[Feature Request] Import new licenses into customer database

[DanielGoehler]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe. Currently, importing a new Business Central license into the customer database requires manually using the PowerShell cmdlet. Recently, Microsoft has introduced subscription licenses that now have an expiration date and must be updated at least every six months. From April 2025, subscription licenses will be the only available option for new OnPrem customers. Automating this process within ALOps would streamline operations and ensure compliance with these new requirements.

Describe the solution you'd like I would like ALOps to support the automated import of new Business Central licenses into the customer database using the same logic as the current app import process. This should include support for language-specific terms for the creation date in the bclicense file (e.g., "Erstellungsdatum" in German) as a parameter. Additionally, if the date format is location-specific, this should also be configurable to ensure proper handling of date formats during the import process.

Describe alternatives you've considered An alternative approach involves continuing to use the PowerShell cmdlet for manual imports, but this is not as efficient or scalable, especially given the new requirement to update subscription licenses every six months. Another option could be developing a custom script to handle the import process, but integrating this functionality directly into the ALOps addon would be more seamless and user-friendly.

Additional context Incorporating this feature would significantly simplify the process of updating Business Central licenses, making it easier to comply with Microsoft's new licensing requirements and ensuring that the process is scalable as more customers adopt the subscription model. This enhancement would save time and reduce the potential for manual errors. The announcement can be found here: https://businesscenter.mbs.microsoft.com/#contentdetail/spanews1

[waldo1001]

When you run a build agent at the customer, this would already be possible, but I don't think that's a good approach.

ExternalDeployer doesn't have the ability to upload license files.

We'll have to think about a way to automate this - and we can feel the need for a lot of partners in the community .. . We'll investigate!

[DanielGoehler]

@waldo1001 Thank you for your response. Given the importance of automating this process to comply with Microsoft's new licensing requirements, I'm glad to hear you are considering potential solutions.

Regarding the implementation, do you foresee any issues if we import the .flf or .bclicense files with every release using ALOpsLicenseImport? My initial thought was to update the license only if it has changed, similar to how ALOpsAppPublish operates on the app side. This approach would ensure we are not unnecessarily updating the license import every time.