paulbreuler

The Power of Less: How DTR Grounds Modern Software Development

Originally posted as a LinkedIn Article -> https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/power-less-how-dtr-grounds-modern-software-paul-breuler-x4drc/

Simplicity is powerful. The Deploy, Test, Refine (DTR) mindset was born from a core observation: teams often overcomplicate software delivery and lose focus on what truly matters. After years of teaching and scaling companies through Microsoft's ALM workshops, I noticed a consistent problem: teams get tangled up in methodologies while neglecting basic delivery practices.

When I left Microsoft, I stripped everything back to essentials while building my business. DTR isn't a framework; it's a workflow philosophy. It embodies a "Just Do It" mentality that I've applied throughout my career to get things done. By focusing on simple, core tenets, I stay true to what I believe is essential to the craft of software. Remembering these three steps keeps teams grounded and moving forward: Deploy, Test, Refine. No cerem

paulbreuler

Getting Started with ALM for Dataverse/Power Platform | FAQs

TL;DR

If you don't care to read below and just want to see some samples have a look at my open-source repo for Azure DevOps:

https://dev.azure.com/PowerPlatform-ALM/_git/PowerPlatform-ALM-Advanced

I have a few for GitHub Actions but checkout this one from melody-universe the other co-author of the ALM for Dataverse workshop. Poke around their other repos and you'll find some gems.

paulbreuler

Description:

This simple multi-stage YAML pipeline packs a PowerApps model-driven app (Dynamics 365 CRM/CE) solution from source control (Assumes an unmanaged solution has been unpacked using SolutionPackager and stored in source) and runs it through an intermediate build environment to create a managed solution artifact. The output artifact is then run through a deployment job with an Azure Pipeline Environment specified that allows us to track deployments to the specified target environment.

Reference the PowerApp Build Tools Lab for directions on setting the pipeline up using the classic editor. The YAML in this gist follows the same steps as the classic editor setup used in the labs but adds more variables to the mix.

Check out the [D365 CE Pipelines re