A connector in the Microsoft Power Platform is a proxy or a wrapper around an API that allows the underlying service to talk to Microsoft Power Platform. It provides a way for users to connect, manage, and integrate data with external APIs. This is a crucial aspect of the PL-900 Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals exam, understanding connectors and their components is essential.
Components of a Connector
There are four key components to a connector:
- Connection: This forms the basis for the interaction between the Power Platform and the API. Typically, this involves setting up an account with the service you’re connecting to, and then providing the authorization to Power Platform. Connection properties are defined by the connector and the credentials are provided by the user.
- Trigger: A trigger is an event that initiates the operations on the API. It could be an event like a new file was uploaded, a new email arrived, etc. There are two types of triggers, Polling and Push. A Polling trigger actively checks for data at a specific interval, while a Push trigger waits for a notification from the API to perform an action.
- Action: An action is a specific operation that is going to be performed by the API, for example, sending an email, creating a record, and so on. Every action maps to a specific API endpoint.
- References: References allow you to use objects from other operations in the parameters of your operation.
Example:
A Microsoft Teams connector may have a connection defined by the user’s Teams account, a trigger may be a new message in a particular channel, the action could be to post a message in another channel, and the reference might be the content of the new message.
| Component | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Connection | Basis of interaction with the API | User’s Teams account |
| Trigger | Event initiating the API operations | Message in channel |
| Action | Specific operation performed by the API | Post a message |
| References | Use objects from other operations | Content of the new message |
Creating and Using a Custom Connector
The steps to create a custom connector are as follows:
- Start by going to the Power Apps interface.
- In the left-hand pane, navigate to Data > Custom Connectors.
- Click the ‘+ New custom connector’ button.
- Choose ‘Create from blank’.
- Fill in the necessary details like Name, Scheme, Host, Base URL, etc.
- Specify the Security details. This is where the ‘Connection’ component comes in.
- Define the connector’s actions.
- Specify the Request (URL, Verb, Headers, Body) and Response (outputs) for the action.
- Save and Test the connector.
The PL-900 Exam requires the understanding of how to apply these components to create a connector in Microsoft Power Platform.
Let’s take a scenario: If you need to integrate with a web service that sends automated SMS notifications, you’d start by setting up a connection with login credentials for the service. Then, you’d set up a trigger that could be a specific event occurring within your Power App. The action might be defined as sending an SMS to a specified number, and you might use a reference to include content pulled from the triggering event.
When you set up connectors, understand their components, and know how to apply them, you significantly broaden the scope of what Microsoft Power Platform can achieve. Possessing such knowledge will properly equip you for the PL-900 Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals exam.
Practice Test
True or False: Connectors are pre-built APIs that provide a wrapper around an API to allow for communication between different software components.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Connectors are pre-built APIs that act as a bridge between different software components, allowing them to communicate and share data easily.
What are the key components of a connector?
- a) Trigger
- b) Action
- c) Condition
- d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above.
Explanation: A connector can be triggered (like when a certain action occurs), perform an action, and can also have programmed conditions that it responds to.
True or False: Triggers in a connector are the actions that execute automatically when specific conditions are met.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Triggers are not the actions but the events which start the connector operations, if specific conditions are met then an action executes.
Which of the following are types of triggers that can be included in a connector?
- a) Polling triggers
- b) Push triggers
- c) Reaction triggers
- d) Both a and b
Answer: d) Both a and b
Explanation: Connectors commonly use polling triggers, which poll a service at set intervals, and push triggers, which wait for an event to occur.
True or False: Connectors developed by Microsoft for users are known as standard connectors.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Connectors that are developed/supported by Microsoft and are available for use by users are termed as standard connectors.
The _______ operation of the connector allows the interaction with the API to perform a specific task.
- a) Trigger
- b) Action
- c) Condition
Answer: b) Action
Explanation: The ‘Action’ operation of the connector is the fundamental building block of the connector allowing the interaction with the API to perform a specific task
True or False: You can create your own custom connectors in Microsoft Power Platform.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Microsoft Power Platform allows users to build their own custom connectors to suit their specific needs and requirements.
What connector type is a Logic Apps Managed connector?
- a) Premium connector
- b) Standard connector
- c) Core connector
- d) OpenAPI connector
Answer: a) Premium connector
Explanation: Logic Apps Managed connector is a type of Premium connector.
In connectors, the ________ setting defines the frequency and timing of a trigger
- a) Interval
- b) Frequency
- c) Recurrence
- d) Runtime
Answer: c) Recurrence
Explanation: Recurrence is the setting that allows you to establish the frequency and timing of a trigger in a connector.
True or False: Connectors only allow a one-way flow of data.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Connectors allow for bidirectional flow of data, enabling complex integrations and workflows.
Select all that apply. Which of the following are examples of standard connectors provided by Microsoft?
- a) Gmail
- b) Twitter
- c) Facebook
- d) Dropbox
Answer: a) Gmail, b) Twitter, c) Facebook, d) Dropbox
Explanation: Microsoft provides many standard connectors, including but not limited to those for Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, and Dropbox.
Single select: What type of connector should you use to connect with data sources outside of Microsoft’s cloud-based services?
- a) Standard connectors
- b) Premium connectors
- c) On-premises data gateway
- d) Data connectors
Answer: c) On-premises data gateway
Explanation: On-premises data gateway allows you to access data sources that are located outside Microsoft’s cloud services, like within your organization’s on-premises network.
True or False: Premium connectors on the Power Platform are only developed by Microsoft.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Premium connectors are built not only by Microsoft but can also be developed by partners and other companies for greater utility.
In Microsoft Power Platform, what is the connector General Information used for?
- a) To connect with an API
- b) To set up the connector’s properties and authentication type
- c) To set up a trigger for a connector
Answer: b) To set up the connector’s properties and authentication type
Explanation: The General Information in a connector helps configure the authentication type and other properties related to the connector.
True or False: Custom connectors are reusable across Power Apps, Power Automate, and Azure Logic Apps.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Custom connectors are non-prebuilt and once created, they are reusable across Power Apps, Power Automate, and Azure Logic Apps.
Interview Questions
What is a connector in the context of Microsoft Power Platform?
A connector in Microsoft Power Platform is a proxy or a wrapper around an API that allows the underlying service to talk to Microsoft Power Platform.
What are the two types of connectors used in Microsoft Power Platform?
The two types of connectors used in Microsoft Power Platform are Standard Connectors and Custom Connectors.
What are Standard Connectors?
Standard connectors are pre-built connectors provided by Microsoft Power Platform that enables communication with a wide range of apps and services including both Microsoft and third-party services.
What are Custom Connectors?
Custom Connectors are connectors that users can create in Microsoft Power Platform to connect to any publicly available APIs that are not included in the suite of standard connectors.
What are the primary constituents of a connector?
Connectors contain a set of actions and triggers available for Microsoft Power Platform to interact with. Triggers are events that cause something to happen, while actions are what is performed when a specified event occurs.
How does a connector work in Microsoft Power Platform?
A connector in Microsoft Power Platform uses specific APIs to communicate with the service it’s connected to. This communication occurs every time a trigger event happens or an action is performed.
How are connectors categorized in Microsoft Power Platform?
Connectors in Microsoft Power Platform are categorized into Standard, Premium, and On-premises categories based on their connectivity to different types of services.
What is a Premium connector?
Premium connectors are specific connectors which provide access to certain premium services within Microsoft Power Platform and require additional licensing.
What is an On-premises connector?
An On-premises connector is a special type of connector that allows Microsoft Power Apps to connect to your on-premises servers or private networks.
How do you define actions in a custom connector?
Actions in a custom connector are defined by creating an operation which maps to a HTTP operation, for example, a GET request to retrieve data, or a POST request to send data.
How are trigger events defined in a custom connector?
Triggers in a custom connector in Microsoft Power Platform are set up by describing the request and response formats for the API that the trigger is calling.
What is the role of Defining Schemas in a custom connector?
Defining schemas in a custom connector helps structure the request and response data. This ensures the connector knows the type of data it’s handling, which enables improved error detection and enables the connector to handle data-related issues effectively.
What is a connector’s base URL?
A connector’s base URL refers to the root URL of the API the connector uses to interact with the target service.
What are operations in a connector?
Operations in a connector define the available functionalities of a connected service in the Power Platform. They are the actions or event triggers that the Power Platform can perform on the connected service via the connector.
What are connector’s parameters?
Parameters in a connector refer to the dynamic values that can be used to personalize or specify the way a connector interacts with a service. These parameters can be part of the operation definition, forming the request body, query parameters or path parameters.
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