Describe application lifecycle management Application lifecycle management (ALM) is a cyclical paradigm for the development, governance, and maintenance of applications, as illustrated in Figure 2-10. Power Platform supports an ALM strategy that uses Power Apps, Power Automate, and Common Data Service components packaged as a solution. FIGURE 2-10 The lifecycle of an application By packaging the components of an ALM strategy as a solution, administrators can import them into the Common Data Service in other environments. This allows developers in those other environments to access the ALM components when developing their own apps and flows. Describe business process flows Business process flows are tools thatRead More →

Skill 3.3: Build a basic dashboard using Power BI A dashboard is a single-page Power BI document, like the one shown in Figure 3-61, that presents consumers with a selection of tiles containing highlights from one or more reports. The object of a dashboard is to tell a story relatively concisely, in relation to a report. It is assumed that if the consumers require more information, they can simply look at the report(s) from which the dashboard tiles came. FIGURE 3-61 Sample Power BI dashboard This skill covers how to: ■ Design a Power BI dashboard ■ Design data layout and mapping ■ Publish andRead More →

Describe the Common Data Model (CDM) As discussed earlier in this chapter, Common Data Service can function as a database for the Power Platform tools, as well as for Dynamics 365. While Common Data Model sounds similar to Common Data Service, it is not the same thing. CDM is not a database manager or any sort of data storage technology. Instead, the Common Data Model (CDM) is a Microsoft initiative that defines a shared data language, consisting of a unified system of schemas and metadata. The objective behind CDM is to create a standardized format for data sharing and storage that allows applications and servicesRead More →

Skill 2.3: Describe AI Builder AI Builder is a relatively recent product designed to add intelligence to the apps and flows created in Power Apps and Power Automate. AI Builder enables apps and flows to perform interpretive tasks using data stored in the Common Data Service, such as predicting yes/no outcomes based on historical data patterns, gathering data from forms, classifying text and applying labels or tags to it, counting and identifying objects depicted in an image file, and organizing data scanned from business cards. This skill covers how to: ■ Identify the business value of AI Builder ■ Describe models including business card reader,Read More →

Describe how Power Apps and Power Automate can consume AI Builder data AI Builder models all generate data in some form or another. The Business Card Reader model generates database records containing the information scanned from the business cards. The Prediction model generates a single binary result, such as a yes or no. The Language Detection model generates a two-digit code indicating the language of the input data. Apps and flows can make use of this generated data in various ways. In some cases, such as the Business Card Reader and Form Processing models, their primary function is to scan data from source documents andRead More →

Skill 3.1: Identify common Power BI components The process of creating a simple Power BI dashboard consists of the following basic steps: Connect to data sources Transform the data Create report visualizations Build the dashboard Publish the dashboard As dashboard designers work through these steps, they encounter the various Power BI components that can aid them in creating a compelling dashboard design. This skill covers how to: ■ Identify and describe uses for visualization controls including pie, bar, donut, and scatter plots and KPIs ■ Describe types of filters ■ Describe the Power BI Desktop Reports, Data, and Model tabs ■ Describe uses for customRead More →

Describe actions Actions are specific modifications made to the data provided by an outside application or service. In Power Automate, actions are usually the result of a trigger, but developers can use them in Power Apps as well. For example, when a developer creates a manual trigger in a Power Automate flow, the next step is to select an action that will be the result of the trigger, as shown in Figure 2-18. Apps and flows can include multiple actions using different connectors to perform a sequence of tasks. FIGURE 2-18 The Choose an action dialog box in the Power Automate portal Actions can causeRead More →

Describe the Power BI Desktop Reports, Data, and Model tabs The Power BI service interface, shown in Figure 3-25, has a menu on the left side of the workspace that provides the primary means for users to navigate around the site. The collapsed menu icon (often called the hamburger button) at the top of the menu toggles between the full menu and a narrow button bar that clears more room for the workspace. FIGURE 3-25 Home tab of the Power BI service interface The tabs on the menu bar provide users with access to the various parts of the interface, as follows: ■ Home—Displays tilesRead More →

Skill 3.2: Connect to and consume data The first step in creating Power BI content is to access the data that the developer intends to illustrate using the charts and other types of visualizations that Power BI provides. Doing so calls for the developer to establish a connection to any of the data sources that Power BI supports and to select specific data provided by that source. Power BI Desktop allows developers to connect to multiple data sources and model the data into the form needed to tell an appropriate story in the Power BI report. This skill covers how to: ■ Combine multiple dataRead More →

Describe and implement aggregate functions Power BI uses the term aggregate to refer to mathematical functions that it executes on values obtained from data sources. When Power BI evaluates data, it automatically aggregates certain data types to anticipate the needs of the developer in creating a report. For example, when Power BI imports a table containing sales figures for a company’s branch offices, it might aggregate those figures using the sum function to add up totals for the product sales categories. Although Power BI does this automatically, it is still possible for developers to modify the automatic aggregations or apply new aggregations to data asRead More →