Power Apps Developer Plan environments | Power Platform

Developers can now have Environments of their own to test and review Power Apps / Power Automate etc. Here’s how you can get yours!

Learn More about Power Apps Developer: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-apps/maker/developer-plan?WT.mc_id=DX-MVP-5003911

If you are looking to Sign Up for the Developer Plan, you can use this Link: https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/developerplan/?WT.mc_id=DX-MVP-5003911

Create Developer Environment

Given that you are Power Platform Admin Center, you can create a new Environment like so –

  1. Go to Power Platform Admin Center and then Environments (https://admin.powerplatform.microsoft.com/environments). Click on + New to create a new Environment.



    And then you can select the Type

  2. Now, can you check what URL you want to provide and then click on Finish

  3. Then, your environment will be initiated for creation like any other Environment. Notice the type is Developer.

  4. Once created, if you go in the Environment, you can click the Edit to review the Settings for this Environment.

  5. And you can see that the Security Group cannot be added to this Environment.

User’s Environment

  1. If a User wants to create their own environment under the Power App Developer Plan (https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/developerplan/?WT.mc_id=DX-MVP-5003911), they can go to the Homepage of the Power Apps Developer plan and click on Existing User? Add a dev environment >

  2. Then, you can enter your credentials and you’ll see this page.

  3. Once this is provisioned, you’ll be taken to your Environment and I’ll look like below –



  4. And in the Power Platform Admin Center, the Admins can see that the Environment has been created of Type Developer by SYSTEM.

Hope this helps!

Here are some Power Automate posts you want to check out –

  1. Select the item based on a key value using Filter Array in Power Automate
  2. Select values from an array using Select action in a Power Automate Flow
  3. Blocking Attachment Extensions in Dynamics 365 CRM
  4. Upgrade Dataverse for Teams Environment to Dataverse Environment
  5. Showing Sandbox or Non Production Apps in Power App mobile app
  6. Create a Power Apps Per User Plan Trial | Dataverse environment
  7. Install On-Premise Gateway from Power Automate or Power Apps | Power Platform
  8. Co-presence in Power Automate | Multiple users working on a Flow
  9. Search Rows (preview) Action in Dataverse connector in a Flow | Power Automate
  10. Suppress Workflow Header Information while sending back HTTP Response in a Flow | Power Automate
  11. Call a Flow from Canvas Power App and get back response | Power Platform\
  12. FetchXML Aggregation in a Flow using CDS (Current Environment) connector | Power Automate
  13. Parsing Outputs of a List Rows action using Parse JSON in a Flow | Common Data Service (CE) connector
  14. Asynchronous HTTP Response from a Flow | Power Automate
  15. Validate JSON Schema for HTTP Request trigger in a Flow and send Response | Power Automate
  16. Converting JSON to XML and XML to JSON in a Flow | Power Automate

Thank you!

Weekly Digest for usage insights | Power Platform Admin Center

One of the features in Power Platform Admin Center is that now you can receive Weekly Updates in the form of a Newsletter for the Managed Environments.

Pre-Requisites

Below are the Pre-requisites for enabling Weekly Digest

  1. Tenant-Level Analytics must be enabled in your Power Platform Tenant. Here’s a post to see how you can enable Tenant-Level Analytics – Tenant-Level Analytics in Power Platform Admin Center | For Power Apps and Power Automate
  2. Only Managed Environments Updates are available – Here’s how you can learn more about Managed Environments – Enable Managed Environments in Power Platform Admin Center
  3. Under those Managed Environments, only those Managed Environments will be considered which have been enabled for Weekly Digest. While enabling Managed Environments in the above step #2, ensure this checkbox is marked in order to consider the Managed Environment for Weekly Digest –

Enable Weekly Digest

Given the above Pre-requisites are met, here’s how you can enable Weekly Digest –

  1. Navigate to Tenant Settings in the Power Platform Admin Center (https://admin.powerplatform.microsoft.com/tenantsettings) – Look for Weekly digest. Notice that it is marked with a green icon which indicates that it will only be applicable for Managed Environments.

  2. On the right hand side, you’ll see place to enter email addresses (separated by semicolons) who should receive the Weekly Digest emails.
    Power Platform Administrators and Dynamics 365 Administrators only will receive these updates.

  3. Once you entered the email addresses, you can Save those and you’ll see the below message upon confirmation.

  4. That’s it!
  5. And then on a Monday, I saw this in my mailbox!

Hope this helps!

Here are some Power Automate posts you want to check out –

  1. Select the item based on a key value using Filter Array in Power Automate
  2. Select values from an array using Select action in a Power Automate Flow
  3. Blocking Attachment Extensions in Dynamics 365 CRM
  4. Upgrade Dataverse for Teams Environment to Dataverse Environment
  5. Showing Sandbox or Non Production Apps in Power App mobile app
  6. Create a Power Apps Per User Plan Trial | Dataverse environment
  7. Install On-Premise Gateway from Power Automate or Power Apps | Power Platform
  8. Co-presence in Power Automate | Multiple users working on a Flow
  9. Search Rows (preview) Action in Dataverse connector in a Flow | Power Automate
  10. Suppress Workflow Header Information while sending back HTTP Response in a Flow | Power Automate
  11. Call a Flow from Canvas Power App and get back response | Power Platform\
  12. FetchXML Aggregation in a Flow using CDS (Current Environment) connector | Power Automate
  13. Parsing Outputs of a List Rows action using Parse JSON in a Flow | Common Data Service (CE) connector
  14. Asynchronous HTTP Response from a Flow | Power Automate
  15. Validate JSON Schema for HTTP Request trigger in a Flow and send Response | Power Automate
  16. Converting JSON to XML and XML to JSON in a Flow | Power Automate

Thank you!

Enable Early Access Wave 1 2023 | Power Platform

Like every 6 months, enabling Early Access is one of the best things to look forward to as Microsoft announces Release Plans! So, here’s how you can enable Early Access for Wave 1 2023 if you are new to managing Power Platform environments!

It is recommended to enable Early Access features only for Sandbox environments as it is not GA [General Availability] yet.

Power Platform Admin Center

Given that you are a Power Platform Administrator / Dynamics 365 Administrator, here’s how you can enable Wave 1 2023 access for your Sandbox environment –

  1. Select the Sandbox environment



  2. Then, see the Updates section where you’ll now see 2021 Wave 1 updates available in Off mode.


  3. On the right hand side, you can select the U

  4. Then, enter the Display Name of the environment correctly in order to ensure you are enabling this on the correct environment.

  5. Once you confirm, you’ll see that the Updates have started applying in the background.

  6. And when you click or refresh, you’ll see what’s being Activated in the background based on how your environment is set up.

  7. It takes a few hours based on the environment for the Wave 1 2023 Updates to be applied.

And you’re set! Here’s Microsoft Learn Documentation for Wave 1 2023 for Power Platform / Dynamics 365: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/release-plans/?WT.mc_id=DX-MVP-5003911

Hope this helps!

Here are some Power Automate posts you want to check out –

  1. Select the item based on a key value using Filter Array in Power Automate
  2. Select values from an array using Select action in a Power Automate Flow
  3. Blocking Attachment Extensions in Dynamics 365 CRM
  4. Upgrade Dataverse for Teams Environment to Dataverse Environment
  5. Showing Sandbox or Non Production Apps in Power App mobile app
  6. Create a Power Apps Per User Plan Trial | Dataverse environment
  7. Install On-Premise Gateway from Power Automate or Power Apps | Power Platform
  8. Co-presence in Power Automate | Multiple users working on a Flow
  9. Search Rows (preview) Action in Dataverse connector in a Flow | Power Automate
  10. Suppress Workflow Header Information while sending back HTTP Response in a Flow | Power Automate
  11. Call a Flow from Canvas Power App and get back response | Power Platform
  12. FetchXML Aggregation in a Flow using CDS (Current Environment) connector | Power Automate
  13. Parsing Outputs of a List Rows action using Parse JSON in a Flow | Common Data Service (CE) connector
  14. Asynchronous HTTP Response from a Flow | Power Automate
  15. Validate JSON Schema for HTTP Request trigger in a Flow and send Response | Power Automate
  16. Converting JSON to XML and XML to JSON in a Flow | Power Automate

Thank you!

Publishing Error | Cannot start the requested operation | [Quick Tip]

At times, there are scenarios where multiple developers are working together in a project and making cosmetic changes to the customization.

The error reads – “Cannot start the requested operation [EntityCustomization] because there is another [PublishAll] running at this moment. Use Solution History for more details.

And, if there are any Publishing activities going on which was initiated by some other user/developer but others don’t know and they then try to also Publish.

Error

You’ll see the below error, in case you made changes to certain customization and click on Publish Customization

If you click on See Solution History, here’s the URL shortcut for the same – https://[ORGName].[CRMRegion].dynamics.com/main.aspx?forceUCI=1&pagetype=entitylist&etn=msdyn_solutionhistory

And it’ll open up Solution History as below –

What this means?

This means, that there was another Publish operations going on in the background which was running and the current Publish operation need to wait till that one is finished.

Example – If you are publishing Ribbon Button changes from Ribbon Workbench, which looks like this –

So, you must wait for any Publish operation like this to finish.

Or there could also be because some solution is being imported. You can see this in the Solution History

Hope this helps!

Here are some Power Automate posts you want to check out –

  1. Select the item based on a key value using Filter Array in Power Automate
  2. Select values from an array using Select action in a Power Automate Flow
  3. Blocking Attachment Extensions in Dynamics 365 CRM
  4. Upgrade Dataverse for Teams Environment to Dataverse Environment
  5. Showing Sandbox or Non Production Apps in Power App mobile app
  6. Create a Power Apps Per User Plan Trial | Dataverse environment
  7. Install On-Premise Gateway from Power Automate or Power Apps | Power Platform
  8. Co-presence in Power Automate | Multiple users working on a Flow
  9. Search Rows (preview) Action in Dataverse connector in a Flow | Power Automate
  10. Suppress Workflow Header Information while sending back HTTP Response in a Flow | Power Automate
  11. Call a Flow from Canvas Power App and get back response | Power Platform
  12. FetchXML Aggregation in a Flow using CDS (Current Environment) connector | Power Automate
  13. Parsing Outputs of a List Rows action using Parse JSON in a Flow | Common Data Service (CE) connector
  14. Asynchronous HTTP Response from a Flow | Power Automate
  15. Validate JSON Schema for HTTP Request trigger in a Flow and send Response | Power Automate
  16. Converting JSON to XML and XML to JSON in a Flow | Power Automate

Thank you!

Enable Managed Environments in Power Platform Admin Center

Here’s what Managed Environments do! They provide more control on how you administer the Environments i.e. by limiting App Sharing, applying Data Policies on the environment and even how Solution Checker should allow to import solutions upon detecting critical issues (Solution Checker feature for Managed Environments is in Preview at the time of writing this post!).

Below is the snipped from Microsoft Learn Document highlighting the capabilities of Managed Environments



Further, as I explore these features more, I’ll update and add links to the posts explaining each of the features in details.

Enable Managed Environments in Power Platform Admin Center

Given that you have appropriate permissions to take administrative actions on Power Platform environments, you can navigate to Power Platform Admin Center and then in Environments (https://admin.powerplatform.microsoft.com/environments) –

  1. Select an Environment and click on the ellipses on the menu.

  2. Once you select the same, review the License implications as highlighted below –
    Here’s the Microsoft Documentation on the same – https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/power-platform/admin/managed-environment-licensing?WT.mc_id=ppac_inproduct_env%3FWT.mc_id%3DDX-MVP-5003911

  3. Once you review the below preferences on how you want this environment to be managed, you can select the same and click on Enable as seen below –
    These will send insights in email. I’ll cover in a separate post and link here.


  4. Once everything looks good, you can Enable.

Editing Managed Environments / Disabling

Here’s how you can edit or disable Managed Environments –

  1. If you are seeing Edit Managed Environments, it means that Managed Environment is enabled for that environment.

  2. And you can disable Management Environment control using PowerShell. You can check this post which highlights how you can do so – https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/power-platform/admin/managed-environment-enable#disable-managed-environments-using-powershell?WT.mc_id=DX-MVP-5003911
    Snapshot of the document below –

Here’s Microsoft Learn documentation on Managed Environments – https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/power-platform/admin/managed-environment-overview?WT.mc_id=DX-MVP-5003911

Hope this helps!

Here are some Power Automate posts you want to check out –

  1. Select the item based on a key value using Filter Array in Power Automate
  2. Select values from an array using Select action in a Power Automate Flow
  3. Blocking Attachment Extensions in Dynamics 365 CRM
  4. Upgrade Dataverse for Teams Environment to Dataverse Environment
  5. Showing Sandbox or Non Production Apps in Power App mobile app
  6. Create a Power Apps Per User Plan Trial | Dataverse environment
  7. Install On-Premise Gateway from Power Automate or Power Apps | Power Platform
  8. Co-presence in Power Automate | Multiple users working on a Flow
  9. Search Rows (preview) Action in Dataverse connector in a Flow | Power Automate
  10. Suppress Workflow Header Information while sending back HTTP Response in a Flow | Power Automate
  11. Call a Flow from Canvas Power App and get back response | Power Platform\
  12. FetchXML Aggregation in a Flow using CDS (Current Environment) connector | Power Automate
  13. Parsing Outputs of a List Rows action using Parse JSON in a Flow | Common Data Service (CE) connector
  14. Asynchronous HTTP Response from a Flow | Power Automate
  15. Validate JSON Schema for HTTP Request trigger in a Flow and send Response | Power Automate
  16. Converting JSON to XML and XML to JSON in a Flow | Power Automate

Thank you!

Power Platform self-service analytics Data Export to Data Lake [Preview] | Power Platform Admin Center

Now, you can also export the Analytics Data to Azure Data Lake in order to further extend the derive rich data analytics!
At the time of writing this post, this feature is in Preview (As you’ll also see from the screenshots below)

This is a great feature where you can extract this Data into Data Lake and then further enrich and derive rich Power BI reporting based on your use-case.

In case you are new to understanding Azure Data Lake and pricing, you can review this – https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/solutions/data-lake/?WT.mc_id=DX-MVP-5003911

Data Export (Preview)

In Power Platform Admin Center (https://admin.powerplatform.microsoft.com/), here’s how you can setup Data Export –

  1. Navigate to Data Export in Power Platform Admin Center given that you have appropriate rights –


  2. Then, you’ll get to choose amongst the Power Apps or Power Automate data to be exported to Data Lake.

  3. In this example, I’ll choose Power Automate. As I select Power Automate, you’ll see that Tenant-Level Analytics are required and hence, already considered as Yes. If not, you’ll need to Enable Tenant-Level Analytics while doing this step – Here’s another post on how to Enable and Use Tenant Level Analytics –


  4. Now, In the next section you’ll need to choose the Subscription.


  5. Further, select the Resource Group and eventually, the Storage Account as well.


    And Storage Account is selected as well.

  6. Once everything looks good, you can click on Create.

  7. In a few moments, this will appear in Data Lake section of the Data Export. It will take up to 24 hours for the data to first start showing in Data Lake.

  8. Once this is completed after about 24 hours, you’ll see the status of the Data Lake data package changed to connected.


Data Export to Data Lake

Let’s look at the Azure Storage Explorer to connect to our Data Lake and see the Power Platform data – In case you are looking to install Azure Storage Explorer, here’s a post – Microsoft Azure Storage Explorer | Getting Started

  1. Once authenticated to the correct environment in Azure Storage Explorer, here’s what you would see in the ADLS Gen 2 (In case you want to create ADLS Gen 2 storage account, you can review this post – Create ADLS Gen 2 Storage Account for Azure Data Lake)
    You’ll see powerplatform folder show up.

  2. If you open this folder, since we had chosen Power Automate, it’s folder will be created.

  3. And let’s go in Flows folder to see the data. You’ll find json files of the same. You can double click to open it and it’ll open in whatever editor you have installed.

  4. In this case, I had VS Code, so here’s what the Flow data looks like –

  5. Likewise, you can dig deeper in this data and use this further for your reporting!

Here’s Microsoft Learn Document on the same – https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/admin/self-service-analytics?WT.mc_id=DX-MVP-5003911

Here’s Microsoft Learn Docs for Tenant-Level Analytics – https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/power-platform/admin/tenant-level-analytics#how-do-i-enable-tenant-level-analytics?WT.mc_id=DX-MVP-5003911

Hope this helps!

Here are some Power Automate posts you want to check out –

  1. Select the item based on a key value using Filter Array in Power Automate
  2. Select values from an array using Select action in a Power Automate Flow
  3. Blocking Attachment Extensions in Dynamics 365 CRM
  4. Upgrade Dataverse for Teams Environment to Dataverse Environment
  5. Showing Sandbox or Non Production Apps in Power App mobile app
  6. Create a Power Apps Per User Plan Trial | Dataverse environment
  7. Install On-Premise Gateway from Power Automate or Power Apps | Power Platform
  8. Co-presence in Power Automate | Multiple users working on a Flow
  9. Search Rows (preview) Action in Dataverse connector in a Flow | Power Automate
  10. Suppress Workflow Header Information while sending back HTTP Response in a Flow | Power Automate
  11. Call a Flow from Canvas Power App and get back response | Power Platform\
  12. FetchXML Aggregation in a Flow using CDS (Current Environment) connector | Power Automate
  13. Parsing Outputs of a List Rows action using Parse JSON in a Flow | Common Data Service (CE) connector
  14. Asynchronous HTTP Response from a Flow | Power Automate
  15. Validate JSON Schema for HTTP Request trigger in a Flow and send Response | Power Automate
  16. Converting JSON to XML and XML to JSON in a Flow | Power Automate

Thank you!

Tenant-Level Analytics in Power Platform Admin Center | For Power Apps and Power Automate

As your organization and tenant usage grows, it’s difficult to keep track of Adoption. To tackle this, Tenant-Level Analytics have been introduced in Power Platform Admin Center (https://admin.powerplatform.microsoft.com/).

Let’s see how we can turn this on for your tenant!

Enable Tenant-Level Analytics

Given that you have appropriate permissions in Power Platform Admin Center, here’s how you can enable Tenant-Level Analytics –

  1. In Power Platform Admin Center, look for Settings area – under this, you’ll see an option called as Analytics

  2. Once you select Analytics, you’ll see on the right-hand side, a simple switch to turn it On. it could be Off by default.

  3. Once you Turn if On and Save, you’ll also see a confirmation message.


    And it’ll show this message once applied.

  4. Now, do a complete Broswer refresh.


Reading Tenant-Level Analytics

Here’s how you can review tenant-level analytics once enabled for your Tenant via the Power Platform Admin Center –

  1. When Tenant-Level Analytics are disabled, you’ll not find anything on the top right corner of the Analytics under Power Automate or Power Apps

    Tenant-Level Analytics: OFF (for both, Power Automate and Power Apps)


    Tenant-Level Analytics: ON


  2. You can drop down on the menu and find Tenant-Level Analytics.

  3. Once you choose Tenant level analysis, you’ll see the below report show up – this is the same for Power Automate as well as Power Apps.
    Please note that it takes up to 24 to 48 hours for the metrics to start showing from the previous day.


  4. And after approx. 48 hours later, I see this data now showing up.

Here’s Microsoft Learn Docs for Tenant-Level Analytics – https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/power-platform/admin/tenant-level-analytics#how-do-i-enable-tenant-level-analytics?WT.mc_id=DX-MVP-5003911

Hope this helps!

Here are some Power Automate posts you want to check out –

  1. Select the item based on a key value using Filter Array in Power Automate
  2. Select values from an array using Select action in a Power Automate Flow
  3. Blocking Attachment Extensions in Dynamics 365 CRM
  4. Upgrade Dataverse for Teams Environment to Dataverse Environment
  5. Showing Sandbox or Non Production Apps in Power App mobile app
  6. Create a Power Apps Per User Plan Trial | Dataverse environment
  7. Install On-Premise Gateway from Power Automate or Power Apps | Power Platform
  8. Co-presence in Power Automate | Multiple users working on a Flow
  9. Search Rows (preview) Action in Dataverse connector in a Flow | Power Automate
  10. Suppress Workflow Header Information while sending back HTTP Response in a Flow | Power Automate
  11. Call a Flow from Canvas Power App and get back response | Power Platform\
  12. FetchXML Aggregation in a Flow using CDS (Current Environment) connector | Power Automate
  13. Parsing Outputs of a List Rows action using Parse JSON in a Flow | Common Data Service (CE) connector
  14. Asynchronous HTTP Response from a Flow | Power Automate
  15. Validate JSON Schema for HTTP Request trigger in a Flow and send Response | Power Automate
  16. Converting JSON to XML and XML to JSON in a Flow | Power Automate

Thank you!