In today’s data-driven world, managing and integrating external data with internal applications is crucial for businesses to stay competitive. One of the most powerful tools for achieving seamless data integration is Virtual Tables, a concept increasingly used within enterprise solutions like Microsoft Dynamics 365. Virtual Tables allow you to work with external data sources as if they were native tables within a database. This abstraction enables users and developers to access and manipulate data from external systems, such as third-party services, without needing to duplicate it in their internal databases.
In this article, we will explore what Virtual Tables are, how they work, their benefits, and how you can create and use them effectively within your applications.
What Are Virtual Tables?
Virtual Tables are database-like structures in systems such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 or Power Platform that allow external data to be treated and manipulated like native data within your system. Unlike traditional tables, data in Virtual Tables is not stored within your database. Instead, it resides externally and is retrieved in real time when needed.
How Virtual Tables Work
Virtual Tables are essentially a virtual representation of an external data source. These tables are defined within your system as if they were part of the local database, but when you perform operations on them (such as querying, inserting, or updating data), the system dynamically interacts with the external source to fetch or update the data.
The key aspect is that these tables are configured to pull data from a remote data source through a set of data providers or connectors. This allows businesses to work with external systems (like CRM, ERP, or any other third-party API) in the same way they interact with their native system’s data.
For instance, in Microsoft Dynamics 365, you might use a Virtual Table to access customer data stored in an external ERP system. The Virtual Table would present that external data as though it were stored directly in Dynamics 365, allowing for a more seamless integration.
Benefits of Virtual Tables
- Data Abstraction: Virtual Tables abstract the complexity of interacting with external systems, providing a unified interface to access remote data.
- Efficiency: They eliminate the need to copy or sync data between systems, reducing overhead.
- Real-time Access: Data is fetched in real time from the external source, ensuring that you’re always working with the most up-to-date information.
- Integration: Virtual Tables make it easy to integrate disparate systems without worrying about data replication or synchronization.
- Consistency: Developers and users can query and manipulate external data as if it were local, ensuring consistency in data access methods.
Virtual Tables in Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform
Virtual Tables are especially useful in the context of Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the broader Power Platform. These platforms support integrating data from external sources into their ecosystem, making it possible to create rich, integrated applications without the need to store data in multiple places.
Key Features of Virtual Tables in Dynamics 365
- Seamless Data Integration: External data is presented within Dynamics 365 as native data, allowing it to be used in workflows, reports, and other native features.
- No Data Duplication: There’s no need to copy data into your system—external data remains in its source and is accessed on-demand.
- Flexible Data Sources: You can connect to a variety of external systems, including SQL databases, web services, APIs, and more.
- Custom Connectors: If the data source doesn’t have a pre-built connector, you can create a custom connector to integrate it with Dynamics 365.
- Security and Permissions: Just like regular tables in Dynamics 365, Virtual Tables are subject to security roles and permissions, allowing fine-grained control over who can access the data.
Architecture of Virtual Tables
The architecture of Virtual Tables involves several components that work together to enable real-time data access. Here’s how it typically functions:
- Data Provider: A Data Provider connects to the external system or data source and enables your system to communicate with it. The Data Provider is responsible for translating queries and data into formats that the external system understands.
- Virtual Table Definition: A Virtual Table definition is created within your system. This defines the external data source and specifies which fields from the external system will be available as part of the Virtual Table.
- Data Connector: The data connector is responsible for establishing a connection between your system and the external data source. It acts as a bridge, facilitating communication and data transfer.
- External Data Source: This is the remote system or service from which the data is fetched in real-time. It could be an external database, a cloud service, or any other third-party API.
- Entity: The Virtual Table is treated as an Entity in your system. Entities are used for data operations like CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) and are presented to the user as standard tables.
Creating Virtual Tables
The process of creating Virtual Tables can vary depending on the platform you’re using. Below is a general guide for creating Virtual Tables within Microsoft Dynamics 365 or Power Platform.
1. Set Up the External Data Source
Before creating a Virtual Table, you need to establish a connection to the external data source. This is typically done using a Data Connector. You may need to create a custom connector if the external system doesn’t have a pre-built one.
For example, if you want to integrate data from an external SQL database, you would configure a SQL connector. For an external REST API, you’d create a custom connector using Power Automate or Logic Apps.
2. Define the Virtual Table
In Dynamics 365, you define a Virtual Table through the Power Platform admin center. During this setup, you’ll:
- Choose a name for the table.
- Select the external data source.
- Define the fields to be pulled from the external source and their data types.
- Specify primary keys and other attributes, such as relationships with existing entities within your system.
3. Configure Data Provider
The Data Provider plays a critical role in translating data between your system and the external system. You must ensure that the data provider is set up to query the external system efficiently. Depending on the data provider, this step may require setting up API credentials or database connection strings.
4. Map Fields and Relationships
Once the Virtual Table is defined, you can map the fields from the external data source to the corresponding fields in your system. You can also define relationships between the Virtual Table and other entities in your system, allowing for complex queries and reports.
5. Enable Security Roles
As with any other entity in Dynamics 365, you can define security roles for Virtual Tables. This ensures that only authorized users or systems can access or modify the data in these tables.
6. Use the Virtual Table
Once created, the Virtual Table can be used just like any other entity. You can include it in:
- Views: Display external data in views and dashboards.
- Forms: Create forms to manage external data.
- Reports: Use the external data in Power BI reports and other analytical tools.
- Workflows and Business Process Flows: Integrate external data into your automated processes.
Practical Example: Using Virtual Tables for CRM Integration
Suppose you are integrating a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system with a third-party accounting software. The accounting system contains critical financial data that your CRM application needs to display, but you don’t want to store the data directly in the CRM database due to privacy concerns or storage limitations.
Steps:
- Set Up the External Data Source: Create a connector to the accounting software’s API or database.
- Define the Virtual Table: Create a Virtual Table in the CRM system that maps the financial data fields (e.g., balance, invoice history) from the accounting system.
- Configure Data Provider: Ensure the data provider can pull real-time data from the accounting system based on specific queries (e.g., retrieving the balance for a specific customer).
- Create Views: Display financial data from the Virtual Table in the CRM user interface alongside native customer data.
- Set Up Security: Ensure only users with the appropriate roles can access the financial data.
With this setup, CRM users can view and interact with the financial data without duplicating it in the CRM system, ensuring a streamlined and secure experience.
Challenges of Virtual Tables
While Virtual Tables provide powerful capabilities, there are challenges to consider:
- Latency: Since Virtual Tables fetch data in real time, there can be delays depending on the external data source’s performance.
- Complexity in Setup: Setting up custom connectors and configuring Data Providers can be technically complex.
- Limited Functionality: Virtual Tables are often read-only or have limited support for complex operations like joins, updates, or deletes, depending on the external system.
- External System Reliability: Your system’s performance is directly impacted by the availability and speed of the external data source.