Summary
This module described how virtual entities serve as a bridge between Dataverse and finance and operations apps, facilitating seamless data integration without the need for data duplication. They empower users to take advantage of Microsoft Power Platform capabilities in the finance and operations apps environment.
Functioning as virtual data sources, virtual entities allow CRUD transactions to flow between Dataverse and Microsoft Power Platform while keeping data in their respective apps. Integration requires making entities from finance and operations apps available as virtual entities in Dataverse.
The architecture of virtual entities involves six primary methods, including standard CRUD operations and invoking OData actions. Secure web calls to the CDSVirtualEntityService web API endpoint in finance and operations apps allow you to implement operations and associated business logic.
Authentication and authorization mechanisms help to ensure more secure communication between Dataverse and finance and operations apps, with service-to-service calls that use Microsoft Entra ID for access.
Entity modeling for virtual entities involves querying entities from the catalog and creating corresponding virtual entities in Dataverse. Translation processes handle data type mismatches, ensuring seamless integration between systems.
Installation and setup of virtual entities aren't automatic, but you can activate them after you set up finance and operations apps virtual entities in Dataverse. Deployment options include deploying an integrated environment or manually setting up virtual entity data sources in Dataverse, offering flexibility for administrators to determine exposed entities.