MGDC for SharePoint – Update on 08/2023

0. Overview

There have been a lot of changes in Microsoft Graph Data Connect for SharePoint (a.k.a. Project Archimedes) recently. Let’s take a moment to review these key changes, which can be grouped into three main categories: the public preview phase, enhancements to the setup process, and the introduction of new documentation.

1. Public Preview

Firstly, Microsoft Graph Data Connect for SharePoint has moved from private preview to Public Preview. The primary change is the introduction of billing through Azure meters. This transition also saw the renaming of SharePoint datasets to remove the “preview” tag and the “Sharing” dataset was renamed to “Permissions”. The schemas remain unchanged; only the dataset names have been updated.

Here are a few links related to the Public Preview:

• MGDC blog post announcing the change
• SharePoint datasets now in public preview
• Links about Microsoft Graph Data Connect for SharePoint

Recommendation: If you’re using the old dataset names (those that include the word “preview”), it’s recommended that you update your pipelines as the old names are now deprecated and will eventually cease to function.

2. New Consent Model

Next, on August 18, 2023, MGDC transitioned to an improved consent model, making setup easier for tenants. Now, application access approval occurs before a pipeline runs. There’s an updated UX for creating MGDC applications in the Azure Portal and approving them in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. This greatly improves the overall experience for both developers and admins. Tenants no longer need to use Privileged Access Management (PAM) for approvals and MGDC no longer requires an E3 or E5 license. Additionally, pipelines are reportedly running faster.

Here is a link regarding the new experience, plus an updated step-by-step guide:

• Microsoft Graph Data Connect onboarding experience
• Step-by-step: Gathering a detailed dataset on your SharePoint Sites (New Consent)

Recommendation: If you are using the old consent model leveraging the PAM, consider a move to the new model. You can read more on how to migrate existing customers to the enhanced Microsoft Graph Data Connect consent experience.

3. New FAQs

Lastly, two new blog posts have been published that explain the columns in our SharePoint datasets. These documents will help you understand the detailed information you receive. One document provides a new explanation of permissions in SharePoint, including details like the many types of guests or properties of sharing links. The other document describes the multiple sizes in the Storage Metrics of a SharePoint site, including things like versions and recycle bins.

Here are those two new docs:

• SharePoint on MGDC FAQ: What is in the Permissions dataset?
• SharePoint on MGDC FAQ: What is the size of my sites?

Recommendation: Read up on these docs and apply the knowledge to your reports and dashboards. You could add a few calculated columns and offer your end users some notes on the meaning of the more obscure columns in the dataset.

4. Conclusion

In conclusion, there have been numerous updates with more expected soon. Stay tuned!