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Connect to Git - Impact of Enabling Managed Environment for Sandbox Dev in Power Platform

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Posted on by Milansinh Raj

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I am considering enabling Managed Environment for my Sandbox Dev environment to utilize the Connect to Git feature in Power Platform. Since this feature is only available for Managed Environments, I would like to understand the implications before proceeding.

My Questions:

What are the key impacts of converting a Sandbox environment to a Managed Environment?
Are there any limitations or restrictions that might affect development, debugging, or deployment workflows?
Can I revert the environment back to an unmanaged state if needed?
How does this change affect ALM (Application Lifecycle Management) and solution management?
Are there any best practices for enabling a Managed Environment while minimizing disruption to development?

I appreciate any insights or experiences from the community regarding the after-effects of this conversion.

Thanks in advance!

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Dynamics 365 general

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Milansinh Raj 230 on at

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Connect to Git - Impact of Enabling Managed Environment for Sandbox Dev in Power Platform

Hi @Sami Ullah,

Thanks, appreciate your response!

Are you sure about "If your environment currently uses unmanaged solutions, you’ll need to convert all unmanaged changes into managed solutions before proceeding." ?
Because if that so then there wont be any meaning of enabling Managed environment for Development environment, and if so then its very rare to use Git To Connect feature to source control our dev customisations.

Is it same happening with your enabled Managed Environment?

Thanks!

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Milansinh Raj 230 on at

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Connect to Git - Impact of Enabling Managed Environment for Sandbox Dev in Power Platform

Hi @Aymen CHELBI,

Thanks for the detailed response, appreciate it!
On topic where you are stating that - "No Unmanaged Customizations: Direct changes outside a solution are restricted, meaning developers must package all work into solutions."

To understand this better lets consider I have Dev Environment which is now enabled as Managed Environment:
My queries are as below:
1. Will I be able to open default solution and make changes on any component in side default solution?

2. Can Developers still create new custom unmanaged solution, add component, make changes, export unmanaged solution as managed ?

Thanks!

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Aymen CHELBI 376 on at

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Connect to Git - Impact of Enabling Managed Environment for Sandbox Dev in Power Platform

Hello Milansinh Raj ,

Enabling Managed Environment for your Sandbox Dev to use the Connect to Git feature in Power Platform is a strategic move, but it does introduce certain implications. Below are the answers to your questions:

1. Key Impacts of Converting a Sandbox to a Managed Environment

Enhanced Governance & Security: Microsoft introduces governance features such as DLP (Data Loss Prevention) enforcement, security policies, and audit logging.

ALM Standardization: Encourages solution-based development (instead of unmanaged customizations).

Monitoring & Insights: Gain visibility into usage analytics, API calls, and environment metrics.

AI-powered Admin Capabilities: Microsoft periodically introduces AI-driven insights to assist with governance.

⚠️ Consideration:

You can’t disable Managed Environments once enabled, so ensure it aligns with your long-term development workflow.

2. Limitations & Restrictions That Might Affect Development

Development & Debugging

No Unmanaged Customizations: Direct changes outside a solution are restricted, meaning developers must package all work into solutions.

Debugging Complexity: Since everything is solution-aware, developers may face challenges debugging changes directly in the sandbox.

Deployment Workflows

Strict ALM Enforced: Managed Environments encourage structured deployments via pipelines and discourage direct changes in production.

Limited Environment Variables Editing: Direct updates may require Admin approval.

⚠️ Consideration:

If you rely on ad-hoc, quick fixes, this could slow down iteration speed.

3. Can You Revert a Managed Environment to an Unmanaged State?

🚫 No.

Once an environment is converted to a Managed Environment, it cannot be reverted back to an unmanaged state.

Workarounds:

Create a new unmanaged sandbox and migrate components manually if necessary.

Use Backup & Restore to move to another environment.

4. Impact on ALM (Application Lifecycle Management) & Solution Management

Positive Changes

✅ Encourages Solution-First Development

Everything must be part of a solution, improving governance.

✅ Stronger ALM Enforcement

Supports Git-based versioning for Canvas apps, Power Automate flows.

✅ GitHub/Azure DevOps Integration

Managed Environments enable Connect to Git, allowing better CI/CD automation.

Potential Challenges

⚠️ Limited Direct Customizations

Developers cannot edit components outside of a solution.

⚠️ Tighter Deployment Controls

Promotes solution-based deployments, which may slow down hotfixes.

5. Best Practices to Enable a Managed Environment Without Disrupting Development

✅ Pre-Enablement Checklist

Evaluate Existing Workflows: If your team relies on unmanaged changes, start training them on solution-based development.

Migrate to Solution-Based Development: Move all existing components into a solution before enabling Managed Environments.

Test in a Separate Sandbox: If unsure, enable a Managed Environment in a separate sandbox before committing to Dev.

✅ Post-Enablement Adjustments

Leverage Connect to Git: Ensure developers are comfortable using Git-based workflows.

Implement ALM Pipelines: Adopt Azure DevOps Pipelines or GitHub Actions for solution deployments.

Define Governance Rules: Set up DLP policies, security roles, and environment strategies.

Final Recommendation

If your goal is better governance, structured ALM, and leveraging Connect to Git, enabling a Managed Environment makes sense. However, if your development workflow relies on quick, unmanaged changes, consider testing it in a separate sandbox before committing.

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Sami Ullah 315 Moderator on at

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Connect to Git - Impact of Enabling Managed Environment for Sandbox Dev in Power Platform

Hey Milansinh,

Enabling a Managed Environment in your Power Platform Sandbox Dev environment has significant implications. If your main goal is just to use Connect to Git, I’d recommend setting up a new sandbox as managed instead of converting your existing one, since there’s no way to revert back once the change is made.

Key Impacts:
   •   Premium Licensing Requirement: All users in a Managed Environment must have premium licenses. Any non-premium Power Apps accessed by unlicensed users will no longer be available to them.
   •   Solution Management:
   •   If your environment currently uses unmanaged solutions, you’ll need to convert all unmanaged changes into managed solutions before proceeding.
   •   If managed solutions are already in place, the transition should be smoother.
   •   Governance & Restrictions: You may encounter admin-enforced policies that could limit certain operations, such as app sharing and environment settings.
   •   No Reversal: Once an environment is converted to Managed, there’s no option to switch it back to an unmanaged state.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you need more details.

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