FAQ about Migrating to Business Central Online from On-Premises Solutions

Article
12/02/2022
5 minutes to read

This section contains answers to frequently asked questions about migrating from on-premises solutions to Business Central online.

Tip

Check the tips in this article if your organization is not yet ready to migrate to Business Central online but are thinking hard about it. For more information about migration, see Migrate On-Premises Data to Business Central Online.

Which products and versions are supported?

You can use the built-in migration tools to migrate data to Business Central online from specific product versions. The on-premises solution must use SQL Server 2016 or a later version, and the database must have compatibility level 130 or higher. Currently, you can migrate to Business Central online from the following products:

Dynamics GP 2015 and later versions
Business Central on-premises

Currently, you can migrate to Business Central online from the earlier versions 14 through 20. For an indication of compatibility across minor versions, see here. You can also switch to online from the current version (21).

If you are currently on a version of Dynamics NAV, you must upgrade to Business Central on-premises, and then switch to Business Central online. For more information, see Upgrading from Dynamics NAV to Business Central online.

System requirements

To migrate to Business Central online, the on-premises solution must use SQL Server 2016 or a later version, and the database must have compatibility level 130 or higher. The on-premises solution must also be one of the supported versions.

For comparison, see the System Requirements for Dynamics 365 Business Central (on-premises) 2021 Release Wave 1 and subsequent versions.

How is my on-premises data migrated to my Business Central online tenant?

Data is migrated using an Azure service called Azure Data Factory (ADF). ADF is a service that is always running within the Business Central online service manager. When you start the cloud migration, a data pipeline is created in the ADF service so that data can flow from your on-premises solution to your Business Central online tenant. If your data source is a local SQL Server instance, you'll also be asked to configure a self-hosted integration runtime (SHIR). The runtime is installed locally and manages the communication between the cloud services and your on-premises data without opening any ports or firewalls.

Are there any limits on the amount or type of data that will migrate?

There are no restrictions on the type of data that can be migrated. By default, Business Central customers can use up to 80 GB of database storage capacity across all their environments (production and sandbox). This limit means that the sum of database capacity usage across all of their environments must not exceed 80 GB. If a tenant exceeds this limit, Microsoft restricts administrative actions that create additional environments. Exceeding the storage limit will not interrupt transaction processing within the existing environments.Some businesses have unique scenarios that may require additional storage. For those organizations that need more space, there's an option to purchase extra database capacity.

We recommend that you reduce the number of companies that you're migrating data for in each migration run. You can specify which companies to include in the migration in the assisted setup wizard.

If you want to add more companies after the first selection of companies, you can add more companies in the Cloud Migration Management page in Business Central online. For more information, see Run the tool multiple times.

If you're looking at migrating databases larger than 80 GB, we recommend that you contact the support team and work with them to make sure that the migration is successful. If needed, you can also purchase more storage. For more information, go to Managing Capacity.

Is my SQL connection string required to set up the connection?

Yes. The SQL connection string is passed to Azure Data Factory, where it's encrypted and delivered to your Self-Hosted Integration Runtime. The connection string is used to communicate with your SQL Server instance during the data replication process. For more information, see How do I find my SQL connection string?.

How do I find my SQL connection string?

Find the connection string to your SQL database in SQL Management Studio or Visual Studio. The user name and password defined in the connection requires a SQL Authenticated user name/password. Your connection string will look something like this:

Server=tcp:{ServerName},1433;Initial Catalog={DatabaseName};Persist Security Info=False; User ID={UserName};Password={Password};MultipleActiveResultSets=False;Encrypt=True;TrustServerCertificate=True;Connection Timeout=30;

How do I find the Integration Runtime name?

Find the Integration Runtime name in the Microsoft Integration Runtime Manager, which you can find in your Windows system tray or by searching for the program. You must type the name. You won't be able to copy and paste the name.

I'm a hosting partner - do I need to configure the Self-Hosted Runtime Service for each tenant?

No, there's no limit on the number of tenants that can be added to your Self-Hosted Integration Runtime. Each added tenant will have a dedicated pipeline created.

Will data from tables with code customizations migrate?

No, only tables that are available in both your on-premises solution and your Business Central online tenant will migrate. Any customization must be made into an extension and installed on both your on-premises solution and your Business Central online tenant to replicate.

Yes, but it requires that someone defines tables mappings to move the customized fields. For more information, go to Define Migration Table Mappings.

Why are my permissions restricted in the Business Central online tenant?

When you connect your on-premises solution to Business Central online as part of the migration, all existing users are automatically added to the Intelligent Cloud user group, unless they have the SUPER permission set. In this configuration, your on-premises solution is the master where all business transactions take place. The Business Central online environment is read-only, and the data is used to generate intelligent business insights based on your on-premises data for you. We restrict permissions to prevent users from accidentally entering transactions or updating master records only to have that information overwritten and lost when data replication takes place. Once the migration is complete, you can assign the relevant permissions to all users and stop using your on-premises solution.

Will my on-premises users and permissions replicate?

No. Since you aren't required to configure your on-premises solution with Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), we can't guarantee a mapping between on-premises users and users in your Business Central online tenant. Business Central online requires Azure AD accounts, and users must be manually added. All permissions must be granted in the Business Central tenant, independent from your on-premises permissions.

For more information, see Managing Users and Permissions.

Is the data replication only one way?

Yes, data is only replicated from the on-premises solution to your Business Central online tenant for the purposes of migration. Once you start using Business Central online, you must stop using your on-premises solution.

Should I uninstall all my Business Central extensions?

No. But if your cloud migration includes data upgrade of a large amount of data, we recommend that you uninstall the extensions that that include any data to move. It will speed up the upgrade and overall cloud migration process. You can reinstall the extensions after the migration.