Data Streaming for Modern Applications in SQL Server 2025, Azure SQL, and Fabric SQL | Data Exposed

Anna Hoffman introduces Change Event Streaming (CES) in public preview across Microsoft SQL, showing where it fits for modern, event-driven application scenarios and how it differs from approaches like CDC and mirroring in SQL Server 2025, Azure SQL, and Fabric SQL.

Overview

Change Event Streaming (CES) is presented as a new option for streaming database change events across Microsoft SQL offerings, including SQL database in Microsoft Fabric, Azure SQL, and SQL Server 2025.

The episode outlines:

• What CES is and the kinds of application scenarios it targets
• A demo using a coupon microservice scenario (bike sales) to illustrate setup and usage
• How CES works at a conceptual level
• How CES differs from Change Data Capture (CDC)
• When to consider mirroring versus CES
• Practical tips and tricks for working with CES

Chapters

• 0:30 CES in public preview for SQL database in Fabric
• 1:00 Intro to scenarios for Change Event Streaming
• 3:15 Coupon microservice for bike sales demo / setting it up
• 6:00 How does CES work
• 7:13 What makes it different from CDC
• 8:44 Why mirroring vs CES
• 11:30 Tips and tricks

Resources

• CES survey: https://aka.ms/ces-survey