Hello forum members,
I'm working on a D365 migration project where our client wants to upgrade their CRM system while keeping their on-premise ADX Portal intact. I have a few uncertainties that you can help me with. Here's a summary:
Current Setup:
- The client uses D365 on-premise 8.2 CRM (Sales & Customer Service).
- They have an ADX Portal from the 2017 version library .Net 4.5.
- ClickDimensions 2017 is installed and utilized by the portal.
However, two aspects have yet to be made aware.
- I have heard the Adoxio Framework being mentioned in several places, but looking through the code base, I don't see this being implemented. Does this make a difference?
- The portal looks to access an external database other than Dynamics.
Now, here's the problem we need to address:
The client intends to upgrade only the CRM system for now and tackle the portal upgrade as a separate project, which will be tendered out at a later date. However, they are not considering a Power Apps Portal ( Power Pages) due to the associated high licensing costs.
To add to the challenge, the client believes the portal can be "unplugged" from the on-premise CRM and "plugged" into the cloud, working seamlessly as long as the migration goes smoothly. This theory is supported by a Microsoft professional who is assisting them.
Here's why I am sceptical about this approach:
- Migration of "adx_" Entities: It seems unlikely that migrating "adx_" entities to the cloud would be possible without violating certain terms of usage.
- Compatibility with Cloud: The underlying mechanism for connecting to Dynamics may not function as in the cloud. While I get that the CrmServiceClient is the base class used, I suspect there may have been changes since 2017 that might impact the connectivity.
- Cloud API Limitations: Even if the connection works, the cloud API limits may restrict the portal's functionality, preventing it from behaving as it did in the on-premise environment.
Now, I would like to hear your opinions on the matter:
- Is making the portal work seamlessly in the cloud feasible? If so, where would the majority of the work lie in achieving this?
- If you think this approach is unlikely to work, do you have any specific reasons or concerns that you could share?
- Has anyone successfully migrated a portal to the cloud? If yes, please outline the steps involved in the process.
Your insights and experiences on this matter will be highly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your valuable contributions!
Best regards,
Vignesh