Exporting Solutions - Environment Variables and Connections

Hello Everyone,

i do have a couple of Solutions in my DEV environment that include a lot of objects like tables, flows and dataflows.
Most of the flows are following this pattern:
- triggered by a sharepoint action (i.e. new File)

- trigger a dataflow to load new data into the dataverse

- send a status email
-move file to archive

At first i was really happy with the solution pipeline export, but the more complex each solution gets, the more difficult it is to maintain all the regular tasks that i need to do once a solution is exported.
So far i need to:

Dataflows

-check all used connections within a dataflow and change them from dev to source environment

(i.e. the Dataflow is using a Dataverse Connector and is pulling data from the PROD/ DEV System)

- republish the dataflow and cause a load of data into the PROD System that i usually dont want/ need at this moment since the cloudflow isnt triggered

Cloudflows

- check all the flows for Sharepoint Source Paths from the DEV System

-refresh the triggered cloud flows to the new cloud flows in the PROD System, otherwise the Cloudflow would trigger a Dataflow in the DEV System

Lets assume i do have 3 Cloudflows in a solution that triggers 3 Dataflows that are checking for new files and loading them into the dataverse once they got triggered.
If i add fourth flow to that solution and export it to the prod system, i do have to check all other 3 flows again.
Or if i have to modify/ fix/ adjust any of the flows from that solution, within the next export i do have to check all the solutions objects for the above named checks to make sure the flow is running correct in the PROD System and is not referencing/ triggering anything form the DEV system.

I tested environement variables, defined those as source variables in the cloud flows, but the dataflow trigger is working with an internal id of the cloudflow, not the displayed name.

Cloudflows cant use environment variables at all and therefore need to be published everytime i push the solution from DEV to PROD.

This absolutely cant be the way to work with solutions over different environemtns, so im looking for help in any direction how to solve this topic.

Categories:

Business Process Flows

Whoever told you this, should be fired immediately -

Cloudflows cant use environment variables at all and therefore need to be published everytime i push the solution from DEV to PROD.

Because its a complete load of Horse Pucky.

Not true at all... I would say you need to ignore whoever is teaching you now and find someone else.

1. You can create Environment Variables that point to anything (Connections, Urls, Lists, Tables, you name it)

2. You can define an Environment Variable that is an ID

Example: I have Microsoft Forms, that trigger Power Automate Flows, that store data in SharePoint, in a list

I have

- A Connection Environment Variable, which I can use in place of the URL for SharePoint, but I must select that Environment Variable

- A string Environment Variable points to the proper List

- A string Environment Variable, where I put the GUID (the same type of ID you mean for the Flow, but mine is for the Microsoft Form)

When I click on the Trigger for the Form, it first wants me to pick the 'Label/Name', I instead say, insert Dynamic Content, then pick my Variable

When I deploy from environment to environment, I simply update the values of the Variables as I deploy.. but it doesn't make me do new connections or fresh stuff its part of the process.

I never have to change my forms, my flows, my actions, my connections nothing.

and after deploying 1 time, I never have to do these steps again either unless I specifically tell it I want too.

So please fire whomever told you that bull :-) and follow what I said above

you'll be fine.

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