Describe environments

Environments in Microsoft Power Platform

Environments in Microsoft Power Platform are logical containers that allow organizations to separate and manage Power Platform resources such as apps, flows, connections, and data. Each Power Platform environment provides a dedicated space where resources can be developed, tested, and deployed. Let’s explore the key aspects of environments:

1. Purpose and Segregation

Environments serve the purpose of organizing and segregating Power Platform resources based on different needs, such as development, testing, and production. Each environment provides a separate space to build and manage resources, ensuring that changes made in one environment do not impact other environments. This segregation allows for controlled application lifecycle management and data isolation.

2. Types of Environments

Power Platform offers different types of environments to cater to various scenarios. These include:

– Sandbox: A non-production environment primarily used for development and testing activities.
– Production: The primary environment for deploying and running live applications and workflows.
– Trial: A temporary environment provided for evaluating Power Platform capabilities.
– Custom: Additional environments that organizations can create and customize according to their specific requirements.

3. Features and Administration

Each environment has its own set of features and configuration options. Administrators can manage the settings, security, and resources within each environment. They can define roles, permissions, and access control policies specific to an environment. Organizations can also assign different administrators to each environment, granting them the ability to manage and govern resources within their dedicated space.

4. Data and Connection Separation

Environments provide isolation at both the data and connection level. Within an environment, organizations can securely store and manage data using services such as the Common Data Service (CDS) or other databases. Connections to external systems and services, such as SharePoint or Azure, can be established within each environment, ensuring that integration points are isolated and resources are provisioned based on business requirements.

5. Development and Deployment

Power Platform environments facilitate the development, testing, and deployment of apps, flows, and other resources. Developers can create app solutions, flows, and other resources within a development or sandbox environment. These resources can then be tested, refined, and promoted to other environments, such as a staging environment, before being ultimately deployed to a production environment for end-users to access.

6. Environment Lifecycle Management

Power Platform provides lifecycle management capabilities for environments, allowing organizations to manage the lifecycle of their resources efficiently. Administrators can create environment backups, restore environments to specific points in time, clone environments to create copies for testing or development purposes, and manage environment capacity to ensure resources are appropriately allocated based on usage demands.

7. Governance and Compliance

Environments play a crucial role in enforcing governance and compliance within Power Platform. Organizations can establish policies, security controls, and data protection measures specific to each environment. This helps ensure compliance with industry regulations and internal data governance standards. Environment separation also assists organizations in meeting data residency requirements by providing control over the geographic location of resources.

In summary, environments in Microsoft Power Platform offer organizations the ability to segregate and manage their Power Platform resources. They enable controlled development, testing, deployment, and administration of apps, flows, and other assets. With environment segregation, organizations can ensure data isolation, control resource provisioning, enforce governance, and manage the lifecycle of their resources efficiently, providing a secure and organized environment to drive digital transformation.