Dynamics SL migration to Business Central online: End-to-end overview

This article gives an overview of how to migrate from Dynamics SL on-premises to Business Central online. Understanding the data migration basics helps you plan and execute a smooth transition to the cloud.

Understanding cloud migration

Data migration securely moves data from an on-premises SQL Server instance to Business Central online. You manage cloud migration from Business Central online through a connection to the on-premises database and various components that establish a pipeline for replicating data. The on-premises solution remains the operative environment until you complete the cloud migration.

Components involved

The following figure shows the main components involved in the data migration process.

What data is migrated

In general, the cloud migration tool migrates the following data:

• System and company setup, accounting periods (Dynamics SL Fiscal periods), tax areas (Dynamics SL Tax Groups), and locations (Dynamics SL Inventory Sites)
• Master data for accounts, customers, vendors, and items
• Open Document amounts for customers and vendors
• Account balances by period
• Historical data

The company data that is migrated is configurable as part of the cloud migration setup. Learn more in Configure Dynamics SL company migration.

How data is migrated

Data is migrated table by table, and success and failures are tracked for each table. If a table fails to migrate, the error will be captured, and the migration moves on to the next table until completed. Tables fail to migrate if they can't be found, or if the schema doesn't match between the cloud and the on-premises tables.

Typically, you first run the migration as a test on a sandbox environment. Then, when you're ready to go live, you run the migration on the production environment. The data migration time can vary depending on factors such as the amount of data to migrate, your SQL Server configuration, and your connection speeds.

End-to-end process

This section outlines the general process or phases you go through to migrate data from on-premises to online.

1. Migration Assessment

   Before migrating your on-premises deployment to the cloud, evaluate its readiness using the Dynamics SL Analysis and Dynamics SL Repair tools. These tools provide migration options based on your needs and detect potential migration issues based on your Dynamics SL system structure. Download the tools from GitHub at BCTech/Samples/DynamicsSLMigrationTools/Analysis and Repair Tool at master · microsoft/BC Tech.

   • The Analysis Tool connects to a Microsoft Dynamics SL database and generates an analysis report text file.

   • The report outlines and provides an overview of the modules in use and examines the data that can be migrated to Business Central.

   • Analysis Report information example:

     • Microsoft Dynamics SL version
     • Microsoft SQL version
     • Overview of Microsoft Dynamics SL modules being used
     • Module details including the number of:
       • Records in master tables
       • Records in transaction tables

   • The Repair Tool connects to a Microsoft Dynamics SL database.

     • The Repair tool is used to validate Microsoft Dynamics SL data to identify any issues that require repair before using the online Business Central tool to migrate Microsoft Dynamics SL data to Microsoft Dynamics Business Central.
     • Repair Tool:
       • Includes automated fixes to the Microsoft Dynamics SL data.
       • Includes repair items that need to be addressed.

2. Preparation

   The preparation phase ensures a fast and problem-free migration. It typically includes these tasks:

   1. Plan

      Create a migration plan with a detailed timeline, resource requirements, and approach. A well-crafted plan minimizes downtime and prevents users from losing work. Plan to run cloud migration between environment updates.

      Learn more in Prepare and plan for cloud migration from Dynamics SL.

   2. Verify prerequisites

      Prepare your on-premises environment for migration, which includes ensuring that it meets the prerequisites for migration, such as using SL 2015 or later. This step is crucial in ensuring that your environment is ready for the migration process.

      Learn more in Cloud migration prerequisites for Dynamics SL.

   3. Verify that data is in the best state possible to complete the migration:

      This step involves reviewing your data to ensure that it's clean, accurate, and in the best possible state for migration.

3. Cloud migration setup

   The phase doesn't migrate any data, but it gets the environment ready for migration by establishing the connection and pipeline between the on-premises database and the online tenant database. You also specify which companies to migrate. This phase starts when you run the Set up Cloud Migration assisted setup guide in Business Central online.

   To get started, refer to Set up cloud migration.

4. Configure Dynamics SL company migration

   The step is part of the setup phase in which you select the companies and data that you want to migrate.

   To get started, refer to Configure Dynamics SL company migration.

5. Data replication

   This step migrates data from on-premises to online. It starts when you run the Run data replication assisted setup guide in Business Central online. At the end of the process, you have a copy of the on-premises data in the relevant Business Central online environment.

   At this point in the process, you can verify whether the migration went well or not, fix any problems, and rerun the replication multiple times if you want to. Once the data replicates to the sandbox environment, you can use the troubleshooting tools in the Business Central administration center.

   To get started, refer to Replicate data.

6. Data upgrade

   After data replication is complete, the cloud migration might have the status Upgrade Pending on the Cloud Migration Management page. This step starts when you choose the Run Data Upgrade Now action in the Cloud Migration Management page in Business Central online for the specific environment.

   Learn more in Upgrade data for Dynamics SL cloud migration.

   Important

   Before running data upgrade, ensure that data from all companies has been replicated to the online database. Once you run data upgrade successfully, you can’t run data replication again from an earlier version, because you risk corrupting data in the online database by mixing non-upgraded records with upgraded records.

7. Completion and follow-up

   Completion and follow-up are crucial steps in the cloud migration process. They involve setting up and optimizing your new Business Central online environment. Consider these essential tasks:

   1. Optimize your Business Central online environment

      Configure the system to meet your business needs. This task might include setting up security, customizing forms and reports, and integrating with other systems. By taking the time to optimize your new environment, you can ensure that it meets your specific requirements and works seamlessly with your existing systems.

   2. Set up user access

      Grant access to your new Business Central online system for all relevant users. This task includes creating new user accounts, setting up permissions, and defining roles and responsibilities.

8. Go live

   Once you're satisfied with the new environment setup, switch to the new Business Central online system. This task involves decommissioning the on-premises deployment and ensuring all users use the new system.

   Learn more in Complete Dynamics SL cloud migration.

By completing these tasks, you can ensure a successful migration to the cloud-based Business Central solution.

Working with environments during cloud migration

You manage the cloud migration from Business Central online. But once you start the migration phase, the on-premises solution remains the operative environment until you complete the migration. Don't set up cloud migration for a production environment that's already in use for business. You risk that the migration process overwrites data that's needed to run the business. Even if your migration targets a different company in that environment, you risk that the upgrade overwrites data that's shared across companies in the target environment.

Any existing data in Business Central online is overwritten with data from your on-premises solution, or source, once the data replication is run.

If you don't want data in Business Central online to be overwritten, don't configure the connection.

Limited data entry during the migration period

Once the cloud migration is set up and underway, the data that you can enter in the Business Central online tenant is limited to data that isn't included in data migration from on-premises. Otherwise, any data that was written to the tenant database would be continuously overwritten during the migration process.

To make setting up this read-only tenant more efficient, we created the Intelligent Cloud permission set. Once the cloud migration environment is configured, existing users in the online tenant without SUPER permissions are automatically assigned to the Intelligent Cloud Permission Set. Only users with SUPER permissions can make modifications to the system at this point. If you add any online users later, assign them the Intelligent Cloud permission set. They're not assigned automatically.

Users that are reassigned to the Intelligent Cloud Permission Set have access to read ALL data by default. If you need to further restrict what data a user can read, the SUPER user can create new user groups and permission sets and assign users accordingly. It's highly recommended to create any new Permission Sets from a copy of the Intelligent Cloud Permission Set and then take away permissions you don't want users to have.

Related information

Migrate Dynamics SL Data to the Cloud
FAQ about Migrating to the Cloud from on-premises Solutions
Managing Capacity