Microsoft Power Platform

Microsoft Power Platform is a line of business intelligence, app development, and app connectivity software applications.[1][2] Microsoft developed the Power Fx low-code programming language for expressing logic across the Power Platform.[3][4] It also provides integrations with GitHub and Teams among other apps.[5]

Microsoft Power Platform
Developer(s)Microsoft
Initial release2018 (2018)
Operating systemMicrosoft Windows
TypeBusiness intelligence, app development, app connectivity, robotic process automation
LicenseProprietary software
Websitepowerplatform.microsoft.com

Products

The Power Platform family of products includes:[2][6]

  • Power BI, software for visualizing data with different kinds of charts. It competes with tools like Tableau.[1]
  • Power Apps, graphical software for writing low-code custom business applications. (Known as PowerApps until 2019).[1][7]
  • Power Automate, a toolkit similar to IFTTT and Zapier for implementing business workflow products. (Formerly Microsoft Flow).
  • Power Automate Desktop (PAD), robotic process automation (RPA) software for automating graphical user interfaces (via the acquisition of Softomotive in May 2020).[8] This product uses a Robin Script based language to achieve RPA.
  • Power Virtual Agents, software for writing chatbots
  • Power Pages, graphical software for making low-code websites. Formerly part of Power Apps as "Power Apps Portals" until 2022[9]

Microsoft Dataverse
Not to be confused with Dataverse.

Microsoft Dataverse, formerly known as Microsoft Common Data Service until November 2020, is a relational database engine[10] offered by Microsoft as a cloud-based data management software as a service for storing business data. It is mainly a database with associated functionalities, and separates itself from on-premises solutions (for example Microsoft Access) in that a developer needs internet access to connect to Dataverse. It is mainly a tool for managing and storing data, and allows for creation and management of datasets through a single user interface.

MS Dataverse is marketed for use with other Microsoft products such as Power Apps and Microsoft Dynamics 365 applications, and has data connectors to other Microsoft products like Azure Event Hub, Azure Service Bus, Microsoft SQL and Azure Data Lake. One example of use could be to use Dataverse as a form of data lake together with Microsoft Power Apps. Dataverse is also available as a separate service for companies who want to develop their own solutions, and has integration capabilities to other systems through webhooks. Dataverse has APIs so that the data can be consumed by other services, like for example Power Platform services like Power BI or Power Apps, or by custom services designed in for example Visual Studio.

In addition to relational data, Dataverse also has support for file and blob storage, data lakes and semi-structured data. One example of use could be to use Dataverse as a form of data lake together with Microsoft Power Apps. Dataverse is based on Microsoft's Common Data Model as its common data model and is built on Microsoft Azure SQL where its physical data also is stored.[11][12] In November 2020, Microsoft's Common Data Service was rebranded into Dataverse.

Dataverse has the possibility to apply business logic like duplicate detection, calculated fields, rollup fields and business rules. It can be used to discover, validate and report data, and has the possibility to use Microsoft's proprietary common data model. Access in MS Dataverse is handled with Azure Active Directory which has conditional access and multi-factor authentication (MFA), and offers individual column and row level security.

See also

References
  1. Novet, Jordan (2019-05-08). "Microsoft touted something called the Power Platform at its big event this week — here's what it is". CNBC. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  2. Foley, Mary Jo (2019-01-18). "Why Microsoft's 'Power Platform' is one of its biggest bets for 2019 and beyond". ZDNet. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  3. Anderson, Tim (2021-03-02). "Excel-lent: Microsoft debuts low-code Power Fx language... but it is not really new". The Register. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  4. Melanson, Mike (2021-03-06). "This Week in Programming: Microsoft's Power Fx 'Low Code' Language". The New Stack. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  5. Bishop, Todd (2020-09-22). "As 'low-code' competition grows, Microsoft integrates Power Apps with GitHub and Teams". GeekWire. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  6. Krill, Paul (2020-05-25). "Microsoft: Power Platform is for real developers, too". InfoWorld. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  7. Marvin, Rob (2018-08-24). "Microsoft PowerApps". PCMag UK. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  8. Lamanna, Charles (2020-05-19). "Microsoft acquires Softomotive to expand low-code robotic process automation capabilities in Microsoft Power Automate". Microsoft.com. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  9. "Announcing Microsoft Power Pages: Build secure, low-code websites". powerpages.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  10. What is Microsoft Dataverse? - Power Apps | Microsoft Docs
  11. Microsoft Dataverse - Avantiico
  12. Microsoft Dataverse – An underappreciated gem - Calculate Data

Power Automate

Further reading
  • Rybaric, Robert (2020). Microsoft Power Platform Enterprise Architecture: A guide for architects and decision makers to craft complex solutions tailored to meet business needs. Packt Publishing. ISBN 978-1800204577.
  • Pearson, Mitchell; Knight, Brian; Knight, Devin; Quintana, Manuel (2020). Pro Microsoft Power Platform: Solution Building for the Citizen Developer. Apress. ISBN 978-1484260074.
  • Mendoza, Eickhel (2021). Microsoft Power Apps Cookbook: Become a pro Power Apps maker by applying practical use cases to solve ever-evolving business challenges. Packt Publishing. ISBN 978-1800569553.
  • Gunnarsson, Ásgeir; Johnson, Michael (2020). Pro Microsoft Power BI Administration: Creating a Consistent, Compliant, and Secure Corporate Platform for Business Intelligence. Apress. ISBN 978-1484265666.
  • Guilmette, Aaron (2020). Workflow Automation with Microsoft Power Automate: Achieve digital transformation through business automation with minimal coding. Packt Publishing. ISBN 978-1839213793.


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