Microsoft Dynamics 365 Power Platform: Dynamics 365 F&O prepares VHD and deploy on Azure EP1.

Microsoft provides a Free Trial environment . or another environment as a Lab test from Microsoft learn. With Lab testing environment has limited time access about 8 hrs. and I found some feature has a limitation as well in both environment, for example, Creating new ledger entities and Development purpose. Therefore, I try to use another way by downloading Virtual hard disks VHD and hosting on Azure VM.

A lot of content from the internet already describes how to provision VHD to Azure. I also try many steps before I found a working solution then I create this article for my note. and hope it may help someone who wants to do the same thing.

Step 1. Deploy Utility VM

Before downloading VHD Files. I suggest creating the first Utility VM in Azure for 3 objectives

- Download VHD fields and store inside the VM is much faster than local

- Convert VHD to VHD fix Size using Hyper-V service in VM

- Upload VHD Fixed Disk to Azure Blob container

Creating VM is optional if you have high-speed internet and Hight performance computer you can do it locally.

Create VM using Windows Server 2019

Step 2. Download VHD Fields from LCS

Connect the VM via RDP and then open the browser

Dynamics 365 Finance and Operation allow the user to download VHD files that contain the F&O application installed from Microsoft Lift Cycle Service LCS.

After login to LCS discover under Shard Asset library >> Downloadable VHD

You have to download a compressed RAR file total of 9 parts and then extract it.

Step 3. Preparing VHD

There is 2 sub-step to preparing VHD using the Hyper-V service

- Convert VHD to Fixed Size

- Prepare generalized image

For more detail from Microsoft Learn

Prepare generalized image from Windows VHD to deploy VMs on Azure

Before doing VHD preparation you need to Enable Hyper-V Service first

by adding a feature from the Server manager

You may need to restart before running the Hyper-V manager

Convert VHD to Fixed-Size

Connect to VM via Hyper-V and do generalized image

Step 4. Create Image Disk From VHD on Azure

Create Storage Account for Upload VHD

Create Container and Upload VHD Fixed-Size. Select Blob Type: Page Blob

Create an Image from the uploaded VHD Fixed-Sized

Deploy VM from an Image

Step 5. Register Application from Azure AD

Converting Disk and Upload VHD and Deployment VM may need much time to finish. If everything is correct. You will be able to create images and FO Virtual Machine.

Create App Register: for more info on Microsoft Learn: Register a new application in Azure Active Directory