Sharing a desktop flow in Microsoft Power Automate is a key feature that PL-500 exam takers must understand. Microsoft Power Automate, part of the Microsoft Power Platform, serves as a critical tool for developing automated workflows between various Microsoft and non-Microsoft services. One of these workflows is sharing a desktop flow, beneficial for collaborative work environments.
Understanding Desktop Flows
Desktop flow in Microsoft Power Automate is a process automation that imitates human interaction with the user interface of a software application. By making use of the desktop flows, developers can automate repetitive desktop processes, often resulting in significant time and cost savings.
Process of Sharing a Desktop Flow
Sharing a desktop flow allows multiple users to access and manage the same flow. This is a vital ability for team projects or tasks that require collaboration. Here’s how to share a desktop flow:
- Initially, Navigate to My Flows and select the desktop flow you want to share.
- On the desktop flow’s panel, proceed to the Manage tab.
- Click on the Share button.
- Input the email address of the person you want to share the flow with and choose their role (Can use, Can edit, or Can manage).
- Hit the Save button to confirm the changes.
This process allows for three different levels of access: Use, Edit, and Manage. Selecting “Can use” will only allow the user to run the flow. “Can edit” gives the user permission to edit and run the flow, and “Can manage” will give the user full control over the flow, including sharing and deleting it.
| Level of Access | Permissions |
|---|---|
| Can use | Run the flow only |
| Can edit | Edit and run the flow |
| Can manage | Full control, including editing, sharing, and deleting flow |
Sample Scenario
Let’s consider a sample scenario. If you have created a desktop flow that automates periodic content updates on a SharePoint site and you want to share it with a colleague who regularly updates the content, you would:
- Go to My Flows and select the specific flow.
- Go to the Manage tab and click on the Share button.
- Enter your colleague’s email and select “Can use” to ensure they can run the flow but not accidentally modify it.
- Click Save.
Now your colleague has the access to run the flow whenever they need to update the content.
Conclusion
Sharing a desktop flow in Microsoft Power Automate is necessary for efficient teamwork. It not only enhances productivity but also ensures the tasks are accomplished in an organized manner. Whether you are a PL-500 Microsoft Power Automate RPA Developer exam taker or a Power Automate user, it’s important to thoroughly understand this process.
Practice Test
True or False: In Power Automate, you can use Desktop flow to automate processes on your local computer.
- True
- False
Answer: True.
Explanation: Desktop flow in Power Automate is used to automate processes occurring on a local computer, including tasks in both desktop and web applications.
What is the main purpose of using Desktop flow in Microsoft Power Automate?
- a) To create dynamic contents
- b) To automate manual tasks done on a computer
- c) To create tables and databases
- d) To make your applications mobile-responsive
Answer: b) To automate manual tasks done on a computer
Explanation: Desktop flow automates tasks that are performed manually on a computer or virtual machine, including tasks in both desktop and web applications.
True or False: Sharing a Desktop flow with your team allows them to run or modify the flow.
- True
- False
Answer: True.
Explanation: By sharing a Desktop flow, you can enable your team members to run the flow, modify it, or even do both, depending on the permissions you give them.
You can share your Desktop flow with a security group in Microsoft Power Automate.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: a) True.
Explanation: You have the option to share a Desktop flow with an individual, a security group, or a distribution list in Microsoft Power Automate.
What permission does a person need to be able to run a shared desktop flow?
- a) Run only User
- b) Modify only User
- c) Run and Modify User
- d) Any of the above
Answer: a) Run only User
Explanation: A user with ‘Run only User’ permissions can execute a shared desktop flow but not make modifications to it.
Desktop flows cannot interact with web apps.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: b) False.
Explanation: Desktop flows are able to interact with both desktop and web applications, thus making them useful tools for automation tasks that involve both.
What are the three operations that you can perform on a shared Desktop flow?
- a) Create, Delete, Modify
- b) Run, Modify, Share
- c) Share, Delete, Run
- d) Run, Modify, Create
Answer: b) Run, Modify, Share
Explanation: For shared Desktop flows, you can perform operations like run, modify, and share with others.
True or False: You cannot use selectors in the Desktop flow for creating more stable automation.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: You can use selectors in the Desktop flow. Selectors allow Power Automate to find and interact with UI elements of any complexity, making automation more stable and reliable.
Can Desktop flow interact with legacy systems?
- a) Yes
- b) No
Answer: a) Yes
Explanation: Legacy systems often rely heavily on tedious manual tasks. By using Desktop flow, these tasks can be automated, reducing the workload and improving efficiency.
Can you share a Desktop flow without giving run access?
- a) Yes
- b) No
Answer: a) Yes
Explanation: You can share a Desktop flow by giving only ‘Modify’ access. This allows others to see and modify the flow, but they will not be able to run it themselves.
Interview Questions
What does the term ‘Desktop flow’ refer to in Power Automate?
Desktop flows in Power Automate refer to Robotic Process Automation (RPA) feature of automating manual tasks across multiple applications and services that do not have APIs.
Which application is used to build and run desktop flows in Power Automate?
Power Automate Desktop is used to build and run desktop flows in Microsoft Power Automate.
How does ‘exception handling’ work in Power Automate Desktop Flow?
In Power Automate Desktop, there are dedicated actions to handle exceptions. You can use ‘Try-Catch’ blocks where ‘Try’ section contains actions that might produce an error and ‘Catch’ section contains actions that are performed when an error occurs.
How to record a task sequence in Power Automate Desktop?
To record a task sequence, you can use the Desktop Recorder functionality, where you perform the required actions and Power Automate Desktop automatically creates and adds the corresponding actions to your desktop flow.
Can Power Automate desktop flow work with both web and desktop applications?
Yes, Power Automate desktop flow can interact with both web and desktop applications.
How to start a desktop flow from a cloud flow?
You can use the ‘Run a Power Automate Desktop flow’ action within the cloud flow to start a desktop flow.
What is the role of the ‘Variable’ action in Desktop Flow?
‘Variable’ action is used to create a variable that can store a value, such as a number, date or text string that desktop flow can use multiple times.
How can you debug a desktop flow in Power Automate Desktop?
Power Automate Desktop includes built-in debug capability. You can use the ‘Debug’ button to run the flow in debug mode, allowing you to step through the flow executing each action individually to inspect the outcome.
Can we use loops in the Desktop flow?
Yes, Desktop flow supports loops. ‘Loop’ action can be used to execute actions repeatedly based on a certain condition or a certain number of times.
How to use conditions in Power Automate Desktop Flow?
You can use the ‘If…Else’ action in Power Automate Desktop Flow to run a set of actions based on a specific condition.
What is ‘subflow’ in Power Automate Desktop Flow?
A ‘subflow’ is a separate flow that can be called from a main flow. This is particularly useful when there are common sequences of actions used by multiple flows.
How to schedule a desktop flow in Power Automate?
To schedule a desktop flow, you can use the ‘Run flow’ option in Power Automate cloud service that allows you to schedule the flow to run at a certain time or at regular intervals.
What aspects should you consider when creating a robust desktop flow?
While creating a robust desktop flow, consider checking for errors, using the Try-Catch block to handle errors gracefully, waiting for a process to complete before proceeding, and adding delays where necessary.
Can Power Automate desktop flows interact with the system’s hardware like keyboard and mouse?
Yes, Power Automate Desktop flows can replicate keyboard inputs like typing and pressing keys, as well as mouse clicks and movements.
Are there any system requirements to install and run Power Automate Desktop?
Yes, Power Automate Desktop has system requirements including Windows OS (Windows 10, Windows Server 2016 or later), .NET Framework 4.8 or later, and minimum hardware data (2 cores CPU, 4 GB RAM, 2 GB available storage).
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