Virtual entity is a custom entity that has fields containing data read from an external data source, a feature released in Dynamics 365 version 9.
With virtual entities you connect directly to external data source, and data is displayed at runtime, rather than stored in CRM database, as with “normal” entities. The data source can be the SQL server of an ERP system, price list, foreign currency rate of exchange, client’s credit limit vs credit used, outstanding amount for unpaid invoices, and stock levels.
Virtual entity feature is promoted as new and easier way to integrate data from external sources, with no need for full development cycle. This is partially true as the data source has to offer an OData v4 endpoint, for which you do need developers to create these custom endpoints. A solution Dynamics Objects provides in the form of cloud web-service that converts data from SQL database and from Excel spreadsheet to formatted ODATA v4 endpoint. With Dynamics Objects web-service for virtual entities, everyone can now display data from external SQL database and Excel spreadsheet. All you need to do is to configure the entity and enter the connection parameters in Virtual Entity Data Source.
Virtual Entity Web-service licensing is different to any other software license, encouraging re-sellers to pay yearly subscription and resell the service as many times as they can, and hence significantly reduce the cost to end-users.
For data sources other than SQL & Excel, we provide FREE of charge conversion to ODATA v4 endpoint, at no extra cost, if we are provided with access to the data source.
Try Virtual Entity Web Service for free
There is no solution to import to CRM. To try Virtual Server Web-services, you need to configure CRM to read from data source, and create the virtual entity, as per the instructions available on our website.
Hi Khadim
In reply:
* How does your web service fulfill that requirement?
If your datasource has GUID, you point us to the GUID field and we create the records with this GUID. Every time the ist is refreshed, the same record in CRM will have the GUID as in datasource. If you do not provide GUID in datasource, we will create random GUID but it will be different every time
* Do you have a mechanism to provide the same Guid for specific records every time?
if the GUID is not in the datasource our generated GUID is random number and is different every time you refresh the list
* Are we able to use virtual entity based entity records for lookups then?
Yes. Read our other post on the benefits of having GUID in datasource as not only you can have a look up to same VE record, but also you can add notes & activities
Hello,
One of the requirement for using virtual entity feature is to have ODATA v4 service to return a Guid.
* How does your web service fulfill that requirement?
* Do you have a mechanism to provide the same Guid for specific records every time?
* Are we able to use virtual entity based entity records for lookups then?
Great article. I just got to know about Virtual Entity. Sounds similar to Salesforce Connect. You can actually use a third party solution like to produce OData from a database.
Awesome post .. Keep up the good job.
Thanks