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Migrate on-premises data to Business Central online

Organizations that run their workloads on-premises but are looking to move to the cloud can easily migrate to Business Central online. By moving to the cloud, users get the benefits of cloud scenarios such as Machine Learning, Power BI, and Power Automate to drive suggested actions.

If you're not familiar with Business Central online, learn more in Business Central trials and subscriptions.

Supported migration paths

You can use the built-in migration tools to migrate data to Business Central online from specific product versions. The on-premises solution must use SQL Server 2016 or a later version, and the database must have compatibility level 130 or higher. Currently, you can migrate to Business Central online from the following products:

  • Business Central on-premises

    • From on-premises version 25 and later, migrate directly to Business Central online.
    • From on-premises version 15 through 24, upgrade to at least version 25 on-premises before migrating to Business Central online.
    • From on-premises version 14, you have two options:
      • Full migration: Upgrade to at least version 25 on-premises, then migrate to Business Central online.
      • Reimplementation: Use the Business Central 14 Reimplementation tool to migrate only essential data (master data, opening balances, and setup) directly to the cloud without upgrading on-premises first.

  • Dynamics NAV

    If you are currently on a version of Dynamics NAV, you must upgrade to Business Central on-premises, and then switch to Business Central online.

  • Dynamics GP 2015 and later versions

  • Dynamics SL 2015 and later versions

  • Any other SQL source using custom migrations

If a customer is migrating from a non-SQL source, you can use configuration packages and templates to migrate their data to Business Central on-premises. After that, use the cloud migration tool to switch to Business Central online. For more information, go to Set Up Company Configuration Packages.

Tip

Customers coming from QuickBooks can use apps from Microsoft to move to Business Central online. For more information, go to Changing from a QuickBooks App to Dynamics 365 Business Central.

Next steps

The migration process, including the data flow and tasks that must be done to prepare and run the cloud migration, is similar for Business Central, Dynamics GP, and Dynamics SL. But there are some differences. To continue, select the link that matches your on-premises product:

Full data migration

Use these paths to migrate all your data to Business Central online:

Reimplementation (essential data only)

Use this path if you want a fresh start without legacy customizations and historical data:

Custom migrations

Use this path to migrate from any SQL-based source:

Learn more

Related information

FAQ about migrating to the cloud from on-premises solutions

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