User Management Basics

In the last step, we uncovered the Security Model Building Blocks. In this step, we will discuss the User Management Basics.

Most often the user management is completed by an administrator. However, it is good to understand the basic process in case you are setting up test environments and need to complete these tasks yourself. A full discussion of creating users can be found here: Dynamic 365 Security Roles

Creating a User

All users are created in the Office 365 Administration Center and then assigned their appropriate licenses. Once a user has been created and assigned a Dynamics 365 license the user will be visible in the security area of CDS after a brief synching period. Users assigned only a PowerApps P2 license must be manually associated with the environment via the PowerApps Admin portal. The user must be assigned a security role within CDS before they can access the application.

Disabling a User

Before disabling a user, you should consider reassigning their records and be mindful of other impacts on the system. Records can be reassigned in bulk from the user record or manually through a view or the Advanced Find. Keep in mind there may be value is historical data such as activities or closed opportunities, consider this as you decide to reassign records in bulk.

Processes such as Workflows owned by the user need to be reassigned to prevent interruptions. Processes must be published again after a change in ownership.

To disable a user, remove the Dynamics 365 or PowerApps License from the user’s record within the Office 365 Administration Center. It is not best practice to simply remove a user’s security roles to prevent access to the system. Disabled users can maintain ownership of records previously assigned but cannot own new records after they have been disabled.

Users have the ability to own personal views, charts, and dashboards and share these elements with other users and teams. These elements are not visible to the system administrator. If possible, personal views, charts, and dashboards should be reassigned before a user is removed from the environment. The user must complete these steps, an administrator cannot do this on their behalf.

Stub Users

Stub users are user records that are placeholders allowing attaching historical data during import. These users are not able to log in and the user record is created during the data import process.

Non-Interactive Users

A non-interactive user is an account used for programmatic access, such as integration, and does not require a license. Each instance may have up to five non-interactive user accounts. This type of account is initially created as a licensed user then the access mode field on the user record is updated to non-interactive. The license can be removed from the Office 365 Administration Center after the access mode is updated.

Application Users

Another type of user that you might encounter is an application user. These users are similar to non-interactive uses but do not require you assign a license first to create them. You do need to first have an administrator register the application in the Azure AD for the tenant. This will produce an application ID that is used to create the application user in CDS.

Changes

Keep in mind that Microsoft is constantly evolving the software that these courses are based on. You may find there is a difference in what is covered, to what you experience, the intention is that there will be enough information to guide you.

For details and the latest changes, please access Microsoft Documentation site. Microsoft Dynamics 365 documentation

Next up, we’ll be finding out more about Solution Components.