Unleash the Power of Using External Storage for Your Dynamics 365 Attachments

 

Do you still have your Microsoft Dynamics 365 attachments inside Dynamics? Given the Dynamics 365 storage pricing and the performance effects of keeping it that way, is it time to go for external storage?

The Challenge of Storing Attachments in Dynamics 365

Storing attachments in Dynamics 365 is very convenient, but, as I’m sure you are aware, keeping attachments in Dynamics 365 typically ends up leading to performance issues. These problems arise as the database grows, causing slower response times and poorer user experience.

Plus, if you exceed the base storage capacity in Microsoft Dynamics 365, storing all those attachments will significantly increase costs. These storage costs have, however, varied over time.

Initial Storage Limitations and Costs

In the early days of Dynamics 365, the storage options were limited, and any additional storage above the base storage provided came at a premium price. This pricing structure often led to companies struggling with storage space and having to make difficult decisions about which data to retain within their Dynamics 365 environment. They would, for example, try to reduce the number of emails being tracked in the hope of getting fewer attachments into Dynamics.

Introduction of Tiered Storage and Improved Pricing

As Microsoft recognized the growing storage needs of businesses, they introduced a tiered storage model that offered more flexibility and better pricing. This model provides organizations with three types of storage: Database, File, and Log storage. The tiered model allowed companies to allocate their storage needs more efficiently, with each storage type having its own pricing structure.

Still, getting more Microsoft Dynamics 365 additional storage can be costly. At the time of writing, the most expensive dynamics 365 additional storage is database storage. Let’s look at the dynamics 365 additional storage pricing in each tier:

• Database storage costs $40/GB/month,
• Log storage costs $10/GB/month,
• File storage costs $2/GB/month.

The Shift to External Storage Solutions

Despite the improvements in storage options and pricing, organizations still face challenges managing their storage needs, especially as the volume of email and note attachments increases within their Dynamics 365 environment. This has increased interest in external storage solutions like SharePoint, Azure Blob, and Azure Storage. By moving email and notes attachments to external storage, companies are able to free up valuable space in their Dynamics 365 environment, improve performance, and reduce storage costs.

The Role of Attachment Extractor Solutions such as CB Dynamics 365 Seamless Attachment Extractor

Tools like CB Dynamics 365 Seamless Attachment Extractor are key for this shift to external storage solutions. CB Dynamics 365 Seamless Attachment Extractor is designed to help Dynamics 365 admins automate email and note attachment extraction from Dynamics 365 to external storage. The recently released version 3.0 offers several new features and improvements that make it even more efficient and user-friendly.

Let’s take a closer look at the new features of CB Dynamics 365 Seamless Attachment Extractor 3.0.

New Features of CB Dynamics 365 Seamless Attachment Extractor 3.0

1. Migration to .NET 6
   The code base has been upgraded to .NET 6, resulting in enhanced performance and enabling new features.
2. Configuring Modern Authentication
   Auth Code flow is now used for configuring Modern Authentication for SharePoint and Dynamics 365, providing improved security and simplified authentication management.
3. Specifying Creation Date for File Extraction
   Users can now extract files based on their creation date, optimizing extraction time by only including files from a specific date onwards.
4. Entity Exclusion from Extraction Process
   This feature allows users to exclude specific Dynamics 365 entities from the extraction process, which is helpful for removing non-essential data or test entities.
5. Dynamics 365 Team Consideration for Extraction
   The extraction process can be limited to users from specific teams in Dynamics 365, reducing the number of attachments extracted and optimizing the extraction duration.
6. File Extraction via FetchXML Query
   Users can now define their own query for extraction, providing the flexibility needed for advanced scenarios and specific criteria.
7. License Restrictions
   Improved control over license usage, with restrictions based on defined start and end dates instead of activation dates.
8. External Storage Retention to Safeguard your Production Environment when Using a Sandbox
   Files are not deleted in external storage even when a delete operation is triggered from Dynamics 365. This ensures you will not unintentionally delete files from your production environment if you fail to point your Sandbox CRM to a separate external storage after copying the environment.
9. Extraction Report
   The new Extraction Report page provides better visibility and control over the extraction status for Dynamics 365 attachments and notes. A screenshot is available in the launch guide, in case you want to see how it looks.
10. Bug-fixing and UI Improvements
    The latest version includes bug fixes and numerous User Interface (UI) improvements for an enhanced user experience and smoother extraction process.

Benefits of CB Dynamics 365 Seamless Attachment Extractor 3.0

The benefits of CB Dynamics 365 Seamless Attachment Extractor 3.0 include:

• Enhanced performance and stability
• Better control over the extraction process
• Improved security and license management
• Greater awareness and reporting
• Smoother user experience

Lessons Learned

In conclusion, CB Dynamics 365 Seamless Attachment Extractor 3.0 significantly improves the file extraction process for Dynamics 365. By utilizing this tool, your organization can expect a more efficient and seamless file extraction process with enhanced security, control, and visibility. Additionally, moving attachments to external storage will optimize the performance of your Dynamics 365 environment and provide a better experience for your users.

Curious to know how our attachment extractor can help your company?

By Ana Neto

Software engineer since 1997, she is now a technical advisor for Connecting Software.

Connecting Software is a producer of integration and synchronization software solutions since 2004. We operate globally and we are also a proud “Top Member” and “Top Blogger” at CRMSoftwareBlog.

 

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The post Unleash the Power of Using External Storage for Your Dynamics 365 Attachments appeared first on CRM Software Blog | Dynamics 365.