This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
Today, we’re excited to introduce rich reporting and easy troubleshooting for the Microsoft Playwright Testing service!
Microsoft Playwright Testing is a managed service built for running Playwright tests easily at scale. Playwright is a fast-growing, open-source framework that enables reliable end-to-end testing and automation for modern web apps. You can read more about the service here.
Now, with this new Reporting feature users can publish test results and related artifacts and view them in the service portal for faster and easier troubleshooting.
Quickly Identify Failed and Flaky Tests
In the fast-paced world of web development, applications evolve rapidly, constantly reshaping user experiences. To keep up, testing needs to be just as swift. Playwright automates end-to-end tests and delivers essential reports for troubleshooting. The Reporting feature provides a streamlined dashboard that highlights failed and flaky tests, enabling you to identify and address issues quickly. This focused view helps maintain application quality while supporting rapid iteration.
Screenshot of test results filtered by failed and flaky tests
Troubleshoot Tests Easily using rich artifacts
As test suites grow and the frequency of test execution increases, managing generated artifacts becomes challenging. These artifacts are crucial for debugging failed tests and demonstrating quality signals for feature deployment, but they are often scattered across various sources.
The Reporting feature consolidates results and artifacts, such as screenshots, videos, and traces, into a unified web dashboard, simplifying the troubleshooting process. The Trace Viewer, a tool offered by Playwright, that helps you explore traces and allows you to navigate through each action of your test and visually observe what occurred during each step. It is hosted in the service portal with the test for which it is collected, eliminating the need to store and locate it separately for troubleshooting.
Screenshot of trace viewer hosted in the service portal
Seamless Integration with CI Pipelines
Continuous testing is essential for maintaining application quality, but collecting and maintaining execution reports and artifacts can be challenging. Microsoft Playwright Testing service can be easily configured to collect results and artifacts in CI pipelines. It also captures details about the CI agent running the tests and presents them in the service portal with the test run. This integration facilitates a smooth transition from the test results to the code repository where tests are written. Users can also access the history of test runs in the portal and gain valuable insights, leading to faster troubleshooting and reduced developer workload.
Screenshot of test result with CI information
Join the Private Preview
For current Playwright users, adding the Reporting feature with your existing setup is easy. It integrates with the Playwright test suite, requiring no changes to the existing test code. All you need to do is install a package that extends the Playwright open-source package, add it to your configuration, and you’re ready to go. This feature operates independently of the service’s cloud-hosted browsers, so you can use it without utilizing service-managed browsers.
We invite teams interested in enhancing their end-to-end testing to join the private preview of the Reporting feature. This feature is available at no additional charge during the private preview period. However, usage of the cloud-hosted browsers feature will be billed according to Azure pricing.
Your feedback is invaluable for refining and enhancing this feature. By joining the private preview, you gain early access and direct communication with the product team, allowing you to share your experiences and help shape the future of the product.
Interested in trying out the reporting feature and giving us feedback? Sign up here.
Check out Microsoft Playwright Testing service here. If you are new to Microsoft Playwright Testing service, learn more about it.
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
A well-defined data maintenance strategy improves the quality and performance of your database and reduces storage costs. In part one of this series, we covered the roles and responsibilities of your data strategy team, tools for reviewing storage usage, and data management features in Dynamics 365 finance and operations apps that your strategy should include. We recommended that you start your planning by decommissioning unneeded sandbox environments in your tenant. In this post, we focus on creating a data retention strategy for tables as part of your overall storage maintenance strategy.
Create a data retention strategy for tables
After sandbox environments, tables have the greatest impact on total storage volume. Your data maintenance strategy should include a plan for how long to retain the data in specific tables, especially the largest ones—but don’t overlook smaller, easily manageable tables.
The Finance and operations capacity report showing database usage by table
Identify the largest tables in your production environment. For each one, determine the members of your data strategy team who should be involved and an action based on the table’s data category. The following table provides an example analysis.
This category of data is temporary by design unless it’s affected by a customization or used in a report. Run standard cleanup after testing in a sandbox. Note: If reports are built on temporary data, consider revisiting this design decision.
• System admin • Customization partner or team if customized • BI and reporting team
Log and temporary data with retention settings
DOCUHISTORY, SYSEMAILHISTORY
This data is temporary by design but has an automatically scheduled cleanup. Most automatic jobs have a retention setting. Review retention parameters and update after testing in a sandbox.
• System admin • Customization partner or team if customized
Log data used for auditing purposes
SYSDATABASELOG
Establish which department uses the log data and discuss acceptable retention parameters and cleanup routines.
• System admin • Business users • Controllers and auditors
Data isn’t temporary by design, but is duplicated when posted as financial. Discuss with relevant department how long workbook data is required in the system, then consider cleanup or archiving data in closed periods.
• System admin • Business users related to the workbook module • BI and reporting team for operational and financial reports
Columns with tokens or large data formats
CREDITCARDAUTHTRANS
Some features have in-application compression routines to reduce the size of data. Review the compression documentation and determine what data is suitable for compression.
• System admin • Business users
Financial data in closed periods
GENERALJOURNALACCOUNTENTRY
Eventually you can remove even financial data from the system. Confirm with controlling team or auditors when data can be permanently purged or archived outside of Dynamics 365.
• System admin • Controllers and auditors • Financial business unit • BI and reporting team for financial reports
Log or workbook data in ISV or custom tables
Should start with the ISV’s three-letter moniker
Discuss ISV or custom code tables with their developers.
• System admin • Customization partner or team • ISV • BI and reporting team, depending on the customization
Consider whether table data needs to be stored
For each large table, continue your analysis with the following considerations:
Current business use: Is the data used at all? For instance, was database logging turned on by accident or for a test that’s been completed?
Retention per environment: Evaluate how long data should be in Dynamics 365 per environment. For instance, your admin might use 30 days of batch history in the production environment to look for trends but would be content with 7 days in a sandbox.
Data life cycle after Dynamics 365: Can the data be purged? Should it be archived or moved to long-term storage?
With the results of your analysis, your data strategy team can determine a retention strategy for each table.
Implement your data retention strategy
With your data retention strategy in place, you can start implementing the actions you decided on—running standard cleanups, updating retention settings, configuring archive functions, or reaching out to your ISV or customization partner.
Keep in mind that implementing an effective strategy takes time. You need to test the effect of each action in a sandbox environment and coordinate with multiple stakeholders.
As you implement your strategy, here are some best practices to follow:
Delete or archive data only after all stakeholders have confirmed that it’s no longer required.
Consider the impact of the data life cycle on customizations, integrations, and reports.
Choose the date range or the amount of data to target in each cleanup or archive iteration based on the expected duration and performance of the cleanup or archiving routine, as determined by testing in a sandbox.
Need more help?
Creating a data maintenance strategy for Dynamics 365 finance and operations apps is a complex and ongoing task. It requires a thorough analysis and collaboration among different roles and departments. For help or guidance, contact your Microsoft representative for a Dynamics 365 finance and operations storage capacity assessment.
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
Microsoft Copilot in Azure (Public Preview) is an AI-powered tool to help you do more with Azure. Copilot in Azure extends capabilities to Azure Database for MySQL, allowing users to gain new insights, unlock untapped Azure functionality, and troubleshoot with ease. Copilot in Azure leverages Large Language Models (LLMs) and the Azure control plane, all of this is carried out within the framework of Azure’s steadfast commitment to safeguarding the customer’s data security and privacy.
The experience now supports adding Azure Database for MySQL self- help skills into Copilot in Azure, empowering you with self-guided assistance and the ability to solve issues independently.
You can access Copilot in Azure right from the top menu bar in the Azure portal. Throughout a conversation, Copilot in Azure answers questions, suggests follow-up prompts, and makes high-quality recommendations, all while respecting your organization’s policy and privacy.
For a short demo of this new capability, watch the following video!
Discover new Azure Database for MySQL features with Microsoft Copilot in Azure
Explore when to enable new features to supplement real-life scenarios
Learn from summarized tutorials to enable features on-the-go
Troubleshoot your Azure Database for MySQL issues and get expert tips
Join the preview
To enable access to Microsoft Copilot in Azure for your organization,complete the registration form. You only need to complete the application process one time per tenant. Check with your administrator if you have questions about joining the preview.
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
Data maintenance—understanding what data needs to be stored where and for how long—can seem like an overwhelming task. Cleanup routines can help, but a good data maintenance strategy will make sure that you’re using your storage effectively and avoiding overages. Data management in Dynamics 365 isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Your strategy will depend on your organization’s implementation and unique data footprint. In this post, the first of a two-part series, we describe the tools and features that are available in Dynamics 365 finance and operations apps to help you create an effective storage maintenance plan. Part two focuses on implementing your plan.
Your data maintenance team
Data maintenance is often thought to be the sole responsibility of system admins. However, managing data throughout its life cycle requires collaboration from all stakeholders. Your data maintenance team should include the following roles:
Business users. It goes without saying that users need data for day-to-day operations. Involving them in your planning helps ensure that removing old business data doesn’t interfere with business processes.
BI and reporting team. This team comprehends reporting requirements. They can provide insights into what data is essential for operational reports and should be kept in live storage or can be exported to a data warehouse.
Customization team. Customizations might rely on data that’s targeted by an out-of-the-box cleanup routine. Your customization partner or ISV should test all customizations and integrations before you run a standard cleanup in the production environment.
Auditors and controllers. Even financial data doesn’t need to be kept indefinitely. The requirements for how long you need to keep posted data differ by region and industry. The controlling team or external auditors can determine when outdated data can be permanently purged.
Dynamics 365 system admins. Involving your admins in data maintenance planning allows them to schedule cleanup batch jobs during times when they’re least disruptive. They can also turn on and configure new features.
Microsoft 365 system admins.The finance and operations storage capacity report in the Power Platform admin center is helpful when you’re creating a data maintenance strategy, and these admins have access to it.
Tools for reviewing storage usage
After you assemble your team, the next step is to gather information about the size and footprint of your organization’s finance and operations data using the following tools:
Just-in-time database access allows you to access the database of a sandbox environment that has been recently refreshed from production. Depending on the storage actions you have set up or the time since the last database restore, the sandbox might not exactly match the production environment.
Features for managing storage
A comprehensive data maintenance strategy takes advantage of the data management features of Dynamics 365 finance and operations apps. The following features should be part of your plan.
Environment life cycle management is the process of creating, refreshing, and decommissioning sandbox environments according to your testing and development needs. Review your environments’ storage capacity and usage on the Finance and operations page of the capacity report.
The Finance and operations capacity report in the Power Platform admin center
Critically assess the environments and their usage and consider decommissioning sandboxes that you no longer need. For instance, if the system is post go-live, can you retire the training environment? Are performance tests less frequent and easier to run in the QA environment when users aren’t testing?
We highly recommend that you don’t skip the sandbox decommissioning discussion. Reducing the number of sandboxes has a far greater effect on total storage usage than any action that targets a specific table.
Cleanup routines are standard or custom functions that automatically delete temporary or obsolete data from the system.
Retention settings schedule automatic cleanup of certain data after a specified length of time. For example, document history includes a parameter that specifies the number of days to retain history. These cleanup routines might run as batch jobs or behind the scenes, invisible to admins.
Compression routines reduce the size of data in storage. For example, the Compress payment tokens feature applies compression to stored payment property tokens.
Next step
In this post, we covered the roles and responsibilities of your data strategy team, tools for reviewing database storage, and data management features beyond cleanup routines. We suggested that you begin your planning process by reviewing your sandboxes. In part two, we discuss a strategy for specific tables and actions to take.
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
In today’s digital-first environment, effective communication is crucial for maintaining strong business relationships and driving sales success. Copilot in Dynamics 365 Sales enhances this aspect by integrating with the rich text editor, revolutionizing how professionals manage their email interactions. This blog delves into how the Copilot’s capabilities can simplify and refine the email drafting process, ensuring every message is crafted to engage and convert.
Use Copilot to draft and adjust emails
Copilot integrates seamlessly with the rich text editor, providing a sophisticated platform for composing emails. This integration facilitates the use of AI-driven suggestions during the drafting process, enabling quick creation of precise and impactful communications. The combination of the Rich Text Editor’s user-friendly interface with Copilot’s intelligent recommendations bridges the gap between rapid email drafting and maintaining content quality.
AI-Powered drafting for enhanced precision and relevance
The seller can prompt Copilot to draft an email
Copilot transforms email drafting into a more efficient and targeted process. Leveraging AI, it offers contextual suggestions based on the customer’s interaction history and previous communications. This not only speeds up the drafting process but also ensures that each email is personalized and relevant, significantly enhancing the quality and effectiveness of outbound communications.
Dynamic adjustments for tailored email interactions
Adjust the length and the tone of the email using Copilot
Beyond basic drafting, the rich text editor equipped with Copilot allows for dynamic adjustments to emails. For example, fine-tuning aspects like language, tone, and style to better match the recipient’s expectations and the specific sales context. This adaptive functionality ensures that each email is crafted to maximize engagement and impact, fostering stronger customer connections and driving superior business results.
Advancing email communications with Copilot
The synergy between Copilot in Dynamics 365 Sales and the rich text editor marks a significant advancement in how sales professionals handle email communications. By employing AI for both drafting and refining emails, sales teams can optimize their time on high-value sales activities. As businesses navigate the complexities of digital interactions, Copilot emerges as an indispensable tool, empowering sales organizations to achieve efficiency and effectiveness in their communication strategies.
Next steps
Read more on Copilot in D365 Sales email integration:
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