Application Lifecycle Management on Microsoft Power Platform : A Comprehensive Guide to Managing the Deployment of Your Solutions / Benedikt Bergmann and Scott Durow.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bergmann, Benedikt, author.

Durow, Scott, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Microsoft software.

Computer programs.

Business--Data processing.

Business.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (222 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Birmingham, England : Packt Publishing Ltd., [2024]

Biography/History:

Bergmann Benedikt: Benedikt Bergmann is the CEO of CRM Konsulterna Deutschland and develops solutions for Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform with his German precision and nearly 15 years of experience. He is a solution architect with a huge understanding of customers' challenges and a real problem solver with very detailed knowledge about most of the Platform. One area he is very invested in is everything around Application Lifecycle Management. In 2021, he was awarded Microsoft Most Valuable Professional in the Business Application area.

Summary:

Implement modern DevOps techniques in the Power Platform to boost business and maker productivity Key Features Demystify ALM concepts and how they apply to Microsoft Power Platform Application Lifecycle Management on Microsoft Power Platform Define the best strategy for possible solutions, source code, and environments Automate build and deployment tasks using Azure DevOps and GitHub Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook Book Description Managing Power Platform solutions manually can be challenging and time-consuming, as is application lifecycle management (ALM), which encompasses governance, development, and maintenance. This book provides comprehensive coverage of ALM, addressing planning, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance. Drawing on his extensive experience as a Power Platform consultant and Microsoft MVP, Benedikt Bergmann simplifies complex topics, making them accessible and easy to grasp. From planning and designing applications to deploying and maintaining them, this book provides step-by-step instructions, best practices, and real-world examples to effectively manage the entire application lifecycle. You'll gain insights into optimizing Power Platform's toolbox, including Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Pages, and Power Virtual Agents, for seamless collaboration, agile development, and rapid application delivery. You'll also implement best practices for version control, code management, and collaboration using the Microsoft Power Platform. By the end of this book, you'll be equipped with the knowledge and skills to effectively manage the entire application lifecycle, accelerate development cycles, and deliver exceptional solutions with the Microsoft Power Platform. What you will learn Understand the importance of ALM in the context of Microsoft Power Platform Leverage the Power Platform CLI to streamline ALM practices Develop a comprehensive strategy for managing Power Platform environments Explore techniques for defining robust Dataverse solutions for scalability and performance Apply ALM concepts to Microsoft Power Platform Use Managed Pipelines in managed Power Platform environments Implement a source-code-centric approach with Azure DevOps Pipelines and GitHub Actions Who this book is for If you are involved in managing the deployment of Microsoft Power Platform solutions, whether as a solution architect, developer, functional consultant, or DevOps specialist, this book is for you. Familiarity with Power Platform is recommended.

Contents:

Cover Page

Title Page

Copyright and Credits

Foreword

Contributors

Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter 1: An Intro to ALM

ALM overview

Stages of the ALM cycle

Plan

Develop

Test

Deploy

Maintain

Advantages of ALM

Boosting communication and strengthening visibility

Sharpening testing

Increasing quality

Improving development and deployment speed

ALM tools

Summary

Questions

Further reading

Chapter 2: ALM in Power Platform

Terminology

Tenant

Environment

Solution

Component

Configuration

Customization

Development

Solution-aware

PPAC

Maker portal

Preview functionality

Release wave

Release plans

Early access

PAC

"Normal" ALM versus Power Platform ALM

Solution levels

Noncomplex customization

Complex customization

Third-party product

Preview features

Chapter 3: Power Platform Environments

Environment basics

Environment types

Default

Sandbox and production

Trial

Environment strategies

Minimal

Functional separation

Data separation

Development separation

Internal development

Surrounding environments

Tiers

Productivity

Important

Mission critical

Landing Zones

Chapter 4: Dataverse Solutions

Basics of Dataverse Solutions

Customization versus data

Managed versus unmanaged

Update versus upgrade

Solution layering

Publisher

Patch and clone

Solution segmentation

Vertical segmentation

Horizontal segmentation

Supplier separation

Working with solutions

Creating a solution

Creating a publisher

Navigating in a solution

Adding components

Removing components

Set preferred solution.

Exporting and importing solutions

Export

Import

Chapter 5: Power Platform CLI

Technical requirements

About the Power Platform CLI

Command Groups

Solution Command Group

export

import

unpack and pack

upgrade

create-settings

Installing the Power Platform CLI

Power Platform tools for Visual Studio Code

Power Platform CLI for Windows

Chapter 6: Environment Variables, Connection References, and Data

Environment variables

Data types

Creating an environment variable

Applying an environment variable

Connection references

Connections

Tips and tricks

Configuration and reference data

Chapter 7: Approaches to Managing Changes in Power Platform ALM

Environment-centric approach

Advantages and disadvantages

Source code-centric approach

Combining both of the approaches

Branching

Process of a source code-centric approach

Export pipeline

Build pipeline

Release pipeline

Further Reading

Chapter 8: Essential ALM Tooling for Power Platform

Pipelines in Power Platform

ALM Accelerator

Azure DevOps/GitHub

Selecting the appropriate tool

Chapter 9: Project Setup

Service principal

Add SPN to Dataverse

Setting up Azure DevOps

Installing Power Platform Build Tools

Service connections

Environments

Repo permissions

Setting up GitHub

Repo Permission

Configuring the ALM Accelerator

Configuring PPP

Configuring managed environments

Folder structure

Root folder

Screenshot

Chapter 10: Pipelines

What is YAML.

Source code-centric approach

General setup of a new pipeline

ADO

GH

Checkout (GH only)

Installing the tooling

Publishing customizations

Exporting as unmanaged

Exporting as managed

Unpack

Commit

Installing tooling

Packing the solution

Publishing the artifact

Downloading the artifact (GH only)

Importing the solution

Apply Upgrade

Running a pipeline

Chapter 11: Advanced Techniques

Exploring advanced YAML

Variables and parameters

Conditions

Loops

Understanding settings files

Generating a settings file

Using Settings files

A healthy code state

Creating a map file

Using a mapping file

Transport data

Creating a schema

Using a schema

Generating an export of data

Importing data

Chapter 12: Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery

Types of branches

Quality gates

Solution checker

Automated unit testing

Pull requests

Versioning

Chapter 13: Deepening ALM Knowledge

Testing

Unit tests

Integration tests

Performance tests

Load tests

UI tests

Smoke tests

Regression tests

Parameters for import configuration

Third-party solutions

Complex components

Deployment of Azure components

Bicep

Best practices

Everything should be managed

Use as few solutions as possible

Use only changed components

Have at least dev, test, and prod

Use an evaluation environment for early access

Create connection references manually

As few connection references as possible.

Use tools provided by Microsoft where possible

Final thoughts

Test, test, and test

Build a network

Community

Assessments

Chapter 1, An Intro to ALM

Chapter 2, ALM in Power Platform

Chapter 3, Power Platform Environments

Chapter 4, Dataverse Solutions

Chapter 5, Power Platform CLI

Chapter 6, Environment Variables, Connection References, and Data

Chapter 7, Approaches to Managing Changes in Power Platform ALM

Chapter 8, Essential ALM Tooling for Power Platform

Chapter 9, Project Setup

Chapter 10, Pipelines

Chapter 11, Advanced Techniques

Chapter 12, Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery

Index

Other Books You May Enjoy.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Questions

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781835460894

1835460895

OCLC:

1455762417