Dynamics 365 Customer

Engagement - Continuous
Integration

Microsoft Services
Module Overview
• What is Continuous Integration?
• What are the Benefits?
• Team Development workflow example
• Azure Pipelines for build and testing
• Applying Continuous Integration to Dynamics
Continuous Integration Health Check
• Source control is the sole source of truth?
• Development environments are disposable?
• Development occurs in isolation?
• What testing do you automate?
• How does your team collaborate, share risks, innovate,
and learn?
What is Continuous Integration?
• The process of automating the build and testing of code
every time a team member commits changes to version
control. 
• Committing code triggers an automated build system to
grab the latest code from the shared repository and to
build, test, and validate the full master branch
• Encourages developers to share their code and unit tests
Continuous Integration Benefits

• Anyone can queue a build • Merging code when fresh

• Consistency • Faster check-in cadence
• Includes tests and build • Increasing use of
quality metrics automated tests
• Fast feedback
Team Development
Feedback

Developers check Check-in triggers Triggered or

in Changes automated build gated release

1 2 3
S S
Build Release
SCM
Stage Stage
S S
Test / Integration

Just in
time
Development
instances
Considerations
• Are automated builds only triggered on certain branches?
• PowerApps checker
• Solution analysis can result in long running processes
• Run on every commit or only when merging to development or master?
• Setup pipeline for self-service testing and validation for out of cycle runs?
• To gate deployments or not?
Considerations
• What is the most effective way to isolate development?
• Avoid shared development instances
• Developer isolation is preferred
• How do we merge solutions?
• In source control
• Ideally developer work should not overlap, and check-ins should occur regularly on
smaller sets of changes
• Do we employ the use of patches to seal change history?
• How do we track patches?
• Adding patches increases branching and merging complexity
• Might be necessary for gated deployments (touch on this later)
Azure DevOps
Azure Boards
Deliver value to your users faster
using proven agile tools to plan,
track, and discuss work across
your teams.
Azure Test Plans
Test and ship with confidence
using manual and exploratory
testing tools.
Azure Pipelines
Build, test, and deploy with CI/CD that
works with any language, platform,
and cloud. Connect to GitHub or any
other Git provider and deploy
continuously.
Azure Artifacts
Create, host, and share packages with
your team, and add artifacts to your
CI/CD pipelines with a single click.
Azure Repos
Get unlimited, cloud-hosted
private Git repos and collaborate
to build better code with pull
requests and advanced file
management.

https://azure.com/devops
Azure YAML Pipelines
• Pipelines consist of one or more stages Stage A
describing a CI/CD process (e.g. build, Job 1
Step 1.1
test) Step 1.2
• Why use YAML? ...
• Version control your pipeline configuration Job 2
• Increases flexibility Step 2.1
• Standardization Step 2.2
...
• Reusability
Stage B
...

https://aka.ms/YAML
 Azure Pipelines Overview

Azure Pipelines

Azure Repos

Azure Artifacts


https://azure.com/devops
Terminology
Pipeline
• A pipeline defines the continuous integration and deployment process for your app. It's made up of one or more
stages.
• It can be thought of as a workflow that defines how your test, build, and deployment steps are run.

Agent
• When your build or deployment runs, the system begins one or more jobs.
• An agent is installable software that runs one job at a time.

Job
• A stage contains one or more jobs. Each job runs on an agent.
• A job represents an execution boundary of a set of steps.
• All the steps run together on the same agent. 

Environment
• An environment is a collection of resources, where you deploy your application.
• It can contain one or more virtual machines, containers, web apps, or any service that's used to host the application
being developed.
Terminology
Trigger
• A trigger is something that's set up to tell the pipeline when to run.
• You can configure a pipeline to run upon a push to a repository, at scheduled times, or upon the completion of
another build. 
Stage
• A stage is a logical boundary in the pipeline.
• It can be used to mark separation of concerns (e.g., Build, QA, and production).

Step
• A step is the smallest building block of a pipeline.
• For example, a pipeline might consist of build and test steps.
• A step can either be a script or a task.

Variables
• Variables give you a convenient way to get key bits of data into various parts of the pipeline.
• The value of a variable may change from run to run or job to job of your pipeline.
Build Agent Setup – Classic Editor
• Visual Designer (Classic
Editor)
• Visual Designer can be
exported as YAML
• Review the marketplace
for first and third-party
extensions
Build Agent Setup – YAML
• A YAML based
approach is
recommended
• Task assistant provides
familiar experience from
the classic editor
Exploring CI for Dynamics
• Complexity can vary
• In the most basic form,
• Use solution packager to pack solution stored in repository
• Publish solution as an artifact
• Not a lot going on and not a great value add
Jobs of the Build Stage

• Build
• Build • Build
Source Web • Pack
Plugins
• Unit Test Resources
• Unit Test Solution UI Tests Tests
• Publish
• Publish • Publish
• Publish

Artifact(s) Artifact(s) Artifact(s) Artifact(s)

Plugin DLLs Bundled Web Resources Plugin DLLs Plugin DLLs

Bundled Web Resources Bundled Web Resources

Packed Solution Packed Solution

• Bundled Web Resources • Web Resources
• Plugin DLLs • Plugin DLLs

UI Tests
Exploring CI for Dynamics
• Avoid storing pipeline configuration code in the same
repository as your Dynamics solution, plugin, web resource
or other code.
• Consider storing sensitive information in Azure Key Vault
• To simplify your setup complexity use existing tasks from
the marketplace
Demo:

Review the Visual Studio

Marketplace for
extensions
Lab: Create Your
First Azure
Build Pipeline
Lab Build Pipeline Expected Output
Knowledge Check
• What is Continuous Integration?
• The process of automating the build and testing of code every time a team
member commits changes to version control. 
• What are the benefits of applying DevOps processes and
principles to Dynamics 365 CE?
• Increase consistency, enables faster feedback, promotes merging code more
often, increases the use of automated testing, etc.
Module Summary
• Azure Pipelines can be used to automated the movement
of Dynamics 365 CE solutions through downstream
environments
• Using YAML for configuration as code increases pipeline
flexibility and allows the pipeline to be developed in
tandem with Dynamics development
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