D365 On-Premise CRM to D365 Cloud Migration Approach

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A guide to help you plan and execute a successful migration from D365 on-premise CRM to D365 cloud 


Introduction


Dynamics 365 (D365) is a cloud-based platform that offers a range of applications and services for business processes, customer engagement, and analytics. D365 cloud has many benefits over D365 On-premise CRM, such as scalability, security, performance, innovation, and cost-effectiveness. However, migrating from D365 On-premise CRM to D365 cloud is not a simple task. It requires careful planning, assessment, and execution to ensure a smooth and seamless transition. 


Why Migrate to D365 Cloud?  


Microsoft Dynamics Team is terminating support for Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement Apps in January 12 2027; hence Microsoft customers are encouraged to consider migrating to the Dynamics 365 cloud offering.


Also, D365 cloud is a powerful platform that offers several advantages over D365 On-premise, such as: 
  1. Scalability and elasticity: D365 cloud can dynamically adjust to changing workloads and demands, without requiring upfront investments in hardware or infrastructure.  
  2. Security and compliance: D365 cloud leverages Microsoft's robust security and compliance capabilities, including encryption, identity management, threat protection, and data privacy controls.  
  3. Cost-effectiveness and flexibility: D365 cloud has a pay-as-you-go pricing model that allows customers to only pay for what they use, and easily switch between different plans and features as needed.  
  4. Innovation and agility: D365 cloud provides access to the latest features and updates, as well as integration with other Microsoft cloud services, such as Azure, Power Platform, Office 365, and Teams.  
  5. User adoption and satisfaction: D365 cloud enables users to access their data and applications from any device, anywhere, and anytime, enhancing their productivity and collaboration.   
In this blog post, we will outline the key steps and considerations for a D365 On-Premise CRM to D365 cloud migration approach. We will cover the following topics: 
  1. Environment Requirements 
  2. Key Considerations for Upgrade Paths 
  3. Execution Approach 

Environment Requirements:


When starting the upgrade, you only need one environment from the Source (i.e. Production Instance) for any upgrade path you choose. For intermediate environments, it is better to have just one instance (i.e. Development Instance). The target environment should have all four instances: Development, SIT, UAT and Production.


Key Considerations for Upgrade Paths:

  1. On the source deployment, make sure that the organizations are upgraded to latest available rollups. This can be verified in Deployment Manager by checking the version number of the server, to which the organization belongs to
  2. CleanUp AsyncOperations Base table to fasten the upgrade process. For each organization that needs to be upgraded, it is recommend that the disk/ server/machine has free space that is at least three times the size of the organization database file (organizationName_MSCRM.mdf) and four times the size of the log file (organizationName_MSCRM.ldf)
  3. Do not exceed the maximum number of attributes: If there are more than 1023 attributes defined for an entity, additional attributes must be deleted before an upgrade is run. The upgrade will fail with a message.
  4. Remove custom database objects: If custom database objects are added, such as triggers, statistics, stored procedures, and certain indexes, then those objects need to be removed from the configuration and organization databases.
  5. Remove the ignore checks registry sub key : If ignore checks registry sub key are manually added on the Microsoft Dynamics CRM server, then it needs to be removed before the start of the upgrade.
  6. Verify custom indexes before upgrade is commenced

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Execution Approach:

The execution approach for the migration consists of four phases: Assessment, Structure, Update, and Deploy. Each phase has a set of tasks and deliverables that need to be completed to ensure a successful migration. The following table summarizes the main activities and outcomes of each phase

Phase 

Activities 

Outcomes 

Assessment 

  • Functional Assessment 
  • Technical Assessment 
  • Entity Customizations 
  • External Assemblies 
  • Portal 
  • Integration framework 
  • Custom components (Workflows, Plug-ins, web resources, etc.) 
  • Data to migrate 
  • Issues 
  • Gap analysis report 
  • Migration scope and strategy document 
  • Risk and mitigation plan 

Plan & Analysis 

  • Complexity Analysis 
  • Phase wise plan 
  • Hosting strategies for external components 
  • Data migration methodology 
  • Migration roadmap and timeline 
  • Migration architecture and design document 
  • Data migration plan and scripts 

Remediate & Test 

  • Code clean-up 
  • Eliminate deprecation 
  • Implement best practices 
  • Integration test 
  • Acceptance test 
  • Include in the solution 
  • Updated and optimized code base 
  • Tested and validated solution 
  • Ready for deployment solution package 

Deploy 

  • Import Organization 
  • Import Solutions 
  • Acceptance test 
  • Data Migration and test 

  • Migrated and configured D365 cloud organization 
  • Deployed and verified solution 
  • Migrated and validated data 


Functional Assessment : Functional assessment would ensure that the functionality is well understood by the upgrade team and the same is available once the upgrade is done. Functional assessment can be carried out through Workshops and Demos.


Technical Assessment: The Microsoft Dynamics CRM organization(s) solution is customized with a number components that need to be upgraded to Microsoft Dynamics D365 CRM (target) system during the upgrade. This needs technical assessment, to support a robust and fail proof technical upgrade.


The findings and recommendations arrived during the technical assessment exercise are divided into three categories We need to categorize our findings in these 3 areas

  1. MUST – These are critical issues that must be addressed before proceeding with the upgrade; without resolving them, the upgrade cannot proceed.
  2. SHOULD – These are recommendations for reworking certain aspects. While the upgrade may still function without addressing these, it's advised to follow best practices and consider fixing these issues, depending on identified customer interest.
  3. CAN – These are areas where rework is optional. While the current solution may still function, there's an opportunity to utilize new features or replace existing functionality with out-of-the-box solutions.
Conclusion

In conclusion, successful upgrade of a Microsoft Dynamics CRM system requires meticulous planning, thorough assessment, and precise execution. By adhering to environment requirements and key considerations, organizations can streamline the upgrade process and minimize potential risks. The assessment phase, encompassing both functional and technical evaluations, serves as a foundation for identifying critical issues and recommending appropriate actions. Categorizing findings into must-fix, should-rework, and can-consider categories guides decision-making throughout the upgrade journey. Structured approaches for analysis, planning, execution, and deployment ensure a systematic and efficient upgrade process. Ultimately, by following best practices, organizations can leverage the latest features and capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics CRM while maintaining the integrity and functionality of their existing systems.

Thanks for pausing here with me. — Baren Samal

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Addendum:

Lift and Shift Migration Strategy: Lift and Shift is a migration strategy that involves moving the existing D365 on-premise system to D365 cloud without making significant changes to the functionality or architecture. The goal of lift and shift is to minimize the disruption and risk of migration, and to preserve the familiarity and consistency of the user experience. Lift and shift is suitable for customers who want to migrate to the cloud quickly and efficiently, and who do not have complex or customized systems that require extensive re-engineering or redesign. 

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