This sounds like a truly alarming and frustrating situation. Losing that much sales order line data due to an unexpected synchronization issue is a serious problem, and the lack of effective support from Microsoft is adding insult to injury.
To answer your questions and provide some guidance:
Has anyone else had this issue at all?
Yes, while not a widespread, common occurrence, there have been reports of unexpected data deletion or corruption issues arising from integrations between Dynamics 365 Sales and Business Central. These issues can be triggered by various factors, including:
- Synchronization Mapping Errors: Even with default settings, subtle misconfigurations or unintended interpretations of data relationships during synchronization can lead to deletions.
- Data Anomalies: Specific data inconsistencies or edge cases in either system might trigger unexpected behavior in the synchronization logic.
- Integration Bugs: Although less frequent, bugs within the standard Business Central integration components could potentially cause such issues.
- Timing or Concurrency Issues: In complex environments with high data volumes or concurrent processes, timing-related issues during synchronization might lead to unintended actions.
The fact that you've never seen this behavior before highlights that it could be a specific, potentially rare scenario.
I have not been able to find a way to get a list of the lines that were deleted so that they can be restored manually if Microsoft is not able to restore the records.
This is a critical point. Unfortunately, Dynamics 365 Sales doesn't automatically maintain a detailed log of deleted records in a readily accessible format for end-users. Standard auditing often tracks deletions at the header level (e.g., a Sales Order being deleted), but not always the granular details of individual deleted child records like Sales Order Lines.
Here are your limited options for potentially recovering a list of the deleted lines:
- Audit Logs (Limited Detail):
- Navigate to Settings > Audit Log Management.
- Review the audit logs within the relevant timeframe. Filter for the Sales Order Line (SalesOrderDetail) entity and look for "Delete" operations.
- Limitation: The audit logs might only show when deletions occurred and possibly who triggered them (likely the Business Central Integration user), but they typically won't contain the specific details of the deleted lines (e.g., product, quantity, price).
- Business Central Logs (Potential Source):
- Investigate the logs within your Business Central environment related to the synchronization job that ran. There might be more detailed information on the changes it intended to make, including deletions.
- Work with your Business Central administrator or partner to examine these logs. The level of detail available will depend on the logging configuration in Business Central.
- Database Backups (If Available):
- If you have recent database backups of your Dynamics 365 Sales environment, these backups would contain the deleted records. Restoring the entire environment or selectively extracting the deleted data from a backup would be the most reliable way to recover the lost information.
- Check your organization's backup policies and procedures.
- Integration Mapping Review:
- Carefully review the synchronization mappings between Sales Order Lines in Dynamics 365 and their corresponding entities in Business Central. Look for any mappings that could inadvertently trigger deletions based on specific conditions or null values.
Regarding the lack of support from Microsoft:
Your experience with Microsoft Support sounds incredibly frustrating and unfortunately, not entirely uncommon. The issues you've highlighted – lack of history review, requests to start over, irrelevant contact attempts, and language barriers – are significant concerns for businesses relying on their products.
Here are some steps you can consider to try and escalate or improve the support situation:
- Escalate the Support Ticket:
- Clearly and firmly request an escalation of your support ticket to a senior support engineer or a support manager.
- Reference the long history of the ticket, the business-critical nature of the data loss, and the unsatisfactory level of support received so far.
- Insist on a support agent who is familiar with Business Central and Dynamics 365 integration issues.
- Provide a Concise Summary:
- Prepare a clear and concise summary of the issue, including the timeline of events, the impact on your business, the steps you've already taken, and the lack of progress with the current support. This will help a new agent or a manager quickly understand the situation.
- Demand a Dedicated and Knowledgeable Resource:
- Specifically request a support engineer with proven experience in troubleshooting Business Central and Dynamics 365 Sales integration problems. Emphasize the need for someone who can understand the complexities of the synchronization process.
- Leverage Your Microsoft Account Team (If Applicable):
- If your organization has a dedicated Microsoft account manager or customer success manager, reach out to them. Explain the severity of the issue and the poor support experience. They may be able to intervene and expedite the resolution process.
- Consider Alternative Support Channels:
- Explore Microsoft's community forums or reach out to Dynamics 365 and Business Central partners who have expertise in integration issues. While they can't directly access your support ticket, they might offer valuable insights or suggestions based on similar experiences.
- Document Everything:
- Continue to document all communication with Microsoft Support, including dates, times, names of agents, and summaries of conversations. This record can be crucial if further escalation is needed.
Moving Forward:
- Focus on Data Recovery: Prioritize your efforts on trying to recover a list of the deleted sales order lines through the methods mentioned above (especially Business Central logs and backups).
- Demand Effective Support: Don't give up on escalating your support ticket with Microsoft. Clearly communicate the urgency and the need for knowledgeable assistance.
- Thoroughly Review Integration Settings: Once the immediate crisis is addressed, conduct a comprehensive review of your Business Central and Dynamics 365 Sales integration settings and mappings to identify any potential areas of risk.
- Implement Robust Monitoring and Alerting: Consider implementing more proactive monitoring and alerting for your integration processes to detect anomalies or unexpected data changes early on.
Losing critical business data due to a synchronization issue is unacceptable, and the poor support experience you're facing is equally concerning. Keep pushing for the support you deserve and explore all avenues for data recovery. Good luck!
