How to View ERP Data via Custom Connector in Dynamics 365 Sales
An engineering company is implementing Dynamics 365 Sales. The company has a custom connector to an ERP system. The company plans to use the connector to view data in the app while also avoiding any data migration. You need to evaluate the requirements and recommend an approach. Which approach should you recommend?
Community Votes
66% of anonymous learners picked answer A. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.
Community Insight
This question tests integrating external data without migration; the common trap is assuming Power Automate or direct model-driven app connections provide a seamless UI viewing experience.
When implementing Dynamics 365 Sales with an existing custom connector to an ERP system, avoiding data migration while viewing external data is best achieved using an embedded canvas app. This page establishes that canvas apps natively support custom connectors for seamless data display.
Choosing D (Power Automate) because it can use the connector, but flows do not provide a native UI to view data within the app without further custom UI development.
Community Discussion (4 comments)
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Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
Building a canvas app and embedding it in the Dynamics 365 Sales app is the correct approach because canvas apps natively support custom connectors as data sources. This allows the organization to display the ERP data seamlessly within the model-driven app interface without writing complex code or migrating the data into Dataverse. Embedding the canvas app ensures users stay within the Dynamics 365 context while interacting with the external ERP data.Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option B is incorrect because industry accelerators provide pre-built industry schemas and sample apps, not a mechanism to connect to specific custom ERP APIs. Option C is incorrect because model-driven apps like Dynamics 365 Sales cannot directly use custom connectors as native data sources without virtual tables; you cannot simply connect the connector directly to view data. Option D is incorrect because while Power Automate can use the custom connector to fetch data, an on-demand flow does not provide a user interface to view the data within the app, making it a poor choice for a viewing requirement.Community Comment Notes
Commenters favored the canvas app approach because it directly addresses the requirement to view the data using the existing custom connector. As Tootru2bReal noted, "Embed the canvas app, the app uses the CC (connector) to retrieve the data." Others who suggested Power Automate overlooked the need for a UI to display the data, as ziggy1117 simply suggested using "Power Automate to use it and get the needed info" without addressing how users would view it.Official Reference
Exam Strategy
For integration questions requiring external data viewing without migration, look for canvas apps or virtual tables. Power Automate is for logic and processes, not UI display, and model-driven apps cannot use custom connectors directly.