Power Automate Selection & Permissions for Business Central D365

by HubSite 365 about Stefano Demiliani [MVP]

Citizen DeveloperDynamics 365Learning Selection

Get flexible with Dynamics 365 Business Central 2023 Wave 1, select Dataverse environment in the Automate group in user context.

Upcoming Change to Dynamics 365 Business Central and Power Automate Integration

In all versions before 21.X, the Power Automate flows that show up in the Automate group within a Business Central page were sourced from the default (or the first) Dataverse environment. With the upcoming change in Business Central 2023 Wave 1 release, users can now select one Dataverse environment in the context of the Automate group and access flows within.

In order to make this change, users have to visit the Assisted Setup page and execute the Power Automate Environment wizard. It is important to note that this change only applies to each individual user, the system is designed in such a way that it accesses each user's preferred Dataverse environment.

This Power Automate environment becomes the source for flows executed in the Automate group when adding new or managing existing workflows. In essence, the update brings increased flexibility to the entire process. Learn more here.

Controlled User Permissions

This flexible system comes with certain permissions to control automates. There are two types in place, first one being the system permission - included in the Automate – Exec set, which controls the ability to use the Automate group. The second type is tabledata permission that controls if the user can set or get a custom environment for the Automate action. These permissions are included in almost all the given permission sets.

There are times you might come across unexpected behaviors due to these structures. For instance, a user granted the Automate – Exec permissions can only see the Automate action group, however, without permissions for Flow User Environment Config tabledata, he or she cannot set up a custom environment. In such a scenario, the Automate action group is visible but the available flows will be defaulted from the Dataverse environment.

Microsoft has plans to include a feature allowing administrators to set a Dataverse environment for all users across a Business Central tenant. The ability to easily move a Power Automate flow between different environments yet maintaining the same ID is also a noteworthy aspect.

Creating Custom Actions via AL Extension

With the use of AL extension, custom actions can be created for triggering specific Automate flows. Within these custom actions, it's possible to specify a FlowEnvironmentId parameter to identify which environment the flow belongs to.

If an action has a FlowEnvironmentId assigned, the action will be enabled only when the environment selected and Business Central are connected. If the user is connected to a different environment, the action will be inactive.

If FlowEnvironmentId property isn’t set, the application will look for the flow in the user’s currently selected environment. Hence, it's essential for users to be cautious when using the FlowEnvironmentId property.

These updates aim to provide users with a flexible and efficient way to manage and execute Power Automate flows within Business Central, thereby enhancing operations with streamlined processes.

General Considerations

The update signals Microsoft's strategic move towards enhancing standard workflows and their execution in Business Central by integrating with Power Automate. With these changes, users have improved control and flexibility over their workflow execution environment, which could potentially lead to improved operational efficiency in their daily tasks.

Read the full article Dynamics 365 Business Central: Power Automate environment selection and permissions

Dynamics 365 - Power Automate Selection & Permissions for Business Central D365

Learn about Dynamics 365 Business Central: Power Automate environment selection and permissions

The Business Central Version under Dynamics 365 encountered a welcome transformation with its 21.X version. In the previous versions, Power Automate flows that were displayed under the Automate group in a Business Central page were generated from the default or initial Dataverse environment. However, the scenario has changed with the Dynamics 365 Business Central 2023 Wave 1 release, better known as version 22.

Presently, the user gets the liberty to select a Dataverse environment within the context of the Automate group. This advanced feature grants access to flows stored within that specific Dataverse environment. To exercise this option, the user has to undergo a simple process. Firstly, visit the Assisted Setup page and then start implementing the Power Automate Environment wizard.

The wizard provides you the opportunity to explicitly choose the Dataverse environment required for the Automate feature. This revolutionizes user flexibility while using or manufacturing various elements. The wizard showcases a list of environment allowing the user to make a convenient choice. This can be done based on user access and preferences.

The standard Power Automate environment is programmed for managing already established workflows or introducing new ones. Importantly, this change is merely user-based and does not intervene with the preferences of other users. They can keep relying on their preferred Dataverse environment, or consider using the default setup in case they haven’t initiated a personal preference.

There is a provision for different types of permissions that can control the Automate behavior. The system permission within the Automate job set outlines whether a user can utilize the Automate group or not. Meanwhile, the tabledata permission for the Flow User Environment Config table, having Id = 1545, judges whether a user can arrange a custom environment for the Automate action. This specific permission is included in some of the pre-formed permission sets.

Users need to understand this functionality since sometimes it can result in surprising behaviors. For instance, if a user possessing Automate permission, but does not have access for Flow User Environment Config tabledata, he can visualize the Automate action group. However, arranging a custom environment is not possible under such circumstances. Therefore, the visibility of the Automate action group is unaffected, although the visible Power Automate flows will be sourced from the default Dataverse environment.

Dataverse configuration for all users in a Business Central domain is a boon, but yet to explore the full course of application. Based on the roadmap, this feature can find stronger validation in the future. Some precautionary insights are encouraged for users managing Power Automate flows.

When a Power Automate flow is produced in an environment and then transported to some other platform, the Power Automate flow still maintains the initial ID. Hence, in an AL extension, anyone can formulate custom actions through flow codes for enabling specific Power Automate flows. This action guides us to the property called FlowEnvironmentId, which recognizes the environment the funciton belongs to.

The action will only be facilitated when the Business Central under Dynamics 365 is linked with the specific Dataverse environment. Any abrupt connection with a different environment might disable the action. If the user decides to exclude the FlowEnvironmentId property, the power behaving under Dynamics 365 Business Central will seek the flow within the user's recently chosen environment.

The concept of FlowEnvironmentId property needs our attention. We strongly suggest users to be diligent while utilizing FlowEnvironmentId property in their operations.

Keywords

Dynamics 365 Business Central, Power Automate, environment selection, permissions, Business Central automation, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Power Automate environments, Dynamics 365 automation, Power Automate permissions, Dynamics 365 Business Central environment selection