Could You Keep Your Dynamics 365 Integrations When Doing a Dynamics 365 on Premises to Cloud Migration?

Doing a migration of Dynamics 365 on Premise to the Cloud is not as easy as it should, especially when your Dynamics on-premise instance has integrations running to other software or databases. Unfortunately, there is no official Microsoft solution for these scenarios other than using the Fast Track page. The alternative would be using the Dynamics 365 API. This opens many possibilities for you, but requires programming skills and knowledge of that API. Fortunately, there is a third way.

Doing a Dynamics 365 on Premises to Cloud Migration  – the Connect Bridge Way

This third way of doing it involves less stress, as you reduce the number of points of failure. It is versatile, as it can adjust to your specific needs. And you don’t need to hire and depend on an external team to make it happen. So how do you do it? By going for a third-party solution with a proven track record. There is a range of solutions based on the integration platform Connect Bridge, and you just have to choose the one that best adjusts to your scenario:

• Do you want to migrate Microsoft’s CRM application, either the older Microsoft Dynamics CRM or the newer Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement, from on-premise to the cloud? – Connect to Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement
• Do you have a database or legacy software that you would like to connect to Dynamics 365 online? – D365 Database Sync Solution
• Are you interested in data migration of Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations from on-premises to the cloud – Connect to Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations
• Do you want to upgrade to Dynamics 365 Business Central Online – Connect to Dynamics 365 Business Central

The one point all these have in common is that they are based on the Connect Bridge platform. This platform makes the Dynamics system appear as if it were a database. That means you can communicate with it using SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements. Connect Bridge then translates the ANSI standard SQL syntax you are using into the appropriate API calls, so you can rest assured that the integrity of your Dynamics database is perfectly safe.

How Can I Do It?

The SQL queries can be integrated into any existing software you have the source code or into  SSMS (SQL Server Management Studio). In any case, you always start by requesting a free trial of Connect Bridge. Then, if you chose to use SSMS, there is a simple 3-steps procedure to try this out yourself:

1 – Set up the AdventureWorks database and open it in the Object Explorer window

2 – Create the Linked Server in SSMS.

3 – Open the Linked Server you just created. It will look as if you are accessing the back-end database of Dynamics, but don’t worry! You are not.

For more details on Dynamics 365 on-premises to cloud migration strategies, screenshots, and a video tutorial, check out the blog article Ensuring Your Dynamics 365 on Premise to Cloud Migration Doesn’t Destroy the Integrations You Need.

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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