Data Sources Overview

Data sources in the Microsoft 365 Terraform Provider allow you to query and reference existing Microsoft 365 resources without managing them. This enables you to build configurations that reference organizational data, validate existing resources, and create dependencies between managed and unmanaged resources.

Available Data Source Categories

The provider offers data sources across several key areas:

Device Management

Query devices, policies, scripts, updates, and device configurations

Identity & Access

Access tenant info, licenses, roles, and conditional access templates

Applications

Retrieve application registrations, service principals, and app metadata

Groups

Query security groups, Microsoft 365 groups, and membership information

Core Querying Capabilities

Multiple Query Methods

Most data sources support flexible querying options:

# Query by ID (most efficient)
data "microsoft365_graph_beta_device_management_managed_device" "by_id" {
  filter_type  = "id"
  filter_value = "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000"
}

# Query by name
data "microsoft365_graph_beta_device_management_managed_device" "by_name" {
  filter_type  = "device_name"
  filter_value = "LAPTOP-ABC123"
}

# Query all resources
data "microsoft365_graph_beta_device_management_managed_device" "all" {
  filter_type = "all"
}

# Advanced OData queries
data "microsoft365_graph_beta_device_management_managed_device" "odata" {
  filter_type  = "odata"
  odata_filter = "operatingSystem eq 'Windows'"
  odata_top    = 50
  odata_orderby = "lastSyncDateTime desc"
}

OData Query Support

Many data sources support advanced OData query parameters:

Parameter	Description	Example
`odata_filter`	Filter results by field values	`"status eq 'compliant'"`
`odata_select`	Choose specific fields to return	`"id,displayName,status"`
`odata_top`	Limit number of results	`10`
`odata_orderby`	Sort results	`"displayName asc"`
`odata_count`	Include count in response	`true`
`odata_expand`	Include related entities	`"deviceCategory"`
`odata_search`	Full-text search	`"\"displayName:LAPTOP\""`

OData queries provide powerful filtering but may have longer execution times. Use specific IDs when possible for best performance.

Common Patterns

Reference Existing Resources

Use data sources to reference existing resources in your configurations:

# Look up an existing group
data "microsoft365_graph_beta_groups_group" "it_admins" {
  display_name = "IT Administrators"
}

# Use in policy assignment
resource "microsoft365_graph_beta_device_management_configuration_policy" "security" {
  name = "Security Baseline"
  
  assignments = [
    {
      target = {
        group_id = data.microsoft365_graph_beta_groups_group.it_admins.id
      }
    }
  ]
}

Validate Resource Existence

Check if resources exist before creating dependencies:

data "microsoft365_graph_beta_applications_application" "existing" {
  display_name = "My Application"
}

output "app_exists" {
  value = length(data.microsoft365_graph_beta_applications_application.existing.id) > 0
}

Filter and Transform Data

Query resources and transform the results:

data "microsoft365_graph_beta_device_management_managed_device" "all_devices" {
  filter_type = "all"
}

# Get only Windows devices
locals {
  windows_devices = [
    for device in data.microsoft365_graph_beta_device_management_managed_device.all_devices.items :
    device if device.operating_system == "Windows"
  ]
}

output "windows_count" {
  value = length(local.windows_devices)
}

Retrieve Lists for Iteration

Use data sources to drive resource creation:

data "microsoft365_graph_beta_identity_and_access_subscribed_skus" "all" {
}

output "license_summary" {
  value = {
    for sku in data.microsoft365_graph_beta_identity_and_access_subscribed_skus.all.subscribed_skus :
    sku.sku_part_number => {
      total     = sku.prepaid_units.enabled
      consumed  = sku.consumed_units
      available = sku.prepaid_units.enabled - sku.consumed_units
    }
  }
}

Performance Considerations

Query Optimization

Use Specific Filters

Querying by ID or specific attributes is faster than retrieving all resources:

# Faster - specific ID
data "microsoft365_graph_beta_groups_group" "specific" {
  object_id = "12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789012"
}

# Slower - retrieve all then filter
data "microsoft365_graph_beta_groups_group" "all" {
  filter_type = "all"
}

Limit Returned Fields

Use odata_select to return only needed fields:

data "microsoft365_graph_beta_device_management_managed_device" "summary" {
  filter_type  = "odata"
  odata_select = "id,deviceName,operatingSystem,complianceState"
}

Implement Pagination

Use odata_top to limit large result sets:

data "microsoft365_graph_beta_device_management_managed_device" "limited" {
  filter_type = "odata"
  odata_top   = 100
}

Configure Timeouts

Adjust timeouts for large queries:

data "microsoft365_graph_beta_device_management_managed_device" "all" {
  filter_type = "all"
  
  timeouts {
    read = "5m"
  }
}

Utility Data Sources

The provider includes utility data sources for common operations:

Data Source	Purpose
`microsoft365_utility_licensing_service_plan_reference`	Look up license SKUs and service plans
`microsoft365_utility_deployment_scheduler`	Schedule phased deployments with time-based gates
`microsoft365_utility_guid_list_sharder`	Split large GUID lists for batch operations
`microsoft365_utility_entra_id_sid_converter`	Convert between Entra ID and SIDs
`microsoft365_utility_itunes_app_metadata`	Retrieve iTunes app information
`microsoft365_utility_microsoft_store_package_manifest_metadata`	Get Microsoft Store app metadata
`microsoft365_utility_windows_msi_app_metadata`	Extract MSI file metadata
`microsoft365_utility_macos_pkg_app_metadata`	Extract macOS PKG metadata
`microsoft365_utility_microsoft_365_endpoint_reference`	Get Microsoft 365 service endpoints
`microsoft365_utility_windows_remediation_script_registry_key_generator`	Generate registry key scripts

Example: License Management

# Get all subscribed licenses
data "microsoft365_graph_beta_identity_and_access_subscribed_skus" "all" {
}

# Look up service plan details
data "microsoft365_utility_licensing_service_plan_reference" "m365_e3" {
  product_name = "Microsoft 365 E3"
}

# Output license availability
output "license_report" {
  value = {
    for sku in data.microsoft365_graph_beta_identity_and_access_subscribed_skus.all.subscribed_skus :
    sku.sku_part_number => {
      name            = sku.sku_part_number
      total_licenses  = sku.prepaid_units.enabled
      used_licenses   = sku.consumed_units
      available       = sku.prepaid_units.enabled - sku.consumed_units
      utilization_pct = floor((sku.consumed_units / sku.prepaid_units.enabled) * 100)
      status          = sku.capability_status
    }
  }
}

Example: Compliance Reporting

# Get all managed devices
data "microsoft365_graph_beta_device_management_managed_device" "all" {
  filter_type = "all"
}

# Calculate compliance statistics
locals {
  compliant_devices = [
    for device in data.microsoft365_graph_beta_device_management_managed_device.all.items :
    device if device.compliance_state == "compliant"
  ]
  
  non_compliant_devices = [
    for device in data.microsoft365_graph_beta_device_management_managed_device.all.items :
    device if device.compliance_state == "noncompliant"
  ]
  
  total_devices = length(data.microsoft365_graph_beta_device_management_managed_device.all.items)
}

output "compliance_summary" {
  value = {
    total_devices       = local.total_devices
    compliant           = length(local.compliant_devices)
    non_compliant       = length(local.non_compliant_devices)
    compliance_rate_pct = floor((length(local.compliant_devices) / local.total_devices) * 100)
  }
}

output "non_compliant_devices" {
  value = [
    for device in local.non_compliant_devices : {
      name            = device.device_name
      user            = device.user_principal_name
      last_sync       = device.last_sync_date_time
      os              = device.operating_system
    }
  ]
}

Best Practices

Use Appropriate Query Methods

Choose the most efficient query method for your use case:

Use ID lookups for known resources
Use display name for human-friendly references
Use OData filters for complex queries

Handle Empty Results

Always check for empty results before accessing data:

output "device_info" {
  value = length(data.microsoft365_graph_beta_device_management_managed_device.by_id.items) > 0 ? 
    data.microsoft365_graph_beta_device_management_managed_device.by_id.items[0] : 
    null
}

Minimize State File Size

Use odata_select to return only necessary fields when querying large datasets.

Set Appropriate Timeouts

Configure timeouts based on expected query complexity and tenant size.

Document Data Dependencies

Clearly document which data sources your configuration depends on.

Next Steps

Device Management Data Sources

Query managed devices, policies, and configurations

Identity & Access Data Sources

Retrieve tenant, license, and role information

Application Data Sources

Query apps, service principals, and app metadata

Examples

Browse complete configuration examples

Overview

Device Management

Identity & Access

Applications

​Data Sources Overview

​Available Data Source Categories

Device Management

Identity & Access

Applications

Groups

​Core Querying Capabilities

​Multiple Query Methods

​OData Query Support

​Common Patterns

​Reference Existing Resources

​Validate Resource Existence

​Filter and Transform Data

​Retrieve Lists for Iteration

​Performance Considerations

​Query Optimization

​Utility Data Sources

​Example: License Management

​Example: Compliance Reporting

​Best Practices

​Next Steps

Device Management Data Sources

Identity & Access Data Sources

Application Data Sources

Examples

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Data Sources Overview

Available Data Source Categories

Core Querying Capabilities

Multiple Query Methods

OData Query Support

Common Patterns

Reference Existing Resources

Validate Resource Existence

Filter and Transform Data

Retrieve Lists for Iteration

Performance Considerations

Query Optimization

Utility Data Sources

Example: License Management

Example: Compliance Reporting

Best Practices

Next Steps