Secure CI/CD in Power Platform: YAML Pipelines + Workload Identity Federation

Description

In this power-packed video, Reshmee Auckloo and Jayshree Ostwal delivered a deep dive into modern ALM practices, DevOps automation, and secure deployment strategies for the Microsoft Power Platform. From understanding the foundations of Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) to implementing YAML-based CI/CD pipelines with federated workload identities, this talk was filled with practical insights, demos, and real-world guidance. 🎯 Key Takeaways from the Session 💡1. Understanding ALM in the Power Platform Jayshree provided a strong foundation on Application Lifecycle Management (ALM), outlining why ALM is essential for consistent, scalable, and governed development. Attendees learned key practices including version control, requirement management, continuous integration, continuous deployment, and environment management. 📦2. Managed vs. Unmanaged Solutions Clear guidance was shared on when to use managed solutions (ideal for production, locked, stable) versus unmanaged solutions (best for development and testing due to flexibility). 🔧3. Azure Pipelines — Core Concepts The session introduced the structure of Azure Pipelines, explaining stages, jobs, steps, agents, triggers, and artifacts, equipping viewers with the building blocks of CI/CD in Azure DevOps. 🔐4. Using Service Principals for CI/CD Jayshree covered how service principals enable secure, automated deployments, including how to create them, set permissions, and use them in CI/CD pipelines. ⚙️5. Classic Pipelines vs YAML Pipelines A comparison between the two pipeline approaches highlighted that: ✅Classic pipelines are simple and UI-friendly ✅YAML pipelines are more powerful, customizable, reusable, and version-controlled — preferred for enterprise DevOps 🛡6. Workload Identity Federation with Federated Credentials Reshmee introduced federated credentials, explaining how they remove the need for client secrets, enhance security, simplify management, and reduce risks such as secret expiry or credential leakage. 🖥7. Live YAML + Federated Credentials Demo A hands-on walkthrough demonstrated: ✅App registration setup ✅Federated credential configuration ✅Service connection creation ✅YAML pipeline deployment of Power Platform solutions across environments 🚀8. Next Steps and Recommended Resources Both speakers encouraged exploring: ✅ALM Accelerator ✅Native Git integration ✅Upcoming Power Platform ALM capabilities They also shared resources and welcomed further questions. Timeline: 0:00 — Introduction Introduction to Reshmee Auckloo and Jayshree Ostwal 3:19 — ALM Overview Introduction to ALM concepts and why they matter in Power Platform projects. 6:44 — Managed vs. Unmanaged Quick explanation of when to use each solution type. 8:22 — Azure Pipelines Basics Overview of stages, jobs, steps, agents, and triggers. 10:48 — Service Principals in CI/CD How service principals secure automated deployments. 13:36 — Classic vs YAML Pipelines Fast comparison of UI-based vs code-based pipelines. 25:42 — Federated Credentials Explained Why federated credentials remove client secrets and boost security. 29:35 — YAML + Federated Credentials Demo Live setup walk‑through of app registration, service connection, and deployment pipeline. 55:18 — Next Steps Resources, ALM Accelerator, native Git integration, and community Q&A. #PowerPlatform #AzureDevOps #CICD #YAMLPipelines #WorkloadIdentityFederation #FederatedCredentials #ALM #DevOpsAutomation #GlobalPowerPlatformBootcamp #ReshmeeAuckloo #JayshreeOstwal #MicrosoftPowerPlatform #DevOpsBestPractices #AppLifecycleManagement