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Microsoft Purview Made Easy: Learn How to Govern Your Data

Written by Nick Lee | Aug 23, 2026

In this video, Nick Lee from Pragmatic Works introduces Microsoft Purview, a powerful data governance tool that helps businesses manage, protect, and govern their data. This guide covers the essential features of Purview, helping users get started with data discovery, organization, and access control.

 

Challenges in Data Governance

As businesses collect and store increasing amounts of data, they face several challenges:

  • Uncertainty about where data is stored
  • Lack of clarity on data ownership
  • Trust issues with sensitive or critical data

Microsoft Purview addresses these issues by providing a unified platform to discover, manage, and secure data across an organization. It helps users gain a clear view of data assets, from emails to reports in SharePoint.

Getting Started with Microsoft Purview

Nick walks viewers through the process of logging into Microsoft Purview for the first time. Once logged in, users are greeted with a portal that includes a range of features to explore, such as:

  • Data Map
  • Data Catalog
  • Information Protection
  • Data Loss Prevention

Nick emphasizes that the focus of this video is on the data-centric aspects, such as the data catalog and data map. These sections allow users to discover and organize their data assets, facilitating easier management and compliance.

Exploring the Data Catalog

Within the Data Catalog, users can:

  • Search for data across different sources, including Azure and Fabric
  • Browse source types and categories
  • Explore Azure subscriptions, Blob storage, Azure SQL Server, and more

Nick demonstrates how users can drill down into various data sources, such as Azure Data Factory or Fabric Workspaces, to view detailed information on data assets, pipelines, and their properties. This feature helps ensure that data is organized and accessible for further use.

Managing Data Sharing and Governance

Microsoft Purview allows businesses to manage data sharing across different departments and external partners. In the Data Sharing section, users can view and manage:

  • Incoming and outgoing shares
  • Shared sources and invitations

Purview also includes the Data Map, which helps users track metadata and connections between different data sources. It allows for easy navigation and identification of data assets, with features like:

  • Asset classification and scan management
  • Monitoring of scans and data lineage

Setting Up for Success with Pragmatic Works

Nick discusses how Pragmatic Works helps clients get started with Microsoft Purview through their Quick Start service. This offering is designed to guide businesses through setting up Purview and ensure they can manage their data governance processes independently. The goal is to leave clients in a position where they can manage their data governance effectively without needing continuous support.

By implementing Purview, businesses are equipped with the tools they need to manage data security, compliance, and governance in a sustainable manner. Nick emphasizes that while many organizations overlook data governance, it becomes crucial once issues arise. Purview provides the foundation for addressing data governance proactively, before problems escalate.

Future Learning Opportunities

In future videos of this series, Nick promises to dive deeper into various aspects of Microsoft Purview, such as:

  • Advanced features of the Data Catalog
  • Detailed exploration of the Data Map
  • Best practices for data governance and security

For now, viewers are encouraged to explore Microsoft Purview's basic features and get comfortable with the platform. This initial exploration serves as a stepping stone to more advanced data governance practices that will be covered in upcoming videos.

Conclusion

Nick Lee from Pragmatic Works wraps up the video by inviting viewers to explore the benefits of data governance with Microsoft Purview. With its powerful features for managing and securing data, Purview offers organizations a comprehensive solution for their data governance needs. As data continues to grow in importance, understanding and implementing effective governance practices will be key to long-term success.

Don't forget to check out the Pragmatic Works' on-demand learning platform for more insightful content and training sessions on Purview and other Microsoft applications. Be sure to subscribe to the Pragmatic Works YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on the latest tips and tricks.