How to Deploy a Package from DEV to UAT using LCS

Scenario:

Suppose you have been tasked to create a deployment package and deploy it to a UAT environment. For a beginner, who has never done a deployment before, the task might seem overwhelming. Regardless, getting it done is what this blog post is for.

Consider you are on a cloud-hosted DEV environment for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations. You or some developer has written x++ code, or perhaps created custom entities or it can be any type of customization for D365 FO. Your customizations have been tested and approved to be deployed to UAT (User Acceptance Test) environment. Using Lifecycle Services (LCS) we will deploy your customizations to a UAT environment.

As you might be familiar with or know, there are a few different approaches to deploying customization to an environment. This blog post solely covers deployment through LCS.

 

Prerequisites:

To successfully perform the process, you will need:

1. Access to DEV environment, i.e. where your customizations lie.
   
2. Admin credentials for LCS.
   

 

Process:

To successfully deploy a package, we will go step by step and cover:

Step 1: How to create a deployable package, which contains your customizations, from visual studio.
Step 2: Upload a deployable package to LCS.
Step 3: Deploy the package to a UAT environment.
Step 4: Restart Finance and Operations app service from LCS.

 

Step 1: Creating a Deployable Package

1. Open Visual Studio, as administrator.

2. Go to Extensions > Dynamics 365 > Deploy > Create Deployment package...

 

3. Select the model(s), which contain relevant customizations.

• Add Package file location, i.e. where you want package file to be created.
• Click create.

 4. A folder named "DeployablePackage" will be created and the package file will be inside. The file type will be .zip.

 

 

Step 2: Uploading Deployable Package to Asset Library

1. Open LCS.

2. Select your Project.

3. Click on the hamburger menu button. Select Asset library.

4. Scroll down and select Software deployable package.

5. On the new view click on + icon.

6. Enter Name and Description for the deployment, as per naming conventions.

• Click on Add a file and choose your file from "DeployablePackage" folder.
• After upload has completed click Confirm.

7. The package will come into the list, wait for it to become valid, i.e. green tick.

Step 3: Deploy the package to a UAT environment

1. Return to your Project screen.

2. Under environments, choose your relevant environment, and click on Full details.

3. On next screen, click on Maintain.

4. Within the drop-down, choose Apply updates.

5. Enter unique Name. 

• Select the deployable package previously added in Asset library. 
• And click Apply.

6. It will take 45 - 60 minutes approx. to complete.

Step 4: Restart Finance and Operations app service from LCS

After deployment has successfully completed, you will need to restart F&O services, in certain cases, for changes to properly take effect.

1. Go to Maintain (refer to Step 3: point 3).

2. Select Restart service.

3. Choose Finance and operations apps service and click on Confirm. It will take around 10-15 minutes approx.

Conclusion:

Congratulations, you have successfully created a package and deployed it to UAT environment.

The following blog is for when you need to deploy to Production.

How to Deploy a Package from UAT to PROD using LCS