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Power Apps reference architectures and solution ideas

Microsoft Power Apps is a suite of apps, services, and connectors that provides a rapid development environment for building low-code custom apps. Using Power Apps, you can quickly build business apps that connect to your organization's data, whether it's stored in Microsoft Dataverse—the underlying data platform for all Power Platform products—or in other online and on-premises data sources.

Understanding Power Apps reference architectures and exploring solution ideas can help you unlock new opportunities for automation, optimization, and innovation in your organization. In this article, we look at:

  • Key concepts: Learn about key architecture concepts that help you build robust, efficient, and maintainable solutions with Power Apps.

  • Reference architectures: Explore foundational reference architectures that support building well-architected solutions with Power Apps.

  • Solution ideas: Discover a range of solution ideas that demonstrate the versatility and power of Power Apps.

Key concepts

Title Description
Distributed tracing across multiple services in Power Platform Learn how to achieve observability across services like Power Platform, Azure, and Dynamics 365.
Manage Power Platform solution performance Learn about key concepts and considerations for managing the performance of Power Platform solutions.
Power Apps coding guidelines Learn about standards for naming objects, collections, and variables, and guidelines for developing consistent, well-performing, and easily maintainable apps.
Build large and complex canvas apps Use the recommendations in this article to better work with large and complex apps in Power Apps Studio and improve your apps' runtime performance.
Optimize app or page load for peak performance One of the key factors that shape a user's perception of an app is how quickly it opens and starts to work. Use the guidelines in this article to build apps that load quickly.
Optimized query data patterns Learn ways to query data more quickly and efficiently.
Small data payloads—Limit the amount of data you get Learn how to limit the size of the data you fetch into Power Apps.
Fast calculations Learn how to fine-tune your Power Fx calculations to make them as fast as possible.
Troubleshoot Power Apps canvas app performance issues Identify common performance issues you might encounter while using a canvas app, along with likely causes and recommendations.
Understand canvas app execution phases, data call flow, and performance monitoring Learn about the phases of execution that an app goes through when it's opened, how apps connect to data sources, and about tools that you can use to monitor app performance.
Connect to SQL Server from Power Apps Learn how to use Power Fx formulas in your apps to connect to data in SQL Server, either directly or by using a view or stored procedures.
Use Microsoft SQL Server securely with Power Apps Understand your options for connecting and authenticating to SQL Server using a security approach that matches the requirements of your app.

Reference architectures

Title Description
Perform predictive data analysis using Dataverse, Fabric, and Azure AI services Learn best practices for data ingestion, model training, and visualization that help you build robust predictive models and gain actionable insights.
​​Integrate Microsoft Fabric Lakehouse data using Dataverse virtual tables Gather data from multiple internal systems into a Microsoft Fabric Lakehouse, and consume the data in Power Platform apps and automations using Dataverse virtual tables.
Integrate Power Platform with SAP for data management Learn about the architecture, workflows, and connectivity methods available to integrate Power Platform with SAP to ensure a smooth integration process.
Integrate Outlook and SAP with Power Apps Extend Outlook using a Power Apps canvas app to interact with SAP CRM and SAP S/4HANA data directly from Outlook.
Use Dataverse background operations Use custom APIs to define custom messages and implement business logic through plug-ins, allowing for background processing that eliminates the need for a persistent connection during execution.
Secure Power Platform access to resources inside your virtual network Use Microsoft Azure Virtual Network support for Power Platform to integrate Power Platform with resources inside your virtual network without exposing them to the public internet.
Use REST APIs to extend the functionality of canvas apps When working with complex algorithms or multiple data sources, shift the logic from the canvas app to a RESTful API to keep formulas in your Power Apps canvas apps simple and move more complex functionality to the server.
Use Dataverse as a data source for canvas apps​ Create a Power Apps application that uses Dataverse as a data source helps build a more custom user experience.
Use SQL Server with canvas apps​ Build and publish an enterprise-grade canvas app using SQL Server as a data source.
Implement a scalable notification system with Power Platform Implement a scalable notification system to automate SMS and email reminders and improve appointment reliability.
Optimize the performance of canvas apps that require complex business logic Optimize Power Apps canvas app performance by shifting complex business logic to Dataverse using Power Fx functions or Dataverse custom APIs.
Use Copilot Studio agents in model-driven apps Integrate Microsoft Copilot Studio with Power Apps using Agent APIs in PCF controls to provide users with intelligent, contextual recommendations.
Upload files to SharePoint with metadata from model-driven apps Use custom pages for metadata‑aware document uploads from model‑driven apps to SharePoint to improve user experience and governance.
Manage SharePoint document visibility in Dataverse solutions Reduce the risk of oversharing SharePoint documents associated with Dataverse records while preserving native document management capabilities.
Automate service order lifecycle and SLA governance with Power Platform Design a solution that automates service request lifecycles, approvals, SLA governance, and termination by using Power Platform components.
Connect Power Apps to a centralized data warehouse with Dataverse virtual tables Connect to a centralized data warehouse through Dataverse virtual tables to use consolidated enterprise data alongside operational records stored in Dataverse.
Modernize legacy applications with React web resources and Dataverse custom APIs Learn how to modernize legacy applications with Power Platform, React web resources, and Dataverse custom APIs.

Solution ideas

Title Description
Healthcare Patient Support Agent Streamline patient interactions and reduce administrative burdens for healthcare providers.
Property rental portal with AI-driven search and payment processing Build a comprehensive rental portal that uses AI-driven search capabilities and seamless payment processing.
Revolutionize vehicle inspections with EVVIE Inspect vehicles and assess damage using generative AI and Power Platform.
Intelligent cardiac triage and scheduling with Power Platform Automate and enhance the triage process for cardiology patients using AI Builder, Copilot Studio, and Microsoft 365 integrations.
AI-enabled donor management solution Streamline donor engagement, automate workflows, and enhance operational efficiency for nonprofits with an AI-powered donor management solution.
Learning management app using Microsoft Learn content Design a learning management solution using Microsoft Power Platform and Microsoft Learn content to enhance trainer and learner experiences.
Manage healthcare stakeholder engagement with Power Platform Build a centralized platform for managing Healthcare Professional (HCP), Healthcare Organization (HCO), and patient engagements and events by using Power Platform.
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