Extension of MSM data model

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Posted on by Lea Kraus

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Hi team,

I would like to extend the data model of the MSM. I need to add a new column to the table "Facilities" to capture the area size. Following the documentation (Extend the Cloud for Sustainability data model - Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability | Microsoft Learn), my plan is to create a new unmanaged solution, add the table "Facilities" and create the new column there.

1. Is this the right way to extend the data model?

2. What happens if the MSM and the table "Facilities" gets updated by the regular MSM updates from Microsoft? Will the new column be overwritten with the update or will it remain?

Thanks is advance for you help, always appreciated!

Cheers,

Lea

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Sustainability Manager

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Vidyasagar (MSFT) on at

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Extension of MSM data model

Hi

few pointers around your asks

1. MSM is built on top of Dataverse that provides robust ALM (Application Life cycle management) for the components (tables, columns, forms, views, roles etc.). when you extend the data model by creating new columns, you must ensure that you are following the best practices as advocated in https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/alm/organize-solutions. specific to your ask, you may consider creating an unmanaged solution (in Dev) by including the customization components without adding any other OOB components thus avoiding the dependency conflicts and also with unique publisher for all your custom solutions. Make sure that the unmanaged solutions are exported as managed solutions in the upstream environments (Test, UAT, preprod, and PROD).

2. specific to new column introduced by your own customizations, there won't be any impact when MSM gets updated. However, this may not be the case if you change/customize any OOTB components. This is one reason why we advocate managed solutions in upstream environments as the component in un-managed solution take the priority and precedence over the same component in managed solution. Read this to understand the component behavior when it is present in multiple solutions as platform gives either a merged behavior or an overwrite (based on the solution layering) depending on the component. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/alm/how-managed-solutions-merged
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Joke Laukens 91 on at

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Extension of MSM data model

Hi @Lea Kraus,

Just wondering..

Can Facility Usage Detail help?

That entity has area included.
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Ivan (Vanya) Kashperuk on at

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Extension of MSM data model

Yes. That is the right way.

And no, the newly added column will not get overwritten with the future updates, as it will be in a lower layer compared to your changes.

These changes you'd make in your DEV and then ideally package in a managed solution and upload to UAT/PROD as a managed solution.

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