What They Are and Why You Need to Know Them
When creating a custom Dataverse table, you may wonder about the purpose of the columns that are included. Below is a list of the columns and their purpose.
Created By
Identifies who created the record. This is set by the server and cannot be set by a user. Useful for audit trails.
Created By (Delegate)
Specifies if the record was created on behalf of someone else, for example, if a plugin modifies a record on which the executing user does not have 'write' permission.
Created On
A timestamp indicating when the record was created, set by the server. Good for auditing. Learn more about Dataverse auditing.
Import Sequence Number
Used for data import scenarios; helps in tracking the order of imported records. Not used often.
Modified By
For the last person who modified the record, set by the server.
Modified By (Delegate)
Tells you if the record was modified on behalf of someone else, set by the server.
Modified On
Timestamp for the last modification, set by the server. Useful for auditing.
Name
The primary name field for the product. Required and searchable. This field can be changed during the table creation process in the Primary column tab. It is the default field that will show up for a record, for example when selecting a record from a dropdown box. It's best to set it to something relevant such as Name (the default), Title, Subject, or Label.
Owner
Specifies the owner of the record, often for security and data access. Unlike Created By, the Owner can change over time. Understanding Dataverse Security Models.
Owning Business Unit
Indicates the business unit that owns the record.
Owning Team
Specifies the team that owns the record, if applicable.
Owning User
Individual user owning the record if not owned by a team or business unit.
Table Identifier
Unique identifier for the product. Required. This field will have the same name as the table itself. For example, a table called Product will have a unique identifier field called Product. This field is set by the server and is a GUID.
Record Created On
Allows for manually setting the 'Created On' field, useful for data migration.
Status
Current state of the record (e.g., Active, Inactive). Required and searchable. These are global but can be customized.
Status Reason
Gives more context to the 'Status'. Status reasons are related to a particular status. For example, a status of Active can have a status reason of Open, In Progress, Holding, etc. These are global but can be customized.
Time Zone Rule Version Number
Used internally for time zone conversions, usually not modified.
UTC Conversion Time Zone Code
Also used internally for handling time zones.
