Azure Service Fabric: Is it still relevant? Service Fabric vs Microsoft Fabric?

Microsoft Azure Service Fabric has been a foundational platform for building and managing microservices-based applications since its release. However, with the rise of Kubernetes and other container orchestration tools, its adoption has seen changes over the years. Additionally, Microsoft introduced Microsoft Fabric, a new data and analytics platform, leading to some confusion between the two services. In this article, we will explore what has happened to Azure Service Fabric, whether it is still supported, and how it compares to Microsoft Fabric.

Evolution and History of Azure Service Fabric

Azure Service Fabric was originally developed to support Microsoft’s internal services such as Azure SQL Database, Azure Cosmos DB, and Azure Event Hubs. It provided a robust platform for building scalable, reliable, and distributed applications.

A Brief History

Microsoft introduced Service Fabric publicly in 2015, after using it internally for years to power its cloud services. It was designed to simplify the development and deployment of microservices and container-based applications. At the time, it was a strong competitor to traditional monolithic architectures, providing features like stateful services, automatic failover, and distributed systems management.

Key Features of Azure Service Fabric

• Supports both stateful and stateless microservices
• Container orchestration capabilities
• Automatic scaling and self-healing
• Reliable Actors model for stateful applications
• Deep integration with Azure ecosystem

Despite these advantages, the industry gradually shifted towards Kubernetes as the standard for container orchestration, which led to a decline in new Service Fabric projects. Over time, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) became the preferred solution for modern cloud-native applications, impacting the adoption of Service Fabric.

Microsoft Still Uses Service Fabric to Host Azure Services Today

Despite the shift towards Kubernetes, Microsoft continues to rely on Azure Service Fabric to power several critical Azure services. Many core Azure infrastructure components and customer-facing services still leverage Service Fabric for its robust distributed systems capabilities.

Examples of Microsoft Services Running on Service Fabric:

• Azure SQL Database – A cloud-based relational database service
• Azure Cosmos DB – A globally distributed NoSQL database
• Azure Event Hubs – A real-time data ingestion and event processing service
• Azure IoT Hub – A platform for managing IoT devices and telemetry data
• Microsoft Power BI – A business analytics service
• Microsoft Intune – A cloud-based endpoint management solution
• Skype for Business – A communication and collaboration platform
• Dynamics 365 – A suite of business applications
• and other core Azure services!

By continuing to use Service Fabric for these services, Microsoft demonstrates its commitment to the platform. While Kubernetes has become a dominant choice for many organizations, Service Fabric remains a powerful and reliable solution for running stateful applications and large-scale distributed systems.

Is Azure Service Fabric Still Supported?

As of 2025, Microsoft continues to support Azure Service Fabric under its Modern Lifecycle Policy. The most recent update, Service Fabric 10.1 CU6, was released in October 2024, introducing several enhancements, including improved cluster balancing and better container image management.

While Microsoft remains committed to maintaining Service Fabric, its development and adoption are slowing in comparison to Kubernetes. The Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) has become the go-to platform for containerized workloads, prompting organizations to reevaluate their reliance on Service Fabric.

Azure Service Fabric vs. Microsoft Fabric

Given the name similarity, there is some confusion between Azure Service Fabric and Microsoft Fabric. Despite their similar names of being called a “Fabric”, they serve completely different purposes.

Azure Service Fabric

• Primary Function: Microservices and container orchestration
• Use Cases: Running distributed applications with strong reliability and scaling
• Target Audience: Developers managing backend services and containerized workloads
• Competitors: Kubernetes, Docker Swarm

Microsoft Fabric

• Primary Function: Unified data and analytics platform
• Use Cases: Data integration, business intelligence, and AI-driven analytics
• Target Audience: Data engineers, analysts, and business intelligence teams
• Competitors: Databricks, Snowflake, Google BigQuery

Should Organizations Still Use Azure Service Fabric?

The decision to continue using Azure Service Fabric depends on an organization’s existing architecture and future goals.

• If your organization already uses Service Fabric, it remains a viable option, with ongoing support from Microsoft.
• For new projects, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) is often a better choice due to its broader community support and flexibility.
• If your focus is on data and analytics, Microsoft Fabric—not Azure Service Fabric—should be your go-to solution.

Conclusion

Azure Service Fabric is still supported, but its relevance has diminished with the rise of Kubernetes. While it remains a powerful option for certain applications, organizations are increasingly migrating to Azure Kubernetes Service. On the other hand, Microsoft Fabric is an entirely different platform focused on data and analytics. Understanding the differences between these technologies is crucial for making the right infrastructure decisions.

Original Article Source: Azure Service Fabric: Is it still relevant? Service Fabric vs Microsoft Fabric? written by Chris Pietschmann (If you're reading this somewhere other than Build5Nines.com, it was republished without permission.)