Model-Driven Apps & Dataverse - Interview Questions with Answers
🟢 BASIC LEVEL QUESTIONS
1. What is a Model-Driven App in Power Apps?
Answer: A model-driven app is a type of app in Power Apps that is based on the underlying
data model in Microsoft Dataverse. It provides rich, responsive UI automatically based on
the data structure and relationships defined.
2. How does a Model-Driven App differ from a Canvas App?
Answer: Canvas apps give full control over the layout and design, while model-driven
apps are driven by the data model and relationships. Canvas apps are ideal for tailored
experiences; model-driven apps suit structured, process-driven scenarios.
3. What is Microsoft Dataverse?
Answer: Dataverse is a cloud-based storage platform that allows you to securely store
and manage data used by business applications. It's the data backbone of the Power
Platform.
4. How do you create a table in Dataverse?
Answer: Navigate to Power Apps > Tables > New Table. Define table name, primary
column, data types, and relationships as needed.
5. What are relationships in Dataverse?
Answer: Relationships define how data in one table relates to data in another. Dataverse
supports one-to-many, many-to-one, and many-to-many relationships.
6. What is a Lookup column in Dataverse?
Answer: A Lookup column is used to create a relationship between tables. For example,
an "Order" table can have a lookup to a "Customer" table.
7. What is a Choice column?
Answer: A Choice column allows users to select a value from a predefined list. Useful for
dropdowns like Status, Priority, etc.
8. What is the Primary Column in a Dataverse table?
Answer: The Primary Column is the main identifier for records in a table, typically used for
displaying in views and lookups.
9. Can we delete the Primary Column in a table?
Answer: No, the Primary Column cannot be deleted, but it can be renamed.
10. What is a Business Rule?
Answer: Business Rules allow you to apply logic to forms such as showing/hiding fields,
setting field values, or enforcing conditions—without writing code.
11. What are Views in Model-Driven Apps?
Answer: Views define how records are displayed in lists. They can be public (shared) or
personal (user-created).
12. What are Forms in Model-Driven Apps?
Answer: Forms define how data entry screens look and behave. You can configure
different forms for different roles or scenarios.
13. What are Dashboards in Model-Driven Apps?
Answer: Dashboards provide a consolidated view of data using charts, lists, and KPIs.
14. How can you filter a view in a Model-Driven App?
Answer: You can use advanced filters in the view designer to filter records based on
conditions.
15. What is a Calculated Column?
Answer: A column that calculates its value using a formula, similar to Excel. For example,
Total = Quantity * Price.
16. What is a Rollup Column?
Answer: A column that aggregates data from related records, e.g., count of related orders
for a customer.
17. What are the types of tables in Dataverse?
Answer: Standard, Activity, Virtual, Custom tables.
18. Can we create charts in Model-Driven Apps?
Answer: Yes, charts can be created using the chart designer and embedded in views and
dashboards.
19. What is an Activity table?
Answer: A special type of table used to track interactions like emails, appointments,
tasks, etc.
20. How do you set field-level security?
Answer: Enable field security on the column and assign field security profiles to
users/teams.
🟠 INTERMEDIATE LEVEL QUESTIONS
21. What is a Business Process Flow (BPF)?
Answer: BPF guides users through a defined business process using stages and steps
within a record.
22. How to assign security roles to users?
Answer: Go to Environment > Users > Assign Security Roles.
23. What are Environment Variables in Dataverse?
Answer: Variables that store configuration values like URLs, credentials, or static data
across solutions.
24. What is a Virtual Table?
Answer: A table that references external data without storing it in Dataverse.
25. Can we embed Canvas apps in Model-Driven Apps?
Answer: Yes, using a custom control in the form designer.
26. What is the use of the Solution Checker?
Answer: To analyze the performance and reliability of components in a solution.
27. What are Managed Properties?
Answer: Controls whether components can be customized in a managed solution.
28. What is a Patch in Dataverse?
Answer: A smaller update applied to a solution to deliver hotfixes.
29. What are Power Fx formulas?
Answer: The formula language used in Canvas apps, now partially extended to Dataverse
calculated columns.
30. What are Alternate Keys?
Answer: Keys other than the GUID used for identifying records during integration or
import.
🔵 ADVANCED & SCENARIO-BASED QUESTIONS (31–100)
31. How does security role hierarchy work in Dataverse?
Answer: Security roles define what actions users can perform. If a user belongs to a team,
they inherit the highest privileges between their own roles and those of the team. Role
hierarchy ensures data visibility aligns with organizational levels.
32. What are the different access levels in security roles?
Answer: Access levels include None, User, Business Unit, Parent: Child Business Unit,
and Organization, determining the scope of data users can access.
33. What is a Plug-in in Dataverse?
Answer: A plug-in is custom C# code that runs in response to events (create, update,
delete) on Dataverse tables, allowing custom business logic execution.
34. What is the difference between Real-time and Asynchronous workflows?
Answer: Real-time workflows execute immediately and block user interaction until
complete. Asynchronous workflows run in the background and are better for longer or non-
critical processes.
35. Can we call a Custom API from a Model-Driven App?
Answer: Yes, using JavaScript or invoking it from a Power Automate flow, you can trigger
custom APIs registered in Dataverse.
36. What is the difference between a Custom API and a Custom Action?
Answer: Custom APIs are more flexible and designed for external consumption. Custom
Actions are older, UI-focused workflows registered within Dataverse.
37. How to implement auditing in Dataverse?
Answer: Enable auditing at the environment, table, and column level. It tracks changes for
compliance and troubleshooting.
38. How does Dataverse manage concurrency?
Answer: Dataverse uses optimistic concurrency with row versioning to ensure changes
aren't overwritten without detection.
39. What are the different trigger types available for Dataverse flows in Power
Automate?
Answer: Triggers include "When a row is added", "When a row is modified", and "When a
row is deleted".
40. How does the Dataverse Search feature work in Model-Driven Apps?
Answer: It enables full-text, relevance-based search across tables and columns, using
indexing to return results quickly.
41. What is the difference between a Quick Create and a Main Form?
Answer: Quick Create forms are lightweight and designed for fast data entry, while Main
Forms provide a full view and functionality for records.
42. How can we improve Model-Driven App performance?
Answer: Use optimized views, limit related data loading, avoid too many real-time
workflows, and enable auditing judiciously.
43. How do you migrate data to Dataverse?
Answer: Use tools like Dataflows, Power Query, KingswaySoft (SSIS), or the Import Wizard
for bulk or incremental data migrations.
44. How do you enable offline capability in a Model-Driven App?
Answer: Configure offline profiles and specify which tables and columns are available
offline for the Power Apps mobile app.
45. What is the purpose of Dataverse Duplicate Detection Rules?
Answer: They identify potential duplicate records based on matching criteria and alert
users or prevent saves.
46. Can you explain the concept of table ownership in Dataverse?
Answer: Tables can be owned by Users/Teams or the Organization. Ownership affects
data security and sharing capabilities.
47. What are system jobs in Dataverse?
Answer: System jobs track background processes such as workflows, data imports, and
rollups for troubleshooting and monitoring.
48. How can we share a specific record with another user?
Answer: Use the Share feature or create a Share record manually to grant access to
specific users or teams.
49. What is a Global Choice column?
Answer: A reusable Choice column across multiple tables, ensuring consistent values
and easier maintenance.
50. How can you debug a plugin in Dataverse?
Answer: Use the Plug-in Registration Tool, attach to the sandbox service, and use tracing
or logging to capture details during execution.
51. What are the different types of forms in Model-Driven Apps?
Answer: Main form, Quick Create form, Quick View form, and Card form—each serving a
unique purpose in data entry and display.
52. What is a Quick View form?
Answer: A form that displays read-only data from a related table within a form.
53. How is a business rule different from a workflow?
Answer: Business rules run client-side and affect the UI; workflows run server-side and
perform backend automation.
54. What is the difference between a Canvas App embedded in a Model-Driven App vs.
a Custom Page?
Answer: Embedded Canvas Apps show up in forms, while Custom Pages can be full
screens within the Model-Driven App using modern controls.
55. What are app modules in Model-Driven Apps?
Answer: App modules define navigation, components, and views that make up a Model-
Driven App.
56. Can we create multi-language support in Model-Driven Apps?
Answer: Yes, by enabling multiple languages in the environment and translating
labels/metadata.
57. What are Dataverse Teams?
Answer: Logical groupings of users for sharing access and managing security.
58. What is impersonation in Dataverse workflows or plugins?
Answer: Running code as another user to perform actions based on their permissions.
59. How are solutions structured in Dataverse?
Answer: Solutions contain components like tables, columns, apps, flows, and are used
for ALM (Application Lifecycle Management).
60. What are the types of solutions in Dataverse?
Answer: Managed and Unmanaged. Managed is used for production deployments,
Unmanaged is for development.
🔵 ADVANCED & SCENARIO-BASED QUESTIONS (61–100)
61. What is the difference between a Managed and Unmanaged Solution?
Answer: Managed solutions are locked and used in production; changes require updates.
Unmanaged solutions are editable and used during development.
62. How can you move solutions between environments?
Answer: Export from source environment (managed/unmanaged) and import into target
environment using the Power Platform Admin Center or Solution interface.
63. What is the Environment Maker role?
Answer: A security role that allows users to create apps, flows, and connections within an
environment but not manage users or security roles.
64. What is the purpose of connection references in Dataverse solutions?
Answer: Connection references store connection details for flows and apps, ensuring
consistency when moving solutions across environments.
65. How does the Dataverse API work?
Answer: It provides a RESTful endpoint
([Link] to perform CRUD
operations on Dataverse data using standard HTTP methods.
66. What is the significance of the Owner column in a Dataverse table?
Answer: It identifies the user or team who owns the record, crucial for data access and
sharing.
67. How do you enforce referential integrity in Dataverse?
Answer: Through relationship behavior settings like cascade delete, assign, reparent, etc.,
in table relationships.
68. What is a Custom Page in Model-Driven Apps?
Answer: A low-code page using Canvas app technology embedded in Model-Driven Apps
to enhance UI and flexibility.
69. How do you enable auditing on a table or column in Dataverse?
Answer: Enable auditing at the environment level, then activate it for the desired tables
and individual columns.
70. What is Solution Layering?
Answer: Determines which solution's customizations apply when multiple solutions exist;
unmanaged layer overrides managed layers.
71. What are Table Permissions?
Answer: Table-level security settings that define Create, Read, Update, Delete, Append,
Append To privileges per security role.
72. What is the purpose of Power Platform Admin Center?
Answer: It provides centralized management for environments, data policies, DLP, users,
and capacity.
73. What is the difference between System Views and Personal Views?
Answer: System Views are defined by administrators and available to all users; Personal
Views are user-created and private unless shared.
74. What are the different execution stages for Plugins?
Answer: Plugins can execute in Pre-validation, Pre-operation, or Post-operation stages.
75. What is the Sandbox environment for plugins?
Answer: A secure, isolated environment where custom plugins run to ensure safety and
prevent harmful operations.
76. How do you perform solution versioning?
Answer: Use semantic versioning (e.g., [Link]) when exporting solutions and increment
versions for updates and patches.
77. What is the XRM Tooling Connector?
Answer: A set of SDK tools and libraries for .NET developers to interact with Dataverse.
78. How do you implement role-based forms in Model-Driven Apps?
Answer: Assign specific security roles to forms in the form settings so users see different
forms based on their role.
79. What are Command Bars (Ribbon Workbench)?
Answer: UI components with buttons and commands that can be customized to add or
hide actions in the Model-Driven App interface.
80. What are Table Permissions in Power Pages?
Answer: Control access to Dataverse tables from Power Pages by defining CRUD
permissions at row and column levels.
81. What is the purpose of a Web Resource in Model-Driven Apps?
Answer: Uploadable components like JavaScript, HTML, CSS, images used in forms or
customizations.
82. What is Early Binding vs. Late Binding in SDKs?
Answer: Early binding uses generated classes representing tables/columns; late binding
uses generic types like Entity.
83. What are Fluent API and OData query options in Dataverse?
Answer: Used for filtering, selecting, and expanding data using OData conventions in web
API calls.
84. How can you control form behavior using JavaScript?
Answer: Use formContext methods to access fields, sections, and events like OnLoad,
OnSave, OnChange.
85. What are PCF Controls?
Answer: PowerApps Component Framework (PCF) allows developers to build custom
controls for use in Model-Driven Apps.
86. What is the importance of Solution Segmentation?
Answer: Ensures only modified components are added to a solution, reducing size and
simplifying deployment.
87. What is Dataverse Long Text vs. Multiline Text?
Answer: Both store long text, but Multiline Text allows text wrapping and resizing in forms.
88. What happens when you delete a managed solution?
Answer: All components from that solution are removed unless used in other solutions or
referenced elsewhere.
89. How do you deploy a plugin to Dataverse?
Answer: Use the Plugin Registration Tool or deploy via a solution that includes the
assembly and step registrations.
90. What is Environment Strategy in Power Platform?
Answer: A plan to manage dev, test, and prod environments for secure development,
governance, and CI/CD.
91. How does Dataverse support multi-tenancy?
Answer: Each environment operates in isolation, effectively allowing multiple tenants
within a single tenant architecture.
92. What are the limits on Dataverse storage?
Answer: Storage is divided into database, file, and log capacities. Each has separate
quotas managed via Power Platform Admin Center.
93. What is ALM in Power Platform?
Answer: Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) involves using solutions, versioning,
source control, and pipelines to manage app lifecycles.
94. How do you handle large data volumes in Dataverse?
Answer: Use batch operations, alternate keys, pagination in API, and Dataflows for ETL.
95. What is the purpose of a Patch Solution?
Answer: A lightweight solution update for hotfixes, designed to be merged into the base
solution later.
96. How do you trigger a flow from a Model-Driven App?
Answer: Use buttons (command bar), business rules, or JavaScript to invoke Power
Automate flows.
97. Can Dataverse enforce row-level security?
Answer: Yes, through security roles, team-based ownership, and sharing features.
98. What are Dataflows in Power Platform?
Answer: ETL tool to extract, transform, and load data into Dataverse from external
sources.
99. What is Table Indexing in Dataverse?
Answer: Dataverse auto-indexes primary columns and relationships; custom indexes can
be requested via support for performance tuning.
100. How do you monitor usage and performance in Dataverse?
Answer: Use Power Platform Admin Center, Azure Monitor, and Solution Checker for
telemetry, diagnostics, and performance insights.
