D365 Portals: What is your favourite deployment routine?

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Posted on by Tino Rabe

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Hi,

I still have not come across an official tool of Microsoft to migrate a portal configuration (i.e. CRM data, not schema) from one instance to another.

Various options are out there, e.g. XRM Toolbox (Portal Records Mover), manual recreate, import wizard with Excel, etc.

What is your favourite deployment strategy to copy your complete Portal configuration from one CRM instance to another?

Best regards,

Tino

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Justinjose 2,707 on at

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Hi Tino,

I am using ConfigurationMigration tool which comes with CRM SKD. Please have look below link

community.dynamics.com/.../configuration-migration-tool-for-v8-x-portals

www.youtube.com/watch

Thanks

Justin Jose
Mahendar Pal 45,095 on at

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This post also have good reference: arpitmscrmhunt.blogspot.com.au/.../deployment-of-adxstudio-configuration.html it will help you
Aric Levin - MVP 30,190 Moderator on at

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Hi,

Seems like the Configuration Migration Tool is the way to do it with CRM Online, though at times it does appear to have connectivity issues.
Tino Rabe 652 on at

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Great, can someone provide with a working Schema for the CMT?
Tino Rabe 652 on at

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Can someone share a working Schema for CMT?

That would be an awesome help :)
Aric Levin - MVP 30,190 Moderator on at

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Try creating your schema from your dev environment with all the components that you need.

Not all portals have the same entity and configuration, so it makes no sense to provide a schema...
Tino Rabe 652 on at

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Hi Aric,

I respectfuly have to disagree.

There is a consensus of least-required Portal configuration, that comes with every (vanilla) Portal provisioning process, e.g. Web Pages, Web Templates, etc.

This does of course not consider any custom entities, which are to be exposed via the Portal.

Hence, I was looking for a schema, which can deploy from one vanilla Portal to another vanilla portal.

You are right, I will need to create the schema for myself.

By the way, the approach for deploying from one USD (Unified Service Desk) instance to another is very similar and yet MSFT was able to officially provide with a completed CTM scheme for USD but nor for Portals (link) ...
ansrikanth 3,115 on at

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USD's configurable entities are much lesser when compared to Portals and also it is their own baby, unlike portals which were adopted from ADX :)

I blv creating your own schema file is the quick option for you, just ensure the primary keys required for each entity or else you may end up with duplicates.

-Srikanth
Tino Rabe 652 on at

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Hi,

tldr: schema is created, now initial deployment form Portal A to Portal B is causing issues.

So I made my first steps with Configuration Migration Tool, seems to be straight forward:

1. Create schema including affected entities

2. Export data from source system using this schema

3. Import data from source system to target system using this schema

But how do you actually handle a full snyc between two individual Online Portals when you start with the highest level, i.e. the website record?

- Portal (A) of D365 organisation (A) has a Website record (A) - that record could be something like "Partner Portal" with an unique GUID in D365 organisation (A)

- Portal (B), e.g. an additionally purchased Portal based on monthly subscription in the same O365 tenant of D365 organisation (A), of D365 organisation (B) has a Website record (B) - that record could be something like "Partner Portal" with an unique GUID in D365 organisation (B)

- If I now copy over the complete configuration from (A) to (B), a new website record for (A) will be created alongside of (B), i.e. in D365 organisation (B) I now have to website records - each website record points towards a different URL

So for the very first deployment from (A) to (B), is it necessary to clear all configuration data from (B) and then importing all configuration data from (A) to (B)?

After this initial deployment, the GUIDs of the website records should match, so incrementel updates should not cause any issues.

OR

Do you

- export data from (A)

- go into the exported XML of (A)

- manually manipulate the GUID of website record (A), so the GUID in XML of (A) becomes the GUID of webiste record (B)?

Again, I am looking forward to exchanging best practices with you when it comes to deploying from one online Portal to another.

Thanks and best regards
Tino Rabe 652 on at

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Hi,

is the question scenario too tough or did I not explain so well?

I assume someone out there did a full copy from one Portal to another, beginning at the highest hierarchy level.

Thank in advance.