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Feature Flags

Overview

There are three types of query string flags that are used with extensions to modify run-time behavior. The purpose of each type of flag is similar but not identical. The Azure Portal makes use of flag values by making modifications to the server or browser, to the shell, and to the extension at runtime. Portal query string flags can be differentiated by the naming convention that is used to invoke them.

  • Some feature flags have their own names, like https://portal.azure.com/?<featureName>=<value>

  • Most feature flags are invoked with the syntax: https://portal.azure.com/?feature.<featureName>=true

  • Otherwise, flags are directives to the extension, in which case the syntax is <extensionName>_<extensionFlag>=<value>

NOTE: Features that are invoked through extensiondefinition are outside of the scope of this document. For more information about using extensiondefinition, see Microsoft.Portal.Framework.ExtensionDefinition class.

The following table specifies the types of query string flags that are used with the Azure Portal.

Flag Purpose Document
Trace mode Temporarily set server characteristics, toggle a behavior, or enable event logging. For the most part, trace mode does not require changes to extension code. The exception is certain types of logging, as specified in portalfx-logging-from-typescript-and-dotnet.md.
Invoked with https://portal.azure.com/?trace=<settingName>.		 #trace-mode-flags
Extension Flags Allow developers to specify features that they maintain.
Invoked with https://portal.azure.com/?<extensionName>_<extensionFlag>=<value>.		 #extension-flags
Shell flags Connect the developer's extension to features that are maintained by the Azure Portal team. Shell features do not require changes to the code in the developer's extension.
Invoked with https://portal.azure.com/?feature.<featureName>=<value>.		 #shell-feature-flags

Changing the default feature flags that are sent to the extension requires Shell configuration changes and redeployment.

Trace Mode Flags

Trace mode flags are associated with code that exists inside the Portal. They can be invoked with the syntax: https://portal.azure.com/?trace=<settingName>, or they can be configured externally through the .config file. For example, https://portal.azure.com/?trace=diagnostics will enable verbose debugging information in the console. The trace mode allows the developer to enable, disable, and filter tracking output.

The information that is displayed in trace mode is associated with debugging, more so than with regular operation of the extension. This information is an addition to standard console errors, and it can be used to monitor application execution and performance in a deployed environment. The errors that are presented in the console assist in fixing extension issues. For more information about trace modes, see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/framework/debug-trace-profile/how-to-create-initialize-and-configure-trace-switches.

Often the errors that are displayed in the console can lead you down the path of fixing your issues. In addition to viewing the standard errors displayed in the console, it's often useful to load the Portal in trace mode.

Trace mode flag list

Trace modes are enabled by appending them to the query string, as in the following example: https://portal.azure.com/?trace=<settingName>, where settingName, without angle brackets, is the type of trace to run on the extension. The Azure trace mode flags are in the following list.

desktop: Log all shell desktop operations. Useful for reporting errors to the alias.

diagnostics: Display the debug hub, and add verbose tracing. Also used to enable callstack capturing for all communication that occurs between iframes.

inputsset.debug.viewModelOrPdlName: Break into debugger when onInputsSet is about to be called on extension side. This trace can use the viewmodel name or the blade or part name to filter trace.

inputsset.log.CommandViewModel: Add refinement to the selection of which view model to trace.

inputsset.log.viewModelOrPdlName: Log in console when onInputsSet is about to be called on extension side. This trace can use the viewmodel name or the blade or part name to filter trace.

inputsset.log.WebsiteBlade: Further refine which view model to trace.

inputsset.verbose.viewModelOrPdlName: Log in the console every time the shell evaluates whether onInputsSet should be called. This trace can use the viewmodel name or the part or blade name to filter trace.

partsettings.viewModelOrPartName: Shows writes and reads of settings for the specified part. This trace can use the viewmodel name or the part name to filter the trace.

usersettings: Show all writes and reads to the user settings service. Great for debugging issues that require a 'reset desktop'.

Extension Flags

Extension flags are specially-formatted query string parameters that are sent through the Portal to extensions and their controller methods. They are often used while testing to enable and disable features that are maintained in the source code. Flags can only be used on items like form elements or HTML template components; they cannot be used to hide blades, parts, or commands.

Flags are only accessible by the extension in which they are defined, and therefore are not shared across extensions. Typically, the flag is boolean and has a descriptive name. Most flags are set to a value of true or false, which respectively enables or disables the feature. However, some flags send non-boolean values to the extension when more than two options are appropriate to test a specific feature.

Extension features are enabled by appending a flag to the query string, as in the following example: https://portal.azure.com/?<extensionName>_<flagName>=<value>, where flagName, without angle brackets, is the feature to enable for the extension. The extension name and the underscore are used by the Portal to determine the extension for which the flag applies.

The only limitation on developer-designed flag names is that they cannot contain underscores. Flags are named according to the following rules.

  • Are all lower case
  • Must be formatted as <extensionName>_<flagName> (e.g. azurecompute_someflag)
  • Can contain any non-empty value (e.g. azurecompute_someflag=true)
  • Cannot include an underscore in the flag portion of the name (i.e., azure_compute_some_flag does not work, but azure_compute_someflag works)

The support extension

Azure provides a support extension so that every resource that subscribes can assess its health, check the audit logs, get troubleshooting information, or open a support ticket. Every extension should reach out to the Azure Self-Help Adoption Core Team at AzSFAdoption@microsoft.com to opt in to the support system and UX integration.

The developer needs to add code to the extension for each setting that will be used. The following flags are used in coordination with the support extension, as specified in top-blades-settings.md#support-settings.

After the extension has been modified for the support extension, these flags can be used to obtain various types of support. They are invoked as follows.

   &<extensionName>=troubleshootsettingsenabled=true
   &<extensionName>=healthsettingsenabled=true
   &<extensionName>=requestsettingsenabled=true

  • troubleshootsettingsenabled: A value of true , and a value of false .

  • healthsettingsenabled: A value of true , and a value of false .

  • requestsettingsenabled: A value of true enables troubleShooting from the support extension, and a value of false disables it. This implies that coordination between your team and the Support team has been completed so that the support extension can respond to this flag setting.

The Azure Content Delivery Network

The Azure Content Delivery Network, as specified in portalfx-pde-cdn.md, requires code changes and allows the use of an extension flag to provide the capability to send audio, video, images, and other files to customers.

Feature flag API contract

Developers can create flags for extensions, and plan to manage them as a part of the software maintenance process. Typically, the flag is boolean and has a descriptive name. A value of true turns on the feature, and a value of false turns it off.

The following sections demonstrate how to turn extension flags on and off inside the code.

Reading flags in TypeScript

  • Detecting whether a flag is set

    Use the MsPortalFx.isFeatureEnabled and MsPortalFx.getFeatureValue APIs to access feature values in TypeScript, as in the following code.

    Query string with parameters: https://portal.azure.com?azure_compute_someflag=true

     if (MsPortalFx.isFeatureEnabled("someflag"))
 {
     // turn on new feature
 }

  • Detecting the value of a flag

    Query string with parameters: https://portal.azure.com?azure_compute_someotherflag=value1

     switch (MsPortalFx.getFeatureValue("someotherflag"))
 {
     case "value1":
         // behavior 1
         break;
     case "value2":
         // behavior 2
         break;
     default:
         // default behavior
         break;
 }

Programming default values for C Sharp flags

Flags can be enabled for all users in one or more deployments by using an extension configuration, as in the following code.

  1. In the ApplicationConfiguration class, add the following property.

    [ConfigurationSetting]
public CaseInsensitiveReadOnlyDictionary<IReadOnlyDictionary<string, string>> DefaultQueryString
{
   get;
   private set;
}

  2. In the derived app context class (probably named CustomApplicationContext), override the GetDefaultQueryString method.

    public override IReadOnlyDictionary<string, string> GetDefaultQueryString(string host)
{
   return this.configuration.DefaultQueryString.GetValueOrDefault(host);
}

  3. Finally, in the config files (web.config or cscfg), add the following entry

    <Setting name="Microsoft.StbPortal.Website.Configuration.ApplicationConfiguration.DefaultQueryString" value="{
'*': {
    'websitesextension_supportsettingsenabled':'true',
    'websitesextension_troubleshootsettingsenabled':'true'
},
'prod.websitesextension.com': {
    'websitesextension_requestsettingsenabled':'true'
},
'dogfood.websitesextension.com': {healthsettingsenabled
        'websitesextension_':'true'
}
}" />

    • The asterisk specifies the default case. The flag will be set to the specified value for all requests to the extension, regardless of the domain.

    • Flags that are associated with the domain name in an environment, i.e. the domain name of the incoming extension requests, will take precedence over the flags that are in the default case.

Reading flags in the context of C Sharp AJAX calls

  • Using the RequestFlags dictionary

    When using MsPortalFx.Base.Net.ajax(), extension flags are also sent to the controller methods. The controller should extend the Microsoft.Portal.Framework.ApiControllerBase method to receive the flag value. The extension can use the RequestFlags dictionary to check whether a flag is being sent to the controller, as in the following code.

     if (RequestFlags.TryGetValue("microsoft_azure_compute_someflag", out value) && value == "true")
 {
     // turn on feature here
 }

Other feature flag services

For more information about extension flags, see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/vsts/articles/phase-features-with-feature-flags.

You can ask questions on Stackoverflow with the tag ibiza.

Shell feature flags

The Ibiza Fx team supports the following Shell feature flags. These flags are only available to the Shell, unless they are configured to be shared. Unless otherwise noted, a value of true enables the feature, and a value of false disables it.

Shell feature flags are invoked with the syntax: https://portal.azure.com/?feature.<featureName>=true.

The keyboard shortcut CTRL+ALT+D toggles the visibility of the debug tool, as specified in top-extensions-debugging.md#debug-mode. The yellow sticky that is located at the bottom on the right side of the window can be used to toggle trace mode flags and shell feature flags.

The extensionName flag

The name of the extension can be used as a feature flag. The extension name can contain any character in the ranges between [a-z] or [0-9]. The portal query string can handle multiple extensions simultaneously.

This flag is used to enable or disable an extension, use a different configuration file for an extension, and provide other run-time functionality. A value of true will temporarily enable a disabled extension, and allows the use of other flags. A value of false will temporarily disable the extension and leave it in hidden mode. The syntax for the extensionName flag is https://portal.azure.com?Microsoft_Azure_DevTestLab=true. It requires the canmodifystamps flag to contain a value of true in order to be in effect. For more information, see portalfx-extensions-configuration-overview.md.

The name of the extension can be used in the query string to access various Shell flags. These are flags that are independent of the canmodifystamps flag. &<extensionName>=true,[<otherShellFlags>]. How to use the flags that are within the extension is specified in #extension-flags; The Shell flags that require &<extensionName>=true are in the following table.

Directive Use
nocdn A value of true will bypass the CDN when loading resources for the Portal only. A value of force will bypass the CDN when loading resources for the Portal and all extensions.
testExtensions Contains the name of the extension, and the environment in which the extension is located. For example, ?testExtensions={"HelloWorld":"https://localhost:44300/"} specifies the intent to load the HelloWorld extension from the localhost port 44300 into the current session of the Portal. The name and uri parameters are as specified in portalfx-extensions-configuration-overview.md#understanding-the-extension-configuration-in-portal.

The canmodifystamps flag

The canmodifystamps flag is used in conjunction with the extensionName parameter to pass developer-specified values to the extension, to specify which stage or build number to use, and other purposes. When the canmodifystamps flag is set to true, the following run options can be enabled.

  &<extensionName>=<stageName>
  &<extensionName>=<buildNumber>
  &<extensionName>=<uriFormatPrefix>

  • extensionName: The name of the extension.

    • stageName: The stage that represents a datacenter, as specified in top-extensions-hosting-service-scenarios.md#sideloading. Use the name that is deployed to a specific stage, for example, stage1.
    • buildNumber: The build number as specified in top-extensions-hosting-service-scenarios.md#sideloading. Replace the dots in the build number with the letter 'd', so that build number 1.0.8.31 is represented by 1d0d8d31.
    • uriFormatPrefix: The value to use when building the uriFormat string. For example, when uriFormat is //{0}.devtest.ext.azure.com, the query string https://portal.azure.com?feature.canmodifystamps=true&Microsoft_Azure_DevTestLab=perf would cause the {0} in the uriFormat string to be replaced with perf and attempt to load the extension from https://perf.devtest.ext.azure.com.

Shell flags

The following are the feature flags that are invoked with the syntax: feature.<featureName>=true unless otherwise noted.

feature.abovethefold: A value of true means that the item is above the fold, or is initially displayed on the Web page without scrolling. A value of false means that the item is not above the fold.

feature.autoenablemove: Shows or hides the Change (resource move) link in the Essentials menu for all resource types. A value of true shows the links, and a value of false hides them. The links are the edit buttons next to the resource group, and the subscription name in the Essentials menu.

feature.browsecategories: Enables categories in the Browse menu.

feature.browsecuration={fileName}: Switches the curation file used for the More Services menu, default favorites, and search results. The default is available. To submit a partner request for custom curation to support a specific scenario, see https:\aka.ms\portalfx\uservoice.

feature.canmodifyextensions: Required to support loading untrusted extensions for security purposes. For more information, see top-extensions-sideloading.md#loading-customized-extensions.

feature.ci: Sets up the Portal up to work better with tests by disabling NPS popups and other items.

feature.consoletelemetry: Logs most telemetry events to the browser console.

feature.customportal: Overrides the ms.portal redirect when signing in to portal.azure.com. A value of false turns off automatic redirection for users in the microsoft.com tenant, and a value of true .

feature.disableextensions: Disables all extensions. A value of true disables the extension, and a value of false enables it. NOTE: Extensions must be enabled explicitly with this flag, including Hubs. For example, the following command disables all extensions, enables hubs, and enables the specific extension to be tested. ?feature.DisableExtensions=true&HubsExtension=true&MyOtherExtension=true

feature.eagerlyrevealassetpart: Asset part will infer resource names from ARM resource IDs, and will auto-reveal its content as soon as it has an icon and name.

feature.extloadtimeout: Extension loading timeout (in seconds???). Can contain any characters in the ranges [0-9]. The maximum value is .

feature.fakepreviewassets: Reserved for team use.

feature.fastmanifest: Enables relex-based manifest caching. A value of true enables the caching, and a value of false disables it.

feature.feedback: Disables the feedback pane. A value of true enables the feedback pane, and a value of false disables it.

feature.forceiris: Forces the Portal to query IRIS even if the time limit has not expired. The time limit is 24 hours.

feature.hideavatartenant: Reserved for internal Azure Portal use.

feature.inmemorysettings: Uses in-memory user settings.

feature.internalonly: Shows or hides the Preview banner in the top-left. A value of true shows the banner, and a value of false hides it.

feature.irissurfacename: Defines the surface name to use when querying IRIS.

feature.multicloud: Enables multicloud mode. Reserved for team use.

feature.nativeperf: Exposes native performance markers within the profile traces, which allows you to accurately match portal telemetry markers to the profile. The main use case is when profiling your extension/blade performance locally. Native performance markers will show up in the browser's performance profiling tool.

feature.nodirectory: Opens the avatar menu after the user signs in.

feature.pinnedextensions: Comma-delimited list, in brackets, of extensions that are never unloaded. Pins the specified extensions so that they exist during the lifetime of the Portal.

feature.pov2: Use ProxiedObservables version 2 (POv2), as specified in .

feature.pov2compatibilitymode: Disable compatibility mode for POv2, when enabled. A value of true enables compatibility mode, and a value of false disables it, so that the extension can run faster.

feature.prefetch: Enables or disables a script prefetch feature in the Portal for diagnostics purposes. Reserved for team use.

feature.rapidtoasts: Enables or disables toast notifications, and sets the default time that a toast is displayed, in milliseconds. A value of "0" or "true" disables toasts.

feature.relex: Not used. Comma-delimited list of extensions to load in Relex. NOTE: An asterisk ("*") will load all extensions in Relex.

feature.relexsinglecomm=true: Not used. When run in conjunction with the feature.relex flag, runs the corresponding extensions in relex with a single web socket connection to relex for all extensions.

feature.seetemplate: "See template" link in Create blades. A value of true , and a value of false .

feature.settingsprofile: Loads a Portal with the specified, isolated set of settings. It is used by the CI infrastructure to enable the loading of multiple Portals in parallel without overwriting each other’s settings. Reserved for team use.

feature.ShowAffinityGroups: Set to allow users to add and select affinity groups in the Portal. A value of true , and a value of false .

feature.showauditlogsaseventlogs: Changes audit log strings.

feature.showbugreportlink: Shows or hides the Report bug link in the top bar. A value of true shows the link, and a value of false hides it.

feature.showpreviewtags: Hides the preview ribbon on the startboard and shows labels in blade headers when extensions are marked as in preview. NOTE: Does not hide the preview ribbon.

feature.showrelexdialog: Not used. Hides the relex dialog that is displayed if performance is slow.

feature.testhubsurl: Reserved for team use.

feature.testremoteurl: Reserved for team use.

feature.testsamplesurl: Reserved for team use.

feature.tilemgmt: Reserved for future use.

feature.UserType: A value of "test" excludes test traffic from Azure reports.

feature.verbosediagnostics: Valid values are in the following table.

Value Meaning
all Includes default diagnostics and all filtered diagnostics in the Ctrl+Alt+A popup window
permissions Includes default diagnostics and the permissions entry in the Ctrl+Alt+A popup window
assets Includes default diagnostics and the assets/assetManagement entries in the Ctrl+Alt+A popup window
desktop Includes default diagnostics and the desktop entry in the Ctrl+Alt+A popup window

feature.waitforpendingchanges: Reserved for future use.

feature.webworker: Loads the extension in a separate webworker thread, which makes the extension more performant. The flag is useful for testing extensions previous to enabling them in production. In a webworker thread, objects such as DOM, cookies, and other items are not available. The query string parameter works in conjunction with the supportsWebWorkers parameter in the extensions.json file. The extensions.json file must contain the value supportsWebWorkers: "true", in order for the feature flag to invoke behavior. When the supportsWebWorkers parameter is absent or set to false, the feature flag cannot invoke any behavior. The query string is as follows: https://portal.azure.com?extName=<webWorkerId>,<extensionName1>=true,<extensionName2>=true, <extensionName3>=true,feature.webworker=<value>, where

  • webWorkerId: Identifies the webworker thread.

  • extensionName<number>: Required field. Matches the name of the extension, without the angle brackets, as specified in the <Extension> element in the extension.pdl file. There is no default that will turn on all extensions in an environment on the basis of the supportsWebWorkers: "true" parameter in the json file.

  • feature.webworker: A value of true will allow the extensions to run in the specified webworker. A value of false will not run the extensions in a webworker. In the previous query string, the feature.webworker flag allows the webworker whose id is specified in webWorkerId to use the extensions named <extensionName1>, <extensionName2>, and <extensionName3>.

    For more information about webworkers, see https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Web_Workers_API/Using_web_workers.

Marketplace feature flags

microsoft_azure_marketplace_Curation: Associated with Marketplace extensions. Uses a named curation . For more information about curations, see .

microsoft_azure_marketplace_curation: Associated with Marketplace extensions. Uses a named curation . For more information about curations, see .

microsoft_azure_marketplace_itemhidekey: Associated with Marketplace extensions. Shows specified Marketplace items that are otherwise hidden, or shows unpublished items in the gallery. A value of true shows the item, and a value of false hides it. Used in conjunction with extensionName when the extension is enabled. For example, if the hidekey is DevTestLabHidden,the following will display the extension in the "Create New" experience while it is enabled. https://portal.azure.com?<extensionName>=true&microsoft_azure_marketplace_ItemHideKey=DevTestLabHidden.

microsoft_azure_marketplace_quotaIdOverride: Associated with Marketplace extensions and the Create Launcher. A value of true , and a value of false.