Managing Dynamics 365 security roles effectively is vital for maintaining data integrity and ensuring smooth operations.
Empowering administrators to control user group access to specific Dataverse tables tightly is key to security and data integrity within the Dynamics 365 ecosystem. Microsoft released a simplified and enhanced interface in the 2024 Release Wave 1, enabling administrators to manage security roles.
Previously, security roles were managed inside a legacy interface, which had its drawbacks. Administrators on some devices would find it difficult to navigate because it was not responsive and limited capabilities.
Consistency and Clarity: Modern UI evolution for Dynamics Administrators
The new security role interface overcomes these pain points. Controlling a role’s access is executed through the Power Platform Admin Center. This centralises the Administrator’s experience with a consistent experience and enables them to navigate to other settings easily.
At ServerSys, we’ve had a chance to review the new modern interface. Let’s dive into some of the improvements of the new interface and how it compares with the previous system.
Flexible Interface
The new interface can control which columns are presented to the Administrator. Using a drop-down menu, they can select if permissions such as ‘Read’, ‘Write’ or ‘Delete’ are shown in the table. Providing this flexibility enhances the experience by supporting the Administrator in quickly navigating specific permissions across the tables available to the role. They can also toggle a ‘Compact Grid View’, which removes empty spaces between columns, revealing more information.
New Capabilities
Administrators can now copy, rename and delete the security role they are managing in the same interface. Previously, this was handled in a separate page view. These new options save time and remove frustration for administrators who previously needed to manage this in separate browser windows.
When selecting a specific table, the permission settings option allows you to use preset settings for each access option, such as Read, Write and Create. This saves administrators time and helps provide security role consistency across user groups.
The search function is another welcome addition. You can type a keyword for each table to search for each permission, helping administrators to pinpoint a specific permission to adjust.
Consistent Design
The new Security Roles interface is managed in the Power Platform Center. Administrators can navigate to other settings on the left-hand side and the breadcrumb menu at the top. – The legacy interface opens a new window with none of these and removes the typical browser top bar navigation (back page, refresh, etc). Centralising all settings in one space delivers a familiar experience and expectancy when controlling the organisation’s solution. This approach shortens the learning curve and supports administrators with clear, organised information.
Responsive Design
Using the Power Platform Admin Center, responsiveness is built in. Font size is no longer fixed, which in the legacy option was very small at 11 pixels. The information elements will respond to the window/device size as well. This facilitates Administrator control from more device form factors.
Navigation improvements
Selecting a different security role reveals a drop-down menu to select permission. In the legacy option, you need to click to cycle through the order, which is colour-coded, with a key at the bottom of the screen. (if you over-click, you have to cycle through again!) This is a much faster and more intuitive way for Administrators to engage with the security role permissions.
Future updates
Microsoft’s latest update for managing these settings is a significant improvement over the previous experience. The legacy UI did not conform to modern web standards and felt tired. One aspect we do miss and expect will be released in a future update is that table permissions were previously organised in tabs by App/business function. For example, selecting the Marketing tab will present tables such as Marketing List and Marketing Email Template. Organising permissions this way feels intuitive, and we hope to see it back in some format.
In addition, currently, the table size, which contains each of the permissions, cannot be adjusted. It will display only around five rows at a time on most devices and requires the Administrator to scroll. We think a resize option to drag the table upwards and fill more of the screen would be beneficial in a future update.
In a scenario where your administrator wishes to use the legacy interface, they are welcome to navigate to this from the command bar when facing the list of security roles.
Farewell to Friction: Dynamics 365’s New Security Roles Interface Success
The introduction of the new security role interface in Dynamics 365, as part of the 2024 Release Wave 1, marks a significant advancement in managing data integrity and security within the Dynamics 365 ecosystem. This enhanced interface addresses various pain points experienced with the previous system, offering a more flexible, capable, and user-friendly approach for administrators.
At ServerSys, we understand that managing security roles can be time-consuming and requires strategy in mapping real business functions to the Dynamics 365 system. If you encounter any of these challenges, contact us to leverage our expertise. We have a deep understanding of business processes and know how to align them with the extensive list of table permissions within Dynamics.
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