Dataverse – ERD

Creating a Dataverse ERD, Entity Relationship Diagram, is a good way to document and explain the structure of your Dataverse data model. As they say “A picture is worth a thousand words”. The Power Platform does not have any tools to create ERD diagrams so you will need to use something else. I generate ERDs for Dataverse in two ways: first, by utilizing the Entity Relation Diagram Creator, a plugin available for the XrmToolBox; and second, by employing Power BI Desktop.

The Entity Relation Diagram Creator is a great tool developed by Bas van de Sande it allows you to connect your Dataverse environment and select the solution you want to generate a ERD for. There are numerous options available for generating ERDs, such as selecting which fields to include and deciding whether to display data types.

Once you ERD is generated you can edit the diagram moving and deleting entities as required. You can save your diagram and reopen later as required. I like to use the option to Export to Draw.io. Draw.io is a free community tool for creating diagrams and a good alternative if you don’t want to purchase a Visio license.

If you just want to create a quick ERD and not edit it then a quick way to create one is to use Power BI Desktop Launch Power BI Desktop and choose “Get Data,” then opt for Dataverse as your data source. Select the Dataverse environment you want to create an ERD for and then select the tables you are want to include in your ERD.

Once you have loaded the tables select the model view to view your data model.

If you need to quickly create an ERD, the Power BI option offers the fastest approach. Alternatively, the Entity Relation Diagram Creator provides additional features and allows you to export to draw.io, enabling customization to your heart’s content.