How much of your Microsoft 365 environment can you actually see at once?
The author finds that understanding the interconnectedness of Microsoft 365 environments is challenging despite abundant data. Existing tools require administrators to manually navigate between different services to piece together relationships. This process becomes especially difficult in larger environments, as the information exists but is not presented in a connected way. The author developed VisibleState to address this by allowing users to start with any object and follow its connections. This approach shifts the focus from finding information to understanding context and dependencies. VisibleState enables exploration of relationships like User → Groups → SharePoint → Teams, aiding in questions about access, impact of changes, and unusual configurations. Different teams, like security and compliance, can benefit from these connected views tailored to their specific needs. The author developed VisibleState to simplify their own work and is curious if others face similar challenges. They are seeking to understand where others would begin exploring connections within their Microsoft 365 environments. The core idea is to visualize what is connected to any given element, rather than just listing its properties. This offers a more contextual understanding of the entire ecosystem.