Processes

The Processes section within a Module exposes global process actions—custom actions that are not bound to a specific entity. These are standalone operations that can work across multiple entities or perform system-level functions.

Global Process Actions

Global Process Actions expose Dynamics 365 custom actions (process actions) that are not entity-bound. They provide a way to execute complex business logic through a simple API call.

Global Process Action Structure

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                 GLOBAL PROCESS ACTION STRUCTURE                      │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                      │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │ DEFINITION                                                   │   │
│  │   • Name (action identifier)                                │   │
│  │   • Process Action (CRM custom action to invoke)            │   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                                                      │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │ DOCUMENTATION                                                │   │
│  │   • Title                                                    │   │
│  │   • Description                                              │   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                                                      │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │ INPUTS                                                       │   │
│  │   • API input parameters                                     │   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                                                      │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │ OUTPUTS                                                      │   │
│  │   • Response fields returned to caller                       │   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                                                      │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │ DATA FETCHER                                                 │   │
│  │   • Pre-fetch queries for validation                         │   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                                                      │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │ ACCESS CONTROL                                               │   │
│  │   • Authorization Policy                                     │   │
│  │   • Pre-conditions                                           │   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                                                      │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │ PROCESS ACTION BINDING                                       │   │
│  │   • Input Arguments (mapping API inputs to process)          │   │
│  │   • Output Arguments (mapping process outputs to response)   │   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                                                      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Configuration Components

Definition

Property	Required	Description
Name	Yes	Unique identifier for this process action (e.g., "calculate-discount", "run-credit-check")
Endpoint Name	Yes	The URL path segment for invoking this action
Process Action	Yes	The Dynamics 365 custom action to invoke

Documentation

Property	Required	Description
Title	Yes	Short, descriptive name (e.g., "Calculate Discount", "Run Credit Check")
Description	No	Detailed explanation of what the action does, its effects, and expected behavior

Inputs

Property	Description
Name	Parameter identifier used in API request
Type	Data type (String, Integer, Money, DateTime, GUID, etc.)
Required	Whether the parameter must be provided
Default Value	Value used if parameter is not provided
Validation	Validation rules
Description	Documentation for API consumers

Outputs

Property	Description
Name	Field name in the API response
Type	Data type for serialization
Description	Documentation explaining the output

Process Action Binding

Input Arguments: Maps API inputs to the custom action's input parameters.

Property	Description
Process Argument	The custom action's input parameter name
Binding	The API input, fetched data, or expression to use

Output Arguments: Maps the custom action's output parameters to the API response.

Property	Description
Process Argument	The custom action's output parameter name
Response Field	The field name in the API response
Transform	Optional transformation before returning

Examples

Example 1: Apply Discount Code

Module: Sales
Global Process Action: ApplyDiscountCode

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ DEFINITION                                                           │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Name: apply-discount                                                 │
│ Endpoint: POST /api/sales/processes/apply-discount                  │
│ Process Action: new_ApplyDiscountCode                               │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ INPUTS                                                               │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                      │
│ ┌───────────────┬──────────┬──────────┬─────────────────────────┐  │
│ │ Name          │ Type     │ Required │ Description             │  │
│ ├───────────────┼──────────┼──────────┼─────────────────────────┤  │
│ │ orderId       │ GUID     │ Yes      │ Order to apply discount │  │
│ ├───────────────┼──────────┼──────────┼─────────────────────────┤  │
│ │ discountCode  │ String   │ Yes      │ Discount code           │  │
│ └───────────────┴──────────┴──────────┴─────────────────────────┘  │
│                                                                      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

API Request:

POST /api/sales/processes/apply-discount
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer {token}

{
  "orderId": "order-guid-here",
  "discountCode": "SUMMER2024"
}

Example 2: Run Credit Check

Module: Sales
Global Process Action: RunCreditCheck

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ DEFINITION                                                           │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Name: credit-check                                                   │
│ Endpoint: POST /api/sales/processes/credit-check                    │
│ Process Action: new_RunCreditCheck                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ INPUTS                                                               │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                      │
│ ┌───────────────┬──────────┬──────────┬─────────────────────────┐  │
│ │ Name          │ Type     │ Required │ Description             │  │
│ ├───────────────┼──────────┼──────────┼─────────────────────────┤  │
│ │ accountId     │ GUID     │ Yes      │ Account to check        │  │
│ ├───────────────┼──────────┼──────────┼─────────────────────────┤  │
│ │ checkType     │ String   │ No       │ "soft" or "hard"        │  │
│ ├───────────────┼──────────┼──────────┼─────────────────────────┤  │
│ │ forceRefresh  │ Boolean  │ No       │ Force new check         │  │
│ └───────────────┴──────────┴──────────┴─────────────────────────┘  │
│                                                                      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

API Request:

POST /api/sales/processes/credit-check
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer {token}

{
  "accountId": "account-guid-here",
  "checkType": "soft",
  "forceRefresh": false
}

Example 3: Generate Report

Module: Reports
Global Process Action: GenerateReport

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ DEFINITION                                                           │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Name: generate-report                                                │
│ Endpoint: POST /api/reports/processes/generate                      │
│ Process Action: new_GenerateSalesReport                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ INPUTS                                                               │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                      │
│ ┌───────────────┬──────────┬──────────┬─────────────────────────┐  │
│ │ Name          │ Type     │ Required │ Description             │  │
│ ├───────────────┼──────────┼──────────┼─────────────────────────┤  │
│ │ reportType    │ String   │ Yes      │ "sales-summary",        │  │
│ │               │          │          │ "pipeline", "forecast"  │  │
│ ├───────────────┼──────────┼──────────┼─────────────────────────┤  │
│ │ startDate     │ DateTime │ Yes      │ Report start date       │  │
│ ├───────────────┼──────────┼──────────┼─────────────────────────┤  │
│ │ endDate       │ DateTime │ Yes      │ Report end date         │  │
│ ├───────────────┼──────────┼──────────┼─────────────────────────┤  │
│ │ format        │ String   │ No       │ "pdf", "xlsx", "csv"    │  │
│ └───────────────┴──────────┴──────────┴─────────────────────────┘  │
│                                                                      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

API Request:

POST /api/reports/processes/generate
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer {token}

{
  "reportType": "sales-summary",
  "startDate": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z",
  "endDate": "2024-06-30T23:59:59Z",
  "format": "pdf"
}

API Response

Success (200 OK):

{}

Note: Process actions typically return an empty response body on success. The 200 status code indicates the operation completed successfully.

Error Responses

Bad Request - Invalid Input (400):

{
  "errorCode": "VALIDATION_ERROR",
  "errorMessage": "Invalid discount code"
}

Bad Request - Business Rule Violation (400):

{
  "errorCode": "BUSINESS_RULE_VIOLATION",
  "errorMessage": "Order total does not meet minimum amount for this discount code"
}

Unauthorized (401):

{
  "errorCode": "UNAUTHORIZED",
  "errorMessage": "You do not have permission to perform this action"
}

Internal Server Error (500):

{
  "errorCode": "INTERNAL_ERROR",
  "errorMessage": "An unexpected error occurred while processing the request"
}

Best Practices

Design

• Use clear, action-oriented names (e.g., "calculate-discount" not "discount")
• Define comprehensive input validation in pre-conditions
• Document expected outputs clearly
• Consider idempotency where appropriate

Security

• Use appropriate authorization policies based on action sensitivity
• Validate all inputs before passing to the process action
• Consider rate limiting for expensive operations (credit checks, report generation)

Pre-conditions

• Validate all required data exists before invoking the process
• Check quotas and limits before performing costly operations
• Provide clear, actionable error messages

Outputs

• Return all relevant information the caller needs
• Include status indicators (applied, cached, etc.)
• Provide metadata (dates, counts, sizes) for UI display