Upcoming Feature – Cloud Data loader

Data Import
One of the biggest and compulsory task for each organization.
Currently Issue with Data import –
>Write custom Code
>Use third party tool
>Create Packages
>Biggest issue is the time consumption , Because of CRM is in some different region and Migration application is in some region.

What is Cloud Data loader?

A Data importing tool which is cloud based and enable faster, Safer and reliable data import.
Faster – Because its closer to your CRM online instance.
Safer – Because data is fully encrypted
Reliable – Because Data failure and changes are easy to made and excel based error fixing.

High level View of Data loader includes 3 steps
1. Source – Setting up CRM, File and Moving Data to staging
2. Staging – Validating Data and Fixing Errors
3. Import to CRM – Uploading data to CRM and fixing errors.

NOTE :
Current in preview mode and is only Available for North America instance
Not recommended to be used in production

Source

• Login to Lifecycle Services using CRM credentials
  Note :  need to have Service or Global Admin access of AAD.
• Deploy runtime – Adding Runtime is basic step for Cloud data loader (On Dashboard click Deploy Runtime)
  Deploy runtime is option available in lifecycle service dashboard.
  we Can add/Edit/Delete runtime.
  Runtime can be added using CRM credentials and list of all instance will be available for selection.
  You can add multiple runtime.
  What Runtime do?
  Runtime is something which gets Deployed closer to your CRM instance which low down the latency thus faster data import
  Runtime also helps data Isolation.

• Configure File format  (On Dashboard click Configure File Format)- Specify File properties like format name, Column and row delimiters, wrap characters, comment Character, Code page and language locale.
  This properties should be of your import file.
  For E.G. if you import csv file, provide format as CSV and other parameters like delimiters as comma and so.
• Create Import Project (On Dashboard click Import)
  Wizard 1 > Specify Project Name and Instance for which imports need to be done.
  Wizard 2 > Specify the file format we created and CRM entity for which import need to be done and upload file which needs to be imported.
  This way we can add multiple file, not at a time but by uploading different file for different entity again and again.
  Files uploaded are moved to cloud.
  Wizard 3 > Mapping of fields with Source file and Entity.
  We can see out of total how many fields are mapped also we get option to mapped fields.
  Not only primary fields, but alternate key fields will also be available to map.
  Wizard 4 > Specify the Job Name and start Job or go previous and modify.
  This job will not import data into CRM tables, it will import Data into staging tables

Staging

• Monitoring Data at staging and solving Error if any
  Every job which are created will be available on dashboard.
  select created job and you can see following option
  Refresh Data – Reload the data, when Excel Sync is done
  Download Excel  – download Excel option is given specially for error records, you can download those records, make appropriate changes
  and This Excel is connected to CRM Data connector, so you don’t have to upload file again, you just have to make necessary changes and click publish in data Connector.
  This will sync the file to CRM Lifecycle service. Reload the data in Staging grid.
  Validate – Click Validate to find error if any. This will match records with your CRM entity and validate if any data issue is there.
  Only Error Button – One more option is there, a button to display all data or only error records.
  Filter Option – to filter records

Import To CRM

• Import All the Records – This option is available in staging, clicking this will trigger the job to fire on CRM entity
  At this stage also you can find some errors in records, like while uploading to CRM records may fail. You again see those error in staging.
  Follow same steps to solve error, download excel, make changes, publish and reload the records.
  Importing again will not import completed data, it will imported which are incomplete.

** Records at staging are directly link to Excel, no need to upload excel again, publishing records will upload record directly in staging.

More Detailed Video – Video tutorial
Blogs – Part 1
Part 2