Move existing production app to managed solution

[Jek1]

Hi

I have the following Situation. 

On a prod-environment I got an app running. This app is not inside a solution. The goal is to have the same app running on production but inside of a managed solution.

My plan was to:

1. export the app from production
2. import the app on a dev-environment
3. create a solution on the dev-environment
4. add the imported app to the solution
5. export the solution as managed
6. deploy the solution back to production

This works except that the app is created again on production as soon as i import the solution.

I was not able to correlate the two apps in order to convince the system that they are in fact the same app.

Is there a way to upgrade the existing app on production instead of creating a second new app?

Any help or insight is apreciated.

Thank you

Jek1

[cchannon · Accepted solution]

I haven't wrestled with this exact scenario before, but have you tried adding the app to a solution in Prod before you import the managed solution?

[Jek1]

Hey @cchannon

That sounds like a good idea. I will try it out and let you know how it went.

[Jek1]

Hey @cchannon 

Unfortunately I was not able to test it yet, because I suddenly get weird CORS exceptions when I try to export a solution. Changing Browser or User does not help.

I'll keep you posted.

[Jek1 · Accepted solution]

Hey @cchannon 

I was finally able to try out your suggestion.

With a small tweak it works like a charm!

1. on the INT environment add the app to a solution and exported the solution as unmanaged
2. import the solution to the DEV environment
3. export the solution from the dev environment as managed
4. try to import the now managed solution to the INT environment
   the following error will be shown
   (unmanaged solutions cannot be overriden by managed solutions directly)
   
5. delete the unmanaged solution from the INT environment
6. import the managed solution to the INT environment
   A warning appears that says something like
   "Unmanaged components detected. They will be converted to managed"
   This is refering to the app that is now recognized as part of the solution.

The following link I stumbled across helped with the last steps:

How to convert an unmanaged solution into a managed solution in Dynamics 365? | by Ben "The Hosk" Ho...

For me this issue is resolved.

Thank you and best regards

[BR29]

How do you add the existing app to a solution? I am struggling with this

[cchannon]

Create a solution, then from inside the solution click Add Existing --> App 

[Jek1]

This is right. But make sure you do not create the unmanaged solution on the produciton environment.

Edit: You can create an unmanaged solution on Production just make sure you delete it again afterwards.

[BR29]

Thank you. But I am also using many flows with SQL DB connector (pointing to PRD DB) and when I tried to open the app from the new environment then showing 'Ask for Access' before allowing connectors. But nothing happens when I am clicking on that. Any idea why?

[Jek1]

Always a bit hard to tell witout the exact setup but here are a few things to try:

1. Make sure you have added the connection references used in your flows, to the solution aswell 

2. Check your flows and see if a valid connection is selected on the new environment

3. Make sure the solution and app are both published

4. Make sure your user has permissions to read/run the flows on the new environment

And sometimes the classic:
since your solution should be managed in the new environment, just delete it and import it again

good luck