cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Reply
Oskarkuus
Impactful Individual
Impactful Individual

Explain Datasources - Common Data Services and other datasources?

Hey

 

I need some help to explain how datasoruces in powerapps works.

I have so far only used sharepoint lists as datasources for my apps.

 

I have tho started to be a bit annoyed over the fact that i need to give a person read and write permissions to the list and that is not 100% good in all situations... even tho it is not very likely the user will find the list....

 

So what other options are there?

What is common data services... i have just breifly tried it out and cant wrap my head around it. How does it work... it seems like all data from all my future common data service apps would just land in a big pile.... and there is no way to filter out the data and remove it. just a mess for some weird reason... i dont get it 🙂

 

what other options do i have.... using an excel in my onedrive as datasource.... but then the user still needs access to read/write i guess....

what else are "shareable connections" so the user dont need access to the datasource, rather using the app gives that access and the app fixes the reading/writing to the datasource.

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions
Pstork1
Most Valuable Professional
Most Valuable Professional

1) Some people have one production and multiple developer environments.  Others groups apps by environments.  There is no one right way to do it.

2) Yes you can export apps from one environment and import into another

3) Again, the key is to make meaningful Entities to hold the data.  Then you can share the data between different apps. Data that is unique to an App will have its own Entities.  That way the data is kept seperate.

4) Downside to CDS is the premium licensing it requires. Upside is that a lot of entities are pre-created making using data easier.  It also lets you right apps that leverage existing data in Dynamics if you use Dynamics apps like CRM

5) that's true, and that's why data governance is important.  But that's no different than sharing a SQL server.

6) Depending on licensing you can create new environments.  But you can't change the existing default environment.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------
If I have answered your question, please mark your post as Solved.
If you like my response, please give it a Thumbs Up.

View solution in original post

5 REPLIES 5
Pstork1
Most Valuable Professional
Most Valuable Professional

1) Unless the connector is built to use a connection account, like SQL, PowerApps always requires that users have permissions to accomplish whatever the App accomplishes in the backend data source. PowerApps is for building a UI, not for enforcing permissions. SharePoint is the common model, not the exception.

2) Common Data Services - CDS is an Entity based relational database in the cloud.  If you are a Dynamics user then CDS is where the data used by your Dynamics application is stored. PowerApps can access that data or you can create your own Entites and Data in CDS.

3) As I mentioned SQL uses a connection account to the actual database, so the user will get whatever permissions that account has to the SQL database, but the user doesn't need any actual permissions to the data.  The downside of this is that the user gets the same permissions as every other user when going through the connection. Using SharePoint the user can only view data if they have view rights and edit data if they have edit rights.  They get the same rights in the app that they have on the list. In SQL they get whatever permissions are available to the connection account, no matter what permissions they have in SQL.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------
If I have answered your question, please mark your post as Solved.
If you like my response, please give it a Thumbs Up.
Oskarkuus
Impactful Individual
Impactful Individual

Great thanks.

 

But if i would start using CDS in my now only enviroment....

Then i start testing this out and create one or five apps... push in lots of test data into my database.

 

1. How to know what data is connected to each app?

2. How to delete a few test rows in one app that is stored in CDS?

3. How to find and collect data from one app when i need to manage/delete or move it?

 

When i build an app today using SP lists, i usualy have something like this setup.

1. SP list as datasource, give all users read and write permissions.

2. Give all users permission to use the app (share app)

3. Build in-app permission functions to hide/show or activate/inactivate controlls based on who the user is.

 

But if an user would find the SP list somehow... they would have full access to the data and it would be exposed...

 

Pstork1
Most Valuable Professional
Most Valuable Professional

  1. Data isn't really stored in rows.  It is stored as records in an entity.  You can look at a connector and see which Entities you are using. But there is no seperation inside the entity from one app to another.  That's one of the reasons to use Entites, have differnt apps that share data.
  2. As I said Data is shared, so deleting it for one deletes it for all.
  3. See 1 & 2

I understand the complaint about PowerApps not being a security layer. Its a common complaint.  But its just not the way PowerApps is designed and I don't see that changing.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------
If I have answered your question, please mark your post as Solved.
If you like my response, please give it a Thumbs Up.
Oskarkuus
Impactful Individual
Impactful Individual

Aha, interesting.... im slowly starting to get it (i think).

 

Just a few questions more 🙂

 

1. Currently i am the only one in my tenant working with Powerapps. I have about 8 apps thare are regulary used by other users. I have more or less 20 other apps that are not used, test-apps, old projects etc. My tenant only have enviroment setup, so all apps are in one enviroment.

What would your recommendation be regarding enviroments and starting to use CDS... create one enviroment for each "app" or app-project-area-theme.... keep apps that are touching the same subject in one enviroment?

2. Can i move apps between enviroments?

3. What are the downsides of keeping one enviroment and lots of different apps using CDS and after a few years there are tons of data spread out in the CDS... feels like it could end up with a big mess....

4. Is there more upsides by using CDS over separated datasources?

one upside is that data can be shared between apps and have pre-built forms and rules that can be used in all power-services in MS/O365...

5. What if i stay with my 1 enviroment. suddenly i have other ppl in my tenant starting to work with powerapps... since we only have one enviroment they would end up in the enviroment that i am using.... then they would start using the same CDS as i might be using.

6. Can i create a new enviroment and set it as the default enviroment?

 

 

Pstork1
Most Valuable Professional
Most Valuable Professional

1) Some people have one production and multiple developer environments.  Others groups apps by environments.  There is no one right way to do it.

2) Yes you can export apps from one environment and import into another

3) Again, the key is to make meaningful Entities to hold the data.  Then you can share the data between different apps. Data that is unique to an App will have its own Entities.  That way the data is kept seperate.

4) Downside to CDS is the premium licensing it requires. Upside is that a lot of entities are pre-created making using data easier.  It also lets you right apps that leverage existing data in Dynamics if you use Dynamics apps like CRM

5) that's true, and that's why data governance is important.  But that's no different than sharing a SQL server.

6) Depending on licensing you can create new environments.  But you can't change the existing default environment.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------
If I have answered your question, please mark your post as Solved.
If you like my response, please give it a Thumbs Up.

Helpful resources

Announcements

Community Roundup: A Look Back at Our Last 10 Tuesday Tips

As we continue to grow and learn together, it's important to reflect on the valuable insights we've shared. For today's #TuesdayTip, we're excited to take a moment to look back at the last 10 tips we've shared in case you missed any or want to revisit them. Thanks for your incredible support for this series--we're so glad it was able to help so many of you navigate your community experience!   Getting Started in the Community An overview of everything you need to know about navigating the community on one page!  Community Links: ○ Power Apps ○ Power Automate  ○ Power Pages  ○ Copilot Studio    Community Ranks and YOU Have you ever wondered how your fellow community members ascend the ranks within our community? We explain everything about ranks and how to achieve points so you can climb up in the rankings! Community Links: ○ Power Apps ○ Power Automate  ○ Power Pages  ○ Copilot Studio    Powering Up Your Community Profile Your Community User Profile is how the Community knows you--so it's essential that it works the way you need it to! From changing your username to updating contact information, this Knowledge Base Article is your best resource for powering up your profile. Community Links: ○ Power Apps ○ Power Automate  ○ Power Pages  ○ Copilot Studio    Community Blogs--A Great Place to Start There's so much you'll discover in the Community Blogs, and we hope you'll check them out today!  Community Links: ○ Power Apps ○ Power Automate  ○ Power Pages  ○ Copilot Studio    Unlocking Community Achievements and Earning Badges Across the Communities, you'll see badges on users profile that recognize and reward their engagement and contributions. Check out some details on Community badges--and find out more in the detailed link at the end of the article! Community Links: ○ Power Apps  ○ Power Automate  ○ Power Pages  ○ Copilot Studio    Blogging in the Community Interested in blogging? Everything you need to know on writing blogs in our four communities! Get started blogging across the Power Platform communities today! Community Links: ○ Power Apps  ○ Power Automate  ○ Power Pages  ○ Copilot Studio   Subscriptions & Notifications We don't want you to miss a thing in the community! Read all about how to subscribe to sections of our forums and how to setup your notifications! Community Links: ○ Power Apps  ○ Power Automate  ○ Power Pages  ○ Copilot Studio   Getting Started with Private Messages & Macros Do you want to enhance your communication in the Community and streamline your interactions? One of the best ways to do this is to ensure you are using Private Messaging--and the ever-handy macros that are available to you as a Community member! Community Links: ○ Power Apps  ○ Power Automate  ○ Power Pages  ○ Copilot Studio   Community User Groups Learn everything about being part of, starting, or leading a User Group in the Power Platform Community. Community Links: ○ Power Apps  ○ Power Automate  ○ Power Pages  ○ Copilot Studio   Update Your Community Profile Today! Keep your community profile up to date which is essential for staying connected and engaged with the community. Community Links: ○ Power Apps  ○ Power Automate  ○ Power Pages  ○ Copilot Studio   Thank you for being an integral part of our journey.   Here's to many more Tuesday Tips as we pave the way for a brighter, more connected future! As always, watch the News & Announcements for the next set of tips, coming soon!

Calling all User Group Leaders and Super Users! Mark Your Calendars for the next Community Ambassador Call on May 9th!

This month's Community Ambassador call is on May 9th at 9a & 3p PDT. Please keep an eye out in your private messages and Teams channels for your invitation. There are lots of exciting updates coming to the Community, and we have some exclusive opportunities to share with you! As always, we'll also review regular updates for User Groups, Super Users, and share general information about what's going on in the Community.     Be sure to register & we hope to see all of you there!

April 2024 Community Newsletter

We're pleased to share the April Community Newsletter, where we highlight the latest news, product releases, upcoming events, and the amazing work of our outstanding Community members.   If you're new to the Community, please make sure to follow the latest News & Announcements and check out the Community on LinkedIn as well! It's the best way to stay up-to-date with all the news from across Microsoft Power Platform and beyond.    COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS   Check out the most active community members of the last month! These hardworking members are posting regularly, answering questions, kudos, and providing top solutions in their communities. We are so thankful for each of you--keep up the great work! If you hope to see your name here next month, follow these awesome community members to see what they do!   Power AppsPower AutomateCopilot StudioPower PagesWarrenBelzDeenujialexander2523ragavanrajanLaurensMManishSolankiMattJimisonLucas001AmikcapuanodanilostephenrobertOliverRodriguestimlAndrewJManikandanSFubarmmbr1606VishnuReddy1997theMacResolutionsVishalJhaveriVictorIvanidzejsrandhawahagrua33ikExpiscornovusFGuerrero1PowerAddictgulshankhuranaANBExpiscornovusprathyooSpongYeNived_Nambiardeeksha15795apangelesGochixgrantjenkinsvasu24Mfon   LATEST NEWS Business Applications Launch Event - On Demand In case you missed the Business Applications Launch Event, you can now catch up on all the announcements and watch the entire event on-demand inside Charles Lamanna's latest cloud blog.   This is your one stop shop for all the latest Copilot features across Power Platform and #Dynamics365, including first-hand looks at how companies such as Lenovo, Sonepar, Ford Motor Company, Omnicom and more are using these new capabilities in transformative ways. Click the image below to watch today!     Power Platform Community Conference 2024 is here! It's time to look forward to the next installment of the Power Platform Community Conference, which takes place this year on 18-20th September 2024 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas!   Come and be inspired by Microsoft senior thought leaders and the engineers behind the #PowerPlatform, with Charles Lamanna, Sangya Singh, Ryan Cunningham, Kim Manis, Nirav Shah, Omar Aftab and Leon Welicki already confirmed to speak. You'll also be able to learn from industry experts and Microsoft MVPs who are dedicated to bridging the gap between humanity and technology. These include the likes of Lisa Crosbie, Victor Dantas, Kristine Kolodziejski, David Yack, Daniel Christian, Miguel Félix, and Mats Necker, with many more to be announced over the coming weeks.   Click here to watch our brand-new sizzle reel for #PPCC24 or click the image below to find out more about registration. See you in Vegas!     Power Up Program Announces New Video-Based Learning Hear from Principal Program Manager, Dimpi Gandhi, to discover the latest enhancements to the Microsoft #PowerUpProgram. These include a new accelerated video-based curriculum crafted with the expertise of Microsoft MVPs, Rory Neary and Charlie Phipps-Bennett. If you’d like to hear what’s coming next, click the image below to find out more!     UPCOMING EVENTS Microsoft Build - Seattle and Online - 21-23rd May 2024 Taking place on 21-23rd May 2024 both online and in Seattle, this is the perfect event to learn more about low code development, creating copilots, cloud platforms, and so much more to help you unleash the power of AI.   There's a serious wealth of talent speaking across the three days, including the likes of Satya Nadella, Amanda K. Silver, Scott Guthrie, Sarah Bird, Charles Lamanna, Miti J., Kevin Scott, Asha Sharma, Rajesh Jha, Arun Ulag, Clay Wesener, and many more.   And don't worry if you can't make it to Seattle, the event will be online and totally free to join. Click the image below to register for #MSBuild today!     European Collab Summit - Germany - 14-16th May 2024 The clock is counting down to the amazing European Collaboration Summit, which takes place in Germany May 14-16, 2024. #CollabSummit2024 is designed to provide cutting-edge insights and best practices into Power Platform, Microsoft 365, Teams, Viva, and so much more. There's a whole host of experts speakers across the three-day event, including the likes of Vesa Juvonen, Laurie Pottmeyer, Dan Holme, Mark Kashman, Dona Sarkar, Gavin Barron, Emily Mancini, Martina Grom, Ahmad Najjar, Liz Sundet, Nikki Chapple, Sara Fennah, Seb Matthews, Tobias Martin, Zoe Wilson, Fabian Williams, and many more.   Click the image below to find out more about #ECS2024 and register today!   Microsoft 365 & Power Platform Conference - Seattle - 3-7th June If you're looking to turbo boost your Power Platform skills this year, why not take a look at everything TechCon365 has to offer at the Seattle Convention Center on June 3-7, 2024.   This amazing 3-day conference (with 2 optional days of workshops) offers over 130 sessions across multiple tracks, alongside 25 workshops presented by Power Platform, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, Viva, Azure, Copilot and AI experts. There's a great array of speakers, including the likes of Nirav Shah, Naomi Moneypenny, Jason Himmelstein, Heather Cook, Karuana Gatimu, Mark Kashman, Michelle Gilbert, Taiki Y., Kristi K., Nate Chamberlain, Julie Koesmarno, Daniel Glenn, Sarah Haase, Marc Windle, Amit Vasu, Joanne C Klein, Agnes Molnar, and many more.   Click the image below for more #Techcon365 intel and register today!   For more events, click the image below to visit the Microsoft Community Days website.    

Tuesday Tip | Update Your Community Profile Today!

It's time for another TUESDAY TIPS, your weekly connection with the most insightful tips and tricks that empower both newcomers and veterans in the Power Platform Community! Every Tuesday, we bring you a curated selection of the finest advice, distilled from the resources and tools in the Community. Whether you’re a seasoned member or just getting started, Tuesday Tips are the perfect compass guiding you across the dynamic landscape of the Power Platform Community.   We're excited to announce that updating your community profile has never been easier! Keeping your profile up to date is essential for staying connected and engaged with the community.   Check out the following Support Articles with these topics: Accessing Your Community ProfileRetrieving Your Profile URLUpdating Your Community Profile Time ZoneChanging Your Community Profile Picture (Avatar)Setting Your Date Display Preferences Click on your community link for more information: Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Pages, Copilot Studio   Thank you for being an active part of our community. Your contributions make a difference! Best Regards, The Community Management Team

Hear what's next for the Power Up Program

Hear from Principal Program Manager, Dimpi Gandhi, to discover the latest enhancements to the Microsoft #PowerUpProgram, including a new accelerated video-based curriculum crafted with the expertise of Microsoft MVPs, Rory Neary and Charlie Phipps-Bennett. If you’d like to hear what’s coming next, click the link below to sign up today! https://aka.ms/PowerUp  

Tuesday Tip: Community User Groups

It's time for another TUESDAY TIPS, your weekly connection with the most insightful tips and tricks that empower both newcomers and veterans in the Power Platform Community! Every Tuesday, we bring you a curated selection of the finest advice, distilled from the resources and tools in the Community. Whether you’re a seasoned member or just getting started, Tuesday Tips are the perfect compass guiding you across the dynamic landscape of the Power Platform Community.   As our community family expands each week, we revisit our essential tools, tips, and tricks to ensure you’re well-versed in the community’s pulse. Keep an eye on the News & Announcements for your weekly Tuesday Tips—you never know what you may learn!   Today's Tip: Community User Groups and YOU Being part of, starting, or leading a User Group can have many great benefits for our community members who want to learn, share, and connect with others who are interested in the Microsoft Power Platform and the low-code revolution.   When you are part of a User Group, you discover amazing connections, learn incredible things, and build your skills. Some User Groups work in the virtual space, but many meet in physical locations, meaning you have several options when it comes to building community with people who are learning and growing together!   Some of the benefits of our Community User Groups are: Network with like-minded peers and product experts, and get in front of potential employers and clients.Learn from industry experts and influencers and make your own solutions more successful.Access exclusive community space, resources, tools, and support from Microsoft.Collaborate on projects, share best practices, and empower each other. These are just a few of the reasons why our community members love their User Groups. Don't wait. Get involved with (or maybe even start) a User Group today--just follow the tips below to get started.For current or new User Group leaders, all the information you need is here: User Group Leader Get Started GuideOnce you've kicked off your User Group, find the resources you need:  Community User Group ExperienceHave questions about our Community User Groups? Let us know! We are here to help you!

Top Solution Authors
Top Kudoed Authors
Users online (6,309)