Data migration using Microsoft Dynamics CRM Data Loader Service

Data loader service is a data migration service developed by Microsoft to avoid writing custom code or using third party tools for data migration. It exports data to cloud staging table where we perform actions on our data, and then the service import the data back into the CRM from cloud staging table.

Using Data Loader Service

• Navigate to the LCS.
• Click on Sign in, and enter you CRM organization credentials. After successful login you will have the screen, shown in screenshot below:

Creating CRM Connection:

Data loader needs CRM Connection to stay closer to the data center of a specific organization.

Click CRM Connections tile.

After clicking CRM Connections you will have the screen shown in screenshot below.

Click “+” button, after clicking you will have a pop up screen. Enter user id and password of organization to which you would like to import data.

Click Fetch CRM instance button, and then select your organization from CRM instance Drop down list.

Click Create button, it will take approximately 15-30 minutes to create connection.

During Creating the status of runtime will be “Queued”.

Once the status is changed to Running,the connection is done. You can also edit, delete and refresh your runtime.

Configure flat file:

Click Configure file format tile on the main dashboard.

Click on “+” button to add a new file format, as shown in screenshot below.

Import data to CRM:

Click on New import tile in the main dashboard.

A wizard will start, at first wizard enter project name and select CRM instance.

Click next. The next wizard will ask you about the file format (the drop down will show all the file format which you have created), CRM entity to which the data will be imported and to upload the .CSV file (file that has rows to be inserted) having data in proper format.

The screenshot of my data is shown below

Click next. The next wizard is about mapping the column of your file to CRM fields.

In case of lookup you can either give the ids of the lookup records and map to the lookup or provide the name of the lookup, but if you have the lookup names in the file then you have to map the name of the lookup to the alternate key of the lookup.

In my case I am mapping names of “primary contact lookup”, so I create alternate key of the last name on contact.

If you are not familiar with alternate key navigate to the link https://technet.microsoft.com/library/29e53691-0b18-4fde-a1d0-7490aa227898.aspx.

In case of option set and two options you can either provide the value or text of option set and two option.

Click next. We are creating new rows that’s why we are not providing the id’s of the records. In this case the Data Loader Service will show a warning i.e. shown in screenshot below.

Click yes. The last wizard will ask to confirm to start the project.

Click Start job.

You will see your job in “Recent import jobs” column of the main dashboard.

Click the job to open it.

We have three tabs in the next screen.

The first one is source where the data is imported to staging. This will display error occurred when processing data into staging table.

The second tab is staging. It displays the data which is successfully imported to cloud staging table, data imported to CRM and the errors occurred during the process etc. you can also validate your data here.

We have many tabs on the right side where you can see your failed record and imported records etc.

After validating your records click Import all to CRM and wait for a moment.

The service will show the last tab where the data will be imported to CRM. It will show the status of importing. If error occurred click the staging tab and download the error file to see the errors.