Why you should be using Dataverse

Dataverse is a tool everyone should be using, read on to find out why.

Introduction

Providing better services, building client/resident relationships, and maintaining growth requires the successful capture, analysis, prediction, and presentation of data. Developing a platform to achieve these steps is time consuming and expensive due to the devices, applications, systems, and service that an organisation uses. This means developing a new platform requires a data professional, data scientist, application developer etc. The roles required to develop this platform often require a deep understanding of the business and its processes whilst also being adept in the deployment, configuration, management, and integration of the different technology areas.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/maker/data-platform/why-dataverse-overview

Dataverse empowers users in an organisation to achieve the successful capture, analysis, prediction, and presentation of data through a set of key principals: Easy to manage, easy to secure, scalability and availability. Dataverse makes this possible through a cloud-based, low-code data service and application platform, managed and maintained by Microsoft. The cloud-based platform structures data and business logic that supports the secure and compliant methods of managing connected applications and processes. Components are available globally and compliant with data residency requirements.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/maker/data-platform/data-platform-intro

Design

Dataverse is as a central data repository for business data. The data repository supports integrations with Dynamics 365 applications and the wider Power Platform. Connectivity is built into Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI and Power Virtual Agents. As an application platform, Dataverse is API first with included Power Platform integrations. Applications are built around an API with the goal to be accessible from mobile devices. Additional layers (Security, Logic, Data, Storage, and Integration) are in place to manage platform components.

Security

The security layer manages authentication, authorisation, and auditing. Authentication is managed through Azure Active Directory (AAD) which supports conditional access e.g. Two-factor Authentication (2FA). Dataverse web services supports differed software frameworks including .NET framework. The options to authenticate include OAuth and Microsoft 365. Other frameworks require OAuth and must use the OData RESTful web services. The below Microsoft documentation lists the auditing functionality in Dataverse:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/developer/data-platform/auditing-overview

Logic

Business logic is applied through the logic layer using Business Rules, Dataverse Processes and/or Power Automate. Data validation is achieved through custom rules created without using code. More complex logic and integrations is achievable through the creation of plugins. The logic layer also manages background processes such as jobs, duplicate detection, workflows, and any calculated/rollup fields.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/maker/data-platform/processes

Data

Dataverse uses environments and databases as common storage areas for business data. These database contain standard and custom data structures which support the capture of rows. Rows contain default and custom columns that manage information against each row. Multiple databases can exist in Dataverse however are limited to one database per environment. This enables strong solution governance using sandbox and production environments. The data layer also manages the relationships between tables such as the example below:

One-to-many : A table relationship where one table row for the Primary table can be associated to many other Related table rows because of a lookup column on the related table.

Many-to-many : A table relationship that depends on a special Relationship table, sometimes called an Intersect table, so that many rows of one table can be related to many rows of another table.

The above relationships could be used when assigning leads to an account. Multiple leads could be assigned to an account whereas only a single account can be assigned to a lead.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/maker/data-platform/create-edit-entity-relationships

Storage

Dataverse is the primary storage location for business data however additional components could be required based on business need. The storage layer primarily manages log files, relational databases and semi-structured data however also supports Azure integration. The Azure integration enables data to be stored in files, blobs, or data lake. The Azure integration is used when real-time insight is required over data stored in Dataverse.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/maker/data-platform/azure-synapse-link-data-lake

Administration

Administration of Dataverse is managed through the Power Platform Admin Center. New environments, databases, data policies and data integrations re managed through the admin center. Environments act as common areas that store solution data. Data Polies (DLP) manage the interaction of data between different connectors.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/admin/admin-settings

Summary

Dataverse is designed to be low-code and for end users to create solutions based on emerging needs. This doesn’t mean that developers with coding skills are limited to a low-code environment. Dataverse is designed for the successful capture, analysis, prediction, and presentation of data regardless of solution complexity.

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