Independent deployment and installation packages for MPOS, CPOS, HWS, and CSU extensions
Important
This content is archived and is not being updated. For the latest documentation, go to What's new or changed in Dynamics 365 Commerce. For the latest release plans, go to Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform release plans.
| Enabled for | Public preview | General availability |
|---|---|---|
| Admins, makers, marketers, or analysts, automatically | 
Apr 16, 2021 |
Apr 20, 2021 |
Business value
The current extension packaging model requires extensions and core application code to be packaged together to apply a hotfix or to upgrade. This requires more effort because merge and repackaging are required each time a hotfix or upgrade is applied. Also, if the Commerce components are customized, the same process must be repeated for every hotfix. This limits the continuous integration and continuous deployment process. New independent deployment and installation packages for Modern POS (MPOS), Cloud POS (CPOS), Cloud Scale Unit (CSU), and Hardware Station (HWS) will eliminate the merging and repackaging effort. The feature also allows users to independently package, manually deploy, and service the extensions and core separately.
Feature details
The new independent packaging feature separates extensions from the core and provides options to create extension-only packages that can be independently installed and serviced. The core installer framework is completely redesigned to separate the core and extension installer. MPOS, CPOS development, and packaging framework is also enhanced to support this independent package and installation model by inheriting the Windows optional package, Desktop Bridge, and MSIX technologies. To support this new extension framework, the MPOS, CPOS, and packaging models will be updated with a new extension template, UI controls, packaging, and deployment tools.
With this new model, all MPOS extensions will be created as separate APPX files and core POS will load these APPX files as add-ins. The add-ins (extensions APPX) will run under the context core MPOS app identity. Previously, the core POS and extensions were packaged as one APPX, but now there will be one core APPX and one extensions APPX to support independent installation and servicing. The extension APPX will not be able to run by itself. It will be loaded only by the core APPX. To migrate the old MPOS extension to this new model, migrate the code to the new extension template. This might require some code refactoring to support the new UI controls and framework.
The HWS and CSU installer framework is redesigned to create installers that can contain only the extension components. With the new installers, HWS and CSU can be independently serviced for both extensions and out-of-the-box components.
Note
This feature includes only the development and creation of an extension package. It doesn't include any Dynamics 365 Lifecycle Services deployment and servicing. Those enhancements will be added in later releases.
See also
POS extension overview (docs)
View and apply system updates (learn)