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Can anyone please help me understand what components/services does Azure Synapse Analytics include?

From what I have read from both Microsoft website and other reviews, it says it is the new SQL Data Warehouse, however, it also says it brings together all these : data ingestion (like azure data factory), data warehouse, and big data analytics (like data lake)?

So what components exactly does a Azure Synapse Analytics include when you purchase it?

Thanks.

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The current GA of Synapse is just SQL DW re-branded. However, currently in private preview are the additional services you mentioned. The goal is to place all of the big data analytics services under one umbrella, and one management pane.dedotatedwam

1 Answers

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Azure Synapse Analytics service currently (as of 6th May 2020) refers to Azure SQL Data Warehouse, more specifically to "gen2" version of it. Microsoft released in November 2019 in Ignite'19 event the new name "Azure Synapse Analytics" and upcoming features for the service. The new features are currently available only in private preview, but I would assume they will be released in public preview soon. Access to new users to private preview is already closed, even though some Microsoft material still hints that you could apply to it.

You can already find information about the new features in documentation and other materil. The confusing part is that you cannot find them in portal yet if you are not part of the private preview. This makes it really hard for new users currently understand what really is available and what is not.

Good start to information on situation and features of both versions this can be found here:

Microsoft has made the release of this update very confusing. I assume they wanted to communicate early in Ignite'19 that they will have a competitive offering coming. Compared to some other cloud native data warehousing solutions the old version of Azure DW clearly were behind in many areas, e.g. in flexible scalability. The new Synapse Analytics capabilities look good and can bring Microsoft back to lead in this area.