Technical Architecture

Built on Python + Azure. No Power Platform.

Every Compass module runs on open-standard Azure services: Python Azure Functions for compute, React for dashboards, Azure Logic Apps for workflows, and Azure SQL for storage. Total infrastructure cost: $50-100/month. No Power Platform licensing required.

Architecture Layers

Data Source
Microsoft Graph API

The backbone of all data extraction. Reads usage reports, enumerates permissions, captures audit events, and pulls Copilot activity data. Python SDK handles token acquisition, pagination, and throttling retries.

Included in M365
Compute
Python Azure Functions

Timer-triggered functions run daily scans. Durable Functions orchestrate parallel processing across thousands of sites. HTTP-triggered functions serve as the API layer for React dashboards. Python 3.12 on Flex Consumption plan.

$0-10/mo
Frontend
React + Recharts + shadcn/ui

Modern React dashboards with Recharts for data visualization, shadcn/ui for enterprise components, and TanStack Table for data grids. Authenticated via MSAL.js against your Entra ID tenant. No Power BI licensing required.

$9/mo
Automation
Azure Logic Apps

Replaces Power Automate at 1/100th the cost. Handles approval workflows via Teams Adaptive Cards and Outlook actionable emails, alert routing, and scheduled orchestration. HTTP connector is included — not a premium connector.

$2-15/mo
Storage
Azure SQL Serverless

Auto-scaling, auto-pausing relational database. Scales up for scan workloads, pauses during idle periods, charges only for active compute. Year-over-year governance data stored indefinitely.

$25-65/mo
Security
Azure Key Vault + Entra ID

Certificate-based authentication with minimum-privilege Entra ID app registrations. Secrets stored in Key Vault. You approve every permission grant. Zero shared secrets.

~$0.15/mo
Total monthly Azure infrastructure cost
$50 - $100/month
Billed directly by Microsoft to your Azure subscription

Why not Power Platform?

Power Platform licensing costs make enterprise governance prohibitively expensive. Compass eliminates that dependency entirely.

Power Platform ComponentCostCompass Alternative
Power Automate Premium connector$15/user/monthAzure Logic Apps HTTP connector: included
Power BI Pro licensing$10/user/monthReact + Recharts dashboards: $9/mo total
Power Apps per-app licensing$5/user/monthAzure Static Web Apps: $9/mo total
Dataverse storage$40/GB/monthAzure SQL Serverless: ~$25-65/mo total
500 users, 3 years total$54,000 - $108,000Azure infrastructure: $1,800 - $3,600

Data flow: what goes where

Your Azure Subscription
Azure Functions (Python compute)
Azure SQL (governance data)
Azure Static Web Apps (React UI)
Azure Logic Apps (workflows)
Azure Key Vault (secrets)
Azure Blob Storage (backups)
Your M365 Tenant
SharePoint (content, permissions)
Teams (workspaces, activity)
Copilot (usage, audit events)
Entra ID (authentication)
OneDrive (file access)
QueryNow (External)
Optional support & updates
No data access
No telemetry
Your data never leaves your environment.

See the architecture in your tenant.

We deploy via Bicep templates. The entire infrastructure is up in under 30 minutes.

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