Creating OData end point and get data in CRM using Virtual Entities

A virtual entity is a definition of an entity in the Dynamics 365 platform metadata without the associated physical tables for entity instances created in the Dynamics 365 database. Instead during runtime, when an entity instance is required, its state is dynamically retrieved from the associated external system. Each virtual entity type is associated with a virtual entity data provider and (optionally) some configuration information from an associated virtual entity data source.

Records based on virtual entities are available from all Dynamics 365 (online) clients, including custom applications developed using the Dynamics 365 SDK.

Virtual entities provide these benefits:

End users work with the records created by the virtual entity to view the data in fields, grids, search results, and Fetch XML-based reports and dashboards.

System customizers can configure the data source record and create virtual entities without writing any code.

Developers can implement plugins to read external data using the Dynamics 365 SDK and Dynamics 365 (online) Plug-in Registration tool.

However Virtual entities have some limitations as well:

Data is read-only

Only organization-owned entities are supported

Field-level security is not supported

It must be possible to model the external data as a Dynamics 365 entity. This means:

All entities in the external data source must have an associated GUID primary key

All entity properties must be represented as Dynamics 365 attributes - you can use simple types representing text, numbers, option sets, dates, images, and lookups

You must be able to model any entity relationships in Dynamics 365

In this blog I am going to explain how we can create our own OData end point to be used as Virtual Entity Data Source in Dynamics 365.

For now, I am using a static list of records. You can use your own Database.

Before creating our end point, we need to take care that the table we are going to access must have an associated GUID primary key.

1. Create OData End Point

To create an OData end point follow below steps I Visual Studio:

a. Open Visual Studio and create New Project from Web Templates of type “ASP.Net Web Application” and give it a suitable name

b. Now choose Empty Project of Web API type

c. Now add a class Named as Person under Models Folder:

You can see a GUID field in my model

d. Add a New Scaffold Item

e. Select Microsoft OData v4 Web API Controller from given list of items as below

f. Select Model Class and create New Context (Use Persons.Models.PersonsModelContext):

And Add it to your project.

g. You can see PersonModelContext.cs file added in Models:

h. Open WebApiConfig.cs file from App_Start folder and change it as follows:

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Linq;

using System.Web.Http;

using System.Web.OData.Builder;

using System.Web.OData.Extensions;

using Persons.Models;

namespace Persons

{

public static class WebApiConfig

{

public static void Register(HttpConfiguration config)

{

ODataConventionModelBuilder builder = new ODataConventionModelBuilder();

builder.EntitySet<Person>("Person");

config.MapODataServiceRoute("odata", "odata", builder.GetEdmModel());

}

i. Now back to our Controller and change it as below:

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Data;

using System.Data.Entity;

using System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure;

using System.Linq;

using System.Net;

using System.Net.Http;

using System.Web.Http;

using System.Web.ModelBinding;

using System.Web.OData;

using System.Web.OData.Query;

using System.Web.OData.Routing;

using Persons.Models;

namespace Persons.Controllers

{

The WebApiConfig class may require additional changes to add a route for this controller. Merge these statements into the Register method of the WebApiConfig class as applicable. Note that OData URLs are case sensitive.

using System.Web.OData.Builder;

using System.Web.OData.Extensions;

using Persons.Models;

ODataConventionModelBuilder builder = new ODataConventionModelBuilder();

builder.EntitySet<Person>("People");

config.MapODataServiceRoute("odata", "odata", builder.GetEdmModel());

public class PeopleController : ODataController

{

private PersonsModelContext db = new PersonsModelContext();

// GET: odata/People

// GET: odata/Person

[EnableQuery]

[ODataRoute("Person")]

public IQueryable<Person> GetPersons()

{

List<Person> list = new List<Person>{

new Person{Id=new Guid("11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111"), Name = "Sourav",SurName="kayal",Age="26"},

new Person{Id=new Guid("22222222-2222-2222-2222-222222222222"), Name = "Ram",SurName="Das",Age="25"},

new Person{Id=new Guid("33333333-3333-3333-3333-333333333333"), Name = "Shyam",SurName="Das",Age="24"},

new Person{Id=new Guid("44444444-4444-4444-4444-444444444444"), Name = "Ankur",SurName="Das",Age="23"},

new Person{Id=new Guid("55555555-5555-5555-5555-555555555555"), Name = "Sandeep",SurName="Das",Age="22"},

new Person{Id=new Guid("66666666-6666-6666-6666-666666666666"), Name = "Gurpreet",SurName="Singh",Age="21"},

new Person{Id=new Guid("77777777-7777-7777-7777-777777777777"), Name = "Prabhjot",SurName="Singh",Age="20"}

};

return list.AsQueryable<Person>();

}

public Person Get(Guid key)

{

List<Person> list = new List<Person>{

new Person{Id=new Guid("11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111"), Name = "Sourav",SurName="kayal",Age="26"},

new Person{Id=new Guid("22222222-2222-2222-2222-222222222222"), Name = "Ram",SurName="Das",Age="25"},

new Person{Id=new Guid("33333333-3333-3333-3333-333333333333"), Name = "Shyam",SurName="Das",Age="24"},

new Person{Id=new Guid("44444444-4444-4444-4444-444444444444"), Name = "Ankur",SurName="Das",Age="23"},

new Person{Id=new Guid("55555555-5555-5555-5555-555555555555"), Name = "Sandeep",SurName="Das",Age="22"},

new Person{Id=new Guid("66666666-6666-6666-6666-666666666666"), Name = "Gurpreet",SurName="Singh",Age="21"},

new Person{Id=new Guid("77777777-7777-7777-7777-777777777777"), Name = "Prabhjot",SurName="Singh",Age="20"}

};

return list.FirstOrDefault(x => x.Id == key);

}

j. Now your OData end point is ready. You can publish it on azure and test it as below:

k. To view meta data you can simple access as below:

2. Create Virtual Entity Data Source in Dynamics 365

Moving on to our next step of creating Virtual Entity Data Source.

For this Navigate to Settings>>Administration>>Virtual Entity Data Sources in your Dynamics 365

Create new Data Source here by selecting OData v4 Data Provider

Enter data as below:

Don’t forget to add URL for your hosted API.

3. Create Virtual Entity in Dynamics 365

Now our next step is create Virtual Entity.

Navigate to Settings>>Customization>>Customize the System

And create a new Entity by providing information as below:

4. Map fields from OData end point to Dynamics 365 fields

Now add Fields to this entity. Please keep in mind that External Name of fields must be same as name of Properties in your class (in OData end point)

Below are screenshots explaining it:

1. Primary Key