Understanding scan buckets and parallel scanning
AI summary
Rencore Governance groups connectors into scan buckets to prevent overloading shared resources like Microsoft APIs. Only one connector per bucket runs at a time, but connectors from different buckets run in parallel. Understanding buckets helps you predict scan timing, see which connectors run together, and identify when paused scans block others.
Rencore Governance scans your Microsoft 365 tenantMicrosoft 365 tenantA Microsoft 365 tenant is the dedicated instance of Microsoft 365 that holds an organization's users, groups, data and settings.Read more by running jobs against many different connectors: SharePoint, TeamsMicrosoft TeamsMicrosoft Teams is the Microsoft 365 app for chat, meetings and team collaboration.Read more, Power PlatformPower PlatformPower Platform is the Microsoft low-code platform where users build their own apps, flows, reports, agents and websites.Read more, Entra IDMicrosoft Entra IDMicrosoft Entra ID, formerly Azure Active Directory, is the Microsoft identity service behind every Microsoft 365 tenant.Read more, and so on. To keep scans fast and to avoid hitting Microsoft API throttlingThrottlingThrottling is how Microsoft 365 limits the requests an application or user can send in a period of time.Read more limits, those connectors are organised into scan buckets.
This page explains what scan bucketsScan bucketA scan bucket is a group of connectors that never scan at the same time because they share the same Microsoft APIs.Read more are, how parallel scanning works across them, and which connectors belong to which bucket by default.
Why connectors are grouped into buckets
Some connectors use the same Microsoft API. SharePoint and OneDriveOneDriveOneDrive is the personal file storage of each Microsoft 365 user. The OneDrive connector of Rencore Governance, part of the Digital Workplace module, inventories every OneDrive with its files, folders and file sharing.Read more, for example, both call the same SharePoint REST endpoints, and Microsoft 365Microsoft 365Microsoft 365 is the Microsoft cloud suite of Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Exchange and the Office apps.Read more and Teams both rely on Microsoft GraphMicrosoft GraphMicrosoft Graph is the Microsoft API that gives access to the data of the Microsoft 365 services.Read more. Scanning them at the same time would make Microsoft slow both down. So Rencore Governance puts them in the same group, a scan bucket, and scans them one after the other.
A bucket is a group of connectors that should not run in parallel because they share resources. ConnectorsConnectorA connector is the part of Rencore Governance that reads one service, such as Teams or SharePoint, into the inventory.Read more in different buckets can run at the same time without interfering with each other.
How parallel scanning works
Rencore Governance schedules scans according to two rules:
- Only one connector from any given bucket runs at a time.
- Connectors from different buckets can run in parallel.
So if “Microsoft 365”, “Power AppsPower AppsPower Apps is the Microsoft low-code tool for building business apps. Rencore Governance covers it with the Power Apps connector, part of the Apps, Automation & BI module.Read more”, and “OneDrive” are each in different buckets, all three can scan concurrently. But “Microsoft 365” and “Teams”, both in the same bucket, will scan one after the other, never simultaneously.
Connectors in each bucket
The default grouping is:
Bucket | Connectors |
|---|---|
1 | Microsoft 365, Teams, Entra ID, PlannerMicrosoft PlannerMicrosoft Planner is the Microsoft 365 app for task plans and boards. The Planner connector of Rencore Governance, part of the Digital Workplace module, inventories plans.Read more |
2 | Power Apps, Power AutomatePower AutomatePower Automate, formerly Microsoft Flow, is the Microsoft low-code tool for automated workflows called flows.Read more |
3 | Power BIPower BIPower BI is the Microsoft service for reports and dashboards over business data.Read more, Viva EngageViva EngageViva Engage, formerly Yammer, is the Microsoft 365 app for company-wide communities.Read more, ExchangeExchange OnlineExchange Online is the Microsoft 365 mail and calendar service. Rencore Governance covers it with the Exchange connector, part of the Digital Workplace module.Read more, Copilot StudioCopilot StudioCopilot Studio is the Microsoft tool for building your own AI agents. Rencore Governance covers it with the Copilot Studio connector, part of the AI & Agents module.Read more, Microsoft 365 CopilotMicrosoft 365 CopilotMicrosoft 365 Copilot is the AI assistant in the Microsoft 365 apps. Rencore Governance covers it with the Copilot connector, part of the AI & Agents module.Read more |
4 | OneDrive, SharePoint |
5 | AzureMicrosoft AzureMicrosoft Azure is the Microsoft cloud platform for virtual machines, web apps and other cloud resources.Read more |
Why this matters for you
Understanding the bucket model helps in three situations:
- When you see scans running concurrently in the scan history and want to know why some combinations appear together and others do not.
- When you are estimating how long a full scan cycle takes across all enabled connectors in your tenant. Connectors in the same bucket scan sequentially, so the total time is driven by the slowest bucket, not by the sum of all individual scans.
- Knowing that a paused or running scan will block other scans in the same bucket until complete.
Frequently asked questions
Why do some connectors scan in parallel and others sequentially?
Connectors that share Microsoft APIs are grouped into buckets. Only one connector per bucket runs at a time to avoid throttling, but different buckets run in parallel.
Can we scan Teams and Microsoft 365 at the same time?
Can we scan Teams and Microsoft 365 at the same time?No. Teams and Microsoft 365 are both in Bucket 1 and share Microsoft Graph resources, so they scan one after the other.
How long will a complete scan cycle take?
The total time is determined by the slowest bucket, not the sum of individual scans, since connectors within a bucket scan sequentially.
Will a paused scan delay other scans?
Yes. A paused or running scan blocks other scans in the same bucket from starting.
Can Power Apps and Power Automate scan at the same time?
Can Power Apps and Power Automate scan at the same time?No. Power Apps and Power Automate are both in Bucket 2, so they scan one after the other.
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for the feedback.
Thanks. What was wrong?