What is the difference between a data catalog and a data dictionary in Fabric?

• A. Data catalog stores data values; data dictionary describes tests
• B. Data catalog is a searchable metadata store with lineage and access policies; data dictionary describes fields and structures in datasets.
• C. Data catalog is deprecated; data dictionary is a runtime description of data structures.
• D. They are the same thing

Answer: (B)

The main concept is understanding how metadata discovery differs from schema documentation. A data catalog is a searchable metadata store that helps you find data assets, view their metadata, lineage, owners, tags, and access policies, enabling governance and data discovery across the organization. A data dictionary focuses on the schema of datasets—describing each field’s name, data type, nullability, description, and any constraints—so you know exactly what each column represents and how to interpret it. In practice, you use the catalog to locate assets and understand governance and provenance, while you use the dictionary to understand the exact structure of the data inside those assets. The other statements mischaracterize the roles: a catalog doesn’t store actual data values, and a dictionary isn’t a runtime description of data structures or tests—the two serve different purposes in Fabric.