Best option for LOB app which references private API

Question

I have developed a UWP app which is designed to be deployed as an LOB to a Store for Business for a client.  The app is only relevant to that client, and the webservice API which it needs to reference (which we also developed), will only be available from within the client network.  The only users able to log in to the app will be officers of the business, who are already registered in the system which the API is connected to. 

I have certified a trial version of the app to our own company store, but it is only connected to a test API which is publicly available. 

I want to update the app and make it available to the client Store for Business with the private API configured.  How do I get an app certified in the Store for Business if the API it refers to is not publicly available?  Can I just update the trial app I have certified with only a change to the API location?  Is this something that can be configured after certification per environment?  I can't find any configuration options available for UWP apps within the Microsoft documentation.

Answer 1

Hi,

I'm little confused about your issue? So your LOB app has a trial version, right? What do you mean by "make it available to the client Store for Business with the private API configured"? 

Best regards,

Roy

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Answer 2

Hi,

I wanted to test deploying the app to Store for Business as I had not done that before.  So I packaged it using the publicly available test API we developed, and then deployed it to our own company Store for Business.

I need to either do an update under that app name, or submit the app under a different app name.  This time, I would deploy the LOB to the client Store for Business, rather than our own, and point to the API deployed on the client network.  The issue I am having is knowing what to do in terms of getting the app certified in Store for Business.  The private API will only be available from within the client network.  So presumably it will not meet the criteria for the  Microsoft certification testers?  They will not be able to log in to the app with a test account as the API link will fail.

I'm unsure of the best way to submit this app under these circumstances.

Answer 3

Hi,

Please open a free support ticket about this here: Contact Us. Choose to Contact us, select Dashboard for Topic and select App Submissions for issue type.

Best regards,

Roy

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Answer 4

Hi,

If I understand you right, you are trying to upload your app to Store for business. This app is using private API and this is haven't been uploaded to the store before. Then your issue is that the private API might not work for the certificate process because the test engineers don't have access to the private network. Am I right? 

Best regards,

Roy

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Answer 5

Hi Roy,

Yes, that is it exactly.  I can't find directions for what to do in the technical documents.  I can see that it is possible to use Intune for some client settings after the fact, but it only covers Android and IOS apps.  Mine is UWP.  I wasn't sure that it would be a possibility as a solution anyway.

Given that this is only being deployed to the actual business involved, I was hoping there was a process for handling the situation.

I have also raised a ticket as you advised, but it is my fourth one to the various Microsoft teams asking this question, and they keep sending my links to the technical documents I have already read, and telling me to raise tickets with other teams or to post here on the forum.  If you could help it would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Answer 6

Hi,

Well, all I could say is that you must follow the Store policy 10.3. You must keep your app testable. If your product requires login credentials, provide us with a working demo account using the Notes for certification field. If there are any issues at the time of certification the testers will provide notes for what the partner needs to fix to pass certification. I'm not sure how to make your app which is using private API testable, but this is required. Maybe you need to have a special account that could be given to the tester to access the private network.

Best regards,

Roy

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Answer 7

Thanks for that.  I had expected that, but the client network is completely unavailable off-site without VPN access and a remote token set up.  A test account with access to the private API is not possible.

Is there any way to configure the UWP apps after they have been deployed to the store?  Say deploy using our public test API so the app can be tested, then alter the API link later?  I was thinking of something like the app configuration policy that it is possible to assign via Intune.  The documents don't give an option for UWP, but I was wondering if there is something similar available for apps from the Store for Business.

OR 

Is it a possibility that I put an if statement to point to the public test API for the test account, then redirect the internal users to the private API?  The testers would still be able to test all functionality, just with an alternative set of test data.

I need to explore all possibilities as side-loading doesn't seem to be an option in this case.

Thanks,

Kirsty

Answer 8

Hi,

Yes, I think is a good way. Another possible way is that detect the difference of public network and private network and choose different APIs for function test. Both are possible ways to make your app be a testable app during certification process. 

Best regards,

Roy

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