1. Environments - matteoparlato/Plucky-Phoenix GitHub Wiki
Environments
π Power Platform environments overview
A Power Platform environment is a space to store, manage, and share organization's business data and logic. It also serves as a container to separate apps that might have different roles, security requirements, or target audiences.
It's possible to manage environments from Power Platform admin center.
Types
π Power Platform environment types
Default
Each tenant has a default environment that's created automatically. All licensed users have the environment maker role.
[!WARNING] This environment should not be used at all. Use a Production, Sandbox or Development environment types instead. The default environment is shared by all licensed users, leading to potential clutter and security risks. Microsoft recommends using a Center of Excellence (CoE), though implementation can be complex.
Production
This is intended to be used for permanent work in an organization. It can be created and owned by an administrator or anyone with a Power Apps license. Production environments can be named as follows:
- PROD
- PROD_ENVIRONMENTLANGUAGECODE (e.g., ENU, ITA, DEU)
- PROD_COMPANYNAME (e.g., PROD_Cronus)
Sandbox
These are nonproduction environments. Sandbox environments are used for development and testing, separate from production. Sandbox environments can be named as follows:
- DEV
- DEV_ENVIRONMENTLANGUAGECODE (e.g., ENU, ITA, DEU)
- DEV_COMPANYNAME (e.g., DEV_Cronus)
Trial
Trial environments are intended to support short-term testing needs and are automatically cleaned up after a short period of time. They expire after 30 days and are limited to one per user.
Developer
Developer environments are created by users who have the Developer Plan license. System Administrator Dataverse role is required in order for the users to use the environment.
[!WARNING]
Developer environments are not persistent. If inactive, they may be marked for removal.
Strategy
Create one environment for each Business Central database:
- 1 Business Central Production Database β 1 Dataverse Production Environment
[!NOTE]
This strategy does not work with Business Central standard CDS/Dataverse/Virtual Tables connector, which links a Dataverse environment to a specific Business Central company. In such cases, create separate Dataverse environments per company. Additional storage capacity may be required.
Creation
π Create and manage environments in the Power Platform admin center
From the Power Platform admin center > Manage > Environments click New to begin the environment creation process.
Creation checklist
- Check licenses/capacity to assign to users/Dataverse environments.
- Verify storage capacity availability.
- Ensure the developer account is correctly configured.
Environment Creation Parameters
Set the following parameters during creation:
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Use defined naming conventions. |
| Make this a Managed Environment | No |
| Group | None |
| Region | Nearest location |
| Get new features early | No |
| Type | Production, Sandbox, Developer |
| Purpose | Describe the environment's purpose |
| Add Dataverse data store? | Yes |
| Pay-as-you-go with Azure? | No |
| Language | English (United States)ΒΉ |
| Currency | Desired currency |
| Security group | NoneΒ² |
| URL | Skip |
| Enable Dynamics 365 apps? | Yes |
| Deploy sample apps and data? | No |
[!CAUTION]
- Always select English (United States) as the language, as Dataverse table names are language-sensitive.
- Security groups should not be used since some Dataverse features are broken or doesn't work as intended when using security groups.
Power Platform CLI
pac admin create --name PROD --region Europe --type Production --currency EUR --language English
Settings
Navigate to Settings > Features to configure environment features.
Features to enable:
- Block unmanaged customizations (for Production environments only - can't be enabled from CLI)
- Power Apps component framework for canvas apps
- Create new canvas apps and cloud flows in Dataverse solutions (ensure environment hygiene)
Power Platform CLI
pac env update-settings -n iscustomcontrolsincanvasappsenabled -v $True
pac env update-settings -n enablecanvasappsinsolutionsbydefault -v $True
pac env update-settings -n enableflowsinsolutionbydefault -v $True
Users & Security roles
To manage user access to an environment, follow these steps:
- Add Users:
- Click the Add user button.
- Enter the user's name or email address.
- Assign Security Roles:
Assign the following roles to ensure proper access:
- Basic User
- App Opener
- Environment Maker
- Custom Security Roles (e.g., PACL, Power MES Securiy Role, Power PMM Security Role, Power WMS Security Role)
Power Platform CLI
pac admin assign-user --environment $environmentId --user "[email protected]" --role "Basic User"
Tenant settings
Configure tenant-wide settings:
π Control who can create and manage environments in Power Platform
| Setting | Recommended Configuration |
|---|---|
| Production environment assignments | Only specific admins |
| Developer environment assignments | Only specific admins |
| Trial environment assignments | Only specific admins |
| Catalog assignments | Only specific admins |
| Add-on capacity assignments | Only specific admins |
Capacity and Licensing
π Licensing overview for Microsoft Power Platform
Capacity and licensing refer to the resources consumed within a Dataverse environment. These settings are available under Licensing > Capacity add-ons (Legacy).
Assign additional resources as required, such as app passes for Power Apps per app plan.
FAQ
N/A