Common Data Service Action steps become "Invalid Connection" everytime the Flow is imported as a Solution

[LinnZawWin]

My Flow contains the Action steps with Common Data Service Action steps. (For testing purpose, I used both Common Data Service and Common Data Service (current environment) connectors in the screenshots)

The issue is that whenever the Flow is deployed from my Dev environment to the other environment with the solution package, the steps with CDS connector become "Invalid Connection" (as in the screenshot below) and I have to select an existing connection for each and every step to resolve the problem. It happens for 

• Common Data Service connector with (current) Environment
• Common Data Service connector with specified Environment
• Common Data Service (current environment) connector

Am I missing out anything?

This is the screenshot of the Flow after resolving the invalid connections.

[v-alzhan-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @LinnZawWin ,

Since the flow is deployed from the Dev environment to the other environment, the connection would be different and you need to choose the corresponding connection for the special environment.

Best regards,

Alice       

Community Support Team _ Alice Zhang
If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[LinnZawWin · Accepted solution]

@v-alzhan-msft 

Thanks for your response, Alice.

But I thought the purpose of the solution-aware Flow is for automatically setting the corresponding CDS connection for the special environment.

Imagine there are 10 CDS Connector actions in a single flow, there will be x10 manual connection update every time the solution is deployed to the other environment. And automatic deployment would not be possible in building DevOps pipeline too.

I don't think Flow is still not ready to replace Dynamics 365 native workflow at this stage.

I found in Oct '18 Release Notes that

For each flow that you have imported, you need to wire up connections for your triggers and actions

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I hope Microsoft will improve ALM for flows more by automatically wiring up the CDS connections to the target CDS for (Current Environment) connector.

[Helpful2]

No, it's not expected that you go into fix connections.  @v-alzhan-msft, take a look here:  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/flow/import-flow-solution.  They specifically call out as a TIP to avoid that issue.

@LinnZawWin, the behavior you expected used to work and still does occasionally.  I regularly deploy flows as managed solutions using triggers with CDS (current environment).  Recently, a handful of them stopped triggering after deploying to a new environment, as they should.

Last time this happend I was told to recreate the trigger because it had been updated.  Worked for a while and now it doesn't again ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[LinnZawWin]

@Helpful2  As mentioned in the Alex's blog post below, fixing the connection in the target environment after deploying the flow as a managed solution would create a change in the unmanaged layer. I guess that's why are facing unexpected complications.
https://www.itaintboring.com/dynamics-crm/a-tricky-flow/

I encountered the flow trigger not working properly in the target environment (even though it was unmanaged deployment)

I was advised to use "Common Data Service" connector as the trigger instead of "Common Data Service (current environment)" by the Microsoft support engineer when I raised a ticket. (because of some issues with "current environment" connector)

I am not sure if that's the case for your issue.

[kailashr2k3]

@LinnZawWin did we got any resolution for this connection problem yet?

[LinnZawWin]

@kailashr2k3  there is no resolution for this connection problem yet.

But Microsoft has made it easier to resolve the connection problem by allowing to resolve the connection with one-click for the whole flow instead of resolving each and every CDS steps as in previously.

It will be enhanced further in Jun 2020 with modern solution import experience which will allow to select the connection during the import. (without editing each flow)

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform-release-plan/2020wave1/microsoft-powerapps/modern-so...

For now, the only solution is to use "Common Data Service (current environment)" connector only which will be working as soon as the solution is imported (even though the flow steps may show an error in edit mode)

Read more in: https://dynamicscitizendeveloper.com/2019/11/27/power-automate-flow-connectors-for-dynamics-365/

[kailashr2k3]

Thanks for the response mate. Nice to talk to you again after quite long time 😊.

We also talked with Microsoft support and they also having problems in PowerApp flows and solution. If the flow is part of the solution post solution import it is broken. They ask us to do everything separately. PowerApp export and import instead of wiring inside solution.

[LinnZawWin]

@kailashr2k3 

Thanks for sharing the feedback that you got from Microsoft support.

I hope things will be a lot easier with modern solution import experience.