Solution Design: SharePoint vs Common Data Service
Patrick Boren • November 12, 2020
If you are looking to migrate your data to Microsoft 365 there are two common methods to funnel your data - SharePoint or Common Data Service (CDS).
SharePoint solutions take advantage of lists and libraries. Data is housed, originated, and manipulated entirely within the SharePoint platform.
CDS solutions use both standard and custom entities to collect and house data that is then integrated across the Microsoft 365 platform.
Below we will review a few ways each method is different and what you should look for before making a final decision for your data migration plan.
Time to Market
SharePoint:
It is comparably simple to develop SharePoint solutions with lists and libraries. Comfortable customizations of forms are possible with SharePoint Team Sites, that can be templatized for easy reuse. Every aspect is convenient to customize fairly independently of other parts. Complexity can be added at the cost of increased maintenance, as independent parts need to be cared for separately.
CDS:
CDS solutions have a more sophisticated flow of development. Right off the bat there are design decisions to make that determine the extensibility of different parts of the solution. This makes every solution flexible as everything falls into place and adjusts based on dependencies between the components but is time-consuming to set up. There is also no out of the box security for newly created Entities. Access and permissions need to thoughtfully be considered from the start.
Level of Effort By Task and Solution
| SharePoint (Teams Site) | Common Data Service (CDS) | |
|---|---|---|
| Create the base (list or entity) | Simple | Simple |
| Customize the base (list columns or entity fields) | Simple | Moderate |
| Integrate data from external data sources | Complex | Simple |
| Customize the OOB forms | Simple | Simple |
| Create views | Simple | Moderate |
| Customize permission | Simple | Moderate |
Integration
SharePoint:
SharePoint is integrated with Teams and OneDrive, which predetermines it to be used in any collaborative scenario. It is most commonly used for quick exchanges of modular information, like files, shared calendar events, and other highly communicative processes. However it isn't reserved just for peer to peer collaboration, it has also been used in managing complex situations such as tracking lost baggage on flights.
CDS:
CDS solutions, on the other hand, is integrated with the Power Platform and Dynamics 365 modules, including sales, operations and finance (ERP). Using CDS across these complex web applications lends itself to long-running processes that span the entire customer life cycle from lead generation to referral request.
Database and Storage
SharePoint:
SharePoint is an all-in-one solution, providing integrated storage through OneDrive for documents. Data access operates with SharePoint permissions. Documents in document libraries can have metadata, be easily templatized to automate document creation (pre-filled).
Integrated File & Database
CDS:
The Common Data Service works like a relational database. It does provide separately licensed file storage in 1 GB increments. To store files efficiently it is recommended to use any integration like OneDrive, Azure Files, Blobs, Disks, Data Lake, etc. Keep in mind that security needs to be configured to be in sync with the solution roles and permissions.
Separate File Storage
Security
SharePoint:
SharePoint comes with a standardized security model. It consists of pre-determined roles and permission. Of course, those can be customized, but it usually ends up in a forest of different permissions for different lists and libraries. This increases the need for maintenance, close monitoring of access and permissions as well as limiting extensibility to avoid convoluted solutions.
CDS:
CDS is enterprise-ready; its robust security model guides the architect to think through the organizational structure before developing and deploying a solution. Every entity is individually secured, and forms can have conditional access that is easy to configure. This approach is more time-consuming to set up, but scales with the evolution of the organization. The robust architecture allows any changes made to the data model to propagate to any level of the organization, entity, form, or view. Dependencies are taken into account and mechanisms to prevent accidental deletion or modification are configured within a few clicks.
Licensing
SharePoint:
If you are using Microsoft 365 applications, such as Outlook, you most likely already have SharePoint included in your subscription. SharePoint is one of the base offerings of Microsoft 365 and often overlooked by businesses as a complex data management, communication, and collaboration tool. If you are unsure of your SharePoint subscription, there are plans ranging from $5-$20. For a full listing see: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/sharepoint/compare-sharepoint-plans
CDS:
CDS is included in the Power Apps plans associated with the Microsoft Power Platform. The Power Platform is not included in base Microsoft 365 subscriptions and would need to be factored into your budget. Plans range from $10 app/user/month or $40 user/month with specific capacity: https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/
Additional capacity can be purchased as per https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/admin/powerapps-flow-licensing-faq#common-data-service.
What Option Works for You?
| SharePoint | Common Data Service (CDS) | |
|---|---|---|
| Time to Market | Quick and Easy | Robust Planning and Set-up |
| Integration | Teams | Dynamics 365 Sales, Marketing, Talent, Fin&Ops, Field Service, Project Operations |
| Database and Storage | Integrated | Separate, effort for synchronizing files and CDS security |
| Security | Simple | Advanced |
| Licensing | Included with most Microsoft Plans | Moderate |
| Best Use Case | Collaborative Team Environments | Highly-controlled long running process environments |
Deciding between SharePoint and Common Data Service to funnel your data thru Microsoft 365 is a critical first step with any Microsoft 365 initiative. For businesses looking for a clean collaborative environment SharePoint most likely will come out ahead. Common Data Service may serve businesses best that have a variety of long life-cycle processes and looking to leverage other benefits through the Power Platform or Dynamics 365 platform.
If you are looking to move forward with your migration but still have questions let TexasPGB, a Microfost Gold Partner, find the right solution for you.
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