Demystifying D365 F&O Data Export: A Guide to Microsoft’s Data Export Solutions
Over the past few years, Microsoft has rolled out three new ways to export data from D365 F&O. With one of these already set for deprecation, it’s no wonder that many clients are feeling a bit lost. The similar names and the growing number of options for exporting data to Azure resources can definitely make things confusing.
From what I’ve seen, clients often mix up:
- Export to Data Lake vs. Data Lake
- Azure Synapse Link vs. Azure Synapse Analytics
A question I hear a lot is: If Microsoft is deprecating Data Lake in October 2024, why are we still using Azure Synapse Link to store data there?
In this blog, I’m sharing the notes I’ve given to clients to help clear things up. Hopefully, this will make things a bit easier to understand!
Understanding D365 F&O Data Export Options
There are primarily 4 ways to Export Data from D365:
- BYOD (Bring Your Own Database)
- Export to Data Lake
- Azure Synapse Link
- Link to Fabric
BYOD: The Veteran Solution
MS Link
Release Date
August 2016
Data Sink
- SQL Database (Azure and On-Premise)
- Allows multiple Databases.
Underlying Technology for Incremental
Change Tracking
Deprecation Notice
No deprecation notice (Maybe deprecated in future)
Additional Details
- Only entities can be exported (Not the underlying table).
- Allows filtering of records while exporting.
- Only entities with unique keys can be exported.
- Supports both Full Push and Incremental Mode for data exports. For incremental Push, Change Tracking must be enabled at the entity level.
Export to Data Lake: The Soon-to-be Deprecated Option
MS Link
Release Date
Mid-2022
Data Sink
Exported File Format
CSV
Underlying Technology for Incremental Push
Change Data Capture
Deprecation Notice
Effective 1st November 2024, this service will be deprecated. Microsoft will continue to operate it with limited support after this date, and the decommissioning process is planned to begin in March 2025.
For more information, please refer to the FAQ section [here].
Additional Details
- It was an alternative approach for BYOD.
- It exports data in near-real time in CSV format to Data Lake Storage.
- Only export tables, even if you export an entity.
Azure Synapse Link: The Modern Approach
MS Link
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-apps/maker/data-platform/azure-synapse-link-select-fno-data
Release Date
October 2023
Data Sink
Exported File Format
- CSV — If the Spark Pool option is not enabled.
- Delta Parquet — If the Spark Pool option is enabled.
Underlying Technology for Incremental Push
Change Tracking
Deprecation Notice
No deprecation Notice
Additional Details
- It is a replacement for Export to Data Lake.
- It is suited for non-fabric Clients.
- The “Change Tracking” property should be enabled for the table.
- The “AOS Authorization” field should be set to “Yes” on the D365 side for a column to be exported.
- Both entities and tables can be exported.
- Not all columns may be available from the derived table. (as of 3rd Sep 2024)
- Allows multiple Synapse Link Profiles against D365 FnO.
Link to Fabric: The Future-Ready Solution
MS Link
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-apps/maker/data-platform/azure-synapse-link-view-in-fabric
Release Date
November 2023
Data Sink
MS Fabric One Lake
Underlying Technology
Change Tracking
Deprecation Notice
No deprecation Notice
Additional Details
- It is an alternative approach to Azure Synapse Link.
- It is suited for Fabric Clients.
- All the details from Azure Synapse Link are applied to Link to Fabric
Clearing Up Common Confusions
Export to Data Lake vs Data Lake
Export to Data Lake is a Microsoft Microservice developed to export the D365 data to Azure Data Lake Gen2.
Data Lake is a technology behind Azure Data Lake Gen2.
Note: Microsoft is deprecating Export to Data Lake in October 2024, not Data Lake.
Azure Synapse Link vs Azure Synapse Analytics
Azure Synapse Link is a Microsoft Service developed to export the D365 data to Azure Data Lake Gen2/ One Lake.
Azure Synapse Analytics is an Azure Resource which is a Microsoft Managed Data Warehouse/ Data Lakehouse.
Final Thoughts: Which Option is Best for Your Business?
The right export option comes from what your present and future setup is. Suppose you’re migrating to Microsoft Fabric; Link to Fabric will be a good fit for you. However, for the cases where you have non-fabric solutions, Azure Synapse Link provides modern capabilities with better options for integration.
Further Learning for Azure Synapse Link and Link to Fabric
- To understand how Azure Synapse moves data to a data lake, check out this blog
- To learn how Azure Synapse Link is more optimized than Export to Data Lake, check out this blog.
- If you’re transitioning from Export to Data Lake to Azure Synapse Link or Link to Fabric, be sure to check out this blog.
- If you want to learn how to propagate Synapse Link data to a downstream system, be sure to check out this blog.
If you found this guide helpful, don’t forget to clap 👏 and share it with your network! Have questions or experiences with D365 F&O data exports? Drop a comment below — I’d love to hear your thoughts and help clarify any confusion. For more insights on navigating Microsoft’s evolving data solutions, follow me on Linkedin, Github and Medium for the latest updates and expert tips
Thanks for reading. Happy Learning.
