Model creation best practices

(0) Share

Report

Posted on by Anaga

Hello friends!!

Does anyone have a Microsoft document about model creation best practices? Today I know that the compiler is optimized to work with large models, and it reflects on compilation and packaging time, but I didn't find an official Microsoft document telling us that. If you have, please share with me! Thank you very much!

I have the same question (0)

All responses (7)

Answers (1)

Suggested answer

nmaenpaa 101,160 Moderator on at

Like (0)

Report

RE: Model creation best practices

If you're talking about CUS development, I would say that usually you should have one package with one model. Just because of simplicity, not so much because of compilation time. You should create many models only if you have reasons to do so.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Suggested answer

André Arnaud de Cal... 299,576 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

Like (0)

Report

RE: Model creation best practices

Hi Anaga,

There is no document from Microsoft about the size of a model. For deployments to the UAT or production, you need an one in all deployable package containing all models. So, having multiple models for customizations doesn't make sense.

As an ISV, we are using separate models for componentizing our solutions. E.g. we have one solution Connectivity Studio, another solution Data Quality Studio. Logically, these are separate models as customers can buy them individually. We have a another model which is having the integration objects between these solutions (execute data validation rules before import data in target tables). This model is only applicable if both solutions are installed.

Some customers and partners thought to create a model per feature with the idea to separate functionality. This is for sure not required and will make things more cumbersome to maintain at the end. With one model and using DevOps with multiple branches, you can also manage which customizations will be part of a deployable package and which ones needs to wait for development completion.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Anaga 5 on at

Like (0)

Report

RE: Model creation best practices

Nikaloas, thanks for your answer!

Here we have an untipical scenario, with at least 200 models, and to compile and build the time that it takes normaly is 3 hours and 30 minutes. On another companies that we have contact, the time to compile and packing is in the maximum 20 minutes, there packing step takes just 1 minute , and here it takes 1 hour and 20 minutes! Looking at build and compile execution log, I realize that between the models, the process takes some seconds to start model compilation and packing too. If we multiple these additional seconds by 200 we gonna have a lot of time more to finish the process.

Another issue that we have, with these models beeing created on the root folder, is the dificult to use Microsoft Hosted Agent Build, because it needs a solution with one project per model.

The point is that today we suffer with bad decisions about model creations, then I would like to have a Microsoft document that would tell us the best practices.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
André Arnaud de Cal... 299,576 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

Like (0)

Report

RE: Model creation best practices

Hi Anaga,

As mentioned, there is not a document I'm aware of. 200 models is insane, for sure. If you want to get a confirmation or best practice, you may contact Microsoft Support.

However, as you are suffering today... why not reducing the number of models directly? Do you really need a document from Microsoft to tell you that 200 models is not best practice?

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Anaga 5 on at

Like (0)

Report

RE: Model creation best practices

Hello Andre,

I don't but third party partners would ask some documentation to recognize that It's not a best practice. Thanks for your answer! =)

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Verified answer

Joris dG 17,775 on at

Like (1)

Report

RE: Model creation best practices

We're aware of an issue with packaging taking super long. We had a fix for it but needed to roll it back due to another issue.

As far as the number of models, for the most part you're just taking on overhead all over the place. From a development point of view, your code is bound to become spaghetti code. I've seen some customers create a new model for each customization they do. I'm unclear if we should cry or laugh about it, but clearly that is ridiculous.

It's very annoying when people ask for Microsoft best practices for stuff like this. It's unclear to me what happened to common sense and normal software engineering practices - people should start there.

If you were developing in any other language/platform, would you create 200 DLLs, one for each customization? There's your answer.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Anaga 5 on at

Like (0)

Report

RE: Model creation best practices

Hello Joris,

Thanks for you answer.

I don't see any problem about Microsoft make a documentation about it, even because these documentations could help customers (that aren't software enginners) to talk with partners about things that they would like to be applyed on implementation projects.

Just to clarify, I know and recommend to my custormers to use one large model, I just would like to know if any documentation about that exists. Please don't have a heart attack because of that hahahaha

Was this reply helpful? Yes No