Azure Analysis Services recently added support for the 1400 compatibility level for Tabular models, as announced in the article “1400 compatibility level in Azure Analysis Services.” The modern Get Data experience in Tabular 1400 is a true game changer. Where previously Tabular models in the cloud would primarily interface with Azure SQL Database or Azure SQL Data Warehouse, you now have more options to bring in data directly from a source. There are pros and cons to either approach. Perhaps most importantly, Azure SQL Data Warehouse can help to ensure data integrity at cloud scale. It is hard to overstate the importance of accurate and trustworthy data for BI solutions. On the other hand, the data warehouse increases the complexity of the data infrastructure and adds latencies to data updates. If data integrity can be ensured without requiring a data warehouse, direct data import into Tabular 1400 can help to avoid the extra complexity and latencies. For an example, see the blog article “Building an Azure Analysis Services Model on Top of Azure Blob Storage” on the Analysis Services team blog.
To learn more, please read the full blog post “Building an Azure Analysis Services Model on Top of Azure Blob Storage—Part 1.”
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