The Microsoft Common Data model (CDM) is the Azure-based storage mechanism for the Microsoft business application platform. The most intuitive use case for the CDM is to provide an easy to use relational database for PowerApps. App Creators can use the CDM to model their data and easily share apps created on that data. CDM aims to provide much more than storage, it also provides definitions for common business entities as well as integration capabilities for importing data from multiple sources like SharePoint Online and On Premises. With data sourced across the enterprise, businesses can drive insights and actions using PowerApps, Power BI, and Microsoft Flow based solutions.

2. What is Common Data Model and
how to use it?
Nicolas Georgeault
Collective Intelligence Architect, MuBrain Inc., Canada

3. Objectives
• Common Data Service vs Common Data Model
• What licenses are required to start using CDM
• Setup your own CDM database and start using it

4. Agenda
• What is Common Data Model?
• What is Common Data Service?
• What’s the difference between CDS for Apps and for
Analytics?
• What can we do with it?
• How much it costs?
• Why is so important?

5. What is Common Data
Model?

6. Common Data Service / Dynamics, Power BI
dataflows, Office Graph, and Azure Synapse
natively speak CDM metadata model.
Common Data Model
CDM unifies data in a well-known schema
with semantic consistency
CDM enables machine understanding of
data semantics.
Open Data Initiative (consortium-driven)
Enables ISVs to build solutions at scale

7. GitHub Project https://github.com/Microsoft/CDM

8. Decision Makers, Business analysts
No code, low code
Data scientists, Data engineers
Low to high code
Common Data
Service
ISV partners
(Informatica, etc.)
Custom
LOB +
Developer resources
Power Platform
dataflows
Azure Synapse
data ingest, data prep, AI,
machine learning, data warehousing
Azure IoT
Transactional business data Profiles based on observational data
CDM foldersCDM folders
CDM landscape
Power BI
Power Apps Office 365Dynamics 365
Graph Data
Connect

9. What is Common Data
Service?

10. Business application platform innovation
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
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

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

13. Let’s take this scenario
Contacts
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
…

14. First scenario
Contacts
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
…

15. Second scenario
Contacts
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
…

16. Second scenario
Contacts
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

17. 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 Common Data Service

18. Difference between CDS
for Apps and for
Analytics?

19. Data Base vs Data Warehouse

20. Azure Data Lake
Azure Machine
Learning
Azure SQL Data
Warehouse
Power BI
CDM
Folder
Common Data
Service
- Automatic Replication of CDS entities in Azure data lake
- Frictionless set-up
- Data freshness: < 1 hour (small & med business)
"I want to easily gain comprehensive insights and drive business actions based on my CDS data"
Axure Data Factory
Azure Data Bricks
+ Incremental writes
Data Consumers
Customer
Insights
Sales Insights
Customer
Service Insights
AI Builder
Turn-key enable CDS data for Analytics

21. What can we do with it?

22. Secure your data

23. 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

24. Build and manage apps
& solutions

25. Building apps with CDS

26. 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

27. Example: 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

28. Automate

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

30. Decide and bring
Intelligence

31. 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

32. Microsoft 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.

33. AI Builder

34. Power Virtual Agent

35. How much it costs?

36. PowerApps plans since October 2019

37. Why is it so important?

38. Let’s talk about data
Act
Learn
Automate
Analyze
Know

39. Let’s talk about data
Act
Learn
Automate
Analyze
Know

40. Dynamics 365 Entities

41. Dynamics 365 + Office 365 Entities

42. Dynamics 365 + Office 365 + CDM Entities

43. What does it mean for
SharePoint?

45. Want to learn more?

46. App in a Day – PowerPlatform
https://aka.ms/AIADEvent
https://aka.ms/appinaday

47. PowerApps Blog
https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/microsoft-powerapps-learning-resources/

48. https://aka.ms/LearnCDS

49. After the session… Call to Action – to update
• Learn more about the CDM metadata language and standard entities @
https://aka.ms/cdmoverview
• Use updated CDM SDK documentation at https://aka.ms/commondatamodel
• Get the CDM libraries at https://aka.ms/cdmrepo
• Explore entities in a graphical way using Entity Navigator Entity navigator
• Find Microsoft published entities at GitHub GitHub entities

50. Any questions?