MSDW Podcast: Data warehouses and Azure data lakes for Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations users, with Kirk Donahoe

The reporting architecture of Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations (D365FO) is moving toward data lakes, and it's not a simple change for customers to understand. Today's guest, Kirk Donahoe, solution architect and consulting manager at MCA Connect, has been studying the changes to the entity store and the BYOD model and wrote about it recently for our readers.

The use of ADLS Gen2 will change the overall architecture of D365FO in the Azure cloud, but it will also impact third party data warehouse solutions like his firm's. Partners like MCA Connect need to understand what to do next, but just as importantly, so do D365FO customers. Kirk tells us he spends a good deal of his time advising clients on the impact of Microsoft's changes. He and other D365FO experts are also paying close attention to Microsoft's guidance on the topic as it rolls out, sometimes with bigger announcements but often in small pieces.

On this episode, Kirk reviews some of the highlights of his recent article, discusses how various updates will impact both D365FO and AX users, and explains how other Azure data services factor into a Microsoft cloud ERP customer's experience.

Show Notes

• 2:30 – What's the impact of ADLS Gen2 on D365FO customers and Microsoft customers more generally?
• 3:30 – More about Kirk's role at MCA Connect
• 4:30 – What is the present state of data management and reporting in AX and D365FO?
• 6:30 – Microsoft's move away from multidimensional data services and toward tabular.
• 9:45 – What are entity store limitations today, and what will change with ADLS?
• 12:00 – Why ADLS Gen2 does not change the need for data warehouses and a real reporting strategy.
• 13:00 – Common examples of unstructured data in a data lake
• 14:15 – How are AX and D365FO customer responding to the data lakes plan so far? And how will customer migrate to it?
• 17:00 – How Power BI plays into the change, and how costs of Power BI and ADLS Gen2 compare to today's architectures
• 20:00 – When will D365FO customers be switched to the data lake from the current entity store?
• 21:20 – What does this mean for AX users planning an upgrade?
• 24:30 – Open Data Initiative, data lakes, CDS for analytics, and other Azure data services to track
• 26:45 – What should customers understand first to manage their project investments?
• 29:00 – What else could Microsoft be doing to improve customer value?