Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) in Dynamics 365 & Power Platform
What is ALM?
ALM refers to the end-to-end process of managing application solutions—from development to testing, deployment, maintenance, and upgrades. In the context of Dynamics 365 and Power Platform, ALM is centered around Solutions, Source Control, and Environment Strategies.
1. ALM Core Components
a. Solutions
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A solution packages customizations, configuration, code, and components.
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Types:
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Managed: Locked, used in QA/Production.
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Unmanaged: Editable, used in Development.
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Components: Entities, Forms, Fields, Plugins, PCFs, Business Rules, Flows, etc.
b. Environments
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Dev → Test → UAT → Production (typical pipeline).
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Created via Power Platform Admin Center.
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Linked with Azure DevOps or GitHub for pipelines.
2. Key ALM Tools
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Power Platform CLI (PAC) | Export/import solutions, manage environments |
| Solution Packager | Converts solution to/from source code for Git |
| Azure DevOps / GitHub Actions | Automate build & release pipelines |
| Microsoft Power Platform Build Tools | Azure DevOps extension to automate solution tasks |
| Power Platform Admin Center | Manage environments, backups, permissions |
3. ALM Process Flow
A. Development
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Use unmanaged solutions.
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Developers customize using Power Apps Studio or VS (for code).
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Use Solution Packager to extract components into source control.
B. Source Control
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Store extracted XML-based components in Git.
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Use branches for features, merge via PRs.
C. Build & Validation
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Validate solution structure using CLI or pipelines.
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Automatically create managed solution builds using DevOps.
D. Deployment
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Import managed solutions into Test/UAT/Prod.
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Use deployment pipeline via DevOps or GitHub Actions.
4. ALM with Power Platform Pipelines (Low-Code ALM)
Microsoft introduced Power Platform Pipelines:
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Built-in in Power Platform.
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Allows makers to deploy without full DevOps.
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Supports approvals, versioning, solution promotion.
5. Solution Layering
| Layer | Description |
|---|---|
| System Layer | Base platform components |
| Managed Layers | From ISVs or Dev teams |
| Unmanaged Layer | Last layer, used during dev |
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Avoid making changes in unmanaged layer in PROD.
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Use Solution Layer Viewer (XrmToolBox) to debug layering issues.
6. Best Practices
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Use one solution per business app/module.
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Always move managed solutions to UAT/Prod.
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Maintain version control and release notes.
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Implement backup and rollback plans.
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Use connection references and environment variables for flows.
7. Interview Talking Points
Be ready to discuss:
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How you structure solutions across teams
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Your DevOps pipeline setup (YAML vs classic)
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Handling breaking changes or hotfixes
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Managing secrets and connections securely
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How you support multiple environments and team collaboration