Forum Discussion
Task Constraints Power BI
Hi folks,
Do you know which Dataverse table I need to use to visualize if a task has a contraint or not? I would like to see this information in Power BI.
Also, some feedback for the Project team: our team doesn't use constraints very often. Would it be possible to set the contraints manually within the task rather than having them set automatically when the dates are adjusted?
Thanks!!
Brandon
Bjhartline I've looked in the msdyn_projecttasks table and elsewhere and have not found a field identifying if a task has a constraint.
There is no way to stop constraints from being set when you manually define a task start/finish date. However, you can minimize this if you:- Set your task dependencies and let the relationships determine the dates.
- Set the task duration, which will populate the start/finish dates without applying a constraint.
Bjhartline I've looked in the msdyn_projecttasks table and elsewhere and have not found a field identifying if a task has a constraint.
There is no way to stop constraints from being set when you manually define a task start/finish date. However, you can minimize this if you:- Set your task dependencies and let the relationships determine the dates.
- Set the task duration, which will populate the start/finish dates without applying a constraint.
- To visualize task constraints in Power BI using Dataverse tables, you typically need to look into the tables related to tasks and their constraints within the Dataverse schema. Here's a general approach to identify the right table and how you can proceed:
1. Identify the Task Table
In Dataverse (formerly known as Common Data Service), tasks are usually stored in the tasks table. This table contains records of all tasks, including their details and attributes.
2. Identify the Constraints Table
Constraints related to tasks might not be in the tasks table itself but in a related table. You should look for tables that store information about constraints or relationships. This might include:
task_constraints
task_dependencies
task_relations
3. Explore Metadata
You can explore the metadata of the Dataverse environment to identify tables that store task constraints. Here’s how you can do it:
Using Power Apps
Go to Power Apps.
Navigate to the "Dataverse" section.
Select "Tables" to see all the available tables.
Look for tables that are related to tasks and constraints.
4. Fetch Data in Power BI
Once you identify the relevant tables, you can fetch the data into Power BI.
Connecting Power BI to Dataverse
Open Power BI Desktop.
Go to Home > Get Data > More.
Select Online Services > Dataverse.
Sign in and connect to your Dataverse environment.
Select the tasks table and any related tables like task_constraints or similar.
Modeling Data in Power BI
Relationships: Ensure relationships are correctly set between the tasks table and the constraints table.
Visualization: Use the appropriate visuals to represent tasks and their constraints. For example, a table visual to list tasks with constraint details or a Gantt chart to show task timelines with constraints.
Example Tables and Relationships
Assuming the relevant tables are tasks and task_constraints, here’s how you might model them:
tasks Table:
task_id (Primary Key)
task_name
start_date
end_date
Other task-related attributes
task_constraints Table:
constraint_id (Primary Key)
task_id (Foreign Key referencing tasks)
constraint_type (e.g., Must Start On, Must Finish On, As Soon As Possible)
constraint_date
Other constraint-related attributes
Steps in Power BI:
Load Data: Load both tasks and task_constraints tables.
Model Data: Create a relationship between tasks.task_id and task_constraints.task_id.
Create Visualizations:
Table Visual: To list tasks with their constraints.
Gantt Chart: To visualize tasks over time with constraints highlighted.
This approach should help you visualize task constraints in Power BI effectively. If the names of the tables or fields are different in your Dataverse environment, you may need to adjust the specific names accordingly.
