This document discusses automating Dynamics 365 CE and PowerApps build and release processes using Azure DevOps and PowerApps build tools. It covers application lifecycle management (ALM), source control, solutions and layering in Dynamics 365, and using Azure DevOps for continuous integration and deployment with PowerApps build tools to import, export, publish and automate other deployment tasks. A demo is shown of creating a build/release pipeline with PowerApps build tools.

1. PowerApps Azure DevOps Build Tools
Automate your Dynamics 365 CE / Powerapps Build and Release process

2. Joost Veldhuis
PowerApps, Dynamics 365 CE
Technical Consultant
Macaw
@JJJVeldhuis
Joost.Veldhuis@macaw.nl
Linkedin.com/in/JoostVeldhuis

3. Agenda
• What is Application Lifecycle Management
• Solutions and Layering
• Managed vs Unmanaged
• ALM Health Check
• Source Control
• Azure DevOps
• PowerApps Build Tools

4. What is Application Lifecycle Management (ALM)?
ALM is an overarching concept that spans multiple teams:
• Admin Services for Environment Management
• Dev Experience and tooling Team
• Makers for citizens developer experience
• Platform for solution model and application install

5. Why Is ALM important?
• Automate the process
• Less errors while deploying
• All “code” is stored on a managed centralized environment.
• Run tests before the solution is deployed
• Error handling
• Better quality in Production

6. What is a solution?
Solutions are how customizers and
developers author, package, and
maintain PowerApps and Dynamics
Solutions are created and authored
by a Publisher
Solution
Data Model
Entities
Attributes
Forms
Views
Charts
Relationships
Global Option Sets
User Interface
Web Resources
JavaScript Libraries
Dashboards
Ribbon (command bar)
Sitemap
Dialogs
Process/Code
Assemblies
Custom Activities
Plug-ins
Workflow Definitions
Workflow
Business Process
Rules
Other
Reports
Templates
Security Roles
FLS Profiles
System Settings (transport only)
Virtual Entities
Web Hooks
App Modules

7. Layering
Application Behaviour
System Layer*
CDS Managed Layer
What the user sees
Managed Layers
1 per managed solution
Unmanaged “layer”
System Solution*
Base CDS entities
Managed Solutions
Unmanaged Customizations
Unmanaged
Solution C Unmanaged
Solution D
Managed Solution B
Managed Solution A
Layering occurs on import of solutions when a
specific component is affected by change
within one or more solution
Layers describe the dependency chain of
component from the root solution introducing
it, through each solution that extends or
changes the component’s behavior
Layers are created through extension of an
existing component (taking a dependency on it)
or through creation of a new component or
version of a solution.
Important:
Layers should be considered on a per-
component basis. Although typically drawn to
convey the effect of a solution on another
solution, this is always at a component or sub-
component level.

8. Managed vs Unmanaged
• Non development environment
• Test, UAT, Prod
• Generated by Build server
• Based on Build Artifact
• Easily manageable
• Easy Delete of All Components
in the Solution
• Development environment
• Created by “developers”
• Basis for Build Artifact
• The source for Build and Release
pipeline
• Deleting Solution does not delete
Components

9. Fundamentals: ALM Health Check
 Source Control definitive source of truth
 Are you Releasing as managed?
 Are your Dev environments disposable?
 Developer isolation?
 Using SolutionPackager?

10. Fundamentals: Solution Health Check
Solution segmentation?
Supported techniques only?
Testing in UC and using AppModules?
Single publisher?
Solution Checker? Only have your managed dependencies installed?

11. SourceControl
• A central place to store everything you deploy to production-like
environments
• Managed way of making changes
• Ruleset on who and how the changes are implemented
• Centralized vs. Distributed
• Git, Github, BitBucket, Team Foundation Services (TFS)

12. Azure DevOps
• Plan smarter, collaborate better and ship faster
with a set of modern dev services
• Easy collaboration
• Build/Release
• SourceControl Management
• Agile/Scrum Boards

13. Getting started, faster
Initiate
Build and Walk away
Build
Automated, Predictive, Repeatable
Release
Run Solution
CheckerPack Solution
Run
Integration
Test
Run Unit TestRun Unit Test
Run Solution
Checker
Export
Solution
Unpack to
Repo
ALM Powered by Azure DevOps
Initial Build Pipeline instantiates pristine
Development Environment daily
Automated Release Pipeline removes manual steps. Weekly, daily or hourly
releases becomes the new standard
Build Pipeline Automates manual steps.
No more upload to Solution checker and
manually export solution, unpack and
push to repo
Provision
Environment
Deploy
Dependencies
Pack Source
Code from
Repo
Import
Solution
Powered by Azure DevOps and Git
Import as
unmanaged
Increment
Version
Export
Managed

14. PowerApps Build Tools
• Azure DevOps Task for Automating deployments
• Uses Serviceconnections with Environments
• Import, Export, Publish
• (un)Packing, Package Deployer
• Solution Checker

15. Demo
Creating Build/Release with PowerappsBuild tools

16. To Conclude
• Use SourceControl to store solutions and customizations
• Automate Build/Release process with PowerApps Build Tools
• Managed on every environment except development

17. Usefull Links
http://marketresearchjournalist.com/2019/07/02/application-lifecycle-management-market-development-trend-2019-to-2025/
https://www.inflectra.com/spirateam/highlights/understanding-alm-tools.aspx
https://github.com/microsoft/PowerApps-Samples/tree/master/azure/build-tools
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-in/services/devops/

18. Question?

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