Create a case in D365 using either Dynamics or Common Data Service connector in Power Automate

[BenDonahue]

Attempting to create a new case in out Dynamics 365 Sandbox, I have tried to use the template, "Create a new record in Dynamics 365 on Microsoft Forms submission." In the block, "Create a new record" that is using a Dynamics integration, I get the error, "

Bad Request - Error in query syntax." 

Here is my block:

My first instinct is that the Owner is of data type, "Owner" which is a record. If this is the issue, how can I access the user's record? I tried Get Record and using the body of that, but to no avail.

Thank you for your help in this; it is greatly appreciated.

[GarryPope]

Hello @BenDonahue,

I hope you're well. My first recommendation is to not use the Dynamics 365 connector. It's deprecated, so eventually you'll need to use a different connector anyway. 

I recommend using the Common Data Service (current environment) connector. 

Where is the Owner value coming from? Is it coming from the Microsoft Form request? Or are you setting a specific Owner every time, such as Ben Donahue, or something else?

This might not help, but is good to know....

If you're trying to set an Owner for a case, which is a User within Dataverse then on your action to create the new case try the below:

In the Owner (Owners) field

type systemusers() 

then in between the brackets, add the dynamic content of Owner (Value) 

So it will look like the below:

Lookup columns act differently in Power Automate to most columns, hence why you have to put the systemusers() around the dynamic content. It's the same, I believe, for all other tables. So if you want to associate a record to an Account, you'd write accounts() for an Opportunity you'd write opportunities() etc. 

I haven't done this for a while, so it may have changed now, as you know how quick the platform evolves. But give it a try and let me know how you get on. Good luck.

Lastly, here's a great YouTube from Matt Collins-Jones. He adds a / at the beginning so /accounts() so feel free to try his approach rather than mine, it's probably better practice.

Thanks very much,

Garry

[BenDonahue]

@GarryPope,

Okay, I think, with this help, I am getting somewhere, but am not quite there yet; if I can impose a bit more on you just a bit more, that would be awesome. To wit, ...

I need to be able to set the owner manually each time. In the columns for the User table that is spun up by Dynamics (I assume), it is the "Full Name" column that is the primary Name Column, which I am assuming is the same as a primary key:

Online, the advice is to use the GUID, but there is no GUID column, however there is no GIUD column on that table.

So, I tried using Benjamin Donahue - fail, "Benjamin Donahue" - fail 

There is a column called "Unique user identity id" which, for me, is 41 - fail.

These attempts return: 

Do you have any thoughts on what I should attempt next?

[GarryPope · Accepted solution]

Hello Ben,

No worries at all. Happy to help. And if the below doesn't work, feel free to give me a direct message, and if you want we could jump on a call... if you're happy to do that of course.  

Unfortunately, I'm not 100% sure what you mean when you're setting it manually, setting it from where?

Below will hopefully give you a bit more understanding about the GUID for a record...

So, when you create a new table, not an out of the box table, a number of columns get created.

Two important columns are:

• Primary Name Column, which has the Data type of Text, this is one you're referring to, and the name of the column you set when you first create a table.
  
  • An example might be you create a table called Site and you set the Primary Name Column to be called Site Name, it's schema name (system name) is yourprefix_sitename
• The other column is the name of your table plus id at the end.
  • Using the Site table again as an example
  • The system creates the second important column
    • It's display name is the name of your table, so in this case the column is called Site
    • It's schema name (system name) is yourprefix_siteid

The problem with the user table is it's got lots of Unique Identifier columns! But try using the column called User as that will be the GUID:

Let me know if you have any luck.

Garry

[BenDonahue]

I have not explained what this thing is supposed to do: this flow triggers with a Forms form, external to the CRM, that will create a case from user-entered inputs.

Here is the Flow, in its entirety:

To help speed development, I am hard-coding much of this.

With your help, I have identified the GIUD and successfully used it to get my record. Awesome, I love progress, though at some point I will need to start with email address to get the GUID, as that is what returns from the Get response details for "Responders email." I will use this for the "Customer" field. I will use the "Responders Email" dynamic content from the "Get response details" block to access the owner's name, somehow, maybe some kind of filter functionality.

Let's assume I have done that, and currently have the record to troubleshoot the next part, creating the new record. I will use my record for both fields.

So, in the next block, "Create a new record (Common Data Service)," in the "Customer" field, I need to use systemusers(), roger that. Inside the parentheses, for dynamic content, "Owners" is not an option, as you would expect as this is just a user record (sorry I did not mention that earlier). Following are the options available to me:

How do I use one of these piece of dynamic content to populate the "Customer" field, I think is the current question.

You, btw, are awesome, and thank you.

[GarryPope]

Hello @BenDonahue,

No problem at all. Let’s tackle the first part.

1. So the person filling out the Microsoft Forms form is an employee, yes?

2. And if so, will they always have a user record within Dataverse (Dynamics) yes?

3. And why do you want to populate the Customer column with the employee’s details? The Customer column, if I remember rightly on the Case is a Complex column. If only accepts an Account record or a Contact record.

4. Does you employee also have a Contact record in Dataverse (Dynamics?

Let me know if I’m misunderstanding this. 
Thanks.

Garry

[GarryPope · Accepted solution]

Hello @BenDonahue,

Once you've answered my questions above, please have a look at this.

You said you wanted to use Responders' Email from the action Get response details rather than the GUID. This can be easily done. If you read this excellent blog post from Sara Lagerquist it will explain what you need to do. Since reading this, I used this a lot.

In brief:

• You go into Dynamics and use Advanced Find to create a query with a condition of Primary Email equals AnyEmailAddress

• You then click Download Fetch XML
• Follow Sara's steps
• Once you've done the above remove the Get record action you have in your Flow and replace it with the Common Data Service (current environment) List rows action
• Then you paste your Fetch XML into the Fetch Xml Query field and replace the AnyEmailAddress, in my picture Garry.Pope@test.com with the dynamic content of Responders' Email

So when the Flow runs, it will take the email address of the responder of the form and search for it in the User table within Dataverse (Dynamics) and return the record. When you create another action all the dynamic content from the List rows action will be available to use, such as the Primary Email, Users etc.

Below is an example where I'm now trying to create a Contact using dynamic content from the List rows action. As you can see the Primary Email column is available to me. 

As I said, Sara's blog post is great and will explain all. Give this a try and let me know.

Garry

[BenDonahue]

1 - Yes

2- Yes

3 - This is a stop-gap measure that functions exactly like having a customer open a ticket, so the person opening the ticket will always be the customer, for these initial deliverables, at least. Yes, it is a complex column of type "Customer."

4 - Yes, all Customers and Owners will be in the User table in the Dataverse

[BenDonahue]

Reading through this, what you are describing is clearly a very powerful tool and I really appreciate your bringing it to my attention/explaining it to me. I have hit an impasse, though, in that, though the connector is there, and connected (demonstrated in the below screen shot), ...

 
... the Common Data Service (current environment) connector does not appear as an option from within my Flow:

 For a question about accessing and adding a record to a table in the Dataverse, this feels significantly different. I will post this as a seperate question and post the link here, that way, if you want to wait until I get my answer, that's fine; if you want to answer this question yourself, you can get credit for it as a Solution, maybe not a big deal, but feels fair.

[BenDonahue]

Connected connector not available in Flow
is the title of the posted question.