Microsoft 365 Community Power Platform Connectors, 9 Nov 2022

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From YouTube: Power Platform Connectors Certification Process

Description

In this twenty minute video, Amjed Ayoub walks you through the Power Platform certification process step by step: from creation of the connector, to submission through Github, to communication with the certification team through validation and testing, to deployment. He then explains the benefits and requirements of certification and general availability for the connector. This video was taken from the November 9, 2022 Power Platform Integrations / Connectors LABs Call.

Amjed Ayoub (Microsoft) | linkedin.com/in/amjed-ayoub/

Supporting materials
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/connectors/custom-connectors/submit-certification

Learn more about Power Platform Connectors
https://github.com/microsoft/PowerPlatformConnectors
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/connectors/

A

And now I would like to introduce I'm dead.

B

Thank you. Thank you. So much Justin hi everyone, um I'm MJ, theyube I'm, the certification PM for the team. um I started this. um This position like um eight months ago uh and I'm really excited for this opportunity uh with Microsoft. uh Today, I will present our certification process and showing our uh different type of connectors and how you can get your connector certified with us.

B

um So if you can go to the next slide, okay, so I want to give like just a quick idea.

B

What a connector is so just imagine that uh it's uh like a proxy or a wrapper around your API and that um a wrapper will allow this API to talk to Microsoft uh different platforms such like Microsoft flows, power, apps and logic apps, um and it will allow users for power automate uh to use your connectors, uh pre-built actions and triggers um to um without, without with like, with no code needed at all, and this is what makes uh connectors uh so powerful. So next slide.

B

Okay, so just imagine that uh this thing in the middle, that blue thing is the connector uh before uh we have the uh Azure APM management, and this is a website that will work as a like um to host uh your API definition. uh Your API definition will be stored in something called Swagger. uh So if you we go back to the connector here, we see that uh the smallest circle is open, uh API definition.

B

So that's your Swagger file, uh we're gonna, add to that API definition, some metadata, uh like actions and triggers which will bring that uh definition or API definition to live, and then maybe some code. um It's like um not required to add code to your connector. You can definitely uh publish and certify a codeless connector, uh but this feature also is still available.

B

You can add some code to your connector and by the end, when the connector is ready, it will allow um the API that is behind this connector to talk to Microsoft uh different platforms. Next slide, I want to show the different types of connectors. We have three main different types and I want to start with the last one, which is the custom connector. uh This is a type of connector that is available for anybody. Anybody can go and build a custom connector. There is no uh restrictions there, no requirements, nothing.

B

Anyone can go, build a connector custom connector and of course it will be available only for you. uh You can share it with any like with somebody else, and it will become available for those people that you share it with only uh so here uh like in public when under availability, when I, say public I mean public that people that you share it with only so, it's not going to be available for uh everybody uh on Power Platform.

B

um If you want to publish this and get it certified the custom connector, it needs to be one of these categories, either independent publisher and verified publisher, and, as you can see, that the only difference between those two types is the ownership of the API. uh So both connectors will be available for public. uh All users uh will be all power, automate users, um uh flows and power, apps and logic. Apps. All users can use this connector, uh but the only difference is the ownership.

B

If you own the API behind this connector, then you are a verified publisher. If you do not own uh the API, you still can publish a connector as an independent publisher.

B

Next slide, please yay and now after we know like what type of Partners we are, we're gonna uh start registering our connector. The first step would be to register uh the connector and fill out uh the Microsoft registration form, and this step is required only from verified, Publishers or API owners. Only and in this form we just like collecting some general information about partners, for example, about the company, the size of the company, um like a confirmation from them that they do own the API a privacy policy.

B

uh What is the purpose of the connector, and does it really like offer a good value uh value for for the community? Does it bring something new um after that, after we approved the connector um it will? We were gonna, start preparing the connector and getting like the artifacts ready, uh and this uh this step here is like required from both partners and dependent and uh and verified Publishers. They both need to meet the requirements for Microsoft, for example, the title of the connector should be less than 30 characters.

B

uh The description should be between 30 and 500. All operations should have summaries and descriptions um responses. For example, we do not allow default responses. You should Define a proper response with a valid schema definition, um the English language for all the files.

B

um This is a really good and important step to make sure that you there is no um like a grammatical errors or typos in your files, and this will help uh later on after your connector gets um uh published and certified. It might be eligible for localization later on. We do localize for multiple languages and just to make that job easier. I'm like make it going smooth with no issues. uh That's why we asked for a good, English language from the beginning.

B

So next slide after that, we're gonna get going into preparing our artifacts and metadata, and for that there is some important properties that, um like is important to include, for example, the publisher and stack owner for independent Publishers. Those two should be different, because the publisher is uh does not own. The API and stack owner is the owner of the API in case of verified publisher.

B

They should be the same because uh who is publishing the connector should be owning the API and then, for example, some properties like the contact, the website privacy policy and what categories are the connectors under and then uh the artifacts, which will include the API definition for the connector and the API properties for independent publisher. We ask only for two files: the API definition swagger.json and the API property.json uh there is no icon is required for the independent Publishers Microsoft will provide an icon for them and then for verified, Publishers or API owners.

B

We're going to ask for the API definition, Swagger file, API properties, and they have to provide an icon for their connector as well and from all Partners. We ask for a good nice. Small file called readme, and this readme file will be as like will will be the documentation for for your connector in our open source, repo in GitHub, and um we we recommend using a tool called bacon tool and, of course all these I can share after I finish.

B

Presenting I will share all links for those tools and uh all those documents uh we have a tool called bacon tool. You can use it uh to download your custom connector from Power automate and you can use it also to validate your artifacts before submitting to um to our certification process, so you make sure that your files are ready and valid for certification. So it's very recommended highly recommended to valid to validate your your artifacts before submitting them and then step five after we validate and we like get uh all our files ready.

B

We are ready to submit uh the first submission we ask is to submit, in our open source uh repo on great help uh for independent Publishers there, one more step here that we ask them to add some screenshots for their connectors uh um as like. They are confirming uh that they test their connector and the connector is working as expected, and this is the icon that they will um like Microsoft will give for all independent Publishers and for both Partners they have to submit all artifacts.

B

In GitHub we run some checks, uh for example the security uh check um and the Swagger and change validation check. um Those are checks that will will run. They are almost the same checks that runs in the bacon tool. So if you run the bacon.validate and there was no errors there, then those issues should be passing uh with no issues as well. The last one would be the CLA, our CLA agreement, and it's required for all Partners to sign this agreement in GitHub.

B

Usually it takes two weeks for Microsoft to review your PR, but now we were taking like within one week to review uh the PRN forward. After the pr is merged and approved, uh we will ask verified Publishers only to take the same artifacts that they submitted in GitHub and they can use their latest commit ID from GitHub to submit to ISB studio for independent Publishers. This, uh this tip is not required at all. We do not require any independent publisher to create an account in ISB studio and submit there.

B

We will create the connector for them in ISP studio, so for independent Publishers. What all what they need is to submit in GitHub.

B

um So after that Partners verified Publishers will upload to isv Studio with their artifacts, our Engineers uh I'm. Still in the same slide, sorry Jasmine, uh our our um you know, go back. Yes! Thank you. Okay,.

A

B

So our Engineers uh will review your submission in in isv studio, making sure that you submitted the same files in GitHub or use the latest comment ID from GitHub, uh that you also submitted um a good icon that meets our requirements as well. If everything looks good in your submission, we will move forward and we will prepare your connector for testing. In that stage uh we will and that's that step also for both Partners verified and independent.

B

um We will deploy the connector to preview region and we will test all connectors Fields there all operations and all triggers making sure that it's it is working as expected.

B

um After the functional verification is done and if the connector passes our test, uh we will ask Partners to test and of course, this step now is only for verified Publishers, because if you remember um for independent publisher, we already asked them to add some screenshots, along with their PR in in GitHub, to to verify that they already did this partner testing testing so for independent publishing, it's done um for verified Publishers. We will ask them in icv studio, to go, create an environment and for creating this environment and testing your your connector.

B

You will need a valid power automate license uh now next slide after partner is testing, and if, like um your, um your connector is working as you expect in uh in preview region, uh you will confirm with our engineers in ISP Studio that you tested and uh the connector is ready for deployment, and this is the latter latest step in the certification process. uh Usually it takes three to four weeks um because we are we deploy to uh different regions and each region take one day to deploy.

B

um For example, first region would be testing next region would be USA preview and then Asia, except of some countries, and so on. So each each region will take one day uh and in total uh they will take like 12 to 14 days to to complete um and that's for deployments after next slide.

B

um Just like a quirky review over the steps uh and like see the difference between verified Publishers and independent Publishers for registration, uh this step is only required from verified. Publishers, preparing the connector, metadata and artifacts are required from both GitHub is required from both isv studio is required from VP is only verified. Publishers for independent Publishers Microsoft will create the uh the connector in IV studio for functional verification or Microsoft testing. It's required for both we test, both Partners, connectors and also partner testing is required from both deployment.

B

Also uh will be done for both connectors next slide, and now uh this is a very good, uh Point uh and I think all Partners should be aware of this uh any uh we allow like updating the connector during the certification process and after after it gets deployed, of course, but any update uh during the certification process will reset the process to the beginning. You will go back to the first step. Well, you need to submit a pull request with your updated artifacts next slide, please and then um just uh like.

B

Why why it's good to certify a connector and not just have it as a custom connector? First of all, it's free and not cost at all to certify your connector. um The second thing you will be belonging to, uh like your connector, will be listed in in the official list of Microsoft connectors.

B

uh You can gain uh visibility uh for um or or connector your connector will be shown in the different Microsoft platforms, uh power, apps logic, apps and power, automate, uh of course, that will expand through each of your API by the users of power automates. uh You can unlock many marketing benefits. Of course we have a plug post, monthly, blog post, that we share our new and updated connectors in uh and that blog post, also gate listed in social media and I.

B

Think the most important thing uh is the last one that you can get a feedback and Technical feedback from Microsoft with any issue uh with your connector. You can reach out to our team and we will be more than happy to help and last thing just benefits of um deployment and what you can see after deployment. uh You can see your connected usage and key insights anytime in isv studio. You can submit an update and update your connector anytime after deployment.

B

You can monitor the connector in the community discussion, form and see users feedback and what they think about your connector and the last thing that you can remove the preview tag if your connector is qualified for General availability, and this is uh that a feature we have all connectors that we deploy all new connectors will be deployed and certified with a preview tag next to it at the beginning, and it's just for us a way to like know that this is still not eligible for General availability.

B

You can move to General availability if your connector meeting our requirements or require the criteria which is in the next slide. Iu connector, for example, should like the API should be in production, not interesting. The available ability of the connector should be 99.985 percent. The success rate, for example, should be above 80, and all these information will be available for you in ISB studio and they are connected under the connector Telemetry and, of course, we we ask for a support. uh 24 7.

B

um I think we changed that lately we are asking for a minimum 40 hours per week of support for the connector and also recommended criteria, uh for example active users above 500. uh In the last three weeks, usage should be above 50, monthly, active connections, uh but also this is just a recommended criteria, not required and there's an exception like if you do not meet those two, uh but your connector has been in uh like published and certified for more than six months and you meet all the required criteria. You still can move to ga.

B

So that's all and thank you.

A

Thank you so much amjad. That was a really fantastic explanation of the certification process and I want to affirm that when you guys are going and submitting your connectors, it is on Jed behind that GitHub, that's going to be giving you that feedback. That's going to be helping you along that certification process, so you got to meet the face behind GitHub today. Thank you so much and I'm Judd.

A

If you had the chance, would you mind dropping the links to the documentation for the certification process, as well as our connector partner management, email in case people have questions in the chat.

B

Yes, yes, I will and also I want to say if anybody has like questions, I might take them in the chat as well.

C

Yeah, yes, feel free to drop any questions.

D

Yeah I I thought I'll just raise my hand. I have a couple of questions uh two two. Actually. So what is in your experience, um the part of the the uh the process where most publishers struggle so because it wasn't very good overview, but is there like a specific part of the process that you need to help Publishers to get to the hurdle to actually get certified.

B

Oh well, like I, want to say most Partners uh like feel in preparing the Swagger file, which is the very important file. uh Some of them would like have empty properties which we, which we do not allow.

B

um um Another issue sometimes uh is like um an incorrect icon, and this is only for verified Publishers, um but I want to say that in our feedback in GitHub, we try to give the feedback exactly like at the line. That needs to be changed and the very descriptive like hey. Please change this to that.

B

um So we will we'll be like explaining everything for partners, letting them understanding why this change is needed and uh what needs to be done. Foreign.

D

Other question for the the uh going to GI with your connector, the supports for the connector is that the same requirement for independent publisher connectors and um let's go first party connector or third-party connectors, where you own, the API.

B

Yes, yes, uh both both Partners need to support their connectors. Yes,.

A

Thanks but it's it's, it's not 24! 7., it's 40 hours a week! That's a typo! Yes! Just.

B

Yeah, actually, that's why um yeah that's why we change it to 40 hours um to like also include our independent Publishers and make them uh like make them also available to to provide some support for their connectors as well.

D

Yeah because I know that most independent population will not be 24 7 available yeah great thanks.