Segments migration from "Outbound" to "Real-time" Marketing

(2) Share

Report

Posted on by SO-01040954-0

Is there anyone who already tried to import and test the managed "Segment Migration Solution" solution within a test environment? We only deal with unmanaged solutions within our environments and we would like to know if there are any limitations or risks regarding the fact this solution is managed.

Categories:

Outbound to Real-Time Transition

I have the same question (0)

All responses (2)

Answers (1)

Suggested answer

Holly Huffman 6,530 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

Like (0)

Report
Good morning, afternoon, or evening depending on your location :) Hope you are doing well today!!

I understand your concern about working with a managed solution, especially since your environments typically use unmanaged solutions.

Key Considerations for the Managed "Segment Migration Solution":

Managed vs. Unmanaged Solutions:

A managed solution is a sealed package, meaning its components cannot be directly modified once imported. This ensures stability and protects the integrity of the solution.

In contrast, unmanaged solutions allow for direct customization, which is ideal for development and testing but can introduce risks in production environments.

Testing in a Test Environment:

Importing the managed "Segment Migration Solution" into a test environment is a safe approach. Managed solutions are designed to minimize conflicts and ensure compatibility with existing configurations.

However, since managed solutions cannot be edited, any required changes would need to be addressed by the solution provider (Microsoft, in this case).

Limitations and Risks:

Customization Restrictions: You won’t be able to directly modify the components of the managed solution. If your workflows or processes require adjustments, you’ll need to request updates from Microsoft.

Dependency Management: Managed solutions may introduce dependencies that could affect other components in your environment. It’s important to review the solution’s documentation for any prerequisites or potential conflicts.

Rollback Challenges: Removing a managed solution can sometimes leave behind residual data or settings. Ensure you have a backup of your environment before importing the solution.

Best Practices:

Test the solution thoroughly in your sandbox environment to ensure it meets your requirements.

Document any limitations or issues encountered during testing and share them with Microsoft for support or updates.

Recommendation:
If your organization prefers unmanaged solutions for flexibility, you might want to evaluate whether the managed "Segment Migration Solution" aligns with your long-term needs. While managed solutions are ideal for production environments due to their stability, they may not offer the same level of adaptability as unmanaged solutions.

Hope this helps!

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Verified answer

Daivat Vartak (v-9d... 7,835 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

Like (1)

Report
Hello SO-01040954-0,

You're asking a very pertinent question about the "Segment Migration Solution" and the implications of using a managed solution in your test environment, especially when your organization primarily works with unmanaged solutions. Let's break down the potential risks and limitations.

Understanding the "Segment Migration Solution"

This managed solution is provided by Microsoft to assist in migrating segments from Outbound Marketing to Real-Time Journeys.

It's designed to automate and simplify the process of recreating your Outbound Marketing segments in the Real-Time Journeys format.

Risks and Limitations of Managed Solutions in Test Environments

Limited Customization:

Managed solutions are designed to be relatively locked down. You cannot directly modify the components within a managed solution in the same way you can with unmanaged solutions.

This means that if the "Segment Migration Solution" doesn't perfectly fit your needs, you'll have limited ability to customize it.

Potential for Conflicts:

Managed solutions can sometimes introduce conflicts with existing unmanaged customizations in your test environment.

This is particularly true if the managed solution modifies shared components or introduces new components with naming conflicts.

Upgrade and Removal Challenges:

Upgrading or removing managed solutions can sometimes be complex.

If Microsoft releases an updated version of the "Segment Migration Solution," you might encounter difficulties applying the upgrade.

Uninstalling a managed solution might leave behind remnants or dependencies that can impact your environment.

Lack of Transparency:

Managed solutions often obscure the underlying implementation details.

This can make it harder to troubleshoot issues or understand how the solution works.

Impact on Unmanaged Customizations:

If the managed solution changes any shared components, it can impact on your unmanaged customizations, and create unexpected behavior.

Testing Considerations

Isolated Test Environment:

It's highly recommended to import the "Segment Migration Solution" into a dedicated, isolated test environment.

This will minimize the risk of impacting your primary test environment or other unmanaged customizations.

Thorough Testing:

Thoroughly test the segment migration process to ensure that all segments are migrated correctly.

Pay close attention to complex segments with nested logic or custom filters.

Test the segments that are created by the managed solution, in real time journeys, to make sure they are working as expected.

Backup Before Import:

Always create a backup of your test environment before importing any managed solution.

This will allow you to quickly restore your environment if any issues arise.

Document Everything:

Document the import process, any issues encountered, and any workarounds implemented.

This will be helpful for future reference and troubleshooting.

Monitor Performance:

Monitor the performance of your test environment after importing the managed solution.

Managed solutions can sometimes impact performance, especially if they involve complex logic or data processing.

Recommendations

Use a dedicated test environment. This is the most important precaution.

Test every migrated segment. Verify that all segments work correctly after migration.

Document everything. Keep a record of your testing and any issues.

Be prepared to roll back. Have a plan in place to restore your environment if necessary.

By following these recommendations, you can minimize the risks and limitations associated with using the managed "Segment Migration Solution" in your test environment.

If my answer was helpful, please click Like, and if it solved your problem, please mark it as verified to help other community members find more. If you have further questions, please feel free to contact me.

My response was crafted with AI assistance and tailored to provide detailed and actionable guidance for your Microsoft Dynamics 365 query.

Regards,

Daivat Vartak

Was this reply helpful? Yes No

Join the conversation

Community site session details

Segments migration from "Outbound" to "Real-time" Marketing

Helpful resources

Quick Links

Responsible AI policies

Neeraj Kumar – Community Spotlight

Congratulations to the November Top 10 Community Leaders!

Leaderboard > Customer experience | Sales, Customer Insights, CRM

Featured topics

Product updates

Community site session details

Segments migration from "Outbound" to "Real-time" Marketing

Helpful resources

Quick Links

Responsible AI policies

Neeraj Kumar – Community Spotlight

Congratulations to the November Top 10 Community Leaders!

Subscribe to this forum!

Select categories

Leaderboard > Customer experience | Sales, Customer Insights, CRM

Featured topics

Product updates