Frequently Asked Questions
What is Microsoft Power Platform?
Microsoft Power Platform is a suite of cloud tools that enables business users and developers to create applications, automate processes, and analyze data without complex code. It includes Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, Power Pages, and Power Virtual Agents, all integrated with Microsoft Dataverse and Azure Active Directory.
What are the main components of Power Platform?
The main components are:
- Power Apps: for building canvas or model-driven apps.
- Power Automate: for automating cloud and desktop workflows.
- Power BI: for data analysis and visualization.
- Power Pages: for creating public web portals connected to Dataverse.
- Power Virtual Agents: for enterprise chatbots integrated into Teams or websites.
How does Power Platform licensing work?
Licenses are based on per-user or per-app models. Some basic features are included with Microsoft 365, but using Dataverse or premium connectors requires additional licenses. License management is done through Azure Active Directory and the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
What are Power Platform environments?
Environments separate data and apps for different purposes (development, testing, production). Each environment contains its own Dataverse instance, apps, and flows. Managed environments can enforce governance, security, and centralized DLP policies.
How can I start learning Power Platform?
Microsoft and partners like Esamatic offer official courses:
- PL-900: Power Platform Fundamentals
- PL-100: App Maker
- PL-200: Functional Consultant
- PL-400: Developer
- PL-600: Solution Architect
Visit the Power Platform training page for details and certification paths.
How is security managed in Power Platform?
Security is managed through Azure Active Directory for authentication and Dataverse roles for authorization. Power Pages uses Azure AD B2C for external users. Power BI implements Row-Level Security and Power Automate follows DLP policies defined at tenant or environment level.
How can an organization adopt Power Platform?
Adoption requires a governance and change management strategy. It is recommended to establish a Center of Excellence to define policies, roles, environments, naming conventions, and monitoring. Collaboration between IT and citizen developers ensures both innovation and compliance.
Which tools are required for development?
The main tools include:
- Power Apps Maker Portal for Dataverse configuration
- Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code for advanced development
- Power Apps CLI for building PCF components
- Azure DevOps for managing the application lifecycle
See the Official Power Platform Tools section for more information.
What are web resources in Dataverse?
Web resources are files added to Dataverse to extend the user interface or client-side logic. They can be HTML, CSS, JavaScript, XML, image, or static data files. There are UI, data, graphical, and code resources used to create components or customizations in model-driven apps.
What is the difference between managed and unmanaged solutions?
Unmanaged solutions are open and editable, ideal for development. Managed solutions are closed packages deployed in production environments, non-editable, and used for controlled distribution and intellectual property protection.
