Work with Binary Data in Synapse Lookup Activity

Introduction:

When working with binary data in Synapse Lookup activity, you may encounter an error message stating that the data type ByteArray is not supported. This limitation can be frustrating, but there is a simple workaround to handle binary data effectively in the Lookup activity. In this blog post, we will explore how to convert ByteArray to NVARCHAR within the Lookup activity and then convert it back to ByteArray for further processing.

Summary:

By default, the Synapse Lookup activity does not support the ByteArray data type, which can lead to errors when working with binary data. However, you can overcome this limitation by converting the ByteArray data to NVARCHAR within the Lookup activity. After performing the lookup, you can convert the NVARCHAR data back to ByteArray for subsequent processing.

Converting ByteArray to NVARCHAR: To convert ByteArray to NVARCHAR within the Lookup activity, you can use the following script:

CONVERT(NVARCHAR(MAX), CONVERT(VARBINARY(MAX), [timestamp]), 1) AS varchartstamp

This script converts the ByteArray column, such as [timestamp], to NVARCHAR using the CONVERT function. The result is stored in the variable varchartstamp.

Converting NVARCHAR back to ByteArray: To convert NVARCHAR back to ByteArray after the Lookup activity, you can use the following script:

CONVERT(timestamp, CONVERT(varBINARY(MAX), @{activity('Lookup1').output.firstRow.varchartstamp}, 2))

This script converts the NVARCHAR variable, varchartstamp, back to ByteArray using the CONVERT function. The result is a ByteArray that can be used for further processing.

Conclusion:

Working with binary data in Synapse Lookup activity can be challenging due to the lack of direct support for the ByteArray data type. However, by leveraging the conversion functions within the Lookup activity, you can easily convert ByteArray to NVARCHAR and vice versa. This enables seamless integration of binary data into your Synapse pipelines, opening up a wide range of possibilities for data processing and transformation.

By implementing these conversion scripts, you can effectively handle binary data in Synapse Lookup activity and achieve your data integration goals. With this workaround, you can overcome the limitations and take full advantage of the power of Synapse Analytics.

Note: Ensure that the appropriate conversions and validations are performed based on your specific requirements and data scenarios