Maximize Benefits with Power Platform Managed Solutions

Considering managed solutions in the Power Platform proves to be a topic of importance as highlighted by discussions within the Power Platform Level Up community for developers. Key benefits of managed solutions are apparent, such as their ability to clean up environments by automatically removing obsolete components during upgrades. This feature saves time, as one does not need to manually remember to delete components.

However, caution is advised when attempting to remove a large number of components or dependencies at once, as this could lead to issues. Another merit is the management ease provided when working with multiple teams, facilitated by publisher separation, and defined limitations on component interactions. Managed solutions also offer protection against accidental deletions in production environments.

Managed solutions introduce a layering system, which is essential for predicting end-user experience and managing component behavior through merging or prioritizing the topmost layer. The concept of solution segmentation is simplified with managed solutions, providing more predictable outcomes and minimal cross-dependencies compared to unmanaged solutions. Certain settings crucial for system functionality, including audit settings and table metadata, might also be more reliably transferred with managed solutions.

Understanding Managed Solutions in Power Platform

Managed solutions are critical for applications developed on the Power Platform. They facilitate safeguarding customizations and ensuring consistency in deployment across environments. The layering mechanic within these solutions helps predict application behavior and enhances control over solution components.

Adopting managed solutions translates into better governance, a structured approach to updates, and safeguards against accidental production changes. Despite some challenges, like handling choice fields and the requirement for meticulous planning to avoid dependency issues, managed solutions are growing in prominence and are a key feature of a solid application lifecycle management strategy on the platform.

Why use Power Platform managed solutions? This is a common question asked by users within the community. There is an ongoing discussion among developers on the benefits and challenges of using these managed solutions.

Managed solutions are essential for maintaining clean and organized environments. They offer advantages like auto-cleanup of removed components during updates and easier management of multiple developer teams through publisher separation.

Some of the main reasons for using managed solutions include: preventing accidental deletions, using solution layering for predicting end-user experience, and enabling solution segmentation for better control. These features are crucial for maintaining a healthy system.

Advantages of Using Managed Solutions

• One of the most significant benefits is that they help "clean up" the environment. If a component is removed and a managed solution is updated, the component is automatically deleted from the target system.

• However, caution is advised as cleaning up too many components at once can result in issues.

• Managed solutions facilitate easier oversight of multiple development teams by utilizing managed properties and publisher separation.

• They also help prevent unintended deletions, adding an additional layer of protection to components in production environments.

• By using layering, developers can more accurately predict behavior as presented to the end-user. Certain components merge changes from different layers, while others follow a 'Top Wins' rule.

• Segmented solutions are more viable with managed solutions compared to unmanaged ones, offering predictable behavior and less chance for cross-dependencies.

• It is also mentioned that settings like audit configurations and table metadata maintain higher correctness when managed solutions are used.

• Microsoft recommends managed solutions as a best practice and suggests that they might become a requirement in production environments in the future.

• Pipeline processes in Power Platform prioritize managed solutions, emphasizing their significance in Application Lifecycle Management for developers.

• Conversely, dependency issues with unmanaged solutions can create hidden problems, emphasizing the importance of managed solutions for transparency.

Disadvantages of Managed Solutions

• Despite the advantages, there are several drawbacks to consider. For instance, security roles are overwritten with each import, not adhering to earlier behaviors.

• Choice fields may also act unpredictably, with deleted values sometimes reappearing after updates.

• Visible dependency issues with managed solutions require more attention to successful solution segmentation.

The author of the video is convinced that managed solutions are the path forward and advocates their use outside of development environments. The belief is that by understanding and utilizing managed solutions appropriately, their benefits can significantly outweigh their drawbacks.

Exploring Power Apps Managed Solutions

Managed solutions in the context of Power Apps are designed for advanced application management and deployment. They hold a structured solution for delivering updates and changes across environments effectively. As their acceptance grows within the developer community, the complexities of enterprise-level app development are streamlined, ensuring greater consistency and control throughout the application lifecycle. By adhering to this approach, developers can improve productivity and reduce potential errors related to app maintenance and deployment, consolidating the Power Apps ecosystem as a robust platform for enterprise solutions.