General
What is Azure Synapse Analytics?
Azure Synapse Analytics is an integrated analytics service that accelerates time to insight across data warehouses and big data analytics.
How does Synapse differ from Azure SQL Data Warehouse?
Synapse combines data integration, enterprise data warehousing, and big data analytics into a single cloud service, providing an end‑to‑end solution.
What programming languages are supported?
You can use T‑SQL, Spark (Scala, Python, .NET, and SQL), and integrate with Power BI, Azure Machine Learning, and more.
Performance
How can I optimize query performance?
Use dedicated SQL pools, materialized views, result set caching, and monitor with Query Performance Insight.
What is the role of Distributed Tables?
Distributed tables spread data across compute nodes to enable parallel processing and rapid query execution.
Security
How is data encrypted at rest and in transit?
Azure Synapse uses Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) for data at rest and TLS 1.2 for data in transit.
Can I use Azure AD for authentication?
Yes, Azure AD authentication, role‑based access control (RBAC), and managed identities are fully supported.
What are firewall rules?
Firewall rules restrict client IP addresses that can connect to the Synapse workspace.
Pricing
What billing models are available?
Pay‑as‑you‑go for compute (DWU) and storage; you can also reserve capacity for discounts.
How are Spark pools billed?
Spark pools are charged per vCore‑hour based on the number of nodes and the size of each node.
Integration
Can I connect Synapse to Power BI?
Yes, Synapse integrates with Power BI for seamless reporting and dashboarding.
What data ingestion options exist?
Use Azure Data Factory pipelines, Synapse pipelines, Event Hubs, or direct COPY statements.
Troubleshooting
Why am I seeing “Insufficient resources” errors?
Scale up your DWU or add more nodes to Spark pools to meet workload demands.
How to monitor workspace health?
Use Azure Monitor, Log Analytics workspaces, and the Synapse Studio health dashboard.