[2] Microsoft Learn (2024) Fabric: Real-Time Dashboard permissions (preview) [link] 

[3] Microsoft Learn (2024) Fabric: Explore data in Real-Time Dashboard tiles [link] 
[4] Microsoft Learn (2024) Fabric: Apply conditional formatting in Real-Time Dashboard visuals [link]

[5] Microsoft Learn (2025) Fabric: Real Time Intelligence L200 Pitch Deck [link]
[6] Microsoft Fabric Updates Blog (2024) Easily recreate your ADX dashboards as Real-Time Dashboards in Fabric, by Michal Bar [link]
[7] Microsoft Learn (2025) Create Real-Time Dashboards with Microsoft Fabric [link]

Resources:

[R1] Microsoft Learn (2024) Microsoft Fabric exercises [link]

Acronyms:
ADX - Azure Data Explorer
KQL  - Kusto Query Language
MF - Microsoft Fabric
RT - Real-Time