Migrate Overview

This article describes how to use the Fabric Adoption Framework to migrate analytics workloads into Microsoft Fabric. The migration process includes four iterative stages: prepare, assess, deploy, and release. These stages help teams modernize their existing reporting and data platform solutions for Microsoft Fabric—leveraging OneLake, Lakehouse, Pipelines, and Power BI.

Migration Disciplines

A successful Fabric migration requires strong preparation and implementation. This methodology builds on the proven guidance from the Cloud Adoption Framework, adapted to the capabilities of Microsoft Fabric.

Prepare

Focus on organizational alignment and platform readiness:

• Align your strategy with business and data goals.
• Identify application and data owners.
• Build Fabric skills in your team.
• Prepare your Fabric Landing Zone including OneLake, domains, workspace hierarchies, and connectivity.

Assess

Review existing workloads to evaluate:

• Cost, scalability, and modernization potential.
• Workload categorization (rehost, replatform, rebuild).
• Dependencies such as external data sources and authentication methods.
• Rationalization options, including opportunities to consolidate datasets or pipelines.

Deploy

Implement and test the target architecture in Fabric:

• Migrate or refactor data pipelines into Dataflows Gen2 or Notebooks.
• Shift storage into OneLake using supported formats (Delta/Parquet).
• Set up permissions using Entra ID and domain/workspace-level RBAC.
• Validate workloads through staging and pre-production environments.

Release

Operationalize and optimize:

• Finalize workspace documentation and hand over to operations.
• Onboard users and BI developers.
• Monitor and optimize workloads using Fabric monitoring tools.
• Close the migration project with cost reviews and retrospectives.

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Fabric Migration Checklist

Migration Phase	Activity
Prepare	Ready Fabric landing zone Align roles and responsibilities Prepare migration backlog Assign domains and workspaces
Assess	Classify workloads (e.g., Power BI, Dataflows, DWH) Evaluate readiness for Fabric Identify dependencies Decide on target architecture
Deploy	Remediate unsupported components Migrate pipelines, reports, models Validate Fabric security and governance Test in pre-production
Release	Enable operational handover Train users and owners Review adoption success Optimize costs and performance

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Audience

The Fabric Migrate methodology supports:

• Business decision makers: Evaluate cost, agility, and strategic alignment of Fabric. Plan for team enablement and adoption.
• IT and platform architects: Plan the Fabric Landing Zone and ensure compliance and security.
• BI developers and engineers: Transform legacy workloads into Fabric-native solutions.
• Governance and operations: Define standards and handover structures to ensure long-term success in Fabric.

For details, explore the dedicated articles for each phase of the Fabric migration journey.