Entities refer to sets of records used to store data, much like how tables store data in a database. In the exam “PL-200 Microsoft Power Platform Functional Consultant”, understanding the nature of entities and their functionalities is essential, as they are crucial elements in Power Platform applications.
Entities and Their Characteristics
An entity in the Common Data Service is composed of a set of records, which are much like rows in a database table. Each entity has a collection of fields which define the characteristics of that entity. These fields are similar to columns in a database table.
For example, if we have an entity named “Contact,” it may have fields such as “Email,” “Phone,” and “Name,” which represent the contact’s information.
Entities in Common Data Service also have these important characteristics:
- Entity Type: There are three types of entities – standard (system-defined), activity (time-stamped logs), and custom (user-defined).
- Ownership: Entities can be owned by organizations (usable by all users), users (controlled by a specific user), and teams (controlled by a group).
- Operations: Entities undergo CRUD operations – Create, Read, Update, and Delete. They can also be used for querying and reporting.
Relationships Between Entities
Entities can have relationships with each other, creating a relational data model. There are three types of relationships:
- One-to-many (1:N) relationships: A single record from one entity can relate to many records of another entity. For example, a single “Contact” record can be associated with many “Order” records.
- Many-to-one (N:1) relationships: Many records from one entity can relate to a single record of another entity. This is essentially the reverse of a 1:N relationship.
- Many-to-many (N:N) relationships: Many records from one entity can relate to many records of another entity. For example, a “Product” entity might be associated with multiple “Order” entities, and vice-versa.
System and Business Entities
Entities can be defined as either system entities or business entities.
System entities control internal operations of the system, including team membership, system jobs, and metadata changes. Examples include UserEntity, BusinessUnit, and TeamMembership entities.
Business entities store data that typically comes in through the user interface. It contains data created directly by application users, and is more pertinent to business operations. Examples include Account, Contact, and Opportunity entities.
The table below compares these two types of entities:
| System Entities | Business Entities | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Handles internal operations | Stores business data |
| Examples | UserEntity, TeamMembership | Account, Contact, Opportunity |
| Changes | Cannot be customized | Can be customized (fields, forms) |
Creating and Modifying Entities
In Power Platform, we can create new entities as per our needs. We can also modify existing ones. For example, to create a new entity named “Products”, you would navigate to the Power Apps portal, go to Data > Entities, and click on “New Entity”. You would then fill in the necessary details and click on “Create”.
Modifying an entity involves modifying its fields, relationships, forms, views, and so on. For example, to add a new field to the “Products” entity, you would select the entity, go to the “Fields” section, and then click on “Add Field”.
Conclusion
Conceptualizing data as entities is a key aspect of working with Microsoft Power Platform and Common Data Service. As a Power Platform Functional Consultant, enhancing your skillset to include a deep understanding of entities allows for better utilisation of Power Platform’s capabilities and can contribute to more efficient, effective solutions.
Practice Test
True or False: The primary method to store data in Microsoft Dataverse is through entities.
Answer: True
Explanation: Entities are used to model and manage business data in Microsoft Dataverse. They are similar to database tables.
The entity “Account” in the Microsoft Power Platform refers to:
- a) A user’s account credentials
- b) Business organizations that are involved in customer transactions
- c) A storage database for storing account details
- d) None of the above
Answer: b) Business organizations that are involved in customer transactions
Explanation: In the context of Microsoft Power Platform, an account typically refers to the companies or organizations involved in business with the user.
True or False: Attributes are essential characteristics or properties of an entity.
Answer: True
Explanation: Attributes are properties or characteristics of an entity that describe the entity. They hold the data for the entity.
What role do relationships play in the context of entities in Microsoft Dataverse?
- a) They are used for data storage
- b) They define how entities are connected to each other
- c) They help in defining business rules
- d) They control user access to the data
Answer: b) They define how entities are connected to each other.
Explanation: Relationships are defined between entities in Microsoft Dataverse to show how those entities are related to each other.
True or False: The two types of entities in Power Platform are standard and custom.
Answer: True
Explanation: The two types of entities are standard (Entities delivered by Microsoft) and Custom (Entities created by users to cater unique business requirements)
When you create a new record in the Microsoft Power Platform, this record is stored as an ________?
- a) Attribute
- b) Entity
- c) Relationship
- d) None of the above
Answer: b) Entity
Explanation: Any new record created in Microsoft Power Platform is stored as an Entity, which is a set of records used to store data, similar to how tables function in a database.
What are the actions applicable for entities in the Dataverse?
- a) Create
- b) Update
- c) Delete
- d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above
Explanation: Entities in Dataverse allow major actions such as create, update, delete similarly as Database operations.
True or False: Every entity in Microsoft Power Platform includes a unique identifier called EntityId.
Answer: True
Explanation: Every entity in the Power Platform includes a unique identifier called EntityId.
What determines the behavior and the data contained in an entity type?
- a) Metadata
- b) Attribute
- c) Relationship
- d) None of the above
Answer: a) Metadata
Explanation: Metadata determines the behavior and the data contained in an entity.
True or False: One can create a maximum of 500 custom entities in a Microsoft Power Platform.
Answer: False
Explanation: There is no specified limit on the number of custom entities that can be created in the Power Platform. The limit depends on the capacity of the environment.
The data in entities is stored in __________.
- a) Records
- b) Relationships
- c) Collections
- d) None of the above
Answer: a) Records
Explanation: The data is stored in records within an entity.
True or False: The metadata stored in the entity includes attributes and their properties.
Answer: True
Explanation: Metadata in an entity defines its attributes and their properties, details how the entity behaves within the system, the data that an entity type contains and also relationships with other entities.
True or False: You cannot control access to entities within Microsoft Power Platform.
Answer: False
Explanation: Access to entities can be controlled within Microsoft Power Platform with a security model that allows to restrict data access at the entity level.
Interview Questions
What is an entity in the context of Microsoft Power Platform?
An entity in Microsoft Power Platform is a datatype that is used to model and manage business data. It consists of a set of records that stores data of the same type, similar to a table in a database.
Can you give an example of a default entity in Microsoft Power Platform?
Yes, some examples of default entities in Microsoft Power Platform include account, contact, or case.
Are there any control options available for entities in the Power Platform?
Yes, there are several control options available for entities in Power Platform. These include changing display behavior, setting up business rules, and creating workflows or business process flows.
What are the two main types of entities in Power Platform?
The two main types of entities in Power Platform are standard entities and custom entities.
What is the difference between standard and custom entities?
Standard entities are predefined by Microsoft and are common across various types of businesses, like Account or Order. Custom entities, on the other hand, are specific to business needs and can be created by users to meet unique business requirements.
Can entities be related to each other in Microsoft Power Platform?
Yes, entities can be related to each other in Microsoft Power Platform. This can be achieved by establishing relationships such as one-to-many, many-to-one, or many-to-many between different entities.
How can you define a business rule for an entity in Microsoft Power Platform?
A business rule for an entity can be defined in Microsoft Power Platform by using the business rule designer in Power Apps. You can add conditions and actions to create the business rule according to your business logic.
What are the primary and foreign keys in the context of entities in Microsoft Power Platform?
The primary key of an entity is a unique identifier for each record stored within that entity, while a foreign key is a reference to the primary key of a different entity, serving to establish relations between entities.
What is entity ownership in Microsoft Power Platform?
Entity ownership in Microsoft Power Platform determines who can perform operations like Create, Read, Update, and Delete on the records of an entity. There are two types of ownership: organizational and user or team.
How do you modify an entity in Microsoft Power Platform?
You can modify an entity in Microsoft Power Platform through the Power Apps portal. From the Data tab, select Entities, and then the entity you want to modify. You can then add fields, relationships, or business rules.
What is the purpose of the ‘Active’ field in an entity in Microsoft Power Platform?
The ‘Active’ field in an entity in Microsoft Power Platform is used to indicate if a record is active or inactive. Only active records can be edited or deleted.
Can you create a new entity based on an existing one in Microsoft Power Platform?
No, you can’t create a new entity based on an existing one in Microsoft Power Platform. Each entity is independent, but you can create relationships between entities.
What is a lookup field in the context of Microsoft Power Platform entities?
A lookup field is a type of field that allows users to select a record from another entity in a form. It establishes a relationship between two entities.
Can we delete an entity in the Power Platform?
Yes, we can delete an entity in the Power Platform. However, you should be careful before deleting an entity because it might have dependencies on other entities.
What is metadata in relation to Microsoft Power Platform Entities?
Metadata in relation to entities refers to the data that describes the entity’s characteristics. For instance, it includes the attributes, such as the entity’s ownership or display name, and the relationships that the entity has with other entities.
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