Dataverse for Teams - ALM

[CH007]

Hi all,

I am fairly new to the Power Platform and have been tasked with creating an app which will use Dataverse for Teams, I have a couple of queries about application Lifecycle Management when using this approach.

I am aware it is possible to use Azure DevOps to build pipelines to automate the movement of apps between environments. Is this possible (and supported) with an app that uses Dataverse for Teams? i.e. automate the export of the app from one team and import into another. If so, could you provide a link to any relevant resources.

I believe the best way to move apps is to add them into a solution. There seems to be some resources online that suggest how solutions can be created and apps added (that use Dataverse for Teams).

e.g. https://youtu.be/8JC_zCh545A

Could you advise whether this kind of approach is supported? It seems more like a workaround than something that is by design.

Thanks

[Pstork1]

You can't really use regular Azure DevOps and ALM when working in Dataverse for Teams because each Team is limited to one and only one environment. So there aren't multiple environments to move the app between.

[CH007]

Hi @Pstork1, thanks for your response.

Ideally we would be using Dataverse (as opposed to Dataverse for Teams) but at the moment unfortunately that is not an option.

Going with what we have available at present forgetting about DevOps automation could you re-create ALM by having multiple teams per project for example:

Project 1

Team 1 (Project 1 Dev)

Team 2 (Project 1 Test)

Team 3 (Project 1 Production)

Then as the app moves through it's lifecycle manually export the app from one team and into another e.g. from Team 1 (acting as Dev) into Team 2 (acting as Test).

My concern is if we only have one environment to work in, what happens when the app is live and then changes are required. We are effectively having to make changes to a live app whilst users are potentially using it : (

Thanks again

[DeviKrishna]

Hi @CH007 ,

Please follow the link to move the apps across environments,

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-apps/teams/import-solution-in-teams

I watched the video link from your description- that is also fine.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
If I have answered your question, please mark your post as Solved.
If you like my response, please give it a Thumbs Up.

My Blog: Dynamics 365 Key Topics – https://d365topicsbydk.com/

My YouTube Channel : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxSIryP2ah2VpEFr-Z72t1A

Regards
Devi

[Pstork1 · Accepted solution]

Yes, you can move the solutions from one Team to another. Each Team will have its own environment, with its own copy of Dataverse.  So that will work.  If you are using the Power Apps client inside Teams then it is creating a separate environment for each Team.  So you do have more than one environment.  Each time you make a change you will need to export/import the solution between each environment to get any changes.

[jdfeemster]

My organization's tenant has four developers working on five solutions using the Azure pipelines. We have a Production and a Test environment where we import the solutions for the user base to access. Each solution has it's own git repository. We coordinate solution updates when two or more developers are working on the same solution in their respective developer environments in order to avoid collisions. We are experiencing frequent pipeline failures in the pipeline Import steps. Most are due to Dataverse entity schema changes while modifying the solutions. Attempting to move the entity schema(s) between developer environments by embedding them in simple solutions (holding only data table schemas) and then exporting/importing that solution has been very unreliable lately. Currently the only reliable success path seems to be that a solution can only be modified (especially when that solution change involves an entity schema modification) by one developer in their dev environment, pushed up to the repo, pulled down and exported to Test or Production - rather than be shared in any manner. Pulling solution sources from the repo into the dev environment via the pipelines does not address/resolve entity schema changes. I am beginning to think the current approach does not work well for multiple developers and that I need to reconsider a Teams Dataverse approach. That is to say multiple developers using a shared Dataverse database. Any insight on how other community members who work with multiple developers on multiple solutions would be appreciated.

Thanks,

JD

[KimBim]

Maybe a useful follow-up on this topic:
Regarding the newest comment below this Video this should be possible "by click" now.

"You can do all of that now straight from within MS Teams. In Power Apps click build. Select your environment you want to export from. Click show all. Select what to export, export. Select new environment, import. Done."

How to export and import solutions in Microsoft Dataverse for Teams - YouTube

Have not tested this one my own, but the build Button also appears in my teams. Will try it 🙂