The document discusses the Common Data Model (CDM) and how to use it. It describes CDM as an open-sourced definition of standard business entities that provides a common data model that can be shared across applications. It outlines how CDM allows building applications faster by composing analytics, user experiences, and automation using integrated Microsoft services. It also discusses moving data into CDM using the Data Integrator and building applications with CDM using PowerApps, the CDS SDK, Microsoft Flow, and Power BI.

1. Vancouver O365 Saturday
2018
What is Common Data Model and how to use it?

2. Sponsors O365 Saturday Vancouver 2018

3. Who Am I?
Nicolas Georgeault
• Founder and PPM @MuBrain Inc.
• More than 20 years of experience in
information management and 12
with Microsoft SharePoint
• Microsoft Specialist and Partner
• MVP for 8 years
• Machine Leaning certificate from
Stanford University
• Co-author of books about SharePoint
• Mad about Jazz music and HorseBall

4. What is at the heart of the digital transformation?
…Data!

5. Memory
Experience
Intelligence
Individual Intelligence

6. Memory
Experience
Intelligence
Collaboration
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7. Memory
Experience
Intelligence
Collective Intelligence
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Collective Experience
Collective Intelligence
Collective Memory
THE DATA!

9. Business requirements
• Multiple data sources without any common model
• No single point of information
• Each system got is own data model
• No unified reference for business applications
• No secured way to secure database for internet
• No easy way to migrate or follow product evolution

10. Let’s take this scenario
Customers
Customers
information
are centric
in any
business
But they are
spread in
many
different
systems

11. Let’s take this scenario
Customers
Each system
is using is
own data
model
System
vision of
the data
model
CRM
Support
Marketing
…
Billing system
Invoices
Payments
…
Delivery system
Timesheets
Expenses
…
Communication
system
Emails
Phones
…
Collaboration
system
Documents
Sites
…

12. First scenario
Customers
Multiple
application
connections
Multiple
dashboards
connections
CRM
Support
Marketing
…
Billing system
Invoices
Payments
…
Delivery system
Timesheets
Expenses
…
Communication
system
Emails
Phones
…
Collaboration
system
Documents
Sites
…

13. Second scenario
Customers
Multiple
application
connections
Multiple
dashboards
connections
CRM
Support
Marketing
…
Billing system
Invoices
Payments
…
Delivery system
Timesheets
Expenses
…
Communication
system
Emails
Phones
…
Collaboration
system
Documents
Sites
…

14. Second scenario
Customers
Only one
application
connection
Only one
dashboard
connection
CRM
Support
Marketing
…
Billing system
Invoices
Payments
…
Delivery system
Timesheets
Expenses
…
Communication
system
Emails
Phones
…
Collaboration
system
Documents
Sites
…
Customer

15. Second scenario
Customers
Only one
application
connection
Only one
dashboard
connection
CRM
Support
Marketing
…
Billing system
Invoices
Payments
…
Delivery system
Timesheets
Expenses
…
Communication
system
Emails
Phones
…
Collaboration
system
Documents
Sites
…
Customer
This is the idea of the Common Data Service

16. The common data model (CDM)
• Open-sourced definition of standard entities
• Commonly used concepts and activities
across a variety of business and application
domains
• The Common Data Model offers well-
defined, modular, and extensible business
entities such as Account, Business Unit,
Case, Contact, Lead, Opportunity, and
Product, as well as interactions and
relationships between vendors, workers,
and customers, such as activities and service
level agreements.

17. Build modern business apps fast
Compose analytics, user experiences, and automation using
an integrated set of services from Microsoft
More efficient developers(*)
Seamlessly extend capabilities for power users and
leverage powerful Azure platform services
Business application platform innovation
Empowered power users
People who understand their business needs best can now
build apps quickly without writing code
Connected data across apps
Whether built on the Common Data Model or integrated with
existing systems, get more value from your data
Azure AppServices
Azure Service Fabric
Azure Functions
…
Azure Logic Apps
Azure API Management
BizTalk
…
Azure [Analysis Services]
Azure Data analytics
SQL Server BI
… CDM SDK

18. Common Data Model + ExtensionsData Bridges
Design
Source
Production
Sales
Service
IoT
Social / Bing
360⁰
Product
Data
Build & share
mobile
tablet
desktop
A database with standard business entities

20. Why the Common Data Service?
 Build a single data model that can be shared across all
apps, business processes and BI
 Increase the impact of your apps by integrating data from
across Azure AD, Dynamics 365, Office 365 and 3rd parties
 Users can extend the data model and apps with the CDM,
Power BI, PowerApps and Flow
 We’ll handle core infrastructure to simplify your
deployment

21. Graph Database
Dynamics 365 Entities

22. Graph Database
Dynamics 365 + Office 365 Entities

23. Graph Database
Dynamics 365 + Office 365 + CDM Entities

24. Be Careful
Graph Database ≠ Microsoft Graph
What is a Graph Database?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graph_database
Why you should use a Graph Database?
https://www.infoworld.com/article/3251829/nosql/why-you-should-use-a-graph-database.html

26. Move data into CDS with the Data Integrator
• Generally available since July 2017
• Part of Power Apps Admin portal
• Must have a Dynamics 365 or PowerApps P2 license
• Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations & Dynamics 365 for Sales
• Power Query (in public preview) gives us 75+ sources

27. Move data into CDS with the Data Integrator
• Generally available since July 2017
• Part of Power Apps Admin portal
• Must have a Dynamics 365 or PowerApps P2 license
• Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations & Dynamics 365 for Sales
• Power Query (in public preview) gives us 75+ sources

28. New Entity from Data (Preview)
• Integrated Power Query into Common Data Service to
enable data to be brought in from non-Dynamics 365
sources
• In Preview Now!
• ~30 data sources in preview today, goal is ~80 of most
common data sources

31. Building apps with CDS

32. Build apps with PowerApps
• First class data source for PowerApps
• Get started quickly with apps built directly from the
CDS Entity definition and field groups
• Translations of standard entities and fields, as well as
the ability to create translations for custom entities
and fields.

33. Build pro dev apps with the CDS SDK
• CDS SDK preview in progress
• Enables developers and ISVs to build apps on data in the CDS, or integrate
their services with CDS
• Facilitates CRUD, queries and management of the Common Data Model
• SDK can be used to implement advanced business logic against CDS (joins,
etc.), deploy as Azure Function for consumption in Power Apps
• Same SDK that our 1st party apps are using

34. Exemple: Dynamics 365 for Talent
• Dynamics 365 for Talent
suite is built on the
Common Data service
with the CDS SDK!
• Workforce management
and other apps coming

35. Security
• You can secure: Databases, Entities, Records
• Databases can be Open (no security evaluated) or Restricted (security evaluated)
• Entities: can be secured for Create/Read/Update/Delete actions
• Records: Record-level Security in preview!
• Security is configured via Portal or the SDK
• Security applies to all endpoints (PowerApps, Flow, Power BI, Excel, etc.)
Environment Roles Database Roles

37. Power BI
• Users can create reports directly against data
in the Common Data Service with Power BI
Desktop
• Data is grouped in “Perspectives” to make it
easier to start building the reports you want.
• Perspectives are meaningful grouping of
Entities for reporting purposes
• perspectives for standard entities are pre-defined
• ability to customize perspectives in preview

38. Microsoft Flow and Logic Apps
• Create workflows using Microsoft Flow
against the Common Data Service
• Conditional entries based on entity state
• Take actions including: Create Record,
Delete Record

39. Microsft Excel
• CDS Entities (Standard and Custom)
can be managed via the Excel Add-In
• Excel Add In supports CDS languages,
picklists and rich lookup experience.

41. Licensing
Plan
Capability
PowerApps P1 PowerApps P2
Dynamics 365
Plans w/seeded
PowerApps
Office 365
Plans w/seeded
PowerApps
Build/Run
PowerApps w/CDS    
Administrate CDS
(model entities)    
Can create CDS
instances   * *
Use SDK Apps w/CDS    

44. References
• Documentation:
• http://aka.ms/commondataservice
• Introduction to Entities
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VjFi6m1mOE
• Microsoft Common Data Service Guided Learning: Using
the data model - Custom Entities
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR4uv_GcbMI

47. Sponsors O365 Saturday Vancouver 2018

56. Overview of building a model-driven app
• Component-focused approach to app development
• No code and the apps you make can be simple or very complex
• Unlike canvas app development where the designer has complete
control over app layout, with model-driven apps much of the layout is
determined for you and largely designated by the components you
add to the app.