Control Data Access in Dynamics 365 with Roles & Teams

Objective:

 Here is this article we will see Security Roles, Business Unit and Team work together to control data access and visibility in Dynamic 365.Let us see the Security Role, Business Unit and team one by one.

Business Unit:

A Business Unit refers to a structured assembly of users, teams, and records organized within a functional business hierarchy. These units serve as the fundamental basis for security within Dataverse. Typically, business units collaborate with security roles to establish the actual security privileges assigned to a user or a team.

Each user must belong to a single business unit, creating an intrinsic connection among them. By default, the system assigns one root-level business unit with no parent, while all other units are subordinate. When a user from a business unit creates a record, the system automatically assigns ownership of that record to the user’s business unit. For example, if a user from Department A (Business Unit 1) needs access to a record owned by a user in Department B (Business Unit 2), the system transfers the user to Department B’s business unit to grant access, removing their membership in Department A. You can manage this by enabling record sharing, assigning security roles, using access teams, and employing Microsoft’s modernized business units feature.

Security Role:

Security roles in Dynamics 365 function as digital keys that dictate the access permissions of users to various sections and data within the system. These roles establish the extent of a user’s access, which can vary from read-only permissions to full administrative control over entities and records. By efficiently managing security roles, organizations can protect sensitive information, ensure adherence to regulatory requirements, and regulate access to essential business operations.

Security Roles establish the parameters for user access and data management within Dynamics 365. This functionality allows administrators to regulate data access, ensuring that each user receives the necessary information to perform their duties without excess. Through this method, Dynamics 365 facilitates effective data governance:

1. Safeguard information from improper handling by individuals who do not possess adequate knowledge.
2. Protect confidential information from unauthorized access.

Empower users to perform actions that are appropriate to their respective profiles and job responsibilities.

Assigning security roles within Dynamics 365 is an essential process that guarantees users possess the appropriate level of access necessary to carry out their job functions effectively. Below are the steps to assign security roles:

User-Based Assignment:

User-based assignment entails the direct allocation of security roles to specific individuals. This approach enables organizations to customize access for each user in accordance with their respective roles and responsibilities.

This method involves directly assigning security roles to individual users, allowing for customized access control based on specific roles and responsibilities.​

Steps:

• Navigate to Settings > Users + permissions > Users.​

• Select the desired user.​
• Click on Manage Roles and assign the appropriate security roles.

Team-Based Assignment:

In certain situations, it may be more efficient to allocate security roles to teams instead of individual users. Assigning roles at the team level facilitates easier management of these roles, particularly when several users have overlapping responsibilities. Members of the team automatically receive the roles designated to the team, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the security configuration.

Assigning security roles to teams is efficient when multiple users share similar responsibilities. All members of a team inherit the security roles assigned to that team, simplifying role management.​

Steps:

• Go to Settings > Users + permissions > Teams.​
• Select the team to which you want to assign roles.​
• Click on Manage Roles and assign the necessary security roles.

Business Unit-Based Assignment:

Assigning security roles according to business units proves to be especially beneficial for larger organizations that have clearly defined divisions. Users belonging to a particular business unit are granted roles pertinent to that unit, thereby ensuring that access is consistent with the organizational framework.

For larger organizations with distinct divisions, assigning security roles at the business unit level ensures users within a specific unit have consistent access aligned with their division’s functions.​

Steps:

• Navigate to Settings > Users + permissions > Business units.
• Select the relevant business unit.​
• Assign security roles to users or teams within that business unit.

Hierarchy-Based Assignment:

Hierarchical assignment is utilized when security roles are established based on an individual’s rank within the organizational structure. This approach guarantees that users at various levels of the hierarchy are granted access to the relevant data.

In the current landscape characterized by data breaches and cyber threats, the implementation of strong security measures is essential. By comprehending and applying diverse security roles, data protection features, and best practices for cloud security, organizations can enhance the security of their Dynamics 365 environments, safeguard sensitive data, and foster trust with customers and partners. Security within Dynamics 365 transcends mere necessity; it represents a strategic asset in the interconnected world of today.

Teams in Microsoft Dynamics 365

Teams simplify the management of security roles by allowing shared access among multiple users. When you add a user to a team, the system automatically assigns the security roles associated with that team to the user. This makes permission management more efficient, especially when users belong to different business units.

Recent enhancements to team functionality, particularly regarding security roles, have improved the ability to manage shared business scenarios. While some sales processes require individual security contexts, many involve collaboration. In complex sales situations, having a single owner for sales data may not be practical. Instead, assigning ownership to a team ensures consistent access among all members. However, certain use cases still present challenges when relying on owner teams.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 provides a flexible security model that controls access and permissions while maintaining data integrity and privacy. However, team-based security introduces complexities due to the diverse range of user activities and business ownership structures. Initially, team-based security may seem similar to user-based security, but they operate differently. Most entities in Dynamics 365, including custom entities, are owned by an organization, user, or team, determining record ownership and access.

Types of Entity Ownership in Dynamics 365

1. Business-owned – Some system entities are owned by the business, such as Business Unit, Calendar, Team, Security Role, and User.
2. None – Some entities do not have direct ownership, often facilitating Many-to-Many relationships or inheriting access from a parent record (e.g., Opportunity Product, which follows the ownership of the related Opportunity).
3. Organization-owned – Certain system entities belong to the organization, such as Articles, Article Templates, Competitors, Currencies, and Web Resources.
4. User or Team-owned – The system links these entities to a specific user or team, associates them with business units and security roles, and applies role-based security.

Role of Teams in Entity Ownership

Teams can own records and entities instead of individual users, ensuring that all team members have consistent access and permissions. Organizations use this approach when they require collective record ownership.

When to Use Owner Teams

• Your organization’s policies mandate that entities like teams, not individual users, own the records.
• System designers predefine the number of teams.
• Regular reporting on team ownership is necessary.

Advantages of Teams

• Provides shared access to records for a group of users.
• A team belongs to one business unit but can include users from different business units.
• Security roles assigned to a team determine its privileges.
• Users can be part of multiple teams.
• Teams have full access rights to the records they own.

Types of Teams in Dynamics 365

1. Owner Team – Owns records and has assigned security roles that define team-wide privileges.
2. Access Team –The system controls access through individual user roles and team membership, not by record ownership or assigned security roles.
3. Azure AD Security Group Team – Functions similarly to an Owner Team, allowing ownership of records and assignment of security roles.

Business Unit, Security Role and Team Work Together:

As stated in the official Microsoft documentation, within Dynamics 365, security roles are not directly assigned to Business Units. Rather, these roles are allocated to users or teams, who are subsequently linked to Business Units.

The association of users or teams with a Business Unit establishes the parameters for their access to data and functionalities within that unit. This security framework provides enhanced flexibility in managing access at the business unit level, enabling the assignment of distinct security roles to various users or teams. Furthermore, this method facilitates improved oversight of user and team permissions, allowing for adjustments that align with current requirements.

The official documentation from Microsoft indicates that it is possible to assign security roles directly to the default team within the business unit. This approach streamlines security role management, giving all business unit team members uniform data access rights.

Readmore : use teams to grant record access without role changes

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