Solutions in Power Platform | ALM, Power Apps, flows & Environments
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ค. 2024
- This video is a beginner's guide to Solutions in Power Platform. I will provide an Overview of Solutions, cover concepts of building Power Apps and Power Automate flows inside solutions, bring your existing App & flows in solutions, export & import Solutions, setup Environment Variables, connect to SharePoint & Dataverse, Managed and Unmanaged Solutions, Solution Publisher, discuss how Environments & Solutions are linked, perform application lifecycle management (ALM) & move solutions across development, test (QA) and production environments & more.
Solutions are used to transport apps and components from one environment to another or to apply a set of customizations to existing apps. A solution can contain one or more apps as well as other components such as site maps, tables, processes, web resources, choices, flows, and more.
Solutions are the mechanism for implementing application lifecycle management (ALM) in Power Apps and other Power Platform products, such as Power Automate.
Video covers the following:
✅ Where to build Apps and flows?
✅ What are Solutions?
✅ Are Solutions premium?
✅ Environment Strategy
✅ Default environment challenges
✅ Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) in Power Platform
✅ Build a Solution - with new Apps and flows
✅ Build a Solution - with existing Apps and flows
✅ Environment Variables
✅ Export & Import Solutions
✅ Solution Publisher
Helpful Links 🔗:
Solutions overview
docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powe...
Create a Solution
docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powe...
Export Solutions
docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powe...
Import Solutions
docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powe...
Environments Overview
docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powe...
Establishing an environment strategy
docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powe...
Data Source Environment Variables
• Data Source Environmen...
#PowerPlatform #Solutions #PowerApps #PowerAutomate #ALM #Dataverse #SharePoint
Table of Contents:
00:00 - Introduction to Solutions in Power Platform
00:38 - Get started with building Power Apps
02:06 - Power Platform Environments & Application Lifecycle Management (ALM)
03:21 - Solutions in Power Platform
05:04 - Build a Solution in Power Apps
05:47 - Solution Publisher
07:23 - Solution Explorer
09:54 - Environment Variables
13:00 - Build Power Automate flow in Solution
15:35 - Export & Import Solutions across Environments
20:26 - Add existing Apps & flows in Solutions
25:02 - Add solution dependencies (Dataverse Table example)
26:31 - Subscribe to Reza Dorrani channel
🤝 Let’s connect on social:
🔗 Reza Dorrani LinkedIn: / rezadorrani
🐦 Reza Dorrani Twitter: / rezadorrani
Thanks, Reza. This is a video I think we all needed. Keep it up!
Thank You so much. Many had requested this topic and to my surprise there was not much content on this.
I’ve had a little experience building a Dynamics CRM system in a solution, but our contract hire originally set up the solution and the Dev & Prod environments. So I’ve had it on my to-do list to get someone to explain the environment & solutions set-up.
This was very helpful, & the solution variables will be very useful.
Thanks Reza!
Glad to hear that! Thank You for watching.
Wow, I am seeing this after 11 months and I am blown away. Thank you Reza.
Thanks for watching and liking the video
Another AWESOME video and walkthrough by Reza!!! I cannot thank you enough! 10 STARS!!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank You so much! Much appreciated.
It is like master class.
I know the solution concept, the pipelines, environment variables and also Sharepoint Lists are not included to solutions. But I didn't know how to dynamically change data source according to the environment using all.
Thanks Reza!
Most welcome
A very good refresher for me but I still learnt something new. Didn't realise that you could create a new list based on an existing one. I've always gone to the blank and never bothered to look at the other options. Just last week, I went and looked up your videos from last year on Environment variables as I needed to improve some of my Apps and the understanding was really helpful. Again, thank you for so much clarity with your videos.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for sharing your scenario & thanks for watching.
Thank you so much Reza - your videos are so extremely useful. So much input and tons of helpful links nicely ordered in chapters - could not ask for more. Thanks a ton 💙🙏
You're very welcome! Thank You so much for watching.
Great to have Microsoft's logic and structure explained. Well done!
This topic shows, however, that you don't need to push it too far for it to be too unintuitive for citizen developers.
Thanks
Crysal clear explanation. In one of the projects, I had difficulty exporting Dataverse tables and choices. So I'm elated that you covered that... Thanks buddy!!
Great to hear!
Thanks Reza, great video. Wish MS docs explained it as simply as you do!! Really appreciated you covering the DV aspects i.e. adding related objects. great insight.
You’re most welcome. Thanks for watching
This is absolutely incredible!!! Thank you so very much! I was concerned about using solutions and knew I needed to, but you broke this down so well and so easy and covered everything I needed to know!! Man and environment variables!!! For real!!! I sure hope somebody pays you very well sir!! Cause you deserve it!! Thank you!!
You're very welcome!
@@RezaDorrani , i need your help how to do left join in Power apps. There are two tables coming from SQL with Premium license i will take all columns from table 1 key is Primary key and table 2 having Key and other new columns i will update new columns in Power apps and Patch those into SQL table however i need only records of Table1 to update new columns how to perform Left join please asap
An intuitive and comprehensive video! Thank you
Most welcome
Great video and quality! Well done.
Excellent video Reza! Will definitely be coming back to it when I work on my first solution!
Awesome!
Thanks, Reza. This really helped me to understand Solutions and their purpose. Great job!
Glad to hear that! Thanks for watching.
both the environment variables and this solution video were so informative and amazing
Glad to hear that
Thanks for the video Reza!
Very easy to deploy my solution from one environment to another.
You are most welcome!
Yes, this makes deployments easy.
Was waiting for this video. Perfectly explained. Thanks. Lots of love from India
Thanks Palash. Love back to India. I was traveling to India today but sadly due to COVID like symptoms I had to cancel my flight.
Thanks Reza, useful concepts to understand ALM. Great work!
Glad it was helpful!
Just what I needed. What a timing!
Awesome
Great video. Thx. I'll now stop using 'string' environment variables for Sharepoint sites/doclibs references and use the 'data source' option. Did not know it could be done that way. Thx for the trick!
Most welcome and thanks for watching.
Another fantastic video about solutions, thank you Reza!
You’re most welcome
Great video, Reza, thank you! Very important topic.
Glad you liked it!
This is awesome, and certainly going to speed up some builds with environment variables
It certainly helps speed up builds. Thanks Billy
Another Great Video!!.. This is the video which I was waiting for Thank you so much!!!
Glad to hear that and thanks for watching
Thanks, Raza, for your effort in creating amazing videos that provide solutions to power app markers.
Most welcome
Thanks for this video. I finally understand the use of environment variable in a solution
Glad to hear that.
Simply Marvellous!
Thanks Chris
Great, clear video.
Thanks Reza.
Glad it was helpful!
This is awesome 👌 its going to make my work easier next time that I need to deploy an update.
Excellent video, thanks a lot
Most welcome
Many Thanks!
I didn't use solutions yet, but your video well explained the basic concept. Licencing issues as well. Great :-)
Solutions does not require premium licensing. It's called out in video.
Incredible ! Thankyou Reza.
Most welcome
Another great video Reza. This would def solve one of the challenges, in finding apps and knowing what’s associated with it. Idk if there is a limit on how many solutions there can be, but guess I’ll do some research.
I don’t think there is any limit. Solutions are created in Dataverse. The more capacity you have, the more solutions you can create.
Another great video - thanks for this detailed video Reza
You’re most welcome
Thank you @Reza. Awaiting next part of ALM of patch and clone the solution.
Thanks. Next part will depend upon the response to this part.
Very useful video Reza! Hope you make another video on how to update the managed solutions from dev to production using best practices!
That is the plan. Waiting to see the overall response to this video.
I am learning new always from you. Really amazing.
Happy to hear that. Thanks for watching.
Well made. I got required info
Thanks a lot Reza.
Glad to hear!
Exactly what I currently need. I tried to read documentation from microsoft learn, it looked cryptic to me. After watching your video I started to understand the documentation as well. Thank you.
Awesome! So happy to hear the video is useful
@@RezaDorraniI tried to donate but my bank refused to allow the transaction, claiming it could be "risky"
@@evaldasilginis3119 Not aware of how TH-cam handles that to be honest. Dont take risks :) but thank you so much. The thought is more important for me. Much appreciated
Great video, thanks for sharing the knowledge.
You’re most welcome
Great video as ALWAYS!!!!
Thank You
Thanks Reza 🙏..Once again great explanation.now i have cleared idea about the concept..
Great!
Thank you Reza i always learn something from your videos 👏👏👏
Great to hear! Thanks so much for watching.
Great Video! Thanks a Ton
Most welcome
Very important topic , thank you for the video
Glad to hear that. Thank You for watching.
Great explanation. Thank you 🙏
You are welcome!
Thanks Reza, Very Good Explanation you are Marvelous
You are most welcome
Amazing tutorial. I just ca from lmms (a free daw software) and i decided to switch since it didn’t offer enough convenience. It was
👍
Thank you for the awesome videos.
Most welcome
Most Useful video,Thanks Reza
My pleasure
appreciated all your works, Reza
Thank You
Great job as wie get use from you. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
Excellent. Thanks Reza. 💥
👍
Mr. Reza, Hello. Since I saw this amazing ALM video a few months ago, I am always checking your TH-cam channel to see if you've posted a new ALM video. For the first time. I'm planning to migrate the entire Power Platform system on my account to a new environment to be used from now on. (it comprises two Microsoft Lists, twenty flows, two Power Apps, one Power BI, a SharePoint team site that embeds Yammer, Power BI & Power App, and one Microsoft Teams group with five channels).Also I observed that I needed to utilize connection references in my flows based on my recent readings, even though I hadn't done it in my actual flows. My objective is to package these into one solution. I'm crossing my fingers so your next videos will address such issues. For now, I am analyzing this video to get insight but I am looking forward to your next videos to make my ALM more efficient. Agan Many Thanks for the usual mentorship
My next video is not going to be on ALM :)
I make videos when I receive multiple requests on a topic.
I have 7-8 videos lined up for next 2 months.
@@RezaDorrani Well noted Sir. As usual, I Will upgrade myself with your next videos till ALM comes. thanks
Thank you Reza, super helpful 🙂
Most welcome
Thanks for sharing!!! I am big fan of yours.
Thanks Bharti
Thanks Reza for this wonderful video
My pleasure
Thanks Reza, to the point.
Most welcome
Great Video, might every one know this: Now we can enable the feature; "Automatically create env~ variable when adding Data source"
Great tip!
0 k8o9😊
very Interesting Topic...Thank
You're welcome
Amazing!
Thanks!
Great content Raza, Thanks.
Glad you liked it!
Thank you very much Reza 👍
Most welcome
Great video Reza!!
Thank You!
Thanks a ton Reza, I am a big fan of yours.I have watched all your videos and learnt lots of this from you.
Thank You Umesh
@@RezaDorrani thank you Reza, please add more videos on modern driven apps.
@@umeshgaur6960 Il be asking video topic ideas soon. Post your topic suggestions there. If it gets a lot of votes, I will add it to my backlog.
@@RezaDorrani I am good in canvas app and want to explore in modern app, I have seen some of your videos on dataverse and modern driven and want beginners videos on modern driven.
@@umeshgaur6960 If I get a lot of requests, I will make it.
Great video as always Reza! Would be nice to see some Azure Devops incorporation as well if possible 👍🏼
I have it in my backlog.
@@RezaDorrani Awesome, thanks Reza.
Thanks for the video 👍
You’re most welcome
Thank you Reza!
Most welcome
Great !!!
Thanks
Brilliant Reza...
Thanks
This is awesome!!, Thanks for sharing you're knowledge.
Glad it was helpful!
@@RezaDorraniHi Friend.
I have made some solutions including environment variables for datasets (Sharepoint lists), for some reason i can't see those environment variables, they are created en in the solution, but they don't appear in the environment variables existing, besides, when im making a flow, i try to use the environment variables (Sharepoint lists and sites), but they don't exist according to dinamic content. Do you know what's happening?
@@duvangomez8700 I have not come across the mentioned issue and hence not sure what the fix for your issue is. I recommend posting your issue with screenshots on the forums at powerusers.microsoft.com
@@RezaDorrani I Will, thanks mate
Hi Reza. Thank you this Video. It will be great if you create more video with Model driven part and guided how can we use react with model driven.
Every quarter I ask my subscribers for video topic suggestions in the Community Tab of my TH-cam channel. The ideas that get the most likes (votes), I add them to my backlog.
Next topic suggestion post will be next month. Make sure to post this topic.
Regarding ALM, what I would find interesting in a more advance tutorial is ALM Governance in Power Platform. If you have a dataverse environment with multiple apps and purposes, how to go about with data, solutions (1, or more), avoid (nasty) dependency issues, etc.
If I ever get to a more advanced version of this video, I will include these concepts.
Awesome tutorial Riza thank you :)>
You’re most welcome
Incredible video and explanation, this has helped me so much! If you are accepting requests, I would like to know how to navigate to different screens with the access based on the department an employee is in, using data from a sharepoint list. The combo box is comprised of data from a sharepoint list that has a column for employee names and another column for their respective department. For example "Kevin" works as an inspector, when Kevin's name is selected from the combo box, the app should be able to navigate to a screen to start or edit an inspection form. If "Robert" is a manager, and Robert's name is selected from the combo box, the app should navigate to a screen listing the history of inspection forms submitted. I would really appreciate this, thank you!
I do take topic suggestions every quarter on community tab of my channel. I will be conducting one next month. You can post your suggestion there and if it gets a lot of likes(votes) then I will add it to my backlog.
@@RezaDorrani Sounds good Reza, thank you for getting back to me so quickly!
Spot on. It's really helpful. Thank you so much. If you don't mind, can you please do the next video on how to update/upgrade/clone/patch solutions. They are very confusing ☹️
Plan is to make this a series. Lets give this video some time to seed :)
@@RezaDorrani thanks Reza. Am with you 👍
Reza, you should mention that cloud Flows must be recreated or, as a workaround, triggers recreated as Recurrence, in order to add them to an existing solution. This can be a substantial amount of work if you have many flows called from PowerApps and is one of the main reasons I don't keeping people from from transferring their non-solution Power Apps into solutions.
There are many other things to know about solutions. The video was focused around a beginners guide to solutions.
@@RezaDorrani Looking forward to learn more on solutions. Thanks for a great introduction video.
Thanks Reza for this wonderful video. Could you please make a video on CI/CD pipeline for automating this deployment activity.
Thanks in advance.
That’s the plan if this video does well.
Thank you Reza, why haven’t you made earlier? ;-) that would have saved me time and pain ;-) Very cristal clear summary of the topic that is worth to re explained by you. Thank you
Better late than never :)
Lols!
Great video, Reza, thank you! With regard to the connection reference, whose connections would you suggest using in the production environment? Your own, the product owner or a service account?
Product owner or service account.
There is a better option coming soon but I cannot disclose that yet :)
@@RezaDorrani thanks. Can't wait to learn what it is!
Thanks Reza!, excellent explanation as always. Would be great if you can explain recommended procedure to copy or sync records between environment entities. Regards!
Synching records does not come under solutions. For that you would probably need to use dataflows.
@@RezaDorrani I’m thinking in a recommended procedure to copy static dim tables records from one environment to another.
For example is the best practice to use Dataflows and OData connectors to copy Dataverse entities records between environments? Thks!
@@arlequin71 Im assuming Yes but I have never done that. I will recommend checking on forums at powerusers.microsoft.com in case someone has done something similar
great video as always. in your demo you already have the lists created. You can add a dataverse table as an object but can you add a sharepoint list or schema? so that you know that the list in the new environment will match the column names etc in your app?
The only schema of Tables allowed is for Dataverse. That is the reason why for the SharePoint List, I manually created the list again in test site to prove that point. It is shown as part of the video.
Lumineux. Thank you ! Maybe a word about the difference between current value and default value in the environment variables?
Check powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Building-Power-Apps/Environment-Variables-Default-Value-vs-Current-Value-Which-field/td-p/1296392
Thank you great video.
Hi Reza, it's very very helpful and looking since long time . Thank you so much. Could you please guide us Power platform with CI /CD. Thanks in advance....!
Let's see the result of this video first. If successful, I will plan a follow up to this which would be automating the process of moving solutions across environments with ADO.
@@RezaDorrani Please create a video on CI/CD as well using Azure Devops... Your videos are already successful. You are really doing a great work. Always appreciated all your effort and hard work you put in.. Kudos
@@mayankgupta247 Within 4 weeks I will come to know outcome of this video.
Agree. Need guide to power platform with CI/CD and run piping via visual studio as well.
It's ok. Looking from you as expert, till this date no idea how to proceed with CI /CD and multiple developers working on same app, that's why I am requesting you. Advance thanks for your hard work put in. Any have the present video worth able for me at current time.
good video thanks
Your most welcome
Hi Reza, great video, I've not really used Environment variables so far as like probably many companies we started to develop apps before solutions were a thing, so now are in the situation were production apps are on the default environment. One of my tasks for 2022 is to move production apps onto our new production environment and develop on the dev environment using our service account for all the connections. For long a while now, even though I'm on the default environment, I've made a point of developing in solution's and setting up connection references to support the apps and flows hoping when the time comes to export, i might have less issues.
Question; what's the advantage of me using environment variables for setting data connections in apps and flows over just having the connection references, i was under the impression when exporting the solution the connection references were responsible for rewiring the app back up to the data source (for SharePoint anyway)?
Would the use case for Environment variables be used if you were going to recreate supporting tables using the data verse in the new environment when importing rather than SharePoint, or is this now best practice to use Environment Variables?
As I'm using SharePoint (for now) for my back end, as you say it isnt Environment centric so i would probably use the same lists i used for developing when importing. Are we saying here we can create a new site when importing the solution if the site and list are a Environment variables, which i don't think is possible is it with using flow to create the required lists etc.
Btw off to find your environment variable video next as my mind is blown, and i have many questions lol
Thanks
Thanks for watching the video.
Environment variables are configurable elements as you move across environments. Connection Reference is purely establishing a connection with the connector. For example connecting to SharePoint. It does not store the SP site and list url in it.
When you move from one env to another, if you need separate site and list connections, if you need configurable elements, that's where env variables is a great feature.
Dataverse Table schema is supported in solutions.
SharePoint is not. You can create your SP site and lists manually. You can also automate if using flow. You can use the SharePoint REST API endpoint to create lists and columns.
Thanks for the video - the only issue with these types of manual deploys is the lack of automated testing gates - solutions should be unpacked and scanned for best practices and the solution checker and only once these pass or if a tech lead approved should the solution be imported. Developers should not be manually imported solutions into any environment beyond dev - rather they would check in their solution in a git repo and issue PR which would trigger a pipeline that would automatically run tests and if passed would merge in a common dev and perhaps subsequently auto deploy as managed to a staging or test env. D365 implementations are heavily reliant upon manual testing which is inefficient and error prone - thankfully MS provided the power platform CLI to facilitate this using scripting in a pipeline or GitHub action. The challenge is to set the env variables and configuration references in the pipeline automatically for the release rather than having to manually specify it at runtime like shown here.
Check pipelines in power platform.
This video is intended to be a beginners guide to solutions and not an in-depth automated pipeline experience.
Thanks Reza....
Welcome!
Hi Reza, thank you for the video. ALM is a challenging concept for me. Say If I wanted to make a small change on a view? Would I create a new solution, or edit the default solution? Also do you have any best practice naming conventions for patches / segmented solutions? I'm going to watch your pipeline tutorial next.
ALM is a beast! There are many ways to do this. Ideally you would have a custom solution for each project/use case. You simply make modifications to components in solution and then deploy.
Pipelines for Power Platform is the future. Definitely start learning it.
Very nice video, as usual! Quick question, what software do you use to create your videos?
I use Camtasia
Thanks Reze for sharing this helpful video . Is it possible to extend this video with CI/CD with Azure DevOps ?
Possible if this video is successful :)
@@RezaDorrani we're eager to see CI/CD Power Platfrom. Please!
@@barrydinh No plans as of now.
Nice tutorial, but if is this is a beginner's guide, then I can't even imagine the advanced guide.😆
:)
Expectation is that the beginner has built apps and is aware of concept of environments. This is related to ALM. Advanced would be full automated ALM via ADO etc.
Great
Thanks
Thanks for this amazing video Reza! Question: I saw that environment connectors are enabled for SharePoint and SAP EPR. What can we do when dealing with other connectors (i.e., SQL server)? Thanks!!
Thanks.
I have not done any work with the sql connector yet. Il recommend checking on forums at powerusers.microsoft.com
Brilliant video, if you want to also export the data in a dataverse table to the new environment how can this be done? Thanks again for the great videos
Exporting data is not a part of solutions.
For that you would probably need to look at dataflows.
Hey Reza, This is a such valuable video. Thank you for explaining solutions and environment variables. I was NOT getting it from documentation. At the end of your video you were exporting to production. I could not see the video for the TH-cam ending banner going across the screen. QUESTION: What is the outcome of importing into a SharePoint production list with existing data, in the classic experience?
What time in video was it shown where the banner comes up?
You dont import anything into sharepoint. You import a solution in a Power Platform environment.
Hi Reza, I love your PowerPlatform videos... In this case I have a question for you. I see you create every object in the solution using you own user. Withing a bigger company, is it better to use a service user for making the flows for example? What happen with the objects if the creator leaves the company?
Check Power Pipelines (I did a video on it). Service Principal Support is coming.
Thanks Reza,
Can you please also explain how to make changes in the development environment and keep it in sync with the PRD env. once the solution is already imported in the PRD / Test Env on another Tenant. Do we need to export / import each version of the app / flows / etc. or is there a better way to do it?
Check my video on power pipelines.
Hi Reja, i request you to make a detailed video on "Backup & Storage in Power Platform Admin Center" which should cover everything related to it including saving this backup in excel or SHAREPOINT
I make videos when I receive multiple requests on a topic. Every quarter I ask subscribers for topic suggestions on Community Tab of my channel. Most voted idea gets added to my backlog. Make sure to post this idea whenever I post the next topic suggestion post.
Hello reza, you do a great job!
Can you explain how Solutions work with sql database(de,test,prod)
Check learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-apps/maker/canvas-apps/connections/sql-server-security
& learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-apps/maker/data-platform/create-connection-reference