Integration Patterns in Power Platform

Why Integration Patterns Matter

Microsoft Power Platform solutions operate in complex ecosystems where integration between Dataverse, Azure, Dynamics 365, and external applications is essential to ensure business process continuity. Integration patterns define standardized architectures and communication flows, reducing complexity while improving security, scalability, and maintainability.

This guide presents the four main patterns used in Power Platform enterprise architectures:

• RPC (Remote Procedure Call): direct calls between applications.
• Relay: communication through an intermediate component.
• Publish-Subscribe: asynchronous, event-based messaging.
• Request-Callback: an asynchronous extension of Pub/Sub with responses.

1. RPC (Remote Procedure Call) Pattern

The Remote Procedure Call is the simplest integration pattern: one application directly invokes another application's API and receives an immediate response. It is a synchronous request-response model ideal for low-volume, low-latency scenarios.

Typical Architecture

In Power Platform, this pattern can be implemented through:

• Custom plug-ins or Custom Workflow Actions registered in synchronous mode.
• HTTP or HTTPS endpoints protected by Azure API Management.
• Authentication via OAuth 2.0 or Azure Active Directory.

Advantages

• Simple and direct implementation.
• Immediate response to requests.

Limitations

• Limited scalability under high load.
• Direct dependency between systems (tight coupling).
• Requires high availability of the remote endpoint.

2. Relay Pattern

The Relay Pattern introduces an intermediate layer between the calling and receiving applications. This middleware handles communication, adding logging, tracing, and security capabilities.

Architecture Example

In Power Platform, this pattern is commonly implemented using:

• Azure Service Bus with the built-in ServiceBusPlugin.
• Listener applications written in .NET or hosted in Azure Functions.
• API Management to protect inbound calls.

Pros and Cons

3. Publish–Subscribe Pattern

The Publish–Subscribe (Pub/Sub) model is an asynchronous, event-based paradigm ideal for scenarios where multiple applications must react to a common event. One application publishes a message to middleware, and multiple subscribers receive and process it independently.

In Power Platform, this pattern is implemented through:

• Native integration with Azure Service Bus (queues or topics).
• Azure Event Hubs for high-scale scenarios.
• Azure Logic Apps or Power Automate for business logic orchestration.

The Pub/Sub pattern enables resilient asynchronous integration where messages persist until listeners process them.

Advantages

• High scalability and reliability.
• Full decoupling of components.
• Supports multiple concurrent subscribers.

Limitations

• Error handling complexity.
• Asynchronous nature: no direct response to the sender.

4. Request–Callback Pattern

The Request–Callback pattern extends the Pub/Sub model by adding an asynchronous response. Communication relies on a Correlation ID that allows mapping the response to the original request.

Typically implemented with:

• Azure Service Bus or Event Hubs for messaging.
• Azure Logic Apps for correlation and orchestration.
• Azure API Management for security and API exposure.

This approach suits scenarios requiring confirmation or results from the receiving system while maintaining an asynchronous, scalable architecture.

Advantages

• Controlled feedback in distributed environments.
• Enhanced security and traceability with Correlation IDs.

Limitations

• Higher complexity in correlation management.
• Requires precise orchestration of cloud components.