dotConnect for Dynamics 365 Documentation
In This Topic
    Metadata Overview
    In This Topic

    When you connect to Dynamics 365 (formerly Dynamics CRM) the first time, dotConnect for Dynamics 365 needs to retrieve metadata and map objects to the relational tables. This process is complex and can take some time, so to avoid retrieving the metadata each time when connecting, dotConnect for Dynamics 365 caches the metadata.

    Objects are mapped to tables; their fields, including ID, system, and calculated fields, are mapped to the table columns. Master-Detail relationships between objects are mapped to foreign keys between tables.

    There are two ways to access metadata with dotConnect for Dynamics 365: using the GetSchema method of DynamicsConnection or querying the information schema tables, both are described in the corresponding topics: Information Schema and Using GetSchema Method.

    If you want to get fresh metadata updates from Dynamics 365, use the RefreshMetadata method of the connection object. It deletes existing caches, and the metadata will be queried again next time when they are needed.

    See Also

    Metadata | Information Schema | Using GetSchema Method