Book description
Get up to speed with expert tips, techniques, and the latest insights to confidently take the PL-200 exam
Key Features
- Learn effectively with the help of self-assessment questions, mock tests, and detailed explanations in this up-to-date study guide
- Address the challenges faced by a functional consultant in day-to-day activities
- Understand how to configure, customize, and implement solutions based on Power Platform
Book Description
The Power Platform Functional Consultant Associate (PL-200) exam tests and validates the practical skills of Power Platform users who are proficient in developing solutions by combining the tools in Power Platform and the Microsoft 365 ecosystem based on business needs.
This certification guide offers complete, up-to-date coverage of the PL-200 exam so you can prepare effectively for the exam. Written in a clear, succinct way with self-assessment questions, exam tips, and mock exams with detailed explanations of solutions, this book covers common day-to-day activities involved in configuring Power Platform, such as managing entities, creating apps, implementing security, and managing system change.
You'll also explore the role of a functional consultant in creating a data model in the Microsoft Dataverse (formerly Common Data Service). Moving ahead, you'll learn how to design the user experience and even build model-driven and canvas apps. As you progress, the book will show you how to manage automation and create chatbots. Finally, you'll understand how to display your data with Power BI and integrate Power Platform with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams.
By the end of this book, you'll be well-versed with the essential concepts and techniques required to prepare for the PL-200 certification exam.
What you will learn
- Understand how to build apps that meet customer needs
- Extend the schema for Dataverse with entities, fields, and relationships
- Create and configure automations to simplify user activities
- Explore various security features in Power Platform and learn how to implement them
- Use multiple data sources to create task- or role-based web and mobile applications for users
- Automate business processes and enhance the user experience with Power Automate and UI Flows
- Integrate various applications within the Microsoft ecosystem with Power Platform
Who this book is for
This book is for functional consultants and business analysts who are involved in implementing solutions based on Power Platform or Dynamics 365. As the PL-200 exam is a pre-requisite for other role-based certifications in Power Platform and Microsoft Dynamics 365, individuals pursuing their careers in these domains will also find this book helpful. Basic knowledge of Power Platform and access to a Power Platform environment are required to get started with this book.
Table of contents
- Title Page
- Copyright and Credits
- Dedication
- About Packt
- Contributors
- Preface
- Section 1: Introduction
-
PL-200 Exam
- Understanding role-based certifications
- Job roles
- Exam questions
- Question types
- Performance-based testing
- Introducing Power Platform and Dynamics 365 roles
- Dynamics 365 and Power Platform roles
- The Functional Consultant role
- Role definition
- Key role activities
- Required experience
- Functional Consultant roles
- Exploring the PL-200 exam and its objectives
- Skills measured
- Configure the Common Data Service (25–30%)
- Create apps by using Power Apps (20–25%)
- Create and manage Power Automate (15–20%)
- Implement Power Virtual Agents chatbots (10–15%)
- Integrate Power Apps with other apps and services (15–20%)
- Related exams
- Summary
- Questions
- Further reading
- Section 2: Microsoft Dataverse
-
Power Platform
- Introducing Dynamics 365 and the Dynamics 365 apps
- Dynamics 365 apps
- Exploring the Power Platform and its components
- Power Platform components
- Power Apps
- Power Automate
- Power BI
- Power Virtual Agents
- Related components
- Connectors
- Dataverse (formerly) Common Data Service
- Common Data Model
- AI Builder
- Understanding Power Platform environments
- Multiple environments
- Environments and databases
- Environment security
- Environment types
- Environment operations
- Administration and maker portals
- The Power Apps maker portal
- The Power Platform administration center
- Microsoft 365 administration center
- Microsoft AppSource
- Summary
- Questions
- Further reading
-
Data Modeling
- Understanding the Common Data Model
- Data definitions in the CDM
- The importance of metadata
- Open Data Initiative
- Introducing the Common Data Service
- Benefits of the CDS
- Dynamics 365 apps and the CDS
- Understanding the technologies used in the CDS
- Introducing solutions
- Default solution
- Common Data Services Default solution
- Using custom solutions
- Publishers and prefixes
- Creating solutions
- Components
- Solution operations
- Changing the data model
- Data modeling
- Entities
- Creating entities
- Entity types
- Activity entities
- Virtual entities
- Entity ownership
- Other entity properties
- Relationships
- Creating a one-to-many relationship
- Behaviors and cascading rules
- Mappings
- Creating a many-to-many relationship
- Connections
- Configuring connection roles
- Fields
- Data types
- Creating a field
- Option sets
- Calculated fields
- Rollup fields
- Alternate keys
- Summary
- Questions
- Further reading
-
Business Rules
- Introducing business rules
- Using actions in business rules
- Types of action
- Show Error Message
- Set Field Value
- Set Default Value
- Set Business Required
- Set Visibility
- Locking or unlocking a field
- Recommendation
- Combining actions in a business rule
- Using conditions in business rules
- Using the visual rule designer to create and edit business rules
- Finding business rules in the classic portal
- Creating a business rule
- Setting the name of the rule
- Adding conditions to a business rule
- Adding actions to a business rule
- Saving the business rule
- Validating the business rule
- Setting the scope of the business rule
- Copying business rules
- Documenting the business rule
- Navigating complex rules with the mini-map
- Viewing the structure and logic of a business rule with code view
- Activating business rules
- Using business rules
- How scope controls the running of business rules
- Business rule scope and canvas apps
- Understanding the limitations of business rules
- Best practices
- Summary
- Questions
- Further reading
-
Classic Workflows
- Introducing processes
- Classic workflows
- Dialogs
- Action processes
- How processes are triggered
- How processes perform work
- Check conditions
- Wait conditions
- Steps
- Creating a classic workflow
- Process properties
- Setting the scope of the process
- Setting the options for automatic processing
- Settings when the process is available to run
- Adding steps to a process
- Running a background workflow
- Security for background workflows
- Running a real-time workflow
- Security for real-time workflows
- Converting between real-time and background workflows
- Activating processes
- Creating and using action processes
- Built-in actions
- Extending processes with custom actions
- Monitoring classic workflows
- Logs for background workflows
- Logs for real-time workflows
- Summary
- Questions
- Further reading
-
Managing Data
- Importing data from different sources
- Using the Import Data Wizard
- Monitoring import data jobs
- Using data templates
- Adding sample data
- Using Import from Excel
- Using Power Query
- Exporting data
- Exporting to Excel in model-driven apps
- Exporting data in the maker portal
- Replicating data to Azure SQL
- Using Power Automate
- Configuration Migration tool
- Summary
- Questions
- Further reading
-
Dataverse Settings
- Configuring duplicate detection
- Duplicate detection settings
- Duplicate detection rules
- Duplicate detection jobs
- Cleansing data
- Managing data growth
- Using bulk delete
- Configuring auditing
- Understanding how auditing works
- Viewing audit records
- Managing audit logs
- Managing audit security
- Enabling read logging
- Configuring search
- Summary
- Questions
- Further reading
-
Security
- Overview of security features
- Cloud security
- Securing data with encryption
- Authenticating apps
- Environment security
- Security in the CDS
- Business units
- Security roles
- Access levels
- Business units, users, and security roles
- Creating or modifying security roles
- Assigning multiple security roles
- Roles in model-driven apps
- Roles in other components
- Users and teams
- Users in Microsoft 365
- Users in the CDS
- Record ownership
- Sharing
- Teams
- Owner teams
- Access teams
- Azure AD group teams
- Hierarchical security
- Manager hierarchy
- Position hierarchy
- Field-level security
- Secured fields
- Field security profiles
- Summary
- Questions
- Further reading
- Section 3: Power Apps
-
Model-Driven Apps
- Introducing model-driven apps
- Creating a model-driven app
- Configuring the site map
- Selecting components for an app
- Sharing a model-driven app
- Configuring forms and controls
- Configuring the main form
- Understanding the form structure
- Showing related records
- Adding controls to forms
- Adding fields to a form
- Configuring fields
- Configuring lookup fields
- Configuring subgrids
- Configuring the timeline
- Using quick view forms
- Using quick create forms
- Using the card form
- Using multiple forms
- Configuring forms for mobile
- Configuring views
- Using public views
- Using system views
- Customizing a view
- Sharing personal views
- Enabling editable grids
- Creating charts and dashboards
- Understanding charts
- Creating a chart
- Sharing personal charts
- Understanding dashboards
- Configuring standard dashboards
- Configuring interactive experience dashboards
- Securing dashboards
- Sharing personal dashboards
- Understanding reporting options
- Summary
- Questions
- Further reading
-
Canvas Apps
- Introducing canvas apps
- Creating canvas apps
- Creating an app
- Adding controls to your app
- Understanding what screens are
- Understanding what controls are
- The gallery control
- The button control
- The form control
- Reusable components
- Exploring connectors and data sources
- Using the Common Data Service
- Deploying canvas apps
- App Checker
- Testing an app
- Publishing and sharing an app
- User authentication
- User authorization
- Managing changes
- Limitations of canvas apps
- Performance
- Summary
- Questions
- Further reading
-
Portal Apps
- Introducing portal apps
- Inviting users to the portal
- Creating portal apps
- Creating portals for Dynamics 365 apps
- Administering a portal
- Adding web pages and entity forms
- Exposing data in the portal
- Applying a theme to a portal
- Securing portal apps
- Authenticating a portal app
- Managing entity permissions and web roles
- Summary
- Questions
- Further reading
- Section 4: Automation
-
Power Automate Flows
- Introduction to Power Automate flows
- Creating Power Automate flows
- Ways to create a flow
- Adding steps to your flow
- Using input from the previous step
- Expressions
- Trigger types
- Connectors and data sources
- The Common Data Service connector
- Available connectors for Common Data Service
- Triggers for the Common Data Service connectors
- Common Data Service connector actions
- Connecting using a service principal
- Controlling flows with logic and expressions
- Conditions
- Loops
- Variables
- Administering and monitoring flows
- Monitoring flows
- Sharing flows
- Power Automate checker
- Summary
- Questions
- Further reading
-
Business Process Flows
- Understanding business process flows
- Creating business process flows
- Adding stages to a business process flow
- Creating a business process flow for multiple entities
- Amending the Stage Category option set
- Adding steps to stages
- Data steps
- Action steps
- Flow steps
- Classic workflows
- Global workflows
- Conditional branching in business process flows
- Adding a condition
- Connecting stages
- Securing business process flows
- Business process flow performance
- Business process flow considerations
- Forms and business process flows
- Flows and business process flows
- Business rules and business process flows
- Field-level security and business process flows
- Model-driven apps and business process flows
- Summary
- Questions
- Further reading
- UI Flows
- Section 5: Power Virtual Agents
-
Creating Chatbots
- Introducing Power Virtual Agents
- Benefits of using Power Virtual Agents
- Use cases for Power Virtual Agents
- Best practices for chatbots
- Creating a chatbot
- Sharing a bot
- Publishing chatbots
- Adding the chatbot to channels
- Adding a chatbot to Microsoft Teams
- Monitoring chatbots
- Summary
- Questions
- Further reading
- Configuring Chatbots
- Section 6: Integrations
-
Power BI
- Introducing Power BI
- Using data with Power BI
- Using pre-built Power BI apps
- Connecting to the Common Data Service
- Creating datasets
- Using Dataflows to extract and transform data
- Creating visualizations
- Creating reports and dashboards
- Using Power BI with Power Platform
- Using Power BI with Power Apps
- Using Power BI with Power Automate
- Summary
- Questions
- Further reading
-
AI Builder
- Introducing AI Builder
- Identifying AI Builder model types
- Introducing AI Builder prebuilt models
- Building an AI Builder model
- Preparing data for a model
- Training and testing a model
- Using AI Builder models
- Consuming a model using canvas apps
- Consuming a model using model-driven apps
- Consuming a model using Power Automate
- Summary
- Questions
- Further reading
-
Microsoft 365 Integration
- Understanding integration with SharePoint
- Using Power Apps with Microsoft Teams
- Model-driven apps with Microsoft Teams
- Canvas apps with Microsoft Teams
- Project Oakdale
- Using Power Automate with Microsoft Teams
- Integrating Microsoft Teams with the Common Data Service
- Creating Word and Excel templates
- Email templates
- Excel templates
- Word templates
- Controlling access to templates
- Summary
- Questions
- Further reading
-
Application Life Cycle Management
- Working with solutions
- Working with unmanaged solutions
- Working with multiple solutions
- Using segmented solutions
- Using managed solutions
- Using managed properties
- Using the Solution checker
- Exporting and importing solutions
- Importing unmanaged solutions
- Importing managed solutions
- Updating a managed solution
- Cloning solutions and patches
- Creating a solution patch
- Setting the version number for a solution patch
- Cloning solutions
- Importing a cloned solution
- Setting the version number for a cloned solution
- Summary
- Questions
- Further reading
- Tips and Tricks
-
Practice Test 1
- Introducing the test
- Instructions for the test
- Practice test 1
- Section 1
- Scenario
- Question 1
- Question 2
- Question 3
- Section 2
- Question 4
- Question 5
- Question 6
- Question 7
- Question 8
- Question 9
- Question 10
- Question 11
- Question 12
- Question 13
- Question 14
- Question 15
- Question 16
- Question 17
- Question 18
- Section 3 – Case study
- Overview
- Existing environment
- Problem statement
- Requirements
- Issues
- Question 19
- Question 20
- Question 21
- Question 22
- Post-test instructions
- Answers to Practice Test 1
-
Practice Test 2
- Introducing the test
- Instructions for the test
- Practice test 2
- Section 1
- Scenario
- Question 1
- Question 2
- Question 3
- Section 2
- Scenario
- Question 4
- Question 5
- Question 6
- Section 3
- Question 7
- Question 8
- Question 9
- Question 10
- Question 11
- Question 12
- Question 13
- Question 14
- Question 15
- Question 16
- Question 17
- Question 18
- Question 19
- Question 20
- Question 21
- Question 22
- Question 23
- Question 24
- Question 25
- Section 4
- Overview
- Existing environment
- Requirements
- Issues
- Question 26
- Question 27
- Question 28
- Question 29
- Question 30
- Post-test instructions
- Answers to Practice Test 2
- Assessments
- Other Books You May Enjoy
Product information
- Title: Microsoft Power Platform Functional Consultant: PL-200 Exam Guide
- Author(s):
- Release date: December 2020
- Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
- ISBN: 9781838985684
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