Tip #1352: Can’t create a trial database?

You create a Power Apps trial at www.powerapps.com, but if you try to create an environment with a CDS database you get an error that adding a database requires at least 1 GB of free space.

The reason you are getting this error is because when you create the environment, you choose what type of environment it is, and the default choice is sandbox. Sandbox environments require that you have paid storage capacity. But if you choose “trial” for the environment type, you should be able to create your environment with no problem.

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What sets the trial aside is that it’s a time-limited environment. It will expire in 1 month unless you convert it into a production environment. Sandbox is treated the same as production, i.e. it does not expire.

Cover photo by Karlie Mitchell

Tip #1351: Flows not triggering after environment copy

Today’s tip from Ankita Chavan – a good reminder to get your housekeeping in order while copying the environments. Got a tip of your own? Send it to jar@crmtipoftheday.com!

We were working on the full copy of data from UAT Environment to dev Environment and we were testing existing functionality. We found that flow was not triggering. We tried the following solutions:

Import and Export the flows and Change the Environment but this failed.
Created a new flow, but this also failed.

After the environment copy background processes are disabled by default. (this is very much deliberate to avoid unintended side effects like email processing, for example – t.j.)

Go to the https://admin.powerplatform.microsoft.com/ -> Select Environment -> Edit and Check the Administration Mode of the Environment.

The Administration mode of the Environment should be disabled for the flows to run. If the administration mode is enabled, none of the Asynchronous Processes including Power Automate will get triggered.

Tip #1350: Modify webhook return status as needed in Power Automate

Power Automate is very handy to serve as a webhook. Add When a HTTP request is received trigger and you’ll get a URL to call after you save the flow. (Genuinely curious if it should be “an HTTP“ instead.)

Any flow triggered by HTTP request executes asynchronously, i.e. it returns to the caller immediately after accepting the input. Your flow by default will return to the caller with HTTP status 202 (Accepted). The problems start if you have no control over the calling party and the implementation is ~~a complete bonker~~ very sensitive to the return codes. For example, one of the form engines I’m using (part of the Elementor page builder in WordPress, if you must know) wouldn’t take 202 for an answer and believes that something went wrong on the other end.

To modify the return status code, simply add HTTP Response action at the end and specify any status you feel is appropriate.

For now I’m keeping it PG with status 200 but a few evil scenarios come to mind…

Cover photo by P C from Pexels

Tip #1349: Calculated field from related record

When Marius Agur Hagelund Lind poked me with this tip I was like, duuuude, who doesn’t know that? Turns out, not a single person in my family knew that so here it is.

All yours, Marius

Here’s an oldie but goodie.

Did you know that you can use related records to calculate a field value?Well you can! Simply type in the relationship name followed by a period, then the field name of the related record.

Tada!

Nick Doelman pointed out that you can reference a calculated field on the parent record, and that could reference a calculated field on it’s parent. So you could cascade it however far you wish.

Which means you can build a “top level value” if it’s a self-referencing field.

Finale

Ever wanted to use “set value” in a business rule to get a value from a parent record? Well here’s how:

Create a calculated field, name it something silly like: _internal_calculated_reference_fieldname
Reference the parent record
Create a business rule, set the actual field value to the calculated value
Optional: set the condition to be “state = active”. This way it won’t update when the record has been deactivated.

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This is something I use quite often to bubble up the values, e.g. show up a parent company’s phone number and email on a contact record without the need for a quick view form.

One caveat if you start including calculated fields that use related records, into the views. They cannot be used to sort the results.

Cover photo by Josh Durham

Tip #1348: Convert CER to a PFX like a boss

I have nothing but respect for Nick Doelman but his affinity with a mouse device is starting to wear me off. Yes, I’m talking about his recent post on conversion of a CER file into a PFX file. Screen after screen after screen. Phleee-a-a-se… Just looking at those give me a mental carpal injury. Plus you end up with a certificate in your local store wasting precious bytes. It should not be that difficult.

tl;dr

Future me, pay attention, this is all you need to know:

openssl pkcs12 -export -out cert.pfx -inkey priv.key -in cert.crt -certfile bundle.crt

What is this sorcery?

I assume if you’re dealing with certificates, you’re not adverse to a bit of developer’s jiggery-pokery a.k.a command line. I also assume you are here because you don’t trust an online converter and you did not find these or these instructions easy to understand. Let me compare creating the pfx certificate to one of the greatest culinary achievements ever: strawberry 2-ingredients sorbet.

Ingredients

Certificate	Sorbet
2-3 text files: cert.crt (or .cer) – contains the actual certificate priv.key – contains the key (this one you should really keep a secret) bundle.crt – CA and intermediate certificates bundle optionally provided by your certificate issuer	1 lb / 455g strawberry
1 openssl.exe (any good cook should already have one but we also provide instructions how to make one from scratch)	¼ cup / 85g honey

Preparation

Certificate	Sorbet
If you have Linux or Mac, you’re all set. If you have Git for Windows, OpenSSL is already in C:\Program Files\Git\usr\bin\openssl.exe.	Hull the strawberries by using a straw to push out the stem of each strawberry.
If you have Chocolatey then this should do the trick of installing openssl: `choco install openssl`	Cut strawberries in half and place on a parchmen paper-lined baking sheet and freeze until hardened.
Otherwise head off to openssl wiki and pick your favorite.	Add the frozen strawberries and honey to a food processor and combine until evenly mixed.
Magic command line: `openssl pkcs12 -export -out cert.pfx -inkey priv.key -in cert.crt -certfile bundle.crt`	Transfer to a loaf pan and transfer to freezer until completely frozen.
Enjoy!	Enjoy!

Cover photo by Pressmaster

Tip #1346: Where to find Azure AD B2C Metadata endpoint for this policy

Rapid release cadence is great when it comes to innovation, bug fixes, and new features. One thing it’s not very good for is the documentation. It’s virtually impossible to keep one up to date.

Take, for example provisioning Azure AD B2C and configuring Power Apps portals to use it. Documentation talks about Metadata endpoint for this policy which no longer exists in the new UI.

Here’s how to get one today in Azure AD B2C:

Continue reading →

Tip #1345: When Power Automate picks the wrong type

When using the Parse JSON action in Power Automate, flow will guess what type of data your fields are. Sometimes it guesses incorrectly, such as thinking a number field should be a text string.

When this happens, you will only be able to select the field for test fields, not number fields in update record steps.

To fix this, simply delete the “type” line from the JSON schema. Then the field will be available to be selected for all field types.

Tip #1344: Video guide to 2020 Wave 1: Improved Event Management in Dynamics 365 Marketing

In today’s tip, MVP Amey Holden reviews the revamped event management experience in Dynamics 365 management.

From the official documentation:

Use marketing forms in events: Event planners are able to use forms within the Marketing application to create forms for event registration, which enables event planners to build registration forms using a familiar drag-and-drop interface and to include more types of fields.
Embed registration forms into any CMS: For the first time, event registration forms can be embedded into any third-party content management system (CMS), just like other forms in the Marketing application.
Design forms within the event: Event planners can design event registration forms from the event entity without leaving the event.

Watch the video

Tip #1343: Video guide to 2020 Wave 1: Resource utilization analytics in Dynamics 365 Field Service

Dynamics 365 2020 Wave 1 introduces new Power BI powered visualizations for analyzing your field service resource’s utilization. This dashboard does not require you to have a Power BI license. In today’s video tip, MVP’s Shawn Tabor and Scott Lefante show you the new resource utilization analytics dashboard.