Power Platform Pipeline

Problem Definition:

When deploying solutions from the Development environment to UAT and from DEV to Production environment, a CI/CD pipeline is required. Azure DevOps is typically used for this purpose. However, there is now a feature called Power Platform Pipeline that allows for the deployment of solutions from Dev to UAT and UAT to Prod without any additional integration required. This solution only requires some configuration in your tenant.

Solution:

Here are the steps required to set up the Power Platform Pipeline for deployment of your solution.

Prerequisites:

• Four environments are recommended, but you can use as few as three Power Platform environments to create a pipeline.

 • All environments used in pipelines must have a Microsoft Data verse database. Microsoft Data verse for Teams environments aren’t supported for use with pipelines.

• Power Platform administrator or Data verse system administrator role.

 • Pipelines are a feature of Managed Environments. You’ll need access to one or more environments that are enabled as a managed environment as described below.

Steps to configure the environment:

1. To configure the pipeline for deploying the solution, you need to create a host environment. To do this, navigate to the Environment section of the Power Platform and select “New”.

• After selecting “New” in the Environment section of the Power Platform, a new window will appear where you can create a new environment. In this window, you need to select the region and type, and then provide a database for the environment. Finally, click “Next”.

• pass the URL to your environment and click on “Save”.

• This will create your host environment where we will configure our pipeline.
• Now we require a Development Environment and Target environment. NOTE: The development environment and target environment must have Type and Region same and environment as a managed environment.

• Now we will create Development and Target environment. Follow the below steps for both environments:
  • Go to the Power platform which link is provided above. Click on “New”.
  • Give the name to your environment, select the region and type the same as the “Host Environment”.
  • Enter the URL to your Environment and give access to D365 apps and select whatever you want to choose, and then click on the “Save” button.
  • Repeat the steps for the Target environment as well.

• Once you have created all the environments, store the environment ID of the Development and Target environment.

Steps to setup “Host Environment”:

1. Click on your Host environment.

• Click on Resource, Select Dynamics 365 Apps.

• Select Install app and download the Power Platform Pipeline application.

• Go to the settings and select User and permission. Select a user option. Choose/Add user and give him/her security role as “Deployment Pipeline Administration or Deployment Pipeline user” and save.

Configure Pipeline:

1. Open PowerApps.
2. Select the “Host Environment”, go to the Apps and select Deployment of Pipeline configuration.

• It will open a model driven page like below.

• Setup up your environment select environment and Click “New”

• Give Name to your environment and Select Environment type “Development/Target” and Give the Environment ID that we stored earlier then click on save. Do same for all the Environment.

• Now we are ready to configure the Pipeline, Select Pipeline, click on New.

• Give Name to your Pipeline and Add description then click on save.

• Once you will save you will get the some more section like Link development environment and configure deployment stages.
• Add Development environment into your Link development environment section. Select existing environment and add the development environment and click on Add.

1. In deployment stages, click on add ‘New Deployment Stage’ .

1. Give the name to your Stage and select your target environment. And save close it.

1. Note: – if you have one more environment like production then add one stage in that fill the pervious deployment stage “UAT environment” so it will do UAT to Prod movement of a solution.
2. Click on “Save&Close”.

Deployment of your Solution:

1. Open PowerApps.
2. Select development environment and go to your solution where you want to deploy the pipeline.

• Open the solution and select the pipeline.

• Choose your pipeline. And click on deploy.

• Once you click you will get information of your solution. Just check it and click on deploy.

• It will deploy you solution into the UAT environment and you can check it.

Conclusion:

The Power Platform Pipeline feature released by Microsoft in December 2022 allows for easy deployment of solutions from development to UAT and production environments without the need for additional integration with Azure DevOps or manual intervention. By following a few simple steps to configure the pipeline, including creating a host environment, development, and target environments, and linking them together through the pipeline, you can automate the deployment process and make solution migration much easier. This feature is a valuable tool for organizations looking to streamline their deployment process and reduce the risk of errors or delays