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90 Days, 1 Fabric Foundation: Delivering SQL Mirroring at Scale

#fabcon2026 #session #learning #microsoft #fabcon2026-session

Description

In this case study, Protective Industries transformed fragile pipelines by shifting architecture—not the business. See how Fabric SQL Mirroring replaced brittle ingestion, cut technical debt, and delivered a stable, low-latency foundation. Learn how unified ERP analytics, governance, and scalable patterns created a sustainable, enterprise-ready Fabric implementation.

Key Takeaways

My Notes

Action Items

Slides

WELCOME #FABCON
WELCOME #FABCON
90 Days, 1 Fabric Foundation:
90 Days, 1 Fabric Foundation:
Delivering
SQL
Delivering Fabric as
Mirroring
at
Scale
an Enterprise Data
Platform
Meet the Team
Rick Weber
Kevin Gormley
Daniel Paschall
Alex Carvalho
Caplugs
Caplugs
Quisitive
Quisitive
Senior Director,
Enterprise Insights &
Analytics
Manager, Data &
Analytics Platforms
Digital Architect
Principal Consultant
Agenda
Caplugs Vision & Fabric Journey
Quisitive Approach
Establishing a Unified Data Platform
Caplugs Next Steps
Questions
Protective Industries Inc. / Caplugs
NORTH AMERICA
Buffalo, NY
Erie, PA
EUROPE
Toronto, ON
Manufacturing &
Distribution Facilities
ASIA
Ludenscheid, Germany
Oss, Netherlands
Jintan, China
Falciano, San Marino
Tempere, Finland
Brisbane, Australia
32 million parts produced per day
Servicing global customers in
diverse market segments
Los Angeles, CA
Houston, TX
Buffalo, NY
• 224,000 sq ft
• 360 Employees
• Manufactures Full Range
of Products
Monterrey, MX
Canada
• 28,000 sq ft
• 18 Employees
• Conversion &
Distribution
Germany
• 25,000 sq ft
• 16 Employees
• Manufactures Injection
Molded Products
Finland
• 64,000 sq ft
• 32 Employees
• Manufactures Injection Molded
Products
Pennsylvania
Mexico
Netherlands
• 22,000 sq ft
• 8 Employees
• Distribution
• 30,000 sq ft
• 20 Employees
• Manufactures Vinyl Dip
Molded Products
China
California
Texas
San Marino
Australia
• 173,000 sq ft
• 133 Employees
• Manufactures Injection
Molded Products
• 160,000 sq ft
• 157 Employees
• Manufactures Injection & Vinyl Dip
Molded Products and Die Cutting
• 17,000 sq ft
• 25 Employees
• Manufactures Injection
Molded Products
• 53,800 sq ft
• 13 Employees
• Manufactures Injection
Molded Products
• 290,000 sq ft
• 304 Employees
• Manufactures Injection & Rubber
Molded Products and Die Cutting
• 34,000 sq ft
• 19 Employees
• Extrudes Plastic Hose Guard
Major Product Categories
Caps
Plugs
Masking
Tubing,
Netting &
Containers
Hose Guard &
Spiral Wrap
Custom
(Including
Rubber
Components)
Medical
Device &
Labware
Our Focus & Commitment
IT Objective
Drive business growth, innovation, and workforce efficiency by building a modern digital
foundation and leveraging advanced technologies. Deliver secure, data-driven, and globally
consistent IT services, while maximizing the value of existing investments to accelerate digital
transformation.
Enterprise Data & Analytics Mission
Unify a shared services model around a trusted enterprise data foundation in Microsoft Fabric
so that the business can scale from today’s diagnostics reporting into automation, predictive, and
ultimately prescriptive analytics as part of the broader connected-enterprise modernization.
Legacy & Vision
• Fragmented Data
• Legacy SSRS
Reporting: Limitations
& Technical Debt
Accrual
• KPI & Metric
Inconsistencies
• Constrained Scalability
• On-Prem PBI
•
•
•
•
One Source of Truth
Scalable Enterprise
Accelerated Insights
AI & Business
Enablement
Why Microsoft Fabric?
• Centralized Logic & Governance
• Improved Data Quality & Trust
• Scalability & Performance
• Enhanced User Experience
• Faster Development & Deployment
• Future-Proofing & Integration
Project Objectives

  1. Legacy Environment Stabilization
  2. Establish Modern Data Platform
    Legacy Environment
    Stabilization
    Legacy Data Sources
    Cloud Based
    On-Premise Sources
    • Business
    Central
    • Navision
    • Dynamics
    CRM
    • Warehouse Systems
    • Internal Apps
    Business & Technical Impact
    • ERP System Performance Issues
    • Reporting Reliability
    • Maintenance
    • Scalability
    • Limited Cloud Functionality
    SQL Transactional Replication
    • Mature Solution
    • Near Real-Time Synchronization
    • High Availability for Read Activity
    • Selective Replication
    Benefits Achieved from Replication
    • Reduced ERP System Strain
    • Dedicated Reporting Platform
    • Foundation for Modernization
    Establish Modern
    Data Platform
    Platform Objectives
    • Medallion Architecture
    • Standardized Load Patterns
    • Maintenance
    • Scalability
    • Enable Advanced Analytics
    Capabilities
    Medallion Architecture Overview - Bronze
    • Landing zone for all source system
    data
    • Lakehouse per source
    • Leverage Managed Schema
    shortcuts
    Medallion Architecture Overview - Silver
    • Source system specific reporting
    needs
    • Simplified Model
    • Solves source system transactional
    reporting
    Medallion Architecture Overview - Gold
    • Consolidated view across all ERPs
    • Built for enterprise analysis
    • Star Schema for optimal
    performance
    Business Central Ingestion
    • Leverage BC2ADLS Interface
    • Consistent Interface
    • Low maintenance
    • Scalability
    BUSINESS
    CENTRAL
    BRONZE
    LAYER
    GOLD
    LAYER
    SILVER
    LAYER
    BC2ADLS
    BC2ADLS
    BC2ADLS
    BC2ADLS
    BC2ADLS
    BC2ADLS
    Schema
    Shortcut
    Schema
    Shortcut
    CRM Ingestion
    • Leverage Dataverse shortcuts
    • Low Code solution
    • Controlled by CRM Interface
    • Easy to maintain
    DATAVERSE
    CRM
    Schema
    Shortcut
    GOLD
    LAYER
    SILVER
    LAYER
    BRONZE
    LAYER
    Schema
    Shortcut
    Schema
    Shortcut
    SQL Server Based Ingestion
    • Leverage Metadata Driven Pipeline
    • Full Load / Incremental Load Capabilities
    • Generic pipeline ingests all types of SQL
    Server databases
    • Easily adaptable to other database
    engines
    SQL
    DATABASES
    BRONZE
    LAYER
    Metadata
    Pipeline
    GOLD
    LAYER
    SILVER
    LAYER
    Schema
    Shortcut
    Schema
    Shortcut
    Navision Ingestion - Microsoft Fabric SQL
    Mirroring
    • Real-Time Data Ingestion
    • Native Fabric Integration
    • Simplified Analytics Architecture
    • Data Availability and Protection
    • Open and Scalable Architecture
    NAVISION
    DB
    BRONZE
    LAYER
    CDC
    SILVER
    LAYER
    Schema
    Shortcut
    Schema
    Shortcut
    CDC
    GOLD
    LAYER
    Schema
    Shortcut
    Schema
    Shortcut
    Why was it the right fit?
    • Low code solution
    • Easy to manage
    • Simplified load patterns
    • Best for read-heavy analytic
    environments
    • Leveraged the replica server
    Lessons Learned
    • Best Option For Mokon
    • Tricky To Set Up From Replica
    • Schema Evolution Updates
    • Limited Monitoring Capabilities
    • Limit on Number of Tables Per DB
    • Exceeded Performance Expectations
    Business Outcomes
    • Improved ERP Performance
    • Faster Data Access for Decisions
    • Reduced Operational Costs
    • Future-Read Data Platform
    Initial Improvements
    CHALLENGES
    SOLUTIONS
    Breakaway from IaaS to
    SaaS
    Fabric established as the
    SaaS platform
    Migration complexity &
    maintenance overhead
    Built single sales semantic
    model as part of domain
    model first approach
    Data quality
    Intake practices & CI/CD
    Advanced analytics
    outcomes & AI enablement
    User security
    Systematically archiving,
    migrating, & retiring legacy
    reporting
    Launching initial customer
    profile and churn model
    Leveraging AAD roles
    IMPROVEMENTS
    Reduce IaaS-hosted
    reliance and retuned
    capacity
    Fabric reporting rooted in
    single source of truth
    modeling
    Early operationalization of
    data standards,
    deployment, & governance
    practices
    User-level access control
    enables
    Capability Maturity Over 3-Year Roadmap
    Purposeful investment in data and AI capabilities will elevate our
    organization from descriptive reporting to predictive and intelligence
    embedded in daily decision-making.
    Level 5: Autonomous
    / Cognitive
    Level 4: Prescriptive
    / Intelligent (Target)
    Level 3: Diagnostic /
    Self-Service
    Level 2: Descriptive /
    Standardized
    Level 1: Reactive / Ad
    Hoc
    Disconnected
    spreadsheets, manual
    reporting, no governance
    Shared KPIs, Power BI
    adoption, common data
    sources
    Self-service with governed
    Fabric models, business
    exploring 'why'
    AI-driven automation,
    unsupervised
    optimization
    Predictive analytics, ML &
    GenAI insights embedded in
    workflows
    Target State
    Current State
    2026 – Stabilize & Plan
    |
    2027 – Activate on AI Foundation
    |
    2028 – Scale & Differentiate
    Need Help?
    Book your Fabric Design Lab!
    We have worked in partnership with Microsoft to
    develop and launch the Fabric Design Lab , a
    program established to help enterprises build a
    business case for data transformation and accelerate
    the adoption of Microsoft Fabric
    Questions?
    Tell Us How We Did –
    Win $100
    Complete the 2-minute session
    feedback survey to be entered
    into a drawing for
    two $100 Amazon Gift Cards!
    JOIN US MAY 6!
    Spring Clean Your Data Estate
    Building a Unified Data Platform for
    AI with Microsoft Fabric
    Save your spot now!
    Thank you
    See you in Booth #813!
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    it meets your real-life needs
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