Skip to content

Control 2.3: Change Management and Release Planning - Portal Walkthrough

This playbook provides portal-based configuration guidance for Control 2.3.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

  • Power Platform Admin role or Environment Admin role for target environments
  • Managed Environments enabled for Zone 2 and Zone 3 environments
  • Solution publisher configured in development environment
  • Access to all pipeline stage environments (dev, test, prod)
  • Approval workflow recipients identified

Overview

This walkthrough guides you through configuring ALM pipelines and change management workflows in the Power Platform Admin Center and Power Apps maker portal.

Part 1: Access PPAC Deployment Section

The Power Platform Admin Center provides a dedicated Deployment section for pipeline administration.

Steps

  1. Open Power Platform Admin Center
  2. Navigate to Deployment in left navigation
  3. Select sub-section: Overview, Pipelines, Settings, or Catalogs

Deployment Overview Dashboard

The dashboard displays: - Pipelines activity - Pending approvals count - Failed deployments count - Quick access to setup guides

Part 2: Configure Deployment Settings

Setting Description FSI Recommendation
Enable Auto-Conversion of Target Environments to Managed Automatically converts target environments to Managed Enable for enterprise managed
Solution deployments across regions Allow cross-region deployments Configure per policy
Allow makers to import shared solution deployments Makers can import shared solutions Enable for team/enterprise

Warning: Target environments in pipelines must be enabled as Managed Environments. This helps ensure every environment used in pipelines meets Microsoft Enterprise compliance standards.

Part 3: Set Up ALM Pipelines

Power Platform pipelines enable automated, governed deployments.

Pipeline Configuration by Governance Zone

Zone Pipeline Required Stages Approval Gates
Zone 1 No N/A N/A
Zone 2 Recommended Dev > Test Manager
Zone 3 Required Dev > Test > Prod Multiple

Setting Up Pipelines

  1. Create pipeline environment (host for pipeline configuration)
  2. Define stages (development, test, production)
  3. Configure deployment settings per stage
  4. Add approval gates as required
  5. Test pipeline with non-production solution

See Set up pipelines for configuration details.

Part 4: Access Pipelines from Power Apps

Makers access pipelines from Power Apps:

  1. Open Power Apps
  2. Navigate to Solutions
  3. Select Pipelines from toolbar
  4. Create pipeline, add stages, manage deployments

Toolbar options: Create pipeline, Edit pipeline, Add stage, Delete pipeline, Refresh, Manage pipelines, View deployments

See Admin deployment hub for details.

Part 5: Run Pipeline Deployments

Running Pipelines

  1. Open agent solution in source environment
  2. Select Deploy from solution menu
  3. Choose target stage
  4. Wait for approvals (if configured)
  5. Monitor deployment progress
  6. Validate in target environment

See Run pipelines for detailed steps.

Part 6: Governance Zone Promotion Process

Promotion Requirements

Promotion Requirements Approvers Documentation
Zone 1 > Zone 2 Business justification, basic testing Manager, Environment owner Request form, test results
Zone 2 > Zone 3 Full assessment, security review Governance committee, Compliance, Security Full package
Within zone Change documentation Environment owner Change record

Zone 1 to Zone 2 Checklist

  • Business justification documented
  • Manager approval obtained
  • Basic security review completed
  • Target environment identified
  • Solution exported from Zone 1
  • Deployment plan created
  • Rollback plan defined

Zone 2 to Zone 3 Checklist

  • All Zone 1 > Zone 2 requirements
  • Governance committee approval
  • Full security assessment
  • Compliance review completed
  • Performance testing passed
  • User acceptance testing completed
  • Production readiness checklist
  • Monitoring plan defined
  • Support procedures documented

Part 7: Change Classification and Approval Matrix

Change Classification

Change Type Examples Risk Level Approval
Emergency Security fix, critical bug High Expedited
Major New functionality, architecture change High CAB
Standard Enhancements, non-critical fixes Medium Manager
Minor Documentation, cosmetic changes Low Self-service

Approval Matrix by Governance Zone

Change Type Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3
Emergency Self-service Manager + Security CAB + CISO
Major Self-service Manager + Security CAB
Standard Self-service Manager Manager + Security
Minor Self-service Self-service Manager

Validation

After completing the configuration, verify:

  1. Pipeline environments created and accessible
  2. Pipeline stages defined (Dev > Test > Prod for Zone 3)
  3. Approval gates configured for each stage requiring review
  4. Target environments enabled as Managed Environments
  5. Test deployment completes successfully through all stages
  6. Approval notifications delivered to designated approvers
  7. Deployment history visible in PPAC

Expected Result: Solutions deploy through governed pipelines with appropriate approval gates, and all deployment activity is logged for audit purposes.

Back to Control 2.3 | PowerShell Setup | Verification Testing | Troubleshooting

Updated: January 2026 | Version: v1.2