Data Visualisation using Data Intelligence and
PowerBI Apache Spark
Introduction to Data
in Azure
Let's introduce the concept of "Data
in Azure."
Think of Azure as a vast digital landscape, designed to handle data in all its
forms, from the point data is ingested to a point it provides valuable insights
to users.
Data Science as Info Collection
Data in Azure refers to the comprehensive suite of services and capabilities
that Microsoft offers for storing, processing, analysing, and governing data in
the cloud. It's not just about having a place to put your information; it's also
about having a powerful and scalable platform to manage the entire data
lifecycle.
Let’s visualize: Imagine Yoobee’s student ecosystem where data flows
nonstop—from the LMS and student DBMS to online assessments and
activity logs. Azure captures, processes, secures, and surfaces this stream
end-to-end.
Collect and Ingest: Bring this data into the Azure environment from
diverse sources, whether it's structured (like tables), semi-structured (like
JSON or CSV files), or unstructured (like text documents or multimedia).
Services like Azure Data Factory and Azure Event Hubs are key players
here.
Store and Manage: Securely and reliably store this data at scale. Azure
offers a variety of storage options tailored to different needs, including:
Azure Blob Storage: For massive amounts of unstructured data like
documents, images, and videos. Think of it as a highly scalable object
storage.
Azure Data Lake Storage (ADLS) Gen2: Built on Blob Storage, but
optimized for big data analytics with a hierarchical namespace and
cost-effective tiered storage. It's the central data lake.
Azure SQL Database: A fully managed relational database service for
structured data.
Azure Cosmos DB: A globally distributed, multi-model database
service for NoSQL workloads that require high availability and low
latency.
Azure Synapse Analytics (Dedicated SQL Pools): A massively parallel
processing (MPP) data warehouse designed for high-performance
analytics on structured data.
Process and Transform: Cleanse, transform, and prepare your data for
analysis. This involves tasks like data integration, data wrangling, and
data modelling. Services like Azure Data Factory, Azure Databricks, and
Azure Synapse Analytics (Spark Pools and Data Flows) are crucial here.
Analyse and Gain Insights: Extract meaningful information and patterns
from the data. This could involve running SQL queries, performing
statistical analysis, building machine learning models, or conducting real-
time analytics. Services like Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Databricks,
Azure Machine Learning, and Azure Stream Analytics enable these
capabilities.
Visualize and Report: Present the findings in a clear and understandable
way through dashboards, reports, and visualizations. Power BI, a
powerful business intelligence tool, integrates seamlessly with Azure data
services.
Govern and Secure: Azure ensures that the data is managed
responsibly, securely, and in compliance with regulations. Azure offers
services for data cataloguing like (Azure Purview), data masking,
encryption, and access control.
Key Concepts to Understand:
Scalability: Azure's cloud infrastructure allows to easily scale the data
storage and processing resources up or down based on the needs.
Flexibility: Azure offers a wide range of data services to handle various
data types and analytical workloads. Users can choose the services, as
best fit for the specific requirements.
Integration: Azure services are designed to work together seamlessly,
creating a cohesive data platform.
Cost-Effectiveness: Pay-as-you-go pricing models and tiered storage
options help optimize costs.
Security: Azure provides robust security features to protect user data in
the cloud.
Azure Data Analytics Toolkit:
Databricks, Synapse, and Fabric
Data Science as Info Collection
1. Azure Databricks: Think of Databricks as a powerful, collaborative
workspace optimized for Apache Spark.
Large-Scale Data Processing: Handling massive datasets with
distributed computing.
Advanced Analytics and Machine Learning: Building and deploying
sophisticated models using Python, Scala, R, and SQL.
Real-time Analytics (with Structured Streaming): Processing and
analysing data as it arrives.
Collaborative Development: Enabling data engineers, data scientists,
and analysts to work together seamlessly on shared notebooks and
projects.
Intermediate Level:
Understanding the Spark Architecture: Master nodes, worker nodes,
executors, and how Spark distributes tasks.
Working with Data Frames: Loading, transforming, and querying data
using Spark SQL and the Data Frame API (in Python, Scala, or R).
Basic Data Engineering Pipelines: Building ETL/ELT processes using
Databricks notebooks and jobs.
Introduction to MLflow: Tracking experiments, managing models,
and deploying basic machine learning workflows.
Connecting to Azure Data Lake Storage (ADLS) Gen2: Reading and
writing learning data efficiently.
Advanced Level:
Optimizing Spark Performance: Understanding partitioning, caching,
and other techniques to improve query speed and resource
utilization.
Advanced Data Engineering: Implementing complex data
transformations, handling data quality issues, and building robust,
scalable pipelines with Delta Lake for data reliability and ACID
transactions.
Deep Learning Integration: Leveraging libraries like TensorFlow and
PyTorch within the Databricks environment for advanced learning
analytics (e.g., natural language processing for feedback analysis,
computer vision for analysing learning materials).
Advanced MLflow Features: Experiment tracking, model registry,
model serving, and integrating with CI/CD pipelines.
Real-time Streaming Analytics: Building applications to analyse
learning events as they happen (e.g., identifying struggling students
based on real-time activity).
2. Azure Synapse Analytics: Consider Synapse as an end-to-end analytics
service that brings together data integration, enterprise data
warehousing, and big data analytics for:
Data Integration (Synapse Pipelines): Building complex ETL/ELT
workflows with a visual interface or code-based approach.
Data Warehousing (Dedicated SQL Pools): Storing and querying
structured learning data at scale with high performance.
Big Data Analytics (Serverless SQL Pools and Spark Pools): Analysing
large volumes of data without the need for infrastructure
management.
Data Lake Exploration (Serverless SQL Pools): Querying data directly
in ADLS Gen2 using SQL.
Intermediate Level:
Understanding the Synapse Studio: Navigating the different
components (Develop, Data, Integrate, Monitor, Manage).
Building Basic Synapse Pipelines: Copying data between sources
(e.g., LMS databases, flat files in ADLS Gen2) and performing simple
transformations.
Querying Data in Dedicated SQL Pools: Writing efficient SQL queries
to analyze structured learning data.
Exploring Data in the Data Lake using Serverless SQL Pools: Querying
CSV and Parquet files directly in ADLS Gen2.
Introduction to Synapse Spark Pools: Running basic Spark notebooks
for data exploration and transformation.
Advanced Level:
Designing and Optimizing Data Warehouse Schemas: Implementing
star or snowflake schemas for efficient analytical querying of learning
data.
Building Complex Synapse Pipelines: Implementing control flow, data
flow activities, and integrating with external services.
Performance Tuning in Dedicated SQL Pools: Understanding indexing
strategies, query optimization techniques, and workload
management.
Advanced Data Lake Analytics with Serverless SQL Pools: Utilizing
external tables, views, and complex SQL functions for in-place data
analysis.
Leveraging Synapse Link for Azure Cosmos DB and Azure SQL
Database: Enabling near real-time analytics on operational learning
data.
3. Microsoft Fabric: Think of Fabric as a unified analytics platform that
aims to simplify the entire data analytics lifecycle, like:
Data Factory: For data integration and ETL/ELT.
Synapse Data Warehouse: For high-performance SQL analytics.
Synapse Data Engineering (Spark): For big data processing.
Synapse Data Science: For machine learning.
Real-time Analytics: For streaming data processing.
Power BI: For visualization and reporting.
Data Activator: For proactive monitoring and alerting.
Fabric essentially brings together many of the capabilities of Databricks
and Synapse into a more tightly integrated and user-friendly platform.
Intermediate Level:
Navigating the Fabric UI: Understanding the different experiences
and how they relate to each other.
Building Dataflows Gen2: Creating data integration pipelines with a
Power Query-like interface.
Working with Data Lakehouse: Understanding the concept of a
unified data lake and warehouse.
Basic Notebook Development: Using Spark notebooks for data
exploration and transformation within Fabric.
Creating Simple Power BI Reports on Fabric Data: Visualizing learning
data stored in Lakehouse or data warehouses.
Advanced Level:
Designing and Implementing End-to-End Analytics Solutions in Fabric:
Leveraging multiple Fabric experiences to build comprehensive
learning analytics platforms.
Advanced Data Engineering with Fabric Spark: Optimizing Spark jobs
and utilizing advanced features.
Building Machine Learning Models in Fabric: Utilizing the integrated
data science capabilities.
Implementing Real-time Analytics Solutions: Processing and
analysing streaming learning data within Fabric.
Utilizing Data Activator for Automated Insights and Actions: Setting
up triggers and actions based on learning data patterns.
Big Data, Data Mining and Data Analytics
Analysing Learning Data in Azure: A
Unified Approach
The beauty of the Azure ecosystem is the interoperability between these
services. Here's how you might approach analysing learning data:
1. Data Ingestion: Use Synapse Pipelines or Fabric Data Factory to ingest
data from various learning platforms (LMS APIs, databases, flat files in
blob storage) into Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 (ADLS Gen2), which acts
as your central data lake.
2. Data Transformation and Preparation:
For large-scale transformations and complex analytics, leverage
Azure Databricks or Fabric Spark. Cleanse, transform, and enrich the
raw learning data. Users must consider using Delta Lake within
Databricks or Fabric for data reliability and performance.
For more structured transformations and data warehousing needs,
use Synapse Pipelines or Fabric Dataflows Gen2 to load data into
Synapse Dedicated SQL Pools or Fabric Data Warehouse.
3. Data Exploration and Analysis:
Azure Databricks or Fabric Spark are excellent for exploratory data
analysis (EDA) using notebooks.
Synapse Serverless SQL Pools or Fabric SQL Query allow analysts to
query data directly in the data lake using familiar SQL.
Synapse Dedicated SQL Pools or Fabric Data Warehouse provide
high-performance querying for structured analytical workloads.
4. Machine Learning and Predictive Analytics:
Azure Databricks or Fabric Data Science provide a robust
environment for building and deploying machine learning models to
predict student performance, identify at-risk learners, or personalize
learning paths. Use MLflow for experiment tracking and model
management.
5. Visualization and Reporting:
Connect Power BI directly to Databricks, Synapse, or Fabric to create
interactive dashboards and reports that provide actionable insights
to educators, administrators, and even learners themselves.
6. Real-time Analytics:
Utilize Azure Stream Analytics in conjunction with Databricks
Structured Streaming or Fabric Real-time Analytics to process and
analyse learning events in real-time, enabling immediate
interventions or dynamic content adjustments.
In this module we will be working on DP
600:
By completing the topics in this module and the associated LMS labs, you will
not only strengthen your knowledge but also build the practical skills that can
support your career growth and help you work towards Azure or Microsoft
certifications. To learn more visit the following links:
1. DP 600–Microsoft Fabric Analytics Engineer.
2. DP 3011–Implementing Data Analytics Solution with Azure Databricks.
(Recommended)
3. DP 3012–Implementing a Data Analytics Solution with Azure Synapse
Analytics. (Recommended)
4. DP 3014–Implementing a ML Solution with Az Databricks.
(Recommended)
Microsoft Fabric
Azure Data Activator
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