Power Platform Build tools for azure Devops Pipeline Canvas App not able to play after import of Solution

[leo_visser]

We are experimenting with the new Power Platform Build tools for azure devops pipelines but we're experiencing an issue we can't seem to wrap our brains around.
We've set up the service principal and other necessary authentication. When we are using the who am i build job in the pipeline it's working perfectly. So next step we made a simple canvas app and put this in a solution. After publishing everything we exported the solution (we've tried to export it both as a managed and unmanaged solution). We've put the zip file in a repository and added the build step to import the solution in our environment.
The job finished successfully and the solution is imported. In the solution the canvas app is shown but when clicking on it we end up in the app overview and we are not able to play the app or do anything with it.
If we export the solution as a unmanaged solution and then import it manually we are seeing the same result as mentioned above, when we are exporting the solution as a managed solution and then import it manually things do seem to work and we can use the app. But when using the build task we are always getting the same result. We've tried to add the publish all customizations job to the pipeline but this didn't seem to change things too. We've tried importing it as a managed solution or unmanaged solution but this also didn't seem to make a difference. We've tried to export the solution using the pipeline and using this version which was exported for our import but als this didn't make a difference.
Is there someone out there who can tell us what is going wrong? If needed I can provide parts of the yaml code or the exported files etc.

[jekakou]

Hello @leo_visser 

This issue was related here by the member: https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Building-Power-Apps/Importing-exporting-solutions-with-Azure-Dev...

He has the same issue, My advice was to create a MS ticket to verify the behavior since we have two different one from UI vs Pipeline.

To submit your next support request, check out our new Dynamics 365 Help + Support Portal.  The portal is easy to use and provides a support experience tailored to the needs of Dynamics customers. Dynamics 365 administrators can access the portal at https://admin.powerplatform.microsoft.com.

Thank you

[leo_visser · Accepted solution]

Thank you for the response. I just found out a day or so ago that if we change the authentication to username and password instead of SPN that it works. A collegue of me then found out that if we change the owner of the powerapp after it was imported to a useraccount instead of a SPN that the problem is also resolved. So it seems we've found a solution already.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I am also, trying to replicate the same functionality. Could you please tell me that, what is the "Server URL", you have used to create the "Service Connection" with username and password on Azure DevOps? Is it "https://powerapps.microsoft.com/" only?

Please let me know. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Hi, I understand that, I need to use the Dynamics 365 url only for the canvas applications as well. thank you.

[leo_visser]

Yes indeed for the server url you want to take that url. You can also find it in the powerapp admin center. When I started the default envirioment I was using didn't have a database so I couldn't get this url. But if you make a database the url for the server will be shown and you can then see it.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I was able to import the Canvas PowerApp using the Power Platform Build tools. I can see the App on the target environment, however, the Power Automate flows used on the App were not imported automatically.

I am not able to add the Power Automate flows into the solution as they are the Instant flows ( I am not able to see them on the list to add).

Am I missing anything here? Could you please suggest on how to import the Power Automate Flows as well into the target environment along with the Canvas Power App? Thank you.

[leo_visser]

I'd suggest you make your own topic for questions like this. But if you look here:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/maker/common-data-service/solutions-overview#known-limita...
You'll see that the first limitation involves canvas app triggered flows. So you can't do what you are trying now.
I've worked around this by having the powerapp send data directly to a sharepoint list and have my flows and logic apps listen to sharepoint list triggers instead. If you do that you are able to include the flow in the solution and deploy it via the pipeline.
If you want to also deploy the logic apps you can use arm templates for this.

[dkdt]

The reason this is happening is because everything imported as part of the solution becomes owned by the service principal.  Therefore the service principal is the default owner and only identity with authoring rights.  However, a service principal can't actually log in to make.powerapps.com.  You can with your personal identity, but you don't have rights yet.  The manual way to address this is to log in to Power Platform Admin Center (https://aka.ms/ppac) and share the app with yourself.

Once you have some set of rights on the app, the make.powerapps.com awkwardness will be gone.

The way to do this from an Azure DevOps pipeline is to call this PowerShell cmdlet:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/Microsoft.PowerApps.Administration.PowerShell/set...

HTH

[Anonymous]

Hello @leo_visser , 

Please read @dkdt's post and try it.

Please mark it as the solution, for others who might encounter the same issue 🙂, mainly those using MFA in their tenant.

👍