Power Platform & Dynamics CE

Solution Checker is a built-in quality assurance and analysis tool in Microsoft Power Platform that helps evaluate Dataverse solutions against Microsoft’s recommended best practices. It scans solution components such as plugins, JavaScript, Power Automate flows, apps, tables, and security roles to identify potential issues related to performance, security, reliability, and maintainability. By using rule-based and static code analysis , Solution Checker highlights risks early in the development lifecycle, helping teams fix problems before deployment. It is widely used by developers, architects, and release teams to improve code quality, reduce technical debt, prevent production issues, and ensure solutions are scalable, secure, and upgrade-ready across environments. Rule-based analysis checks “what rules you broke”, while static code analysis checks “what could go wrong in your code without running it”. What is Solution Checker? Solution Checker is a built-in quality and health check...

Managing parallel development and hotfixes in Dataverse means keeping new features and urgent fixe s moving forward at the same time without breaking the system. Because multiple teams often work in different solution layers , it becomes important to separate work clearly using branching, small modular solutions, and structured environments. While feature teams work on future releases in their own branches, hotfixes must be created quickly from the production branch, packaged in focused solutions, tested, and deployed with minimal impact. After a hotfix goes live, it must always be merged back into the development stream so it isn’t overwritten in the next release. With a good CI/CD pipeline, versioning, and clear release governance, organizations can deliver changes safely, avoid solution conflicts, and maintain stability even when several teams are building and fixing at the same time. Working with Dataverse often means several developers, consultants, and teams are customizing the...

Dataverse powers the heart of the Microsoft Power Platform, offering a rich relational data layer and a suite of tools for makers and developers. While low-code configurations can solve many business needs, there comes a point when complex business logic demands more. Enter Custom APIs—your way to encapsulate server-side logic in a secure, reusable, and solution-aware package. Combine this with Field Mapping—which ensures automatic data population between related tables—and you unlock a powerful pattern for building sophisticated enterprise apps. In this post, we’ll do a deep technical dive into: What Custom APIs and Field Mapping are Why they’re better together Real-world scenarios Best practices Pitfalls to avoid What is a Custom API? Custom APIs let you define your own operations in Dataverse, complete with input/output parameters and server-side logic. Unlike workflows or Power Automate flows, they’re built for high performance and enterprise ALM. Features of Custom APIs Entity-bou...

Virtual Tables in Dataverse allow developers to connect and display data from external systems—like SQL, SharePoint, or REST APIs—directly within Dataverse without storing it locally. They act as a bridge that makes external data appear as native Dataverse tables, enabling users to view and interact with that data in real time through model-driven apps, Power Apps, and Power Automate. This eliminates the need for data duplication or synchronization while maintaining a consistent Dataverse experience. Virtual Tables use a data provider to translate Dataverse queries into the external system’s language, making them ideal for real-time integrations where up-to-date external information needs to be accessed seamlessly within the Power Platform ecosystem. What Are Virtual Tables? In Dataverse, a Virtual Table (formerly called Virtual Entity) lets you represent external data inside Dataverse as if it were a native table, without storing the data physically. Think of it as a “live view” of e...

Managed Properties in Microsoft Dataverse control the level of customization allowed for solution components when they are part of a managed solution . They act as protection settings defined by the solution publisher to maintain the integrity and intended behavior of their solution. For example, when a solution containing entities, fields, or processes is deployed as a managed solution, the managed properties determine whether other users or organizations can modify, delete, or customize those components. Common managed properties include the ability to customize, delete , or change the display name of a component. By configuring these settings, publishers can prevent accidental changes or ensure compliance with business or support agreements. Managed properties play a crucial role in solution lifecycle management, particularly when distributing solutions to external environments or customers, as they help maintain consistency and protect intellectual property. Managed Properties ar...

Elastic Tables in Microsoft Dataverse are designed for scenarios requiring large-scale, high-volume data storage and rapid read/write operations. Unlike standard Dataverse tables that use a relational SQL-based structure, Elastic Tables store data in Azure Cosmos DB , leveraging its NoSQL, JSON-based architecture for flexibility and scalability. This enables organizations to efficiently manage billions of records with automatic partitioning, indexing, and schema flexibility — without impacting system performance. From a technical perspective, Elastic Tables are ideal for storing telemetry, audit logs, or time-series data that changes frequently but doesn’t require complex relationships or transactional consistency. They support standard Dataverse APIs for CRUD operations, integrate seamlessly with Power BI and Power Automate, and maintain Dataverse’s security model. In essence, Elastic Tables combine the elasticity of Cosmos DB with the governance and accessibility of Dataverse, mak...

Field Mapping in Microsoft Dataverse is one of those features that rarely gets the spotlight—but it’s a game changer for building robust, user-friendly solutions in the Power Platform. Whether you’re a pro developer or a low-code maker, understanding and using Field Mapping properly can save hours of development time, simplify user experiences, and improve data consistency. In this blog, we’ll break down what Field Mapping is, how it works under the hood, its advantages and limitations, and real-world scenarios where it shines. What Is Field Mapping? In Microsoft Dataverse, Field Mapping is a feature of table relationships (1\:N or N:1) that lets you automatically copy data from a parent record to a new child record. When a user creates a new record from within the context of a related parent (like clicking + New Contact from an Account form), the system can pre-fill the child form with values from the parent record. This is done without a single line of code. How Does Field Mapping Wo...

Being a Dynamics 365/CRM Administrator is more than managing users and customizations—it’s about ensuring stability, security, and scalability while empowering your organization. Whether you’re just starting or already a seasoned admin, this guide highlights 15 must-know tips to help you excel. 1. Master the Security Model Dynamics 365’s security model is layered and powerful. Learn how Business Units, Security Roles, Field-Level Security, and Teams interact. Pro Tip: Use Teams for sharing access instead of assigning roles directly to users. This keeps permissions scalable. 2. Keep an Eye on Storage Limits Storage isn’t infinite. Monitor your Dataverse storage in the Power Platform Admin Center. Clean up unused data, manage audit logs, and consider archiving or exporting old data to Azure for long-term storage. 3. Automate Routine Admin Tasks Don’t waste time on repetitive admin tasks. Use Power Automate cloud flows for:  Deactivating inactive users.  Notifying admins about l...