Given:
Deploy Portal from Target to source environment
Conditions:
Test new version with the actual data with option of
quick old version restore
Prerequisites:
DMM365 connected to source CRM with rights to read
desirable Saved views
DMM365 connected to
target CRM instance with rights to write all portal related entities
1. Backup your target instance
with Dynamics 365 Admin pane, Create backup
2. Rename Portal/s (Websites) in
target environment.
3. Export full portal/s schema
with Configuration Migration tool from target.
Recommended to exclude: Invitation, Invitation Redemption,
External Identity, WebFormSession, Url History.
4. Create DMM365 project based on
package.
5. Process the package with Data
Duplicator. New package contains same portals data but with different IDs. All
references were respected.
6. Deploy package to target
with Configuration Migration tool.
Target environment now has two portals: Portal Origin and
Portal Imported.
Imported Portal lacks attachments, proper Site Settings and
WebSiteBindings.
7 7. Select Portal 365 Sync tab in DMM365 copy attachments from
source environment to Portal Imported. Copy can be done based on originally exported
data package (Copy Attachments/Notes checkbox) or for Web File only from portal
to portal (Copy Web File’s Attachments option).
8. In the same tab switch to Site Settings synchronization.
You might need to change source crm
connection first and make both connections to target. Select Portal Origin as a source and Portal Imported as
target. Press copy to synchronize settings.
!Manually update Bindings for imported Portal to suit requirements!
9. Reconfigure and restart portal
application via Dynamics 365 admin panel.
The panel a bit bugy. This
update can take up to one hour or even a little more. Remember, you need to see
green sign “Update successful” once you selected new
portal and pressed update.
Switched application on/off helps sometimes.
Deployment is finished. Old and new portals live together.
Old one is inactive due to Website Bindings head to new one.
What we achieve with this approach:
-
Easy rollback.
If tests of
changes you deployed with new portals fails – just reconfigure the binding and
old portal is back
-
Easy delete:
If you don’t need any of portals – delete
website entity and all portal related components
will disappear
-
Easy Back-up:
Environment can hold as many portals as you need.
Each one becomes a version backup. Due to different IDs you can continue
sequential deployment along whole development chain (dev, qa, prod etc).
-
Test/Compare old and new version using the same data
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