jonnybottles Power Platform Solution ALM from the CLI
Create an editable unmanaged solution, add all dependent components, and export a verified managed package for deployment.
Prerequisites
pacauthenticated to the target environment.- Azure CLI token for the Dataverse org.
- Dataverse Web API access.
- Component IDs for tables, flows, connection references, agents, and bot components.
Managed vs Unmanaged
- Unmanaged: editable development copy in the source environment.
- Managed: locked deployment package for another environment.
Do not import a managed solution over its own unmanaged source copy in the same environment.
Workflow
1. Create Publisher and Unmanaged Solution
Create a publisher with a unique prefix and option-value prefix. Create the solution with:
uniquenamefriendlyname- semantic
version publisherid@odata.bind
Persist publisher ID, solution ID, unique name, and prefix.
2. Build Components in the Unmanaged Solution
Prefer MSCRM.SolutionUniqueName on create requests. For components created elsewhere, call
AddSolutionComponent.
Useful component types:
| Component | Type |
|---|---|
| Entity/table | 1 |
| Workflow/cloud flow | 29 |
| Connection reference | 10163 |
| Copilot Studio bot | 10225 |
| Bot component | 10226 |
For tables and bots, set DoNotIncludeSubcomponents: false when the package must include their
attributes/topics/tools.
3. Confirm Solution Membership
Query solutioncomponents for the solution ID and group by componenttype.
Require at minimum:
- Table
- Flow
- Connection reference(s)
- Agent
- Agent topics/tools
Do not assume a component is included because it is referenced by another component.
4. Publish and Version
Publish the agent and activate flows before export. Increment the solution version for each deployable release.
5. Export Managed Package
pac solution export --name <UniqueName> --managed `
--path C:\local\artifact\<UniqueName>_managed.zip --overwrite
Keep artifacts outside OneDrive when they may include environment metadata.
6. Inspect the ZIP
Open the ZIP read-only and verify:
solution.xmlcustomizations.xmlWorkflows/<flow>.jsonbots/<schema>/...botcomponents/...- Table names and attributes in
customizations.xml - Connection reference logical names
- Expected tool YAML/data
Compute SHA-256 and report artifact size.
Error Handling
| Symptom | Cause | Recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Export succeeds but component is absent | Component was not added to the solution | Query solutioncomponents, add it, re-export |
| Agent present but tool absent | Bot subcomponents excluded | Add bot with subcomponents or add type 10226 components |
| Flow imports but connection is broken | Connection reference missing/unbound | Include reference and configure target-environment connection |
| Managed import conflicts in source env | Unmanaged source already exists | Deploy to another environment; do not destructively replace source |
| Table imports without columns | Entity subcomponents excluded | Re-add type 1 with subcomponents |
Output Format
Report:
- Publisher and prefix
- Solution unique name/version
- Component counts by type
- Managed artifact path, size, and SHA-256
- ZIP evidence for each required component
- Target-environment connection steps still required
Post-Run Reflection
If component membership or dependency discovery required manual package inspection, add the specific component type or verification rule to this skill.