Manually Synchronize Table Mappings

An integration table mapping associates a Business Central table (record type), such as customer, with a Common Data Service entity, such as an account. Synchronizing an integration table mapping enables you to synchronize data in all records of the Business Central table and Common Data Service entity that are coupled. Additionally, depending on the configuration of the table mapping, synchronization can create and couple new records in the destination solution for uncoupled records in the source.

Manually synchronizing integration table mappings can be useful during the initial set up of an integration, and when diagnosing synchronization errors.

This article describes three methods for manually synchronizing integration table mappings. Each method provides a different level of synchronization.

Run a Full Synchronization

A full synchronization runs all the default integration synchronization jobs for synchronizing Business Central records and Common Data Service entities, as defined on the Integration Table Mappings page.

A full synchronization performs the following operations For Business Central or Common Data Service records that are:

Not coupled, a new matching record will be created and coupled in the opposing solution. Whether and where a record gets created depends on the synchronization direction. For example, when synchronizing data from Business Central customers to Common Data Service accounts, if there is a customer that is not coupled to an account, then a new account will be automatically added in Common Data Service and coupled to the customer in Business Central. The opposite holds true when the synchronization direction is from Common Data Service to Business Central. For each account that is not already coupled to a customer, a new matching customer will be created in Business Central and coupled to the account in Common Data Service.

Note

To achieve this, the full synchronization operation temporarily clears the Synch. Only Coupled Records option on the integration table mapping that is used by the synchronization job. At the end of the full synchronization process, you will be prompted whether you want to keep this option cleared for all jobs.
Coupled, the synchronization direction (for example, from Business Central to Common Data Service or from Common Data Service to Business Central) is predetermined by the integration table mappings. For more information, see Standard Entity Mapping for Synchronization.

Important

You typically only use the full synchronization when you initially set up integration between Business Central and Common Data Service and only one of solutions contains data, which you want to copy to the other solution. A full synchronization can be useful in a demonstration environment. Because the full synchronization automatically creates and couples records between the solutions, it makes it faster to start working with synchronizing data between records. On the other hand, you should only run a full synchronization if you want a record in Business Central for each record in Common Data Service for the given table mappings. Otherwise, you can have unwanted or duplicate records in either Business Central or Common Data Service.

To run a full synchronization

Choose the icon, enter Common Data Service Connection Setup, and then choose the related link.

Note

If you want to run a full synchronization for entities through Dynamics 365 Sales, use the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales Connection Setup page instead.
Choose the Run Full Synchronization action, and then choose the Yes button.
When the full synchronization is completed, you can specify whether to allow scheduled synchronization jobs to create new records.

If you want all synchronization jobs to create new records in the destination for uncoupled records in the source, choose Yes. This sets the Synch. Only Coupled Records field on the table mappings that are used by the synchronization jobs.

If you want synchronization jobs to run as they did before the full synchronization with regard to creating new records, choose No. This sets the Synch. Only Coupled Records field to the setting it had before the full synchronization.

You can view the results of the full synchronization on the Integration Synchronization Jobs page. For more information, see View the Status of a Synchronization.

Synchronizing All Modified Records

You can use the CDS Connection Setup page to synchronize changes to data in all integration table mappings. This is similar to a full synchronization. It will synchronize data in all coupled records in the Business Central tables and Common Data Service entities that are defined in the table mappings. By default, only records that have been modified since the last time they were synchronized will be synchronized. Synchronization jobs synchronize table mappings in the following order to avoid coupling dependencies between the entities:

CURRENCY
SALESPEOPLE
VENDOR
CUSTOMER
CONTACTS

You can view the results of the synchronization on the Integration Synchronization Jobs page. For more information, see View the Status of a Synchronization.

Tip

By modifying the integration table mapping in advance, you can configure the synchronization with filters to control which records are synchronized, or configure it to create new records in the destination solution for uncoupled records in the source. For more information, see Modify Table Mappings for Synchronization.

To synchronize records for all tables

Choose the icon, enter Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales Connection Setup, and then choose the related link.
Choose the Synchronize Modified Records action, and then choose Yes.

Synchronize Individual Table Mappings

You can use the Integration Table Mappings page to run a synchronization job specific table mappings. This will synchronize data in all coupled records in the Business Central table and Common Data Service entity that are defined by the table mapping. By default, only records that have been modified since the last time they were synchronized will be synchronized.

By modifying the integration table mapping in advance, you can configure the synchronization job to create new records in the destination solution for uncoupled records in the source.

To synchronize records of an integration table mapping

Choose the icon, enter Integration Table Mappings, and then choose the related link.
Choose the Synchronize Modified Records action, and then choose Yes.