Microsoft Power Platform offers more than 400 connectors categorized into Standard and Premium connectors.
Standard Connectors
These connectors are included in the base product and offer connectivity to common data sources. Examples of standard connectors include Office 365 Outlook, SharePoint, Excel Online, and OneDrive.
Premium Connectors
Premium connectors provide advanced functionality and connect with sources typically used in Enterprise-level solutions. Some examples are Salesforce, Common Data Service, Oracle Database, and SAP ERP.
The licensing for premium connectors differs from standard connectors and includes additional costs.
To view the list of available connectors, you can visit the Microsoft Power Platform connectors website. You can filter based on type (standard or premium) or by data source name.
Creating a Connection
To leverage the power of connectors, you need to create a connection. A connection consists of user credentials with privileges to access the data source, along with any platform-specific details required by the data source.
Here are the general steps to establish a connection:
- Within your Power Platform app, click on “Data” in the left-hand menu and then click on “Connections.”
- Click “New connection.”
- In the “New connection” panel, choose the connector you want from the list.
- Follow the prompts to establish the connection by entering credentials or any other necessary details.
- Once a connection is created, it’s usable across all Power Platform services.
Example: Connecting with SharePoint
One common requirement is connecting to SharePoint Online list data. Here’s an example of how you can connect with SharePoint using connectors.
- Within your Power Platform app, click on “Data” and then “Connections”.
- Click on “New connection.”
- From the “New connection” panel, choose “SharePoint.”
- A new window will open asking you to sign in to your SharePoint account. Provide the necessary credentials and permissions.
- Once you sign in, the connection is established and you can now use SharePoint data in your Power Platform application.
Conclusion
Overall, connectors allow the Microsoft Power Platform to leverage a broad range of data sources, thereby enabling more comprehensive and integrated solutions. Understanding how to use connectors is a beneficial skill for anyone preparing for the PL-900 Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals exam and for anyone working with the Microsoft Power Platform.
Practice Test
Microsoft Power Platform supports connections to data sources through connectors.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Microsoft Power Platform supports connections to many different data sources via a wide range of connectors like SQL Server, SharePoint, OneDrive, etc.
Connectors in Microsoft Power Platform are only read-only in nature.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Connectors in Microsoft Power Platform can provide both read and write access to data depending upon the capabilities of the data source.
Which tool in Microsoft Power Platform is commonly used for building business solutions that require connections to data sources?
- Power BI
- Power Apps
- Power Automate
- All of the above
Answer: All of the above
Explanation: All the tools within Microsoft Power Platform (Power Apps, Power BI, Power Automate) can use connectors to connect to different data sources.
A single Microsoft Power Platform solution can only connect to one data source at a time.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: A Microsoft Power Platform solution can connect to multiple data sources at the same time through various connectors.
Connectors can only be used to connect to cloud-based data sources.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Connectors can be used to connect to both cloud-based and on-premises data sources.
How many types of connectors are there in Power Automate?
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
Answer: Three
Explanation: Power Automate has three types of connectors: Standard, Premium, and On-Premises.
On-Premises data gateways are required to connect to cloud data sources.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: On-Premises data gateways are used to connect to on-premises data sources, not cloud data sources.
Premium connectors are included with all Microsoft Power Platform licenses.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Premium connectors require specific premium licenses and are not included with all Microsoft Power Platform licenses.
Which of these is NOT a connector in Microsoft Power Platform?
- SharePoint
- Gmail
- SQL Server
- Google Chrome
Answer: Google Chrome
Explanation: Google Chrome is a web browser, not a connector in Microsoft Power Platform.
Can you create custom connectors in Power Automate?
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Power Automate allows for the creation of custom connectors to interact with custom or unsupported data sources.
If the data in a connected data source changes, the Microsoft Power Platform solution automatically updates.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: A refresh or update action is usually required for the changes in the data source to be reflected in the Microsoft Power Platform solution.
There are more than 200 connectors available in Power Automate.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: As of now, Power Automate provides more than 200 connectors to connect to various services.
Connecting to a data source with a connector does not require authentication.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Authentication is typically required to establish a connection between a data source and a Microsoft Power Platform solution using a connector.
Custom connectors can be created without any coding knowledge.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Creating custom connectors usually involves some level of coding or scripting knowledge as it involves interacting with APIs.
The Twitter connector allows for sending tweets directly from a Microsoft Power Platform solution.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: The Twitter connector has various actions available, one of which includes sending tweets directly from a Microsoft Power Platform solution.
Interview Questions
What are connectors in the context of Microsoft Power Platform?
Connectors in Microsoft Power Platform are prebuilt APIs that allow applications to interface with external services to pull in data and provide various functionalities.
What are the three types of connectors that exist in the Power Platform?
The three types of connectors in the Power Platform are standard connectors, premium connectors, and custom connectors.
Why would you choose to use a custom connector in Power Platform?
A custom connector is used when the prebuilt connectors do not meet the specific needs of your application. It allows you to connect to a service that isn’t covered by the standard or premium connectors.
What is the purpose of the Power BI connector in Power Platform?
The Power BI connector allows you to move data from Power BI to other Power Platform products such as PowerApps or Power Automate.
What License is needed to use standard connectors on the Power Platform?
To use standard connectors, you must have either a Power Apps Per User Plan or a Power Apps Per App Plan.
What is the Microsoft Dataverse Connector mainly used for in Power Platform?
The Microsoft Dataverse Connector allows you to read and write data to Microsoft Dataverse, a scalable data service and app platform that’s included with Power Apps.
How many standard connectors are available in the Power Automate?
There are around 400 pre-built standard connectors available in Power Automate which allow you to connect services like SharePoint, Twitter, Salesforce, and more.
What type of data source is used with the Excel Online (Business) connector?
The Excel Online (Business) connector is used with Excel files hosted in SharePoint or OneDrive for Business as a data source.
Can you modify the outcome of a connector?
Yes, it is possible to modify the outcome of a connector via the editing function in PowerApps.
How do custom connectors get authenticated in Power Platform?
Custom connectors can be authenticated using API Key, Basic authentication, OAuth2.0, or no authentication at all.
What is the SharePoint connector in Power Platform used for?
The SharePoint connector is used to interact with SharePoint Lists, which allows for the retrieval, addition, updating, or deletion of list items.
What do Premium connectors in Power Platform exclusively offer?
Premium connectors can provide access to services like Common Data Service, Salesforce, and others that wouldn’t be accessible via standard connectors.
Are custom connectors shared across Power Platform services?
Yes, once a custom connector is created in any Power Platform service (Power BI, Power Apps, or Power Automate), it becomes available for use in any of the other services.
Can you use connectors in Power BI for real-time data analysis?
Yes, Power BI supports both real-time and scheduled data retrieval from a data source through the connectors, depending on the capabilities of the external service.
Can connectors be used to fetch data from on-premises data sources?
Yes, connectors can fetch data from on-premises sources using the On-Premises Data Gateway which acts as a bridge to facilitate secure data transfer from the on-site source to the Power Platform services.
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