Importing Data into the MSCRM Application - Part 1

Importing data marks the beginning of the next phase, 'Design' in the MSCRM Implementations:

Data Import Wizard:

Import using the MSCRM 2011 Web application tool ‘Import Data Wizard’ is the standard import utility tool on native CRM. You use this tool to import data records from one or more comma-separated values (.csv), XML Spreadsheet 2003 (.xml), or text files. Zip files can also be imported but all files have an 8MB size limit for import.

Here is a blog link with screenshots that explains CRM 2011 Data Import Wizard for the following types of Import data:

·                Import data for any entity from a file

·                Import data and create new entity and new fields,

·                Import attachments with notes and do special imports.

To implement data import, you typically do the following:

·         Create a comma-separated values (CSV), XML Spreadsheet 2003 (XMLSS), or text source file.

·         Create a data map or use an existing data map.

·         Associate an import file with a data map.

·         Upload the content from a source file to the associated import file.

·         Parse the import file.

·         Transform the parsed data.

·         Upload the transformed data into the target Microsoft Dynamics CRM server.

You can import data from one source file or several source files. A source file can contain data for one entity type or multiple entity types.

Parsing, transforming, and uploading of data is done by the asynchronous jobs that run in the background.

  

Additional Capabilities:

MS CRM Web services provide additional capabilities that are not available in the Import Data Wizard:

· Create data maps that include complex transformation mapping, such as concatenation, split, and replace.

· Define custom transformation mapping.

· View source data that is stored inside the temporary parse tables.

· Access error logs to build custom error reporting tools with improved error logging views.

· Run data import by using command line scripts.

· Add LookupMap XML tags in the data map to indicate that the data lookup will be initiated and performed on a source file that is used in the import.

· Add custom OwnerMetadata XML tags in the data map to match the user records in the source file with the records of the user (system user) in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

· Use optional validation checks. Validation is not optional in the Import Data Wizard.

ISV Solutions:

To meet custom code development, Data Import utilities may also be custom developed and utlilized by ISV's.  A spreadsheet of CRM 2011 entities for Data Import can be found in the Sure Step templates and documents, for detailed Data Planning.

Then there are third-party solutions for many data migration needs that simply cannot be covered by the native CRM wizard.

Below are a few examples and you can evaluate which one best fits your needs.

· Scribe Insight

· InaPlex Inaport

· CRM Extensions Import Manager

· Starfish ETL

· eOne SmartConnect

· QuickBix Integration Suite

Blogger Joel Lindstorm  lists some lessons learned migrating data to MS Dynamics CRM 2011 in his blog link. and here's another link