What is Microsoft Graph Data Connect?
Microsoft Graph Data Connect provides a secure, scalable way to extract Microsoft 365 data into Azure. Unlike the Graph API, which is designed for real-time queries, Data Connect is optimized for bulk extraction of historical data for analytics and machine learning workloads.
Data is delivered to Azure Data Lake or Azure Synapse Analytics, where you can build custom reports, train ML models, or integrate with business intelligence tools. Built-in privacy controls ensure compliance with data protection requirements.
Core Features
- Bulk data extraction: Copy millions of records efficiently
- Privacy controls: Anonymization, data masking, and consent workflows
- Scheduled pipelines: Automated recurring data exports via Azure Data Factory
- Granular datasets: Select specific entity types and properties
- Admin approval: IT controls which apps can access which data
Typical Use Cases
Organizations use Data Connect to analyze collaboration patterns, measure productivity, and build custom analytics beyond what Microsoft Viva provides. It enables scenarios like identifying communication silos, optimizing meeting cultures, and training custom AI models on organizational data.
Benefits
- Avoids Graph API throttling for large data volumes
- Data stays within your Azure tenant
- Differential exports reduce processing time
- Integration with Azure Synapse for enterprise analytics
Frequently Asked Questions
What data is available through Data Connect?
Data Connect provides access to Outlook emails, calendar events, Teams messages, OneDrive files metadata, and user profiles. Not all Graph API entities are available; check documentation for current coverage.
How is privacy handled?
Data Connect includes privacy controls like pseudonymization, hash functions for identifiers, and column filtering. Admin consent is required before any app can extract data, and audit logs track all access.
What is the pricing model?
Pricing is based on the number of objects (emails, events, etc.) extracted. There are no charges for Azure Data Factory pipelines or Data Lake storage beyond standard Azure costs.
Can we use Data Connect without Azure Synapse?
Yes. Data can be delivered to Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2, where you can process it with any compatible tool including Databricks, HDInsight, or custom applications.
Integration with innFactory
As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, innFactory helps you implement Graph Data Connect: pipeline design, privacy configuration, and analytics solution development.
