Chapter 7: Configuring the Power Platform

The Power Platform is an industry leader in dynamic data visualization, automation, and app experiences. They work together, and independently, to deliver innovative solutions for nearly any business problem. Power BI delivers dynamic data reporting and dashboarding. Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow) delivers robotic process automation and data transformation and movement based on triggers and schedules. Power Apps allows the customization of SharePoint forms and the creation of independent apps and forms.

In this chapter, we'll learn how to administer important settings for each of the Power Platform services, specifically covering the following recipes:

• Creating a new Power Platform environment
• Restricting certain connectors in Power Apps and Power Automate from accessing business data
• Installing an on-premises data gateway
• Restricting users from installing on-premises data gateways
• Auditing Power BI...

Technical requirements

Most of the recipes in this chapter will require you to be a global or Power Platform service administrator. You'll most likely also require licensing to Power BI, Power Apps, and/or Power Automate if you don't already have it unless you're working on a trial license.

Creating a new Power Platform environment

A Power Platform environment provides a place for your organization to centrally manage and share its data and processes. You might also use a Power Platform environment as a security boundary to separate processes and apps that require different levels of data protection. In this recipe, we'll create a new Power Platform environment with a new database by utilizing the Power Platform admin center.

Getting ready

In order to complete the steps in this recipe, you must have a Dynamics 365, Power Apps, or Power Virtual Agents plan (trial or production) and be a global or Power Platform service admin or have settings configured so that non-admins can also create environments.

You'll also need 1 GB of storage capacity to complete these steps. Learn more about capacity plans at https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/admin/capacity-storage.

How to do it…

1. Go to the Power Platform admin center at https...

Restricting certain connectors in Power Apps and Power Automate from accessing business data

In this recipe, we'll cover the steps needed to prevent certain data connections in Power Platform apps from accessing business data.

Getting ready

You must be a global or Power Platform service administrator to complete the steps in this recipe.

How to do it…

1. Go to the Power Platform admin center at https://admin.powerplatform.microsoft.com.
2. Click on Data policies in the left-hand navigation menu:

   


   Figure 7.4 – The Data policies link in the left-hand navigation menu of the Power Platform admin center

3. Click New Policy.
4. Name your policy and click Next:

   


   Figure 7.5 – The name field for the new data policy

5. Find the connectors in the default category that should be restricted from sharing data with other connectors. We'll select Dropbox and then Move to Business for this demo:

   Figure 7.6 – The Dropbox connector selected...

Installing an on-premises data gateway

On-premises data gateways allow users in your organization to connect Power Platform apps to on-premises data that is otherwise unavailable to the cloud-based apps. In this recipe, we'll install an on-premises data gateway on a server so that users can connect local data to Power Automate, Power BI, and Power Apps.

Getting ready

You'll need local admin access to a server that's always powered on. We'll install the gateway on this server, and the account you use to do so will automatically be made a gateway admin. It's recommended to use a service account if possible, but you can always change the service account used by the gateway later.

How to do it…

1. Log in to the server on which you'll install the gateway.
2. Navigate (and sign in if needed) to app.powerbi.com | the download icon | Data Gateway:

   


   Figure 7.10 – The download Data Gateway option in Power BI

3. Select Download...

Restricting users from installing on-premises data gateways

You may wish to prevent users from installing their own on-premises data gateways from a governance standpoint, perhaps to better monitor and manage the environment, or perhaps it is preferable that users learn to use the shared gateway for better availability and consistency. Whatever your reasoning for wishing to make sure users cannot install their own gateways, this recipe will guide you through the necessary steps.

Getting ready

You must be an Azure Active Directory (AD) or Office 365 (O365) global admin or a Power BI service administrator to complete this recipe.

How to do it…

1. Go to the Power Platform admin center at https://admin.powerplatform.microsoft.com/.
2. Click on Data gateways:

   


   Figure 7.18 – The Data gateways link in the left-hand navigation menu of the Power Platform admin center

3. Click Manage gateway installers:

   


   Figure 7.19 – The Manage gateway installers...

Auditing Power BI embed codes created by your organization

Power BI users in your organization may, depending on the license type, be able to generate embed codes that, in some cases, allow anonymous access to data when published or shared outside the organization. As a Power Platform administrator, you should keep an eye on existing embed codes generated/used in your organization to stay familiar with the data potentially being shared and access beyond the security and compliance controls in your organization.

In this recipe, we'll cover the steps for auditing the Power BI embed codes in your organization.

Getting ready

You must be a global admin or Power BI service administrator to complete the steps in this recipe.

How to do it…

1. Go to Power BI at app.powerbi.com.
2. Select the settings wheel | Admin portal:

   Figure 7.22 – The Admin portal link in Power BI

3. Select Embed Codes from the left-hand menu.
4. Select the ellipsis next to any embed...

Restricting Power BI's Publish to Web (anonymous share) ability to specific security group members

As mentioned in the previous recipe, users can create embed codes using an option called Publish to Web. Once this is done, administrators can view the generated codes/shared reports and choose to revoke the embed code. However, administrators can also choose to not allow this ability in the first place, reserving it for specific security group members (perhaps those that are trained in data sensitivity and compliance) instead. In this recipe, we'll cover the steps to restricting the Publish to Web option to specific security groups.

Getting ready

You must be an O365 global admin or Power BI service administrator to complete the steps in this recipe.

How to do it…

1. Go to Power BI at app.powerbi.com.
2. Select the settings wheel | Admin portal:

   


   Figure 7.24 – The Admin portal link in Power BI

3. Select Tenant settings from the left-hand menu...

Restricting the external sharing of Power BI reports

Your users can share dashboards with specific users outside of your organization (as opposed to the open, anonymous access that the Publish to web option permits). As in the previous recipe, we could limit this ability to a specific security group (or multiple). However, in this recipe, we'll disable the ability altogether.

Getting ready

You must be an O365 global admin or Power BI service administrator to complete the steps in this recipe.

How to do it…

1. Go to Power BI at app.powerbi.com.
2. Select the settings wheel | Admin portal:

   Figure 7.26 – The Admin portal link in Power BI

3. Select Tenant settings from the left-hand menu.
4. Scroll down to the Export and sharing settings section.
5. Expand Share content with external users:

   Figure 7.27 – Share content with external users setting enabled with entire organization scope in Power BI

6. Switch the Enabled toggle button to the off...

Configuring a default logo, cover image, and theme for Power BI

As a Power BI service administrator, you can configure a logo, cover image, and theme to apply to the Power BI service experience that users see when they log in to app.powerbi.com. In this recipe, we'll upload some images and choose a theme 
color for our organization.

Getting ready

You must be an O365 global admin or Power BI service administrator to complete the steps in this recipe.

How to do it…

1. Go to Power BI at app.powerbi.com.
2. Select the settings wheel | Admin portal:

   


   Figure 7.29 – The Admin portal link in Power BI

3. Select Custom branding from the left-hand menu.
4. Upload a logo (.png format recommended).
5. Upload a cover image (.jpg or .png).
6. Select or enter a theme color (hex, or selected).
7. Preview your changes first or click Publish if you're ready to implement the changes immediately:

Figure 7.30 – Custom...

Creating a Common Data Service database

In this recipe, you'll create a Common Data Service (CDS) database from the Power Platform admin center to use as a data store for your apps. Using CDS as opposed to a source such as SharePoint removes the list item limit you may be familiar with, but you'll still be limited by database size. You can also connect to multiple data sources in a single location for your apps and reports.

Getting ready

Before you can create a database, you must have or create a Power Platform environment and be one of its admins. See the first recipe in this chapter, Creating a new Power Platform environment, for assistance if you need a new environment.

How to do it…

1. Go to the Power Platform admin center at https://admin.powerplatform.microsoft.com.
2. Select Environments from the left-hand navigation menu if you are not taken there by default.
3. Select the name of the environment for which you're creating a CDS database...