🏭🗒️Microsoft Fabric: External Data Sharing [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: 26-Mar-2025

External data sharing [1]

[Microsoft Fabric] External data sharing 

• {def} feature that enables Fabric users to share data from their tenant with users in another Fabric tenant (aka cross-tenant sharing) [1]
• the data is shared in-place from OneLake storage locations in the sharer's tenant [1]
• ⇒ no data is actually copied to the other tenant [1]
• creates a OneLake shortcut in the other tenant that points back to the original data in the sharer's tenant [1]
• data is exposed as read-only [1]
• data can be consumed by any OneLake compatible Fabric workload in that tenant [1]
• {benefit} allows for efficient and secure data sharing without duplicating data
• the shared data remains read-only for the consumer, ensuring data integrity and consistency [2]
• multiple tables and folders can be shared at once [2]
• {prerequisite} Fabric admins must turn on external data sharing both in the sharer's tenant and in the external tenant
• by specifying who can create and accept external data shares [1]
• users can share data residing in tables or files within supported Fabric items [1]
• require standard Fabric read and reshare permissions for the item being shared [1]
• the user creating the share invites a user from another tenant with a link to accept the external data share [1]
• upon accepting the share, the recipient chooses a lakehouse where a shortcut to the shared data will be created [1]
• the links work only for users in external tenants
• for sharing data within the same OneLake storage accounts with users in the same tenant, use OneLake shortcuts [1]
• {limitation} shortcuts contained in folders that are shared via external data sharing won't resolve in the consumer tenant [1]
• access is enabled via a dedicated Fabric-to-Fabric authentication mechanism 
• ⇐ doesn’t require Entra B2B guest user access [1]
• {operation} create an external data share in the provider tenant)
• external data shares can be created for tables or files in lakehouses and warehouses, and in KQL, SQL, mirrored databases [1]
• {limitation} the sharer can't control who has access to the data in the consumer's tenant [1]
• {operation} accept an external data share in consuming tenant)
• only lakehouses can be chosen for the operation
• the consumer can grant access to the data to anyone [1]
• incl. guest users from outside the consumer's organization [1]
• data can be transferred across geographic boundaries when it's accessed within the consumer's tenant [1]
• {operation} revoke extern data shares
• any user in the sharing tenant with read and reshare permissions on an externally shared item can revoke the external data share at any time [1]
• via Manage permissions >> External data shares tab
• can be performed of any item the user has read and reshare permissions on [3]
• {warning}a revoked external data share can't be restored [3] 
• irreversibly severs all access from the receiving tenant to the shared data [3]
• a new external data share can be created instead [3]
• applies to
• lakehouse
• an entire lakehouse schema can be shared [2]
• shares all the tables in the schema [2]
• any changes to the schema are immediately reflected in the consumer’s lakehouse [2]
• mirrored database
• KQL database
• OneLake catalog
• can be consumed via 
• Spark workloads
• notebooks or Spark
• lakehouse SQL Analytics Endpoint
• semantic models
• ⇐ data can be shared from a provider and consumed in-place via SQL queries or in a Power BI report [2]
• {feature} external data sharing APIs
• support service principals for admin and user operations
• can be used to automate the creation or management of shares [2]
• supports service principals or managed identity [2]
• {planned} data warehouse support
• share schemas or tables from a data warehouse [2]
• {planned} shortcut sharing
• share OneLake shortcuts using external data sharing [2]
• ⇒ data residing outside of Fabric will be externally shareable
• S3, ADLS Gen2, or any other supported shortcut location [2]
• {planned} consumer APIs
• consumer activities, including viewing share details and accepting shares, will soon be available via API [2]

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References:

[1] Microsoft Learn (2024) External data sharing in Microsoft Fabric [link]

[2] Microsoft Fabric Updates Blog (2025) External data sharing enhancements out now [link]
[3] Microsoft Learn (2024) Fabric: Manage external data shares [link]

Resources:

[R1] Analytics on Azure Blog (2024) External Data Sharing With Microsoft Fabric [link]
[R2] Microsoft Learn (2025) Fabric: What's new in Microsoft Fabric? [link]

Acronyms:

ADLS - Azure Data Lake Storage
API - Application Programming Interface
B2B - business-to-business
KQL - Kusto Query Language