Understanding the Structure of Dynamics 365 Metadata
You use Dynamics 365 with a strong metadata structure. This structure decides how you view forms, fields, and workflows. Metadata-driven design gives you many good things:
You work faster because data is easy to find.
You save money on storage and make data better.
Knowing metadata helps you change things safely. It keeps updates smooth and steady. Software engineers like this way because it helps build systems that grow and change easily.
Key Takeaways
Metadata in Dynamics 365 decides how data, forms, and workflows act without changing the main code.
Using metadata helps you change your system fast and safely. This saves time and lowers risks.
Important parts of metadata are entities, attributes, relationships, option sets, views, and dashboards. These help organize and show data.
Good management and tools keep metadata correct, safe, and simple to change as your business grows.
Metadata-driven design helps with easy upgrades, quick recovery, and flexible changes for better system performance.
Dynamics 365 Metadata
What Is Metadata
Metadata is information about your data. In Dynamics 365, metadata shows how your business data is set up. It tells the system what tables are there. It lists what fields each table has. It explains how tables link together. Metadata also says what kind of data you can store, like text, numbers, or dates.
Metadata is like a plan for your system. It shapes how you use forms, fields, and workflows. If you add a field or change a form, you change the metadata. You do not change the main code. This makes updates safer and quicker.
You use tools such as the Metadata Browser to look at and change these details. You can add new tables or fields to make the system work for you. The system uses configuration keys to show only what you need. You see just the parts that matter.
Why Metadata Matters
Metadata is important because it gives you control and flexibility. With metadata, you can change your system without writing new code. You can adjust forms, fields, and workflows as your business changes.
Update forms and workflows fast for new needs.
Keep your data neat and easy to find.
Make sure only the right people see certain data.
Support bigger and more complex systems without starting over.
Metadata in Dynamics 365 helps you build processes that you can use again. You can change to new data sources or rules with little work. The system checks metadata when you import data or set up workflows. This keeps things running well and safely. This way works for small teams and big groups. Your system can grow when you need it to.
Metadata-Driven Architecture
Model-Driven vs. Hard-Coded Design
There are two main ways to build business apps. One way is called hard-coded design. In this way, developers must write code for every form and field. They also write code for each rule. Every time you want a change, a developer must update the code. This can make updates slow and risky. It is hard to add new features or fix mistakes.
The other way is model-driven design. Here, you use metadata to describe your system. Metadata works like a plan. It tells the system about your data and how it connects. It also shows how users work with it. You do not need to write code for every change. You just update the metadata. This makes your system easy to change and flexible.
Model-driven design lets you focus on what your business needs. You do not have to worry about writing code. You can make changes quickly and safely.
Forms, Fields, Workflows
Metadata controls the main parts of Dynamics 365. You use metadata to set up forms, fields, and workflows. This gives you many good things:
You can make or change forms without coding. You choose which fields to show and how they look.
You can add new fields to collect more data. The system updates by itself.
You can set up workflows to do tasks automatically. For example, you can send alerts or update records when things change.
You can use business rules to check data and help users. These rules keep your data correct.
Dynamics 365 uses Dataverse, which is a metadata-driven platform. Dataverse gives you standard entities like Accounts and Contacts. You can use these entities in different apps. You can also change them to fit your needs. Forms, views, and dashboards connect to these entities. You can build and change them with simple tools.
You can use Power Apps and Power Automate to make apps and flows. These tools let you build solutions without much code. You can:
Use Power Automate to automate business steps when things happen.
Run event-driven logic at the data layer with Dataverse plug-ins.
Make custom APIs for harder needs.
This way lets you mix no-code, low-code, and regular development. The metadata-driven design hides the hard parts. You can build and change apps fast. Business users and developers can work together to make solutions.
You can keep your system ready for new changes. Metadata-driven design helps you handle growth and new needs with less risk.
Key Components
Entities
Entities are the main parts of your system. You use entities to keep and organize data. Each entity is like a table in a database. There are entities for contacts, accounts, and products. Entity metadata decides how each entity works. You can choose things like who owns it, if it tracks changes, and if it shows up on phones. The table below lists some common entity settings and what they do:
Entities help you control features, security, and connections without changing your data.
Attributes
Attributes are the fields inside each entity. You use attributes to save details like names, dates, or numbers. You can group attributes to make them easier to manage. Some attributes let you sort or filter data. You can set default values or make attributes easy to search. You can also use translations for attribute names and values. Attributes have types like string, date, or image. You can mark attributes as refinable so users find products faster.
You can set if an attribute is:
Good for reading data
Good for updating records
Relationships
Relationships link entities together. You use relationships to connect data in your system. There are three main types:
Relationships decide how you see and report on data. They also help you build workflows and automate jobs.
Option Sets
Option sets are lists of choices you use in fields. You pick from these choices when you enter data. Option sets help keep data entry the same for everyone. You can use option sets to tag documents or sort records. This lowers mistakes and makes searching easier. You can export and import option sets to keep them the same in different systems.
Option sets make sure everyone uses the same words and values. This helps with organization and automation.
Views and Dashboards
Views show lists of records from entities. You use views to sort, filter, and show data. There are three main types:
Personal Views: You make these for yourself.
System Views: Administrators set these for everyone.
Public Views: You share these with your team.
Dashboards show visual summaries of your data. You can see charts, graphs, and important numbers. Dashboards help you track progress and spot trends. You can change views and dashboards to fit your needs. You can also use tools like Power BI for deeper insights.
Views and dashboards help you handle data, work better, and keep reports the same.
Storage and Access
Where Metadata Is Stored
Metadata lives in special tables in the Dataverse database. These tables hold details about your system’s setup. The 'attribute' table has info about each field, like its name and type. The 'entity' table lists all entities, such as accounts or contacts. The 'stringmap' table keeps option set values for dropdowns. Your business data is in other tables. Metadata tables show how your data is sorted and named.
Note: Storing metadata apart from business data helps you make changes without messing up your records.
Accessing Metadata
You use different tools to view and change metadata. The Web API is the main tool for this. It lets you send requests to get info about entities, fields, relationships, and option sets. You use HTTP GET requests to see how your system is built. The Web API lets you filter and expand queries, so you only get what you need. If you have an on-premises system, you might use the Organization service instead. Both tools help you learn about your system’s setup.
Main ways to get metadata:
Web API for cloud and online systems
Organization service for on-premises systems
Managing Metadata
You need good habits to keep metadata safe and helpful. Start by making rules for naming and data meanings. Pick someone to check metadata quality. Use tools to gather and store metadata in one spot. Make rules for changes and track versions. Regular checks help you find errors and keep things current. Teach your team and make metadata easy to use so everyone follows the rules. Clear steps for collecting and protecting metadata keep your system strong.
Tip: Good management keeps your system neat, safe, and ready to grow.
Customization and Best Practices
Safe Customization
You can change your system safely by following good steps. When you use metadata-driven design, you do not touch the main code. This makes updates safer and stops things from breaking. You should use tools that check for mistakes before changes go live. For example, the Compatibility Checker finds problems with your changes. Visual Studio gives you warnings and tips to help you write better code. You can also use logs to watch for slow searches or errors.
Tip: Always test your changes in a safe place before using them in your main system.
Upgrades and Recovery
Upgrades and recovery are easier with metadata-driven design. You do not need to mix changes or rebuild add-ons when you update. The layered model keeps your changes apart from the main system. Extensions are packed as models, so updates do not erase your work. You can use backups to keep your metadata safe. These backups let you get your data back fast and keep it for a long time. You should back up often and test your recovery plan to make sure you can get your data back quickly.
Dynamics 365 uses special ways to keep your data safe.
Extra copies in Azure keep things running if something breaks.
Watching and testing help keep your system healthy.
Control tools help you recover if there are big problems.
Dynamics 365 Customization
You can change Dynamics 365 in many ways using metadata. The Common Data Model lets you make and change entities without code. Power Platform tools help you build tables, fields, and workflows. You can move data between apps, set up rules, and automate jobs. Templates and connectors help you bring in data from other systems. You can send data to Azure Data Lake with automatic sync. Backup and restore tools keep your changes safe and help your business keep going.
Use easy editors for forms to keep them simple and quick.
Organize and index your data for better speed.
Write good code and check it for problems.
Pick the best reporting tools for your needs.
Plan your data for times when you have lots of records.
Note: Good ways to customize help keep your system safe, flexible, and ready for new changes.
If you know how metadata works, you can change your system without touching code. This makes it easier to upgrade and keeps your changes safe. You can add new logic with extensions. This lowers risks and saves time when you update.
With a metadata-driven setup, you can make custom entities and attributes fast.
The platform keeps things secure and can handle changes. This helps your system stay safe and flexible.
You can get more tips on using metadata from Microsoft Learn and expert blogs.
FAQ
What is the main purpose of metadata in Dynamics 365?
Metadata tells the system how to organize and display your data. You use it to set up forms, fields, and workflows. This helps you change your system without writing code.
What tools can you use to view and edit metadata?
You use the Metadata Browser, Power Apps, and the Web API. These tools let you see entities, fields, and relationships. You can make changes quickly and safely.
What happens when you change metadata?
You update forms, fields, or workflows by changing metadata. The system applies your changes right away. You do not need to change the main code.
What types of data can you manage with metadata?
You manage text, numbers, dates, images, and option sets. Metadata lets you control how each type appears and works in your system.
What makes metadata-driven design safer for upgrades?
You keep your changes separate from the main code. This means upgrades do not break your customizations. You can update your system with less risk.