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Power Platform Community / Forums / Power Automate / Connectors showing ref...
Power Automate
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Connectors showing referenced by flows and apps but when reviewing they do not

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Posted on by 96
Hopefully this is the right forum to place this -   this has mostly to do with connectors and the "referenced by" 
when looking at the "using connectors" forum it's mostly around licensing.
 
I've noticed this with:  outlook connectors, SQL Server connectors and PowerBI connectors.
 
I was doing housekeeping since I was removing flows and apps that no longer were needed, and I moved onto the connectors area.
 
I first check the connector to see if it's used by anything, prior to removing it.   I've run into many occasions where I have to use PowerShell to remove the
connector due to an error - the powershell works fine.    My main issue is "some" connectors are showing "referenced by" under flows that they're being used.
 
When I look at the flow - it's definitely not used (by active and "Other connections") I even went into the flow and checked every single connection and then saved and published it.
For any flows used by PowerApps - I refreshed, saved and published those.
 
In some cases the flows were deleted - so they're not in the environment - either in the developer view and in the Admin console view -   (Note I'm the owner, developer and admin)
In just about all cases the issues come up with Flows and not apps.   None of my flows are used in solutions - they're small and just a stand-alone type.
 
I have a ticket open with support, but I'm wondering if anyone has run into this and what you've done.    There doesn't appear to be a "refresh" type operation available in PowerShell to re-check references.
if the connector is no longer used, but still showing referenced by, is it safe to delete?  or will that cause other problems.
 
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  • Michael E. Gernaey Profile Picture
    53,963 Moderator on at
     
    Can you please share pictures of this?
     
    I have only seen this when
     
    1) You have solutions that have taken dependencies on connections, regardless of the flow being gone or not, it can hold a reference
     
    2) meta-data is not updated
     
    But I would like to see your scenario so I can verify what its doing.
     
    Cheers
     
  • markinwaukesha Profile Picture
    96 on at
    Hi Michael,  Sure thing, I did a bunch of screen grabs - note I had to do some tricky redactions due to emails and other names I didn't want to 
    post - but I left all the important things there.
     
    I started to use Solutions - which I loved, however I ran into too many issues with RunOnly users being added, and having to republish my flows
    constantly - In my case they are just simple tasks used by a team of 1 person - so there it wasn't worth the extra steps - so all my cases are 
    non-solution.
     
     
    I have various scenarios - in all cases I show the flow not referencing the connection at all 
     
    1 -  A connection showing a reference to a Flow - but the flow was used in a PowerApp -   
           Note on these I updated the Flow and then refreshed, saved, republished the PowerApp
    2 -  Just in case the issue was around PowerApps using Flows - I also included a scenario of a connection referencing a Flow that was 
           never used in a PowerApp -  just a flow  
    3 -  Also another case - where the flow - does not even exist in the environment - either in the user view nor the admin console environment view
    4 -  I have another case I attached where -- on the connection - it shows flows -- but rather than the actual flow name -  it will show
          "Logic Flow" and "Save"  
           What I learned here is -- If you have a flow that's in a PowerApp - but not used -- or called by the PowerApp -  the connection reference
          will revert to that name rather than showing the real flow name
     
     
  • markinwaukesha Profile Picture
    96 on at
    Attachments Group 1
  • Michael E. Gernaey Profile Picture
    53,963 Moderator on at
     
    Thank you, question, did you go into the App and remove the Flow calls (make sure nothing is in there) etc? Ever so often I forget to actually remove it from the App, even if I remove the code.
     
     
  • markinwaukesha Profile Picture
    96 on at
    Hi Michael, 
     
    yes I removed the flow calls.   I work on alot of informal requests, in a manner that's unstructured so 
    it lends itself to start and stop activity -  or just started.
     
    It's not causing any blockers or issues but just mostly annoying in housekeeping when managing connections 
    and dependencies.    When I created a new gateway (because the current one was not documented - in terms of
    gateway recovery keys and it was over a year or two old) - I shifted all my connections to new ones that were named
    in a standardized way, I started to uncover the connection issues. 
     
    I did go into the rabbit old of sharepoint connections and those that couldn't be renamed - I have a 
    separate thread on that one - but determined that the best route there is delete all the connections and then
    create a new single one to remove all the duplicates (note that's ideal in like my case when you are developer, admin and
    IT staff all in one).
     
    I'm working with Microsoft on a support case for this so if we uncover something I'll update this thread.
     
    Additionally we also ran across connections that were not able to be deleted -  you would receive permission errors -- 
    those are solved by just running the PowerShell using the powerapps Management include - that works great.
     
    I suggested several wish list items during my call such as: being able to sort and filter on the Power automate lists.
    There are some things I also wish would be in the admin console - such as connections - you can dump the list 
    with PowerShell and there are many that accumulate over time by user - and it seems that would be a good way to
    help manage those.  
     
    Anyway
    I'll keep everyone updated, thanks!
  • Michael E. Gernaey Profile Picture
    53,963 Moderator on at
    Sounds good thanks for the update @markinwaukesha
     
    Looking forward to any feedback!!! :-) 
  • alx.kpk Profile Picture
    56 on at
    any update about how this was resolved?
  • Suggested answer
    markinwaukesha Profile Picture
    96 on at
    Yes after multiple calls with Microsoft basically it's a known problem that will never be fixed in my lifetime.
     
    I just left them there because I've heard from others that trying to force delete them can break more.    Also there some 
    many times you have to run powerShell to delete items because the web page does not work. 
     
    Unfortunately Power Automate does not get a lot of love from the support side.    
     
    what I personally do:
    1  - Avoid using solutions with PowerAutomate
    2 -  If there's a way you can avoid Power Automate and use Python or PowerShell - I do that 
    3 -  I never create more than one Sharepoint, Outlook, or M365 connection - if needed just delete them all and create one to resolve duplicates
     
    Good Luck

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