Comprehensive Guide to Flows Solution & Non-Solution in a Tenant

A Comprehensive Guide on Listing Solution and Non-solution Flows in a Tenant

The blog post penned by Timo Pertilä is a technical yet enlightening piece revolving around Power Automate Management connectors. It gives the readers a critical view into the process of using connectors to analyze tenant’s flows, primarily focusing on listing solution and non-solution flows.

A seemingly complex task that Timo manages to simplify through clear, detailed information. Mainly the issue arises when trying to list non-solution flows, often termed as "My Flows". Since this process requires the user to be an owner of the flows, it can be a bit tricky to navigate. Never fear, Timo highlights a solution to this problem. He suggests that having an admin or a service account as an owner can assist in streamlining the process.

The need to list all flows in use cases, good question! This task becomes necessary when preparing for possible migrations of flows from one tenant to another. This process demands attention to detail, particularly when non-solution flows are concerned, as they need to be exported as zip files, which require manual labour.

It's time to step into the solution! Before dissecting the solution, it is crucial to note that to list non-solution flows using the 'List flows as Admin' connector, the connection needs to be an owner of a flow for its flow definition to be returned by the connector.

The first step in this method involves initializing two variables: one for solution flows and the other for non-solution flows. Following so, all environments within Power Automate are listed. This arrangement allows for a comprehensive sweep of all flows in each environment.

Both solution flows and non-solution ones are analyzed and diagnosed separately, making it easier to tackle any potential issues. The diagnostic process involves looping through every environment. The initial stages of a loop should ideally include composing relevant information for easier flow reading.

Once the looping process is completed, the next step is to filter the array for solution flows (the left branch in the image) and non-solution flows (the right branch in the image). Timo discusses the requirements of this filtering process in his blog post.

With both arrays now filtered, each flow in the filtered arrays can now be processed. This processing is facilitated by VS Code to understand what properties a flow definition has. Once each flow is evaluated, some of the information about each of the solution and non-solution flows is pushed into an Excel table for further processing.

In the end, we have a comprehensive set of data that contains all solution and non-solution flows for the given tenant. This data can then be used for further analysis and processing as needed, forming a crucial part of administration and governance within Power Automate. For more information click here.

A Sneak Peek Into the World of Microsoft Power Automate

Microsoft Power Automate, earlier recognized as Microsoft Flow, plays a pivotal role in business automation. It effortlessly assists users in creating automated workflows between their favorite applications and services, helping them get notifications, synchronize files, gather data and carry out many other tasks. In the realm of task automation, Power Automate proves to be a game-changer by combining top-notch digital tools. This features helps manage repetitive tasks by triggering responses. The dominion of automated flows stretches from simple push notifications and content management to complex business processes that integrate with online services.

Read the full article Listing all solution and non-solution flows in a tenant

Learn about Listing all solution and non-solution flows in a tenant

As a Microsoft expert in a newsroom, I'd like to share my insights on how to efficaciously use Power Automate, a service provided by Microsoft to automate repetitive tasks. This blog post will delve into the finer details of analysing tenants' flows using Power Automate Management connectors, specifically on how to list solution and non-solution flows.

Sometimes, one needs to identify which flows are solutions and which aren’t, also known as "My Flows". To access non-solution flows, the user needs to be an owner of the flows he/she wishes to list. Despite how straightforward it might be to list solution flows as a Power Platform admin, non-solution flows require a more meticulous approach. The flows creator always bears the cost for Power Platform requests.

The motivation behind the need to differentiate between solution flows and non-solution flows lies in the need for effective flow governance. In certain scenarios, it might be necessary to migrate flows from one tenant to another. Non-solution flows, in particular, require a more manual approach, as they need to be exported as zip files, unlike solution flows, which can be exported as solutions.

In the context of Power Automate, the solution would be creating a flow that lists flows. It's important to note that the connection reference used to list non-solution flows, should be an owner of a flow for its flow definition to effectively be returned by the connector.

The process commences by initializing two variables: one to hold an array for solution flows and the other for non-solution flows. Following that, all environments are listed and looped through for the purpose of identifying all flows in each environment. This makes it easier to discern what each environment comprises.

Once we have a list of all flows in a particular environment, we then proceed to filter this list for solution flows and non-solution flows. As a rule of thumb, the flow definition of a solution flow always contains a property named 'workflowEntityId'. So, if this property is absent in a flow definition, it is automatically a non-solution flow.

After filtering the arrays for solution and non-solution flows, each individual flow in the filtered arrays is processed. Certain properties, such as the display name of a flow, make it easier for diagnosis and readability. The data, including crucial information about how the flows are structured, is appended into respective variables.

The final stage revolves around appending both variables, which now contain all solution and non-solution flows, into an Excel table. This serves as a comprehensive list of all flows in the tenant and can be manipulated in the Excel table for further analysis and processing.

From the above, it is evident that Power Automate can be an incredibly practical tool when it comes to automating unexciting and repetitive tasks. With proper implementation, Power Automate can enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of organisations manifold.

More links on about Listing all solution and non-solution flows in a tenant

Listing all solution and non-solution flows in a tenant

Sep 20, 2022 — Listing all solution and non-solution flows can help ease governance efforts, especially in tenant to tenant migrations.

Listing all solution and non-solution flows in a tenant

Dec 31, 2022 — Listing all solution and non-solution flows can help ease governance efforts, especially in tenant to tenant migrations.

Difficulties to get all flows from all environments on a tenant

Oct 21, 2019 — Solved: Hi everyone! I am working on a Flow that will list all Flows on all the environments we have on our tenant. For that, I use the following.

Keywords

Tenant Solution Flows, Non-Solution Flows, Flow Listing, Tenant Flow solutions, Flow Non-solutions, Tenant Flow List, Solution Flows List, Non-Solution Flows List, Listing Tenant Flows, Flow Solutions and Non-Solutions.