Connection Reference - A complete Guide

[ranaictiu]

I know there're a lot of posts, discussion out there but I would like to get a simple guideline of how to use connection references in terms of solution packaging and deploying in test/prod. Multiple developers are working on the same solution and as one creates connection reference, the other developer doesn't see it and when we deploy managed solution the flows turned off as the user who is deploying the solution doesn't have access to other's connection references. As we go and apply a new connection, an unmanaged solution layer added on top which means any future update will require manual steps.

As we are struggling to find a best way to manage the connection references wondering what are the best practices:

• If I've two solutions, should I use the same connection reference (considering the connection reference not used more than 16 times or so) in both solution? Or Should I create a common solution where I put all the connection references and use them in other solutions? Or should we create new connection references for each developers or each solution?
• If two developers are working on the same solutions, how we can share connections between them? Currently connections can't be shared among users (only with service principal and not sure what's the point of sharing with service principal).
• When we deploy managed solution some flows are disabled and when we try to turn it on it ask for connections, which if we provide, then an unmanaged layer added and for any future updates we need to reactivate (which we would like to avoid)
• For child workflows, everytime we deploy we need to "Run only user" settings which add unmanaged solution layers, again would like to avoid. What's the best way to bring the settings from unmanaged solution to managed solution?
  
  

The simple behaviour I'm expecting:

• A connection (user or app principal) will be created in dev
• A unmanaged solution will be created and a connection reference will be added to the solution
• All the flows (max 16) will be using the connection reference. If two developers are working on two different flows they should be using the same connection.
• If a manual flow is created the 'Run only users' setting should be included the managed solution and during import, it should ask the new connection without impacting solution layer
• When managed solution imported, it should ask to fix all the connection reference even before importing the solution, rather than just turning off the flow, should give us option to fix the connection even before import.

Thanks in advance.

Sohel

[lsmith4000]

I am looking for guidance on the same topic. Do you have any updates from the past year?

[jyothsnag29]

I'm also looking for guidance on this topic, Do you have updates? I'm not finding a way to make to 2 developers work on the same flow in a solution due to the connection references

[ALP2]

Hi, it was a bit late i presume. We had the same issue that we resolved like this

1. Select your environnment

2. Select Advandced settings

3. 

4 

5. Sélect your connection reference

6. 

7. Add the users account who needs to collaborate on the same flow

Don't forget to click on Add

Keep read access. and save

That's done

[syd]

Many thanks. This is what I 've just needed.

Should be marked as a solution, I think.