A Guide to Dynamics 365 Data Migration

You can easily migrate your on-premises data to a Dynamics 365 instance using the built-in tools that come with the platform. If you’re switching to a cloud instance of your software, you can take advantage of capabilities like Power BI, Machine Learning, and other features. In addition, you can move information from Excel files, SQL Server instances, and other data stores. This guide covers using the Dynamics 365 Business Central data migration utility.

Data Migration in Dynamics 365 Business Central

After establishing your new company, you can start your Dynamics 365 Business Central data migration process. Information companies typically want to migrate includes:

• General ledger accounts
• Customers
• Items
• Vendors

Start by going into Role Center and choosing one of the assisted setup guides. Then, you can add your data to an Excel file, or another format supported by the wizard. For example, you can choose to import information from QuickBooks files, because Business Central provides you with an extension for that file format. If you’re using an unsupported file, you’ll need to perform a conversion before using it with the wizard.

Next, choose one of the available Business Central templates to handle the import of your data. Business Central comes with default configuration packages to handle transporting master data from other finance systems. They export and set up information within Excel files, which you can use then import into your Business Central instance.

There are setup tables within Dynamics 365 Business Central for handling information like:

• Shipping
• Location
• Sales Price
• Unit of Measure

Data Migration Example

To import customers for a company housed within an Excel sheet, start by setting up a new customer template within Business Central that contains all the required default values.

1. Select search for page, look for the Customer template, then select the link that pops up.
2. On the Customers List, select Actions, then click Apply Template to open the Customer template window.
3. Select the customer template that corresponds to your business need.
4. Expand the ribbon, then select Edit from the Actions tab.
5. Select New from the Home tab on the ribbon.
6. Enter DOMESTIC in the Template Name field, then U.S. in the Country/Region Code field.
7. Expand the Invoicing tab, then select DOMESTIC for the following fields:
1. Gen. Bus. Posting Group
2. Customer Posting Group
8. Enter ENU in the Language Code field.
9. Add any additional details as needed, then close the page and return to the customer list.
10. Assign your new template as the default to the assisted setup for migrating data.

Working With RapidStart Services

If you’re working on a larger Dynamics 365 data migration project, you may be better off working with RapidStart Services for Business Central. It allows you to create packages containing setup data to apply to new companies. In addition, you can prepare standard master data tables by migrating data from Excel files.

You might choose to use RapidStart services if you need to set up a basic Business Central configuration and have a separate setup for manufacturing clients. You may also want to use RapidStart services when:

• Conducting a mass deployment
• Configuring an add-on solution
• Moving from a trial to a production version
• Setting up a subsidiary

You can use a .rapidstart file to create a compressed format that holds a package containing the settings for your new company. That package also imports default migration tables, including your master and setup data tables.

Getting Started with RapidStart Services

After setting up your company, you can start pulling together different elements of your configuration package. It should include an overview of the tables necessary to set up your company, including those containing:

• Default data records like country or region codes
• Default setup for your company
• Supplementary information like payment terms or posting groups
• Those that help post opening balances

You should list all the above information in a configuration worksheet before assigning it to a configuration package. Each configuration worksheet should contain the following information:

• Line Type — Type of configuration package line – area, group, or table
• Table ID — ID of the table to use for the line type
• Page ID and Name — The primary page used to view database records from the worksheet
• No. of Records — Total number of database records
• Licensed Table and Page — States whether the page and table are included in the license
• Reference — Text providing additional information about a table or a URL that links to more detailed info
• Promoted Table — Indicates if the table is promoted
• Responsible ID — Lists the ID of the business central user responsible for setting up the configuration worksheet
• Status — Shows the status of the table within the configuration worksheet, i.e., in progress, completed

Once you complete your configuration worksheet, attach the lines to a configuration package. You can do that by selecting the lines within the worksheet to combine into a single package. After that, you should see the Assign Package function open the Config Packages page. There, you can set up a new package.

Get Help with Dynamics 365 Data Migration

Internet eBusiness Solutions understands the complexity of data migration. Contact us today if you need advice on best practices for migrating data to your current Dynamics 365 instance.