Important:
If your Dynamics 365 environment – including its integrations, reporting, and/or BI – is dependent on data stored in a SQL database that is still populated by the Data Export Service (DES), your system will be adversely affected by the end of life of DES in November of this year.
In today’s blogpost, we’ll be sharing information from Microsoft and HCL’s Microsoft Business Applications Practice (MBAP) about the end of life, how it will impact your organization, and how MBAP can help you avoid disruptions to your system.
Deprecation vs. End of Life
Generally speaking, “deprecation” means a product will no longer be updated or enhanced, but it will continue to be supported. “End of life” means no more support; in other words, a product may cease to function properly – or at all.
Importantly, when Microsoft announced DES deprecation in November of 2021, they scheduled a planned end of life for November 2022. Microsoft’s recommended replacement is Azure Data Analytics, with the idea that Instead of using multiple tools to get the job done, you can accelerate time-to-insights using Azure Synapse Link for Dataverse, something that is built-in and available in all out-of-the-box versions of Dynamics 365.
Now, while they gave plenty of advanced notice about the end of life, if you’re like a lot of people, you thought, “November of 2022? That’s so far away… I’ll worry about this down the road.” And, like most people, you promptly forgot about it. Well, November of 2022 is no longer “so far away.” In fact, you have just two months to get ready for it!
Impact to Your Organization
Bluntly, your organization’s Dynamics 365 environment may be at risk. As mentioned, if it is dependent on data stored in a SQL database that is still populated by DES, you can’t afford to reach end of life prior to making the necessary change. You could lose access to – among other things – your Dynamics 365 Business Intelligence reports, dashboards, and integrations.
How HCL’s Microsoft Business Applications Practice Can Help
First, don’t panic! There’s still time to migrate your environment to either a temporary or a permanent solution that will ensure business continuity.
Important:
Although Microsoft’s recommended permanent replacement for DES is Azure Synapse Analytics, that option may no longer be achievable by November. Don’t worry – there are other options available, including temporary solutions, and given how close we now are to the DES end of life, you may be best served to go with one of them. That’s where HCL comes in! We can help you navigate the options and make the decision that best suits your organization.
Whether you go with a permanent or temporary solution, just don’t delay any longer! We’ve been helping customers make this transition all year, and while we currently still have capacity to get this done for your organization, our docket is filling up quickly. In fact, we need to get you signed up before September 15 to guarantee we can complete the necessary work prior to November.
Here’s our process:
- We’ll start with a 1-2 hour assessment call with your IT support team.
- Within 2 business days of that call, we provide you the following:
- Fixed-fee engagement pricing
- Azure Synapse Analytics pricing estimate
- We get your OK and get to work.
It’s really that easy! In fact, you might be thinking it sounds easy enough that you can do it inhouse. And absolutely, some organizations have been and will be able to handle the work themselves. But, having done many of these projects recently, our Practice has a deep understanding of the complexities, options, and nuances of the process. Having us in your corner greatly improves the likelihood of making the November date – especially since you may not have time to follow Microsoft’s recommended solution.
So, please reach out to us no later than September 15 to ensure you’ll be off DES before its end of life in November. You can email us directly at MBAP-DESDeprecation@hcl.com or fill out our contact form – either way, our experts will get back to you right away!
Below are a few relevant FAQs. Please review them so you feel confident in your decision and approach. In the meantime, happy Azure Synapse Analytics’ing!
FAQs:
Are we required to move off DES?
Yes. Data Export Service will continue to work until November 2022, at which time all maintenance and support will end.
What if we have a lot of reports/dashboards?
There will be a sizable amount of BI rework, as the data source may be drastically different. Whether you go it alone or work with HCL, please get started ASAP.
Is there a solution approach where we can continue to use a SQL Database?
Yes, especially if there are a lot of reports or logic relying on today’s DES database. Contact us to discuss your options.
Will our costs change?
Cost is dependent on the approach taken. In some cases, it may actually decrease.
Can we do this without help?
Yes, but this close to the deadline, it is not recommended.
