Plugin Registration

Register and manage Microsoft Dataverse plugin assemblies, custom workflow activities, SDK message processing steps, service endpoints, and webhooks.

Table of Contents

• Plugin Registration
  • UI Preview
  • Features
  • Installation
  • Development
  • Usage in ToolBox
  • Key Concepts
    • Plugin Assemblies
    • SDK Message Processing Steps
    • Service Endpoints
  • Technical Stack
  • Troubleshooting
  • Contributing
  • License
  • Support

UI Preview

Features

• ✅ React 18 with TypeScript
• ✅ Vite for fast development and optimized builds
• ✅ Register, update, and unregister plugin assemblies
• ✅ Manage SDK Message Processing Steps with full configuration
• ✅ Step Images support (pre/post entity images)
• ✅ Enable/disable steps without removal
• ✅ Service Endpoint Management (9 contract types supported)
• ✅ Webhook management with multiple auth types
• ✅ Custom workflow activities support
• ✅ Hierarchical tree view UI for organization
• ✅ Plugins/Endpoints filtering and toggling
• ✅ Dark/light theme support
• ✅ Unsecure and Secure Config management

Installation

Install dependencies:

npm install

Development

Run development server:

npm run dev

Build for production:

npm run build

Preview production build:

npm run preview

Usage in ToolBox

1. Build the tool:

   npm run build

2. The built files will be in the dist/ directory:

   • index.html - Main entry point
   • index.js - Bundled application
   • index.css - Compiled styles

3. Install the tool in Power Platform ToolBox through the UI

4. Use Plugin Registration:

   • Register plugin assemblies by uploading .dll files
   • Configure SDK Message Processing Steps
   • Register pre/post entity images
   • Manage service endpoints and webhooks
   • Enable/disable steps for testing

Key Concepts

Plugin Assemblies

Plugin assemblies are compiled .NET libraries (.dll files) that implement the Dataverse plugin interface. The tool allows you to:

• Register: Upload a new assembly from your development environment
• Update: Replace an existing assembly with a new version
• Unregister: Remove an assembly (and its components)
• View Types: See all plugin classes available in the assembly

SDK Message Processing Steps

SDK Message Processing Steps (plugin steps) bind your plugin code to specific Dataverse messages and events:

• Message: The Dataverse operation (Create, Update, Delete, etc.)
• Entity: The table the message applies to
• Stage: Pre-operation (before the transaction) or Post-operation (after)
• Execution Mode: Synchronous or Asynchronous
• Unsecure Config: Non-sensitive configuration passed to the plugin
• Secure Config: Sensitive configuration (encrypted in Dataverse)

Service Endpoints

Service Endpoints allow Dataverse to call external systems when events occur. Supported types:

• REST: HTTP POST to a custom endpoint
• Webhook: Secure webhook with authentication
• Service Bus: Azure Service Bus (One Way, Queue, Topic)
• Event Hub: Azure Event Hub
• Event Grid: Azure Event Grid

Technical Stack

• React 18 with TypeScript
• Vite for fast development and optimized production builds
• Fluent UI React Components for modern UI
• PPTB API for all Dataverse operations
• @pptb/types - PPTB type definitions

Troubleshooting

Assembly Upload Fails

Issue: Cannot upload or register plugin assembly

Solution:

• Verify .dll file is built against the correct Dataverse SDK version
• Check that you have appropriate Dataverse permissions
• Ensure assembly implements IPlugin correctly
• Try uploading a smaller/simpler assembly first

Step Registration Issues

Issue: Cannot register SDK Message Processing Step

Solution:

• Verify plugin assembly is registered first
• Check that entity and message are valid
• Ensure you have permissions on the plugin table
• Verify stage selection (Pre vs Post operation)

Service Endpoint Issues

Issue: Cannot register or test service endpoint

Solution:

• Verify endpoint URL is accessible and valid
• Check authentication credentials are correct
• Test endpoint availability manually first
• Review webhook logs for failed deliveries

Permission Issues

Issue: Operations fail with permission error

Solution:

• Verify you have system administrator or plugin registration admin role
• Check connection context is correct
• Ensure target organization is accessible
• Verify solution context is correct

Best Practices

1. Version Control: Maintain version numbers for plugin assemblies
2. Test Environments: Always test plugins thoroughly before production
3. Configuration: Use Secure Config for sensitive data (API keys, passwords)
4. Error Handling: Implement comprehensive error handling in plugins
5. Logging: Use plugin trace logs for debugging
6. Step Order: Configure step execution order carefully
7. Filtering: Use step filtering to optimize performance

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! When contributing:

1. Maintain PPTB integration patterns
2. Keep webview bundle browser-only (no Node.js dependencies)
3. Test in Power Platform ToolBox
4. Update documentation as needed
5. Follow existing code style

License

This project is licensed under the GPL-2.0 License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions

Dataverse Entities Used

| Entity | Purpose | | -------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | | pluginassembly | Stores compiled assembly metadata and content | | plugintype | Stores plugin class information within an assembly | | sdkmessageprocessingstep | Stores step configuration (message, entity, stage, mode) | | sdkmessageprocessingstepimage | Stores pre/post entity images for steps | | sdkmessage | SDK messages (Create, Update, Delete, etc.) | | sdkmessagefilter | Entity-specific filters for messages | | serviceendpoint | Stores webhook and Service Bus endpoint configuration | | sdkmessageprocessingstepsecureconfig | Stores secure configuration strings for steps |

Reference

• Microsoft Plugin Registration Tool Docs
• PPTB Types Package