A common challenge that many companies encounter when migrating to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement from on-premise versions of Dynamics CRM is how to get existing data across to their new system. Data migration is not as straight forward as organizations might hope. Two specific decisions organizations must make are: (1) deciding on the right provider for the data migration, and (2) figuring out the best way to approach the technical implementation. Unexpected delays can occur if data migration is not planned and carefully managed. At Catapult, our job is to help our clients tackle these challenges by providing recommendations and technical support throughout the migration process.
In one of our previous blog articles, we looked at the best way to address the challenges that arise with migration. We evaluated commercially available migration tools and highlighted the unpublicized benefits of leading migration provider, KingswaySoft. Unlike other software out there, KingswaySoft provides a completely free toolkit for developers that offers a flawless migration for all your CRM data. As long as you have the software prerequisites listed at the bottom of this article, then you can simply download the package from KingswaySoft’s website and begin the installation process.
Installing this type of software is a technical process and we understand that many organizations would prefer for a partner to assist them. We also appreciate that you might face further challenges once you have installed the software and embark upon the migration itself. The complexity of your source data can make data migration from one system to another much more complicated than anticipated. Any loss of data or corruption can be a huge problem for organizations which makes it highly important to test and validate data.
We understand that the technically savvy readers among us might be keen to learn about the mechanics of this specific installation in more detail. As a result, we have created a step-by-step guide for the installation of KingswaySoft’s free developer toolkit. Before we run through these steps, it is important to remember that you do not have to acquire a license if you want to setup integration scripts or to run migrations from within your development environment. If you need to host your integrations outside of your development environment (I.e., SSDT-BI, BIDS, or Visual Studio) or you need to schedule start times for your integrations, then you will need to acquire a license from KingswaySoft.
Don’t want to tackle migration alone? Talk to an expert to find out how Catapult can help you migrate to Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement and achieve workable solutions for your CRM needs.
Installation steps:
Step 1. Download the KingswaySoft SSIS Integration Toolkit for Microsoft Dynamics 365 here.
Step 2. Run the setup wizard and select the SSIS components you want to install:
Step 3. Once the components have finished installing, simply search for “KingswaySoft License Manager” in the Windows start menu and open it up
Step 4. When the license manager opens, you should see a note in the top-right corner indicating that you are currently operating under a developer license:
Step 5. Once you have finished installing KingswaySoft, open your development studio and create a new Integration Services Project:
This project type should be available once you have installed the SQL Server Data Tools. Note: if you are using Visual Studio 2019, you will need to install the “SQL Server Integration Services Projects” from the extension manager instead of downloading the SSDT.
Step 6. Once you have created an Integration Services Project, create a Data Flow Task by dragging it onto the page from the SSIS Toolbox and double-click it:
Step 7. You should now be able to access the KingswaySoft SSIS components:
Having problems with installation? You may receive an error if you already have an older version installed. Do not worry! All you need to do is simply uninstall the previous version before installing the new one.
You’ll also need the following components installed before being able to take advantage of the KingswaySoft toolkit for Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM:
• Microsoft Dynamics 365 CE/CRM Components:
o Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (Sales, Customer Service, Field Service, Project Service Automation, Marketing)
o Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server 3.0 – 2016
• SQL Server
o Microsoft SQL Server 2017
o Microsoft SQL Server 2016
o Microsoft SQL Server 2014
o Microsoft SQL Server 2012
o Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2
o Microsoft SQL Server 2008
o Microsoft SQL Server 2005
• Visual Studio/Business Intelligence Development Studio
o Visual Studio 2019
o Visual Studio 2017
o Visual Studio 2015
o Visual Studio 2014
o Visual Studio 2013
o Visual Studio 2012
• SQL Server Data Tools
o Azure-SSIS IR
o SSIS 2017
o SSIS 2016
o SSIS 2014
o SSIS 2012
o SSIS 2008 R2 or earlier
Additional installation information can be found on the KingswaySoft website here.
