Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.lobster-world.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Microsoft Fabric tutorial

Prev Next

Last updated: 2026/05/20

Connect to Microsoft Fabric from Lobster

In this tutorial, you connect the Lobster Data Platform to a Microsoft Fabric Lakehouse or Warehouse using the Microsoft SQL Server JDBC driver and a service principal for authentication. When you're done, you'll have a working connection that lets you read data from a Lakehouse or read and write data to a Warehouse.

Tip

You can also use this procedure to connect to any Microsoft SQL database in the Azure Cloud, including Dataverse.

Prerequisites

  • Access to the Azure portal

  • Access to the Microsoft Fabric portal

  • A Fabric workspace that contains an existing Lakehouse or Warehouse

  • Administrative access to your Lobster installation

  • The following library files (tested versions):

    • mssql-jdbc-12.10.2.jre11.jar (Microsoft SQL Server JDBC driver, Download from Microsoft)

    • azure-identity-1.15.3.jar

    • oauth2-oidc-sdk-11.23.1.jar

    • msal4j-1.19.0.jar

    • content-type-2.3.jar

NOTE Newer driver versions may require different dependencies. If so, check the release notes of the respective driver.

Register an app in Microsoft Azure

Create an app registration in Microsoft Entra ID. This app provides the service principal credentials that Lobster uses to authenticate with Fabric.

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Azure portal.

    On the home page, under Azure services, select the shortcut App registrations.

    Microsoft Azure app registrations page displaying owned applications and registration options.

  2. On the App registrations page, select New registration, enter a name for the app (for example, Fabric_Connection), and then select Register.

  3. On the Overview page, copy the Application (client) ID. You'll need this value later.

    Display name and application ID for Fabric Connection in the essentials section.

  4. Select Certificates & secrets → New client secret. After you create the secret, copy the Value column (not the Secret ID). You'll need this value later.

    Client secrets section showing description, expiration date, and value for application identity.

  5. Select API permissions → Add a permission, and then add the following permissions:

    • Tenant.Read.All

    • Tenant.ReadWrite.All

    API permissions overview for Microsoft Graph and Power BI Service applications.

You now have the two values that you require for the connection: the Application (client) ID and the client secret value.

Grant workspace access in Microsoft Fabric

Give your app permission to access the Fabric workspace that contains your Lakehouse or Warehouse.

Add the app to your workspace

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Fabric portal.

  2. In the left navigation, select Workspaces. Next to your workspace, select the ellipsis (…), and then select Workspace access.

    Workspace menu in Microsoft Fabric showing options for managing workspaces and settings.

  3. Search for the name of your app (for example, Fabric_Connection), and then add it.

    Manage access settings for Testworkspace, including adding people or groups.

  4. Set the role to Admin or Contributor.

NOTE The "Service Principal" is created automatically in the background after you add the app.

Get the SQL analytics endpoint

  1. Open the workspace that contains your Lakehouse or Warehouse.

  2. Next to your Lakehouse or Warehouse, select the ellipsis (…), and then select Settings.

    File management interface showing options for workspace and item settings.

  3. Under SQL analytics endpoint, copy the SQL connection string.

    SQL connection string for Power BI desktop and client tools displayed in Lakehouse workspace.

NOTE The SQL connection string follows the pattern <random-string>.datawarehouse.fabric.microsoft.com.

Configure the connection in Lobster

Now that you have all the required values, you can configure the database connection in Lobster.

Install the required libraries and drivers

  1. Download the Microsoft SQL Server JDBC driver directly from Microsoft: Download from Microsoft

  2. Download and extract the remaining four files and drivers using the link below.

    additional_libs
    1.34 MB

  3. In the Lobster interface, go to Configuration →  Databases/Connectors.

  4. Select Manage drivers.

  5. Upload the extracted .jar files and the driver by using drag and drop, or copy them directly to the /extlib/ directory of your Lobster installation.

Create the database connection

  1. Go to Configuration → Databases/Connectors.

  2. Add a new connection by selecting the Plus (+) button or by using the context menu.

  3. Select Load Template, and then select MS SQL (TLS enabled).

    Lobster Settings interface for database entry with options for alias and driver selection.

  4. Enter the connection values that you collected earlier:

    Field

    Value

    Alias

    Enter a name for the connection (for example, ms_fabric_lakehouse_ro).

    Database

    Enter the SQL connection string from the Fabric portal. Replace <your-endpoint> with the endpoint from your connection string, and replace <YourLakehouseOrWarehouse> with the name of your Lakehouse or Warehouse. The port is 1433.

    jdbc:sqlserver://<your-endpoint>.datawarehouse.fabric.microsoft.com:1433;DatabaseName=<YourLakehouseOrWarehouse>;encrypt=true;trustServerCertificate=true

    Catalog Name

    Enter the name of your Lakehouse or Warehouse (for example, TestworkspaceLakehouse).

    User

    Enter the Application (client) ID from your app registration.

    Password

    Enter the client secret Value from your app registration.

    It should look like this:

    Lobster: Database connection settings for ms_fabric_lakehouse_ro with user and SQL command details.

  5. Select the JDBC Properties tab, and then add the authentication property from the table below. IMPORTANT This property is required. If you don't add it, authentication fails.

    Name

    Value

    Authentication

    ActiveDirectoryServicePrincipal

  6. Save the connection, and then test it by using the SQL Console plug-in.

You now have a working connection from Lobster to your Microsoft Fabric Lakehouse or Warehouse.

Glossary

App registrations

Enable secure and controlled access to APIs and services by registering and configuring applications for authentication and authorization in Azure.

Fabric workspace 

A container in Microsoft Fabric that organizes your data projects. A workspace can hold multiple Lakehouses and Warehouses.

Lakehouse 

A data store in your workspace that is optimized for analytical workloads. Through the SQL endpoint, you can read data only.

Warehouse 

A data store in your workspace that behaves like a traditional Azure SQL database. Through the SQL endpoint, you can read and write data.

FAQ—Frequently asked questions

Can I write to Lakehouse by using another method?

Yes. You can write to a Lakehouse by using the GraphQL API.

Can I use these libraries to connect to a standard Azure SQL database?

Yes, if the database is cloud-hosted in Azure. You might need to configure additional settings in the Azure portal to allow external IP access.

Are other authentication methods supported?

Yes, but only ActiveDirectoryServicePrincipal has been tested with these libraries.

Are there differences between Fabric SQL databases and Azure SQL databases?

Yes. For current limitations, see SQL database in Microsoft Fabric limitations.

Related articles