Explain the difference between managedDelta vs external tables in Fabric Lakehouse.

• A. Managed Delta tables are stored and managed by Fabric in OneLake; external tables reference data stored in external locations; both support ACID and Delta features, but management responsibilities differ
• B. They are identical in all aspects
• C. External tables have full ACID; managed Delta do not
• D. Managed Delta tables are read-only

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is who owns the data location and manages the lifecycle of the Delta table in Fabric Lakehouse. A managed Delta table is stored and managed by Fabric in OneLake, meaning Fabric handles the data files, the Delta transaction log, and lifecycle tasks like storage organization and cleanup. An external table, on the other hand, points to data that lives outside Fabric’s managed space—the table metadata is maintained by Fabric, but the actual files reside in an external location. Both options support Delta Lake features and ACID transactions, so the capabilities aren’t the difference—the difference is who controls and maintains the data storage. This is why the statement that best fits is that managed Delta tables are stored and managed by Fabric in OneLake, while external tables reference data stored externally, with both offering ACID and Delta features but differing in management responsibilities.