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How SQL Server mirroring to Fabric works
Fabric mirroring copies supported SQL Server data into OneLake and keeps that copy updated as the source changes. It is intended to make source data available for analytics in Fabric without building a separate extract-and-load pipeline. The mirrored data is read-only from Fabric; make changes in the SQL Server source, not in the mirrored copy.
Microsoft describes the feature as a cloud-based, zero-ETL service. That does not establish a fixed replication interval or a freshness guarantee: do not assume a particular number of seconds or minutes between a source change and its appearance in OneLake.
Choose the setup path by SQL Server version
| SQL Server version | Replication mechanism | Deployment coverage documented | Key setup distinction |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–2022 | Change Data Capture (CDC) | Windows Standard, Enterprise, and Developer editions; Linux support is documented for SQL Server 2017 CU18 onward and SQL Server 2019 and 2022. On-premises, Azure VM, and non-Azure cloud instances are listed. | SQL Server Agent must be running. CDC setup requires sysadmin if CDC is not already enabled; each mirrored table needs a primary key. |
| 2025 | Fabric mirroring change feed | On-premises is documented. Azure VMs and Linux are not currently supported. | Requires Azure Arc and the Azure Extension for SQL Server. Configure a system-assigned managed identity; workspace member or admin access is needed when creating the mirrored item. |
These are the support details documented for the versions and deployment types listed here; coverage can change. Confirm the current Microsoft support matrix for your exact edition, operating system, hosting environment, and topology before implementation.
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Check prerequisites before creating the mirror
Fabric workspace and capacity
- Use a workspace backed by active Fabric capacity. A paused or deleted capacity prevents replication.
- Confirm the tenant settings Service principals can use Fabric APIs and Users can access data stored in OneLake with apps external to Fabric are enabled as required for your environment.
- For a first run, use a development or test database that can be recovered if configuration or workload impact is unexpected.
Source compatibility and table selection
Review the supported source features, data types, and table requirements before selecting tables. On the SQL Server 2016–2022 CDC path, every mirrored table must have a primary key. The limitations documentation also identifies unsupported types and features, including CLR, vector, JSON, geometry/geography, hierarchyid, sql_variant, timestamp/rowversion, XML, user-defined types, and image/text/ntext. Consult the current limitations list for exact behavior by type: some precision may be lost when data is represented in Delta, and LOB values larger than 1 MB may be truncated.
There are also source-database exclusions. A database already configured for Azure Synapse Link for SQL or already mirrored in another Fabric workspace cannot be mirrored. SQL Server 2025 has further exclusions for sources already using CDC and for replication; delayed transaction durability is also listed as unsupported.
The current English limitations page and a localized rendering have shown different maximum table counts. Because that ceiling is not consistent across those documents, verify the current limit in the documentation for your region rather than relying on an assumed number.
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Prepare SQL Server identities and permissions
Create a dedicated login for the Fabric connection and a mapped database user. Microsoft’s tutorial recommends Microsoft Entra authentication where available; if using SQL authentication, use a strong password. Avoid sharing a broad administrator login as the ongoing connection identity.
SQL Server 2016–2022: CDC permissions
When CDC is not enabled, configuring it requires sysadmin membership. Future CDC maintenance also requires sysadmin. After CDC setup, the tutorial permits removing the Fabric login from sysadmin; the documented database-user permissions for this path include CONNECT and SELECT. Apply the least privilege compatible with your operating procedures.
SQL Server 2025: change-feed permissions
The documented source database permissions are SELECT, ALTER ANY EXTERNAL MIRROR, VIEW DATABASE PERFORMANCE STATE, and VIEW DATABASE SECURITY STATE. During mirrored-item creation, a workspace member or admin role is required because the SQL Server managed identity must receive read/write permission; a contributor does not have the stated Reshare permission for that step.
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For an Always On availability group, keep logins and SIDs consistent across replicas. SQL Server 2025 secondary nodes also have additional workspace-identity setup requirements, so follow the version-specific instructions for every node that may become primary.
Make SQL Server reachable from Fabric
The Fabric connection must be able to reach the SQL Server endpoint. If the source is not publicly accessible, use an on-premises data gateway or virtual network data gateway placed on a network that can reach the server through its private endpoint or an allowed firewall route. When creating the connection, select the gateway that has this route. Use an encrypted connection.
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Create the mirrored database
- Prepare the SQL Server source. For SQL Server 2025, onboard the server in Azure Arc, install the Azure Extension for SQL Server, and configure its system-assigned managed identity. For SQL Server 2016–2022, ensure SQL Server Agent is running and prepare CDC permissions.
- Start in the Fabric portal. In the target workspace, create a Mirrored SQL Server database.
- Choose a connection. Select a new or existing SQL Server connection. Provide the server and database names, choose the gateway when one is needed, select the authentication method, and connect.
- Select tables and start mirroring. Review table eligibility and select the data to mirror. On the 2016–2022 path, Fabric enables or configures CDC for selected tables as part of the process; CDC requires a primary key for each selected table.
- Check the result. Confirm that the expected tables appear in the mirrored item and in OneLake, then check that replication is progressing before treating the copy as ready for downstream use.
Use the SQL Server-version-specific setup instructions for exact scripts and availability-group preparation. A single generic script is not appropriate for both the CDC and change-feed paths.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Monitor source impact and replication health
Initial snapshots can raise source CPU and I/O operations per second (IOPS). Updates and deletes can increase transaction-log generation. Monitor the SQL Server workload and transaction log during initial synchronization and after the mirror is in steady state, especially on busy databases.
Long-running or active transactions can delay log truncation until they commit and the mirror catches up, or until they abort. If log usage grows unexpectedly, examine open transactions and mirror progress before taking action. Do not assume that a growing log is only a Fabric-side issue.
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- Expected tables are missing: Recheck table eligibility, primary keys on the CDC path, selected-table configuration, and the source database’s feature or type limitations.
- The connection cannot reach SQL Server: Check endpoint naming, listener address for an availability group, gateway selection and health, private routing or firewall rules, and authentication.
- Replication is not progressing: Confirm Fabric capacity is active, SQL Server Agent is running for SQL Server 2016–2022, and source transactions or log pressure are not holding up progress.
- Permissions fail: Compare the source login, mapped database user, version-specific grants, and—on SQL Server 2025—the managed identity and workspace role used during item creation.
Plan for security and availability-group operations
SQL Server row-level permissions, object- or column-level permissions, dynamic data masking, and sensitivity labels do not automatically become equivalent controls on the OneLake copy. Establish appropriate access controls in Fabric and restrict access to mirrored data according to its sensitivity.
Mirroring supports only a primary database in an availability group; a failover cluster instance is not supported. Failover can be supported when logins, database permissions, and workspace setup are consistent on each replica. Removing a secondary node or dropping the group can leave databases in RESTORING or invalidate the listener connection, requiring recovery or re-establishment of mirroring. Prepare all relevant replicas and rehearse topology changes before making them in production.
How Fabric mirroring differs from SQL Server database mirroring
Despite the shared word “mirroring,” these are different technologies. Fabric mirroring is a data-replication feature that places a read-only copy of supported SQL Server data in OneLake for Fabric workloads. It is not the older SQL Server database mirroring technology used for database availability. Choose the Fabric workflow when the goal is an analytics-accessible copy in OneLake, and do not treat it as a replacement for an availability or disaster-recovery design.
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