1. To-Increase Dynamics 365 for Finance & Operations
  2. Connectivity studio
  3. Design
  4. Set up connectors

Set up Blob storage connector

Set up a connector of type Blob storage to exchange data files between your D365 FO environment and another environment, using Azure Blob storage. Azure Blob storage is Microsoft's object storage solution for the cloud. Blob storage is optimized for storing massive amounts of unstructured data.

With the Blob storage type connector, you can exchange these external file-based documents: EDI, Fixed text, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Text, XML, JSON.


Application Consultant Application Consultant Start Start Create Azure Storage Account Create Azure Storage Account   You can use an Azure Storage Account to: Exchange data files between your D365 FO environment and another environment, for example an on-premises environment. You use the Azure Storage Account on Azure file storage connector setup or on Blob storage connector setup. Store general Connectivity studio files. For example, version management files and history report files. You use the Azure Storage Account on Connectivity studio parameter setup. You can: Create an Azure Storage Account. Use the Azure Storage Account of your D365 FO environment. If a cloud-hosted D365 FO environment is created with LCS, automatically the related Azure Storage Account is created. The default name of this Azure Storage Account is the same as the D365 FO environment name. Note: when you delete the D365 FO environment, also the related Azure Storage Account is deleted. For more information, refer to Create an Azure Storage Account. Do you want to use the  Azure Storage Explorer? Do you want to use the  Azure Storage Explorer? Install Azure Storage Explorer and connect to an Azure Storage Account Install Azure Storage Explorer and connect to an Azure Storage Account You can use the Azure Storage Explorer to connect to and manage your Azure Storage Accounts. First download and install the Azure Storage Explorer and then connect to a storage account. To connect, use a storage account name and key. You can find the name and key on the Azure Portal > Storage accounts > Access keys. When connected, and you use the Azure Storage Explorer for: Azure file storage connectors: You can create the required file shares. Blob storage connectors: You can create the required Blob containers. Version management: You can create the required version management file share. History reports: You can create the required history report file share. For more information, refer to Get started with Storage Explorer. Notes You can also use the File explorer to quickly access and view the share as defined for the Azure file storage connector. The File explorer offers limited functionality. You can only view, copy, move, or delete files. To open the File explorer, on the Connectors page, in the Action Pane, on the Development tab, click File explorer. Create Blob container Create Blob container For the Azure Storage Account, create a Blob container where data files are uploaded to or downloaded from.In the Blob container, create the folders that are required to exchange files. You can create folders that relate to the paths in the Properties section, the Read section, and the Write section of a connector of type 'Azure Blob storage':WorkingArchiveErrorSplit/TemporaryTemporaryFor more information, refer to Azure Blob storage. Authentication with  password or  client credentials? Authentication with  password or  client credentials? Register app in Microsoft Entra ID Register app in Microsoft Entra ID If you want to connect to the Azure Blob storage with an authentication of type 'Password' or 'Client credentials', register an app in Microsoft Entra ID and configure the Azure Storage permissions. For more information, refer to: Permissions and consent in the Microsoft identity platform Authorize access to data in Azure Storage Authorize access to blobs using Microsoft Entra ID Set up Blob storage connector Set up Blob storage connector Set up a connector of type Blob storage to exchange data files between your D365 FO environment and another environment, using Azure Blob storage. Azure Blob storage is Microsoft's object storage solution for the cloud. Blob storage is optimized for storing massive amounts of unstructured data. With the Blob storage type connector, you can exchange these external file-based documents: EDI, Fixed text, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Text, XML, JSON. You can only use this connector in combination with a document for which the version 3 (V3) handler class is selected. You can use one of these authentication methods to access the Blob storage:   Shared access key: Grants access to a storage account. Shared access signature (SAS): Grants access to a specific Blob container. Client credentials: Grants access to Blob storage via an Microsoft Entra ID application with Azure storage permission. Password: Grants access to Blob storage via an Microsoft Entra ID application with Azure storage permission. For more information, refer to: Authorize access to data in Azure Storage Authorize access to blob or queue data from a native or web application Authorize with shared access key Grant limited access to Azure Storage resources using shared access signatures (SAS) Authorize access to blobs using Microsoft Entra ID   Procedure 1. Click Connectivity studio Integration Design. 2. Click the Connectors tab. 3. Click New. 4. In the Connector field, type a value. Note: You are advised to not include, in the connector name, the name of the application to which you connect. Use the Application field to define the applicable application for the connector. 5. In the Project field, enter or select a value. 6. Define the applicable application for the connector. For a Blob storage connector, for example, select a 'Blob storage' application. In the Application field, enter or select a value. Note: - You can only select an application that is defined for the applicable project. You can define project applications on the Projects page. - You can type any existing application name, whether it is defined as project application or not. If the typed application is not defined as project application, it is automatically added to the project applications. 7. In the Connector type field, select 'Blob Storage'. 8. Sub-task: Set properties. 9. You can export connectivity setup and import it in another D365 FO environment. For example, you first set up and test the connectivity setup in a development environment. When finished, you deploy the setup in your production environment. To prevent messing up your production data, use different Blob containers for your development or testing environment and for your production environment. To strictly distinguish between different environments, you can define unique connector properties for each of your environment types. Which properties are applicable to the current environment is defined in the Environment type field on the Connectivity studio parameters. Example: If set to Development, the connector properties as defined for environment type Development are applicable. In the Environment types field, select an option. Note: The environment types only apply to connectors of type Database, Azure file storage, Blob storage, SharePoint, or Service Bus queue. 10. Expand the Properties section. 11. In the Blob storage account field, enter the applicable Azure storage account name. Note: Only the Azure storage account name is required here and not the full URL. 12. In the Azure blob container field, enter the name of the applicable Blob container. Note: Only the Blob container name is required here and not the full URL. 13. In the Authentication field, select an option. 14. Enter the password or password reference to access a: - Blob container if the authentication is 'Shared access signature (SAS)'. - Storage account if the authentication is 'Shared access key'. - Blob storage if the authentication is 'Password'. Whether the password or password reference applies is defined by the Display secret field in the Connectivity studio parameters. If the Display secret parameter is set to: - Secret, fill in the Password field with the desired access key or signature. The access key or signature is specific for the current connector. - Secret reference, fill in the Password reference field with the desired secret reference. The password reference refers to a centrally stored access key or signature which makes updating secrets easier. - Both, fill in either the Password field or the Password reference field. In the Password field, or in the Password reference field, type a value. Note: This field is only applicable if the authentication is 'Shared access key' 'Shares access signature', or 'Password'. 15. Define the base Microsoft Entra ID authority as follows: https://login.microsoftonline.com/[Tenant ID]/ The 'Tenant ID' is your Microsoft Entra ID tenant ID (or directory ID). The tenant ID identifies the Microsoft Entra ID tenant to use for authentication. It is also referred to as the directory ID. To retrieve the tenant ID, navigate to the Overview page for your app registration in the Azure portal, and copy the value from there. In the Token authorization endpoint field, type a value. Note: This field is only applicable if the authentication is 'Client credentials' or 'Password'. 16. Define the applicable Microsoft Entra ID resource ID. The resource ID indicates the audience for which a token that is issued can be used to provide access to an Azure resource. In the case of Azure Storage, the resource ID may be specific to a single storage account, or it may apply to any storage account. Usually, the resource is: https://storage.azure.com/ In the Resource field, type a value. Note: This field is only applicable if the authentication is 'Client credentials' or 'Password'. 17. In the Client ID field, enter the Application (client) ID of the registered Microsoft Entra ID application that you use to access the Blob storage. Note: This field is only applicable if the authentication is 'Client credentials' or 'Password'. 18. In the User name field, enter the user name that is used to access the Microsoft Entra ID application that you use to access Blob storage. Note: This field is only applicable if the authentication is 'Password'. 19. Enter the client secret or client secret reference of the registered Microsoft Entra ID application that you use to access the Blob storage. Whether the client secret or client secret reference applies is defined by the Display secret field in the Connectivity studio parameters. If the Display secret parameter is set to: - Secret, fill in the Client secret field with the desired client secret. The client secret is specific for the current connector. - Secret reference, fill in the Client secret reference field with the desired secret reference. The client secret reference refers to a centrally stored client secret which makes updating secrets easier. - Both, fill in either the Client secret field or the Client secret reference field. In the Client secret field, or in the Client secret reference field, type a value. Note: This field is only applicable if the authentication is 'Client credentials'. 20. For the used Microsoft Entra ID application, Azure Storage permissions are defined. You can use the scope to prompt consent for specific permissions for this connection. For example, user_impersonation. In the Scope field, type a value. Note: This field is only applicable if the authentication is 'Client credentials' or 'Password'. 21. Sub-task: Select custom handler. 22. Expand the Custom section. 23. In the Handler field, you can enter or select a custom handler class. 24. Sub-task: Set advanced options. 25. Expand the Advanced options section. 26. Select Yes in the Cross company disabled field. 27. Close the page. Notes If you use a Blob storage connector as source or target connector on a message, make sure the related source or target document uses the 'V3' handler version. End End Yes No Yes No

Activities

Name Responsible Description

Create Azure Storage Account

Application Consultant
 

You can use an Azure Storage Account to:

  • Exchange data files between your D365 FO environment and another environment, for example an on-premises environment. You use the Azure Storage Account on Azure file storage connector setup or on Blob storage connector setup.
  • Store general Connectivity studio files. For example, version management files and history report files. You use the Azure Storage Account on Connectivity studio parameter setup.
You can:
  • Create an Azure Storage Account.
  • Use the Azure Storage Account of your D365 FO environment. If a cloud-hosted D365 FO environment is created with LCS, automatically the related Azure Storage Account is created. The default name of this Azure Storage Account is the same as the D365 FO environment name. Note: when you delete the D365 FO environment, also the related Azure Storage Account is deleted.
For more information, refer to Create an Azure Storage Account.

Install Azure Storage Explorer and connect to an Azure Storage Account

Application Consultant
You can use the Azure Storage Explorer to connect to and manage your Azure Storage Accounts.
First download and install the Azure Storage Explorer and then connect to a storage account.
To connect, use a storage account name and key. You can find the name and key on the Azure Portal > Storage accounts > Access keys.
When connected, and you use the Azure Storage Explorer for:
  • Azure file storage connectors: You can create the required file shares.
  • Blob storage connectors: You can create the required Blob containers.
  • Version management: You can create the required version management file share.
  • History reports: You can create the required history report file share.
For more information, refer to Get started with Storage Explorer.

Create Blob container

Application Consultant

 		For the Azure Storage Account, create a Blob container where data files are uploaded to or downloaded from.
In the Blob container, create the folders that are required to exchange files. You can create folders that relate to the paths in the Properties section, the Read section, and the Write section of a connector of type 'Azure Blob storage':
  • Working
  • Archive
  • Error
  • Split/Temporary
  • Temporary
For more information, refer to Azure Blob storage.

Register app in Microsoft Entra ID

Application Consultant

If you want to connect to the Azure Blob storage with an authentication of type 'Password' or 'Client credentials', register an app in Microsoft Entra ID and configure the Azure Storage permissions.

For more information, refer to:

Set up Blob storage connector

Application Consultant

Set up a connector of type Blob storage to exchange data files between your D365 FO environment and another environment, using Azure Blob storage. Azure Blob storage is Microsoft's object storage solution for the cloud. Blob storage is optimized for storing massive amounts of unstructured data.

With the Blob storage type connector, you can exchange these external file-based documents: EDI, Fixed text, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Text, XML, JSON. You can only use this connector in combination with a document for which the version 3 (V3) handler class is selected.

You can use one of these authentication methods to access the Blob storage:

 

  • Shared access key: Grants access to a storage account.
  • Shared access signature (SAS): Grants access to a specific Blob container.
  • Client credentials: Grants access to Blob storage via an Microsoft Entra ID application with Azure storage permission.
  • Password: Grants access to Blob storage via an Microsoft Entra ID application with Azure storage permission.
For more information, refer to:

 

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