Chapter 3: Choosing the right data source for your applications

Selecting the right data source is one of the most critical decisions when designing your application infrastructure. Many factors come into play, such as features, security, speed, pricing, and integrations.

Thankfully, the needs of your solution will help you to select the right one. For example, it would be better to use a database with a certified connector if you're going to use Power BI; or if your application needs to store a specific data type, it's best to choose a database that has it natively. Another example is when working with canvas apps, where setting up data sources using different connectors opens a whole range of possibilities when interacting with data.

Before we dive into this chapter, we will also cover a key topic regarding the Power Platform's licensing model. Having understood this concept, we can discuss data concerning the Power Platform with the help of these recipes: