Drag and Drop Question A company has a cloud-based installation of Dynamics 365 Finance. The company also has Dynamics 365 Sales and Customer Service systems. The company implements an analytical…

The correct answer is Bring your own database; Entity store. Dynamics 365 Finance: Analytical Storage Features Explained Context The scenario involves a company running Dynamics 365 Finance alongside Sales and Customer Service. The key detail is that cross-system reporting is in scope - this distinction drives the correct storage choice…

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Question

Drag and Drop Question A company has a cloud-based installation of Dynamics 365 Finance. The company also has Dynamics 365 Sales and Customer Service systems. The company implements an analytical reports solution. You need to select the applicable storage feature for each requirement. Which storage feature should you use to meet each requirement? To answer, drag the appropriate storage options to the correct requirements. Each storage option may be used once, more than once, or not at all. You may need to drag the split bar between panes or scroll to view content. NOTE: Each correct selection is worth one point. Answer:

Exhibit

Answer Area

Drag items

Entity storeBring your own database

Correct arrangement

Bring your own database
Entity store

Explanation

Dynamics 365 Finance: Analytical Storage Features Explained

Context

The scenario involves a company running Dynamics 365 Finance alongside Sales and Customer Service. The key detail is that cross-system reporting is in scope - this distinction drives the correct storage choice for each requirement.

The Two Storage Options

Feature	What it is	Scope
Entity store	An in-product operational data store within D365 Finance, optimized for aggregate measurements and embedded Power BI reports	D365 Finance data only
Bring your own database (BYOD)	Export D365 entities to an external SQL database you own and manage	Multi-system / external access

Placement 1 → Bring Your Own Database

Requirement type: Consolidating data across multiple Dynamics 365 systems (Finance + Sales + Customer Service) into a unified reporting store, or enabling external BI tools to access data independently of the D365 environment.

Why BYOD here:

BYOD lets you export entities from D365 Finance to an external SQL database you control
Because Sales and Customer Service can also push data to that same external database, it becomes a single consolidated store for cross-system analytics
External BI tools (e.g., custom Power BI datasets, third-party tools) connect directly to this database without depending on the D365 runtime

Common mistake: Assuming Entity store can aggregate data from Sales or Customer Service. It cannot - it is scoped exclusively to D365 Finance.

Placement 2 → Entity Store

Requirement type: Creating embedded analytical reports or Power BI dashboards that rely on pre-built aggregate measurements within D365 Finance only.

Why Entity store here:

Entity store is purpose-built for DirectQuery Power BI connections inside D365 Finance
It stores pre-aggregated data (aggregate measurements) that make analytical queries fast without hitting transactional tables
It requires no external database setup - it is managed entirely within the D365 Finance environment
Microsoft maintains and refreshes it automatically

Common mistake: Thinking Entity store can serve as a consolidated cross-app warehouse. It is an in-product feature for Finance-only analytics, not a general-purpose data lake.

Key Decision Rule

If the requirement involves only D365 Finance data and embedded/Power BI reports → Entity store

If the requirement involves multiple systems, external access, or data the company owns and controls → Bring your own database

Topics

#Entity store#BYOD#analytical reports#data storage

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