Best practice for migrating a portal with dataverse form dev to prod

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Posted on by ALP2

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Hi,

I have created a portal that contains a multiple step forms in a sandbox environnement and i need to move it to a prod environnement.

For that i have created a dev environnement (for now but i will convert it to production) and i export my solution and the portal with the pac command.

My first question is :

* i have a notification in my sandbox environnement that tells me to convert my portal as production environnement. Is it possible to convert to avoid the licencing cost for this environnement that is acting as dev environnement ?

* When my production environnement will start, how can i update the portal that in dev to prod environnement without flush the data that are in the prod environnement ?

* what is the best solution or more secure to migrate a portal to prod ? MCT?

thanks for your answers

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Inogic 1,297 Moderator on at

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Hi,

You can follow below link of Microsoft to do portal migration
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-apps/maker/portals/admin/migrate-portal-configuration?tabs=CLI

Hope this helps!!!

If you find this solution helpful, please mark it as accepted solution.

Thanks!
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oliver.rodrigues 9,482 Most Valuable Professional on at

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* i have a notification in my sandbox environnement that tells me to convert my portal as production environnement. Is it possible to convert to avoid the licencing cost for this environnement that is acting as dev environnement ?

> You can convert that to PROD at any time, assuming it's used as DEV, and that Portal is pointing to a Sandbox environment, you should have no issues when it comes to licensing

* When my production environnement will start, how can i update the portal that in dev to prod environnement without flush the data that are in the prod environnement ?

> DEV should be your source for Portal configuration, when moving the data via CLI or other tools, this will only move Portal data and not your business/transactional data

* what is the best solution or more secure to migrate a portal to prod ? MCT?

> If you are doing manual, I personally like XrmToolbox - Portal Records Mover. If you are looking for automation / pipelines, I would look into using the official CLI: Overview of Power Pages ALM | Microsoft Learn
ALP2 242 on at

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thanks @OliverRodrigues it's very interesting.
I 've not implemented pipelines for azuredevops uet. It's in my to-do list. I ve just created COE environnement with some DLP restrictions but i know I ve a lot of work to do.

For the moment, portal record movers will be sufficient. It s very powerful.
I have a question :

* I move my dev portal in the production environnement but now i see two website. the default and the new one.

if i click on the portal application, it opens the default website.

So i go to the settings and i change the default web site

and i restart it but it's not working.
My portal app is always linked to the default website 😞
ALP2 242 on at

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I think i understand now.
I have deleted the default portal app and i created a new portal apps and i ticked Use data from an existing web and i selected my portal that i export form dev to pord.
It 's working well.

So if i can resume, these is my steps :
* export the solution model driven apps that i use as a bckend app to manage records
* import the solution in the prod environnement as managed
* export or transfert the portal from dev to prod
* deleted the default portal apps
* create a newportal apps and tick the box use daa from an existing web site

Is my procedure good ?
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Fubar 17 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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From an ongoing development point of view, no. - you may have needed to do what you did to get things going but I would not do this each time. (one of the issues it looks like you had is that you had previously setup a Portal in Prod that may not have been the same as what you have in Dev etc)

Each time you roll into Prod you do not want to be deleting and recreating the portal.
Even if you delete the Portal itself, there is usually no need to uninstall and re-install the Portal App itself.
For an existing setup, my ongoing usual roll-in to Prod, is just (except usually have a Test and Pre-Prod environment before doing it in Prod:
Export Solution file (only needed if structural changes)
Export Portal Changes (I generally use XrmToolBox for this as if gives more control over just selecting individual items or items created/changed after a date, but in the past have used the Configuration Migration Tool)
Import Solution file (if structural changes)
Import Portal Changes
Clear the Portal Cache (a.k.a. as Sync the portal in the new interface), so the Portal updates show on the Portal straight away with only a slowing of the portal during the cache clearing
ALP2 242 on at

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sorry @Fubar I click too fast on accept solution.
Now my DEV portal and PROd match
However, i have strange behavior because sometimes my changes on the dev portal are not visible on the prod after the export.
Exemple :
I have hidden a page on the dev portal, i transfer/export the change to the prod. I reloaded the cache, no change.
Sometimes it's works but it's not often

An another strange behavior is in the portal management app (DEV side), i have one multiple steps forms

In the prod side, after import, the forms is duplicated.
Maybe my process with xrmtoolbox is wrong
Let me explain what i do :
* connect to the dev environnement
* load items
* select all
* untick multiplestep form session (because it gives me a lot of error during the export step)
* retrieve records
* export or transfer

* connect to prod portal
* import

No errors during the transfer.

Then i switch to the prod portal, i select modify on the portal apps and 90% most of the time the changes are not effective.

In the dev portal, i have no sub pages.

in the prod, after 3 or 4 import, the sub pages are still here

I'm missing somtehing but what ?
ragavanrajan 7,044 Most Valuable Professional on at

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Hi @ALP2

Maybe try this

Step 1: Connect to Portal Record mover (dev environment)

Step2: Uncheck the following entities > Note, Forum Notification, Page Notification, Invitation

Note: You can also choose which website and get only active records

Step 4: Export it as .xml record

Step 5: In Destination system > Select import records > choose the xml file

Step 6. Then press ok > it will start migrating

Top Tip: You can only choose the filter to get records created on or after > so it will move only those records

Imp Tip: Once migrated, please delete the default weblink set ( Portal management)

Hope it helps.
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ALP2 242 on at

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Could you explain "delete the default weblink" ? Do you mean the website that is in active website ?
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ragavanrajan 7,044 Most Valuable Professional on at

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Sorry let me explain the steps @ALP2

In portal management - the prod site

1. Under content > Web link sets

2. Choose the default ( select the prod site). Picture below for reference

3. Hit delete button

It is safe to delete the web link set. Once deleted.

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In Design Studio

1. Pres sync configuration and preview the website. And press "Ctrl+F5"

Hope it helps.
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ALP2 242 on at

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I would like to thanks all of you. You helped me a lot and i learnt so much.
@ragavanrajan What can i say...since the early hour of the morning i'm stuck with this...i saw youtbe videos on this but the never said to delete the default weblink.

After your post i deleted the link and i see tour tip is working but to be sure that it s working, i added and remove some configuration on my dev portal, i import them, i deleted the default weblink and each time i saw the changes on my prod.

I'm so happy...thank you so much