Address common questions and issues with migrations
This unit contains answers to frequently asked questions about migrating from on-premises solutions 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
Dynamics GP 2015 and later versions
Business Central on-premises
Currently, you can migrate to Business Central online from the earlier versions of Business Central
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.
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 will 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. In the current version of Business Central, the migration tool is by default limited to migrate databases up to 80 GB. If your database is larger than 80 GB, it's recommended that you reduce the number of companies that you are migrating data for. You can specify which companies to include in the migration in the assisted setup wizard.
How can I add more companies to a migration?
If you want to add more companies after the first selection of companies, you can add additional companies in the Cloud Migration Management page in Business Central online.
How can I migrate databases larger than 80 GB?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Can I pause the migration?
You can switch off your connection to the Business Central online environment at any point. At that point, your on-premises solution and Business Central online become independent of one another.
If you switch off the connection, and you want to use your Business Central online environment as your primary solution to run and manage your business, you must reassign permissions to provide read/write access to the relevant users.
Will my on-premises users and permissions replicate?
No. Since you aren't required to configure your on-premises solution with Microsoft Entra ID, we can't guarantee a mapping between on-premises users and users in your Business Central online tenant. Business Central online requires Microsoft Entra ID accounts, and users must be manually added. All permissions must be granted in the Business Central tenant, independent from your on-premises 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?
Not necessarily. Most extensions will run without issues in the online environment. You may want to consider uninstalling extensions that send data to an external service to avoid potential duplicated calls to that service. It's a best practice to test any extension in a sandbox tenant configured for the Business Central online environment that you are connecting to.
If you experience issues during the cloud migration, you can go to Troubleshooting Cloud Information to get additional information.