Plan data import, export, and migration [AX 2012]

         This topic describes the tools and strategies that you can use when you are planning to import or export Microsoft Dynamics AX data. The topic also describes how to plan to move data from one enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to another. Finally, the topic describes performance and security considerations when you import and export data.

Common import and export scenarios

Data import and export are performed for many different business reasons throughout the life cycle of an implementation.

Initial configuration scenarios:

• Export configured entities, and import them into another system.
• Import table-level data into another system, without references.
• Import master data and opening balances.
• Copy entity data to another legal entity.
• Export and import configuration parameters.
• Export and import configurations for new companies.

Ongoing maintenance scenarios:

• Export and import table-level data, together with references.
• Copy business data from a production environment to a new non-production environment, such as test or development.
• Copy business data between non-production environments, for example, from a test or user acceptance test environment into a development environment for troubleshooting.
• Data entry.
• On a recurring basis, update data from external sources, based on events. For example, import updated standards codes every month.
• As required, update large data sets from external sources.
• Archive business data from a production database.

Select a tool

Data can be imported into and exported from Microsoft Dynamics AX by using various tools and techniques. Before you select a tool, you should understand your business requirements, the available data, and what you want the outcome to be.

Important

All of the following tools can be used to import and export data, but every operation that manipulates data has risks. It is your responsibility to create regular backups of your data before you use any tool. We strongly recommend that you test your particular uses of the tools you use to determine whether they meet your needs.

Scenario

Export configured entities, and import them into another system

Import master data and opening balances

Copy entity data to another legal entity

Export and import configuration parameters

Export and import configurations for new companies

Export and import table-level data together with references

Export and import table-level data without references

On a recurring basis, update data from external sources, based on events

Infrequently, update data from external sources and large data sets

Data entry

Copy business data to a non-production environment

Copy business data from a test environment to a development environment for troubleshooting

Copy business data to a new production environment

Archive business data from a production database

The following table lists the common import and export scenarios, and the tools that customers and partners can use.

The Data Import/Export Framework is an extension that helps you import data into Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 from files, Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) data sources, and Microsoft Dynamics AX tables. You can import predefined entities, or you can create custom entities for import. You can modify data as it is imported, and you can also verify that data meets specific rules.

Different versions of the Data Import/Export Framework are available depending on what release of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 you have installed. To see what version to use, as well as for documentation and information about the Data Import/Export Framework, see the

 Data import/export framework user guide (DIXF, DMF).

Intended users: Application users, developers, and functional users

Key features:

• Support for import from files, ODBC data sources, and Microsoft Dynamics AX tables
• Bulk processing
• Synchronous processing

Recommended uses: Use this tool when you must perform the following tasks:

• Import data from another ERP system that uses dissimilar data structures. You can use the Data Import/Export Framework to map data to Microsoft Dynamics AX entities.
• Import data that requires transformation, such as changes to number sequences.

Underlying technology: SQL Server Integration Services

Rapid Start Services

Rapid Start Services lets partners and customers configure an installation of Microsoft Dynamics AX by using a cloud-based, interview-style questionnaire. The questionnaire uses general terminology about business processes instead of terms that are specific to Microsoft Dynamics AX. Partners can create, maintain, and reuse configurations that reflect their custom solutions. Partners can also create additional question groups and questions to enlarge the scope of a configuration.

Rapid Start Services is available for download from Customer Source and Partner Source.

Intended users: Partners and application users

Recommended uses: Use Rapid Start Services to create an initial configuration that can then be imported into other instances of Microsoft Dynamics AX.

Underlying technology: Data Import/Export Framework

In-product import/export (.DAT/Def)

In-product import/export is a mechanism for transferring data between different Microsoft Dynamics AX instances. In-product import/export is available from System administration > System administration.

Intended users: Functional users and developers

Uses: You can use this tool in the following situations, but other tools may be available and more suitable in these situations. See earlier section, “Select a tool”, for a list of common import and export scenarios.

• The source and target are Microsoft Dynamics AX instances.
• No cleansing of data by end users is required.
• You are moving data from one company to another.

Note

Data can be exported from a company that is in one partition and imported into another company that is in another partition. Data cannot be imported into and exported from multiple companies at the same time.

Non-recommended uses: We recommend that you not use this tool when you must complete the following tasks:

• Set up master data.
• Move configuration metadata to a new environment.

For more information about Microsoft Dynamics AX export and import, see Use DAT and DEF files to export and import data.

Excel Add-in for Microsoft Dynamics AX

Excel import is a tool that can be used for data that is in an Excel format or in a comma-separated list. You can use predefined or custom templates to help users import data.

Intended users: Application users

Recommended uses: Use this tool in the following situations:

• Minimal data cleansing by end users is required.
• You are handling low to medium data volumes (<10,000 records).
• You are working with simple data structures that can easily be flattened, such as a list of items.
• No business logic is required outside an existing document service.

Non-recommended uses: Large data sets, content that requires the application of business logic, and data sets that require data cleansing

For more information about Excel import, see Using the Microsoft Dynamics AX Add-in for Excel.

AIF web services

You can use AIF web services to import and export data. AIF web services are included with Microsoft Dynamics AX.

Intended users: Application users and system administrators for non-customized web services, and developers for customized web services

Recommended uses: Use this tool when you must complete the following tasks:

• Import many similar records, and repeat the same import at regular intervals. In this scenario, use AIF web services that use inbound ports and pipelines.
• Take data that is in an existing file format, such as an XML export from another system, and process the data so that it matches the schema that is expected by existing or customized AIF document services. You can author transformations in either XSLT or managed code. Document services must be customized if the underlying tables and entities have been customized.
• Access Microsoft Dynamics AX business logic. You might have to use this approach when the structure of the data is not easily represented as tables, or if the web service that you want to use is not supported by the Excel Add-in.

For more information about how to use AIF, see Services and Application Integration Framework (AIF).

Test Data Transfer Tool (beta)

The Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Test Data Transfer Tool (beta) is a command-line tool that exports data from and imports data into a Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 business database in a non-production (development or test) environment.

The Test Data Transfer Tool (beta) is available from the InformationSource services download page. For documentation and information about the Test Data Transfer Tool (beta), see Test Data Transfer Tool (beta) for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.

Important

Importing data into a production environment from the Test Data Transfer Tool (beta) is not supported. The Test Data Transfer Tool (beta) can be used only to export data from a production environment, and then import the data into a test or development environment.

Intended users: Only advanced users should use this tool. You should be a database administrator or a developer who has experience using SQL Server. You must also have permissions to read from or write directly to the Microsoft Dynamics AX database that you are working with, and to execute applications directly on the computer that is hosting the database.

Recommended uses: Use this tool when you must complete the following tasks:

• Export or import a large multi-company data set in a non-production environment.
• Move data between non-production Microsoft Dynamics AX environments that have slightly different customizations.
• Store business data in a version control system.
• Export or import data without running an instance of Microsoft Dynamics AX Application Object Server (AOS) in a non-production environment.

Key features:

• Because the import makes minimal changes to the data, the tool helps guarantee that the data remains stable over time. For example, the tool never renumbers RecIDs.
• The data file format is text-based. Therefore, the data file can be compared with earlier versions and can be stored in a version control system.
• The data file format is a standard format that is produced and understood by the SQL Server bcp Utility.
• The tool enables export filtering, so that specified tables, columns, or rows can be easily excluded from the export.
• The tool updates entity IDs, such as table IDs, class IDs, and extended data type IDs, so that the IDs match the IDs of the target system.
• The tool handles differences between builds of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 that often occur during development. Therefore, data can often be imported without user intervention, even when the table definitions have changed. For example, renaming tables or fields does not prevent import.

Key considerations:

• Importing data into a production environment from the Test Data Transfer Tool (beta) is not supported.
• The tool does not make sure that any data that you export is complete or coherent. However, the tool does export the data that you ask it to export.
• The tool does not make sure that any data that you import produces a complete or coherent database. However, the tool does import the data that you ask it to import.