Common Data Service

Common Data Service
Name	Common Data Service
Developer	Microsoft
Released	2016
Latest release	2020 (rebranded as Microsoft Dataverse)
Operating system	Cross-platform
Genre	Data platform

Common Data Service

Common Data Service is a cloud-hosted data platform developed by Microsoft for building business applications, connecting services, and managing enterprise data. It provides standardized data schemas, storage, security, and integration fabrics that underpin applications across the Microsoft ecosystem and partner solutions. Widely used in scenarios involving enterprise applications from Microsoft Dynamics 365, Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power BI, the service emphasizes interoperability with Azure services and third-party systems.

Overview

Common Data Service was designed to unify data from disparate sources into a shared schema to accelerate application development and analytics. It acts as a central data store supporting model-driven applications and low-code development platforms, enabling organizations to consolidate data used by Dynamics 365, Microsoft 365, Azure Active Directory, Power Apps, and Power Automate. The platform aligns with enterprise needs addressed by products such as Dynamics CRM, Dynamics 365 Finance, Dynamics 365 Sales, SharePoint, and Azure SQL Database. It is positioned alongside competing offerings from Salesforce, SAP, Oracle Corporation, IBM, and Google Cloud Platform.

Architecture and Components

The architecture combines storage, metadata, runtime, and connectivity layers to support scalable, multi-tenant scenarios. Core components include the Common Data Model metadata layer, entity storage, business logic engines, and connector frameworks that integrate with services like Azure Logic Apps, Azure Functions, Power BI, and Azure Synapse Analytics. Key runtime services interoperate with identity systems such as Azure Active Directory and standards like OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect. The platform supports extensibility through plug-ins, custom connectors, and integration with developer tools such as Visual Studio, GitHub, and Azure DevOps.

Data Modeling and Storage

Data modeling uses a canonical schema called the Common Data Model to define entities, attributes, relationships, and option sets consistent across applications. Predefined entities cover business domains found in Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement, Dynamics 365 Business Central, and industry solutions from partners like Accenture and PwC. Storage is implemented on Microsoft cloud infrastructure, with data persisted in scalable stores that can export to Azure Data Lake Storage, synchronize with Azure SQL Database, or be consumed by analytics services like Power BI and Azure Synapse Analytics. The model supports polymorphic lookups, hierarchical relationships, and composite keys to represent complex business objects used by organizations including Unilever, Heathrow Airport, and Maersk.

Security and Compliance

Security integrates role-based access control, row-level security, and field-level protection tied to Azure identity services such as Azure Active Directory and enterprise identity providers like Okta. Compliance frameworks supported include certifications and standards used by customers in regulated sectors, aligning with audits and controls familiar to entities like Bank of America, HSBC, NATO, and World Health Organization. Data governance features incorporate auditing, data loss prevention policies usable with Microsoft Information Protection, and lifecycle controls to meet requirements similar to GDPR compliance and other regional privacy laws enforced by bodies like the European Commission and National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Integration and APIs

Integration options include a rich set of RESTful APIs, OData endpoints, SDKs, and connectors that enable interoperability with services such as Salesforce, ServiceNow, SAP S/4HANA, and cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services. Standardized APIs support CRUD operations, batch processing, and change tracking for use by Power Automate flows, custom applications built with .NET, and scripting via Azure Functions or Logic Apps. The connector ecosystem includes managed connectors for Twitter, GitHub, Slack, and enterprise connectors for Oracle Database and SAP ECC, enabling scenarios that connect operational systems to reporting solutions like Tableau and Qlik.

Administration and Management

Administrative capabilities include environment provisioning, backup and restore, capacity management, and tenant-level policies administered through the Power Platform admin center and integration with Azure Portal. Tools for monitoring and diagnostics leverage telemetry pipelines consistent with Azure Monitor, Application Insights, and logging integrations used by organizations such as Accenture and EY. Lifecycle management supports ALM processes through integration with Azure DevOps, continuous integration/continuous deployment pipelines, and solution packaging to move components between development, test, and production environments.

History and Evolution

Introduced by Microsoft to provide a unified datastore for the Power Platform and Dynamics portfolios, the service evolved from early data services integrated in Dynamics CRM and enterprise offerings from Microsoft Dynamics. Over time it absorbed investments from Azure data services, expanded connector libraries, and embraced standards from the Common Data Model initiative championed by organizations including Microsoft, Adobe, SAP, and academic partners. In later stages it was rebranded and extended with capabilities aligned to Microsoft Dataverse and deeper integrations with Azure Synapse Analytics and the broader Microsoft intelligent cloud vision promoted at events like Microsoft Ignite and Build.

Category:Microsoft services