Microsoft presents: Cloud Migration from any SQL

Overview

The session covers how customers on BC 14 and below can move directly to BC SaaS using a re-implementation tool. It moves a subset of data and starts the customer fresh in SaaS. It uses Azure Data Factory replication from SQL to SQL. The demo shows the Cloud Migration Management page, replication and upgrade progress tracking, and inline error fixing so a failed upgrade no longer means redoing everything.

The second half is for developers. It describes 52 migration entities registered through extensible enums and a BC14 Migrator interface, more than 165 extension points, migrator hooks, and migration plan customization through events. It also covers historical data in a separate task worker, custom migration providers, replication and setup table mappings, on-premises testing with configuration packages, and Q&A limits on large tables, multi-company migration, and permission sets.

Key points

• The BC 14 re-implementation tool moves a subset of data directly to the latest BC SaaS, skipping intermediate versions. It is not a traditional upgrade.
• Replication uses Azure Data Factory SQL-to-SQL copy. Tables with matching schemas are copied directly, and buffer tables are used when schemas differ.
• 52 migration entities (setup, master, transaction, historical) are registered through extensible enums, and each migrator implements the BC14 Migrator interface. Partners can add, replace or extend them.
• Subscribers can skip migrators with the before-run event, add logging with the after-run event, and reorder or inject migrators by setting the changed flag in the populate events.
• Custom providers need a company table with matching structure, a custom migration provider interface implementation, and an extension of the custom migration provider enum.
• Field mapping requires identical field names, because there is no field-to-field mapping. Permission sets and user profiles cannot be migrated from BC 14 to SaaS and need custom AL code.
• Once data transformation starts, the BC 14 tool blocks further replication from the source. Migrating extra companies into a live tenant is risky and not advised. A 700 GB table in 24 hours was called extreme.

Features

AL objects mentioned

As heard in the captions. A name that matches one object page by exact type and name links to it; the others stay as named.

• page 40063 “Cloud Migration Management” at 6:05
• codeunit “BC 14 Company Upgrade Task” at 12:48
• interface “BC14 Migrator” at 13:38
• enum “BC 14 Setup Migrator” at 13:13
• enum “Master Data Migrator” at 13:13
• enum “Transaction Data Migrator” at 13:27
• enum “BC14 migrator” at 13:38
• table “customer table” at 15:09
• table “buffer table” at 15:33
• interface “Custom Migration Provider” at 23:44
• enum 4010 “Custom Migration Provider” at 23:57
• table “replication table mappings” at 24:15
• table “setup table mappings” at 24:30
• table “company table” at 23:08
• table “record links” at 27:26
• page “cloud migration management page” at 27:02
• table “record links and notes” at 27:13
• table “item table” at 31:34
• table “tenant media” at 35:07
• table “tenant media set” at 35:22
• table “intelligent cloud” at 38:21
• codeunit “AL upgrade” at 40:50
• table 32 “Item Ledger Entry” at 46:32

Not found in BC28-30: codeunit “BC 14 Company Upgrade Task”, enum “BC 14 Setup Migrator”, enum “Master Data Migrator”, enum “Transaction Data Migrator”, enum “BC14 migrator”, table “customer table”, table “buffer table”, table “replication table mappings”, table “setup table mappings”, table “company table”, table “record links”, page “cloud migration management page”, table “record links and notes”, table “item table”, table “tenant media”, table “tenant media set”, table “intelligent cloud”, codeunit “AL upgrade”.

Quotes

• 0:54 “you need to get to the other end where there is a land of AL. Because the grass is greener on the other side.”
• 2:24 “We are expecting you to stay current if you are on a version 25 or higher because these upgrade paths, as I said, they”
• 3:05 “We have hundreds of thousands of customers on version 14 and below, so the number is quite high.”
• 4:05 “This is a re-implementation, so it means that you’re only moving a subset of data. And the customer is going …”
• 4:42 “configuration packages are not working the best because they cannot move large amounts of data, while the re-implementation tool can.”

Disclaimers in the video

• 2:11 subject-to-change: all of these parts that I have highlighted in red, they’re going to be out of support. So, we will …
• 21:09 preview: it will be released in preview
• 21:09 subject-to-change: you are always welcome to give us your feedback. It’s really important
• 34:43 other: We don’t promote this action because this is a feature for experts. this is a bit dangerous if you just it can break your database
• 38:52 subject-to-change: the future investments in this area depends on the usage. If we do not get the feedback and the usage, we are not going to be able to do any additional developments
• 39:04 coming-later: There are some other things on the backlog. If we do not get the feedback and the usage, we are …
• 42:50 other: For this kind of data you’re going to face issues because this is a bit extreme - 700 GB in 24 hours.
• 44:17 other: The migration of companies into a live system is bringing risk. It’s still not advised.
• 44:28 other: We cannot support it to be with high level of safety like 98 99% of the safety out of the box.

Presenters (as heard): Nikola, Wenjie, Benji, Venkat, Vinod.