Pankaj Surti's Blog

Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) for Power Platform (PP) 1 of 3

Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) for Power Platform (PP) 3 of 3

You will have two build pipelines and one release pipeline.

1. Create two build pipelines

Follow the following steps to create a pipeline.

Click on Newpiple

Select the “Use the classic editor” link

Select Azure Repos Git. Select the Team project, Repository, and branch main.

Select “Empty Job”

Name the pipeline

2. Add SolutionName as Build variable

3. Create “Export Dev Solution” Build pipeline

Please make sure you have “Allow scripts to access the OAuth token” is checked for the Agent Job.

** Use the values from here to put in the actions input **

Power Platform Export Solution 
Solution Name : $(SolutionName)
Solution Output File : $(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)\$(SolutionName).zip
UNSELECT EXPORT AS MANAGE SOLUTION

Power Platform Unpack Solution 
Solution Input File = $(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)\$(SolutionName).zip
Target Folder to Unpack Solution : $(Build.SourcesDirectory)\$(SolutionName)

Command Line Script

Display name: Command Line Script

Script :
echo commit all changed
git config user.email "pankaj_surti@hotmail.com"
git config user.name "Automatic Build"
git checkout main
git add --all
git commit -m "solution init"

echo push code to new repo
git -c http.extraheader="AUTHORIZATION:bearer $(System.AccessToken)" push origin main

NOTE: 
To make the above script work you must give the contribute allow access to the Build service under project settings. 
Please refer to 1 of 2 (Prerequisites) step # 6 "Add Build Service as Contribute Allow permission for the new repository"

4. Create “Build QA Environment Files” Build Pipeline

Power Platform Pack Solution 

Source Folder of Solution to Pack = $(Build.SourcesDirectory)\$(SolutionName)
Solution Output File = $(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)\$(SolutionName).zip
Type of Solution : Unmanaged

Power Platform Import Solution 
Solution Input File = $(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)\$(SolutionName).zip

Power Platform Export Solution 
Solution Name : $(SolutionName)
Solution Output File : $(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)\$(SolutionName)_managed.zip
SELECT EXPORT AS MANAGE SOLUTION

Publish Artifact: drop

Path to publish = $(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)
Artifact name = drop
Artifact publish location = Azure Pipelines

Reference: Predefined variables – Azure Pipelines | Microsoft Docs

5. Create Release to production

To create release pipeline follow the steps.

Click on Pipelines->Rlease.

Click on “New pipeline”

Select “Empty Job”

Select “Add an artifact”

Select Project.

Select Source (build pipeline) as “Build QA Environments”

Select Default version as “Latest”

Type Source alias as “Build”

Now select Stage 1 and add two shown actions.

Power Platform Import Solution 
Service connection: PROD


Solution Input File = $(System.DefaultWorkingDirectory)/Build/drop/$(SolutionName)_managed.zip

The following code can be used in your Power Apps to extract the environment variable.

UpdateContext(
    {
        txtEnvVar: LookUp(
            'Environment Variable Values',
            'Environment Variable Definition'.'Schema Name' = "new_RuntimeEnvironment"
        ).Value
    }
)

To Change the environments variables for the managed solution.

The managed solution will be in locked mode and you will not be able to change the environment variables. The following are the steps to change the environments variables.

Navigate to the PROD environments using Power Platform Admin Center

Click on the Tables under Dataverse on the left side menu

Search for ‘Environment Variable Value’

Click on the ‘Environment Variable Value’ table and navigate to the ‘Data’ tab (as shown below)

For more details follow the following lab materials.

Microsoft Power Platform Build Tools for Azure DevOps


Microsoft Power Platform Build Tools for Azure DevOps – Power Platform | Microsoft Docs

Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) for Power Platform (PP) 3 of 3

This is a three-part series of blog articles. Part1 (this one) article covers prerequisites to set up ALM in Azure DevOps. Part2 article covers the Power Platform Build Tools to build and deploy the solution. Part3 article covers the  Microsoft Power Platform CLI to build and deploy the solution.

For both Part2 or Part3 approaches, you will need the following steps completed as a prerequisite. From numbers 1 to 5 you will need as a prerequisite for both approaches.

If you are following the Part2 approach you will additionally need numbers 6 and 7 as a prerequisite.

Prerequisites

1. Create a free Azure DevOps subscription.

Follow this article to get a free five-user Basic Plan Azure Subscription.

2. Create three Power Platform Environments for DEV, PRE PROD, and PROD.

3. Create an Azure AD app

Need following delegated permissions and consented by Global Admin

• Dynamic CRM / user_impersonation / Access Common Service as organization users

• PowerApps Runtime Service / user_impersonation / Common Data Service

• PowerApps.Advisor / Analysis.All

Note: Save the ClientId, ClientSecret & TenantId information of the Azure AD app. You will need this later.

4. Add Application users to the Power Platform environment

Navigate to Power Platform Admin Center using https://aka.ms/PPAC

Click on the environment name. Click on Settings

Select Users + permissions and click on Application users

Click on New app user then click on Add an app

Select the Azure AD app created from the above step. Click Add and next screen click Create.

Using the above created Azure AD app add the application user for the Power Platform. Set the role as System Administrator. This application user will be used in the automation of the build and release pipelines.

5. Add Build Service as Contribute Allow permission for the new repository

Click on Project Settings

Click on Repositories under Repos

Select the repository in this case CRM446838

Select Security tab

Select the “{Project name} Build Service (pankajsurti)” Note: your project name and user name will be different.

Select Contribute as Allow/

6. Add Power Platform Build Tools extension for Azure DevOps. (Part2)

NOTE: ONLY needed for PART2.

7. Add Service Connection in Azure DevOps (Part2)

NOTE: ONLY needed for PART2.

Click on Project Settings

Click on Service connections under Pipelines

Click on Create service connection

Select “Power Platform” and click Next

Add Service URL, Tenant ID, Application ID, Client secret of Application ID, and provide a name of the service connection such DEV, PREPROD or PROD depending on whatever environment URL you are connecting to.

Conclusion

This completes this blog post. Once executing prerequisites you can refer to Part2 or Part3 depending on what tool you want to use for your need.

The ALM is documented in detail here.