Long-Term Archiving of CRM Data:

Reduce Storage Costs

Long-term archiving in Dataverse moves older CRM data out of active storage. This reduces the amount of storage required and can lower ongoing storage costs. Before archiving, however, it is important to determine which data is no longer needed and which dependencies need to be considered.

In Dataverse, retention policies move data from active storage to long-term storage. The archived records are retained, but are no longer available in forms, searches or connected processes in the same way as active data.

This can significantly reduce the active data volume in Dynamics 365 environments that have grown over the years. Companies reduce their Dataverse storage requirements and can lower additional storage costs without permanently deleting older information.

---

Which CRM Data belongs in the Archive?

Not every older record is automatically suitable for long-term archiving. The first step is to determine whether the information is no longer needed for day-to-day CRM processes. Relationships with other records should also be reviewed, along with any interfaces that still access the data.

Future use also needs to be considered. If information must be retained for reporting or to meet retention requirements, the method of future access should be defined before archiving. The business assessment therefore comes before the technical implementation.

---

What Changes after archiving?

Archived records are no longer available in the same way as active CRM data. They no longer appear in forms, search results or views, and connected processes and interfaces cannot access them in the usual way.

Before archiving, the impact on reports, automations and connected systems should therefore be reviewed. Especially in CRM environments that have evolved over time, dependencies may exist that are not immediately apparent.

The better the relationships between data, processes and interfaces are understood, the lower the risk of unexpected effects on day-to-day operations.

---

Test Long-Term Archiving before Rollout

Before retention policies are used in a production environment, they should be tested with realistic data. This helps identify and assess the impact on processes, reports and interfaces at an early stage.

In many projects, the main challenge is not the technical setup. The key question is which data can actually be archived and which information still needs to remain available for day-to-day operations.

Overall, long-term archiving reduces the active data volume in Dataverse and lowers storage requirements. Before implementation, companies should determine which CRM data can be archived and which relationships, interfaces and future access requirements need to be considered.