How does Fabric support data governance and metadata management?

• A. Fabric supports data governance through data catalogs, lineage tracing, sensitivity labeling, and catalog-based search to understand data assets, ownership, and policies.
• B. Governance in Fabric is limited to user authentication and does not track lineage.
• C. Metadata management is not available in Fabric.
• D. Data catalogs only track data assets, not lineage or policies.

Answer: (A)

Fabric supports data governance and metadata management by providing a comprehensive set of capabilities: data catalogs, lineage tracing, sensitivity labeling, and catalog-based search. The data catalog acts as a centralized inventory of datasets, tables, and other data assets, capturing details like ownership, source, and usage policies so you can know what data you have and who is responsible for it. Lineage tracing shows how data moves and transforms across the system, enabling impact analysis, traceability, and compliance audits. Sensitivity labeling classifies data with labels such as confidential or restricted, which helps enforce access controls and proper handling. Catalog-based search ties these pieces together, allowing users to discover assets, understand their metadata, and apply governance policies efficiently.

This combination goes beyond a simple authentication view, because governance in Fabric involves understanding data assets, who owns them, how they flow, and what protections apply. Metadata management is supported through rich cataloging and labeling, not as an absent capability. And data catalogs in Fabric are not limited to assets alone; they integrate lineage and policy metadata to support comprehensive governance.