Decision Trees: Interactive Architecture Guides¶
Navigate Microsoft Fabric's key architectural decisions with step-by-step flowcharts
Last Updated: 2026-05-05 | Version: 1.0.0
Third-party references — publicly sourced, good-faith comparison
This page references non-Microsoft products and services. That information is drawn from each vendor's publicly available documentation and is offered for honest, good-faith comparison only. This is a personal project written from a Microsoft Fabric and Azure perspective; it does not claim expertise in, or authority over, any third-party product, and nothing here is an official statement by, or endorsed by, those vendors. Capabilities, pricing, and features change often — always verify against the vendor's current official documentation. Where a third-party offering is the stronger choice, we say so plainly.
When to Use These Guides¶
These interactive decision trees help you navigate the most common "which should I choose?" questions in Microsoft Fabric projects. Each guide includes a visual flowchart, tradeoff analysis, and anti-pattern warnings drawn from real-world POC experience.
Decision Tree Catalog¶
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Lakehouse vs Warehouse vs SQL Database
Choose the right Fabric storage engine based on workload type, query patterns, and team skills. Covers OLTP, OLAP, and data engineering scenarios.
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Select the optimal data movement strategy based on latency requirements, data volume, transformation complexity, and source characteristics.
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Direct Lake vs Import vs DirectQuery
Pick the right Power BI connectivity mode by balancing freshness, performance, dataset size, and governance requirements.
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Fabric vs. competing analytics platforms
Platform selection from a Fabric-first perspective. Understand when Fabric is the right fit and when complementary platforms add value.
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Decide between single workspace, multi-workspace, and multi-capacity architectures based on team size, compliance, and isolation needs.
How to Read These Guides¶
Each decision tree follows a consistent structure:
| Section | Purpose |
|---|---|
| TL;DR | 3-sentence summary of the decision space |
| When This Question Comes Up | Scenarios that trigger this decision |
| Decision Flowchart | Interactive Mermaid diagram with branching logic |
| Recommendation Sections | Deep dive per option: When, Why, Tradeoffs, Anti-patterns |
| Related Links | Cross-references to feature docs and best practices |
Related Resources¶
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Component Decision Trees | Detailed component-level decision flowcharts |
| Architecture Overview | End-to-end system architecture |
| Best Practices Index | Enterprise best practice guides |
| Capacity Planning | Cost and capacity optimization |
| Medallion Architecture | Medallion pattern deep dive |