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Preview feature: Data Loader for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online

Customers are facing challenges with data migration scenario, where each customer/partner has to write custom code or use 3rd party tool to import large volume of data. To help alleviate this pain point, Microsoft Dynamics team has developed a cloud Data Loader service for Dynamics CRM online. The key benefit of this service is the ability to move your data between flat files and CRM online, and cut down on implementation costs. We’re pleased to announce preview of this service that will empower organizations to better manage their data import/export processes. The preview supports only import operation, and the export will come in the next update of the feature.

This new Data Loader is available as a preview to North American based Dynamics CRM Online organizations. It supports CRM 2015 Online Update1 and the upcoming release.

Important

Microsoft doesn’t provide support for this preview feature. A preview feature is a feature that is not complete, but is made available before it’s officially in a release so customers can get early access and provide feedback. Microsoft Dynamics CRM Technical support won’t be able to help you with issues or questions. Preview features aren’t meant for production use and are subject to a separate supplemental terms of use for preview features.

 In this post, I will be sharing the following high level topics for the Data Loader.

  • Key Benefits
  • Getting Started
  • Preview features
  • Known Limitations
  • Send us feedback

Key Benefits

  • Quick and easy to configure import of data
  • Eliminate writing custom code against CRM SDK for importing data and thus cutting down on the implementation time and cost
  • Supports bulk loading of data
  • It’s available at no cost

Getting started

 The Data Loader preview is enabled by default for all CRM administrators. Use the following steps to access the service:

  1. Navigate to link https://lcs.dynamics.com/DataLoader/Index.
  2. Click on Sign in and enter your CRM administrator credentials.

NOTE: This CRM admin also needs to be a Service or Global admin in AAD (Azure active directory)

This will log you in the service, and you are ready to use.

For detailed walkthrough of how to use this service – refer to Walkthrough of Data Loader blog post.

Preview features

  • All data uploaded is encrypted
  • Support for update and creates
  • Support for flat files with any delimiter
  • Edit and re-use data mappings
  • Excel app for fixing invalid data in the staging db and iterate over the data
  • Parallel processing to support bulk loads
  • Import of multiple entities in one data project
  • Handles auto detection of insert order and relationships
  • Imports historical data like closed activities, older Created date
  • Achieve high throughput

Preview limitations

  • Only supported for North America geography Update 12/15: Data Loader is supported in all regions except government cloud
  • No support for email attachments
  • No Web API support for accessing the tool
  • Limited to flats files as source data format
  • Scheduling Jobs not supported
  • CRM OnPremise is not supported

Send us your feedback

We are making this preview available so that you can try it and let us know what you think. Your feedback will help us prioritize work to include the capabilities you need most. We ask that you give us your suggestions, questions on how to and report problems from right inside of the Data Loader user experience, it’s the Smiley feature as shown below. Please make sure to add your active email address in the text box to ensure we can connect with you.

Dynamics Lifecycle Services Communication

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