Primentra vs Microsoft MDS

The top level. A model holds entities, attributes, hierarchies and collections. Microsoft Learn

The top level, and it holds entities. You give roles access per model. The wizard copies each model with its name, description and dates.

Models · Migrate models and entities

An entity works like a table. Its rows are members, and leaf members are the default type. Code and Name are built in. Microsoft Learn

An entity is a table of rows, with Code and Name built in. Primentra can generate the Code for you. The wizard copies every leaf member with all its values.

Entities · Migrate master data

Parent members. They exist only when an entity uses explicit hierarchies or collections. Microsoft Learn

Every row is a plain row, and the wizard skips consolidated members. Model a parent as a row in its own entity, and point a domain attribute at it.

What does not migrate

Values the user types in: text, numbers, dates and links. Microsoft Learn

Text, Integer, Decimal, DateTime and Boolean. The wizard maps an MDS number with no decimals to Integer, and keeps up to 10 decimal places on the others. A link becomes Text.

Attributes and data types

The value comes from another entity, and the user picks it from a list. Microsoft Learn

A Domain attribute points at another entity and shows a dropdown. The wizard links each reference to the imported entity. A Filter setting narrows one dropdown by another, as an MDS attribute filter does.

Domain attributes and hierarchies

An entity sync relationship shares the data of an entity with another model. Microsoft Learn

Turn on Shared across models, and a domain attribute in any model can point at that entity. There is one copy of the data, so there is nothing to sync.

Entities

Store files, documents and images on a member. Microsoft Learn

Primentra does not store files, and the wizard skips file attributes. Keep the files where they are, and store the link to each one in a Text attribute.

What does not migrate

Tabs above the grid, each showing a chosen set of attributes. Microsoft Learn

There are no attribute tabs. You set per role which columns a user can see and edit.

Roles and permissions

Built from the domain-based attributes between entities. You create each hierarchy yourself. Microsoft Learn

You define nothing. Primentra reads the chain from the domain attributes and draws it under the model. The wizard does not copy the hierarchy, but it copies the domain attributes the hierarchy was built on.

Domain attributes and hierarchies · Migrating MDS hierarchies

An entity with a domain-based attribute that points at the entity itself. Microsoft Learn

The same: a domain attribute that points at its own entity. A file or a paste can list a child before its parent, and the whole tree loads in one pass.

Parent-child inside one entity

Put the members of one entity in any structure, with consolidated members as the groups. Microsoft marks explicit hierarchies as deprecated. Microsoft Learn

Not in Primentra, and the wizard skips them. Build the tree again as a domain attribute that points at its own entity.

Parent-child inside one entity

A flat group of members from one entity. Microsoft marks collections as deprecated. Microsoft Learn

Not in Primentra, and the wizard skips them. A Boolean or a domain attribute on the entity can mark which rows belong to a group.

What does not migrate

If/Then/Else rules that you create and publish in Master Data Manager. A value that fails a rule can still be saved. Microsoft Learn

You build rules from templates or with an IF/THEN builder. A rule with severity Error refuses the save, and a Warning flags the row. Rules run on grid saves, imports, staging, approvals and the REST API. The wizard does not copy rules, so you build them again.

Business rules · Migrating MDS business rules

Business rule results show as validation errors in the web application, and as ValidationStatus in Excel. Microsoft Learn

Validate Now runs every active rule over the saved rows. A red marker shows an error and an amber marker a warning. An integration view can carry the result as columns.

Validating entities

Email through Database Mail when a validation fails, when a version status changes, and when a changeset status changes. Microsoft Learn

Email goes to the approvers when a change waits for them, and to the submitter when they decide. A failed rule sends no email. A bell in the app lists approvals and broken integration views.

Approval emails · Email and notifications

A version is a copy of the model data that goes from Open to Locked to Committed. A flag marks the version that users and subscribing systems use. Microsoft Learn

Primentra keeps one live copy of the data, and the wizard skips versions and flags. To move a model structure between development, test and production, use model export and import.

Model export and import · Migrating MDS versions

MDS logs each create, change, delete or move of a member as a transaction. An annotation is a comment on a transaction that says why. Microsoft Learn

The audit log records every change with the user, the time, the old value and the new value. The comment typed in the save dialog does the job of the annotation. Old MDS transactions do not migrate.

Audit log · Audit panel

A user with update permission can roll a member back to an earlier revision from its history. Microsoft Learn

There is no rollback. Undo covers edits you have not saved yet. To restore an old value, read it in the audit panel and save it again.

Editing and saving

On an entity that requires approval, pending changes go into a changeset, and an administrator approves it. Microsoft Learn

Turn on Requires approval on an entity. A save then becomes a request that waits for the approvers you assign to that entity. You can require every approver to agree. The wizard sets approval off on each entity it creates.

Approval workflows · Configuring approvers

A publish fails when another user changed the same data first. You resolve the conflict and publish again. Microsoft Learn

The grid locks a row that has a pending request. An import or the API can still change that row, and then the request shows a conflict. Approval then applies the submitted value. There is no merge step.

Conflict detection

Standard SQL views in the MDS database that other systems read. After a model change, you regenerate the view. Microsoft Learn

Integration views. They are SQL views in the mdm schema, flat or hierarchy, that other systems read with a normal SELECT. Primentra detects when a view drifts from the model and lets you sync it. The wizard does not copy subscription views, so you create the integration views after the import.

Integration views · Rebuilding subscription views

Load rows into the staging table of the entity, such as stg.name_Leaf, then run the staging procedure with a batch tag. Microsoft Learn

One staging table per entity, stg.Model_Entity. Insert rows with ImportStatus 0, and a batch validates and merges them. Run batches by hand, on a schedule or from a trigger. The batch history keeps the error for each row.

Staging overview · Staging scheduler

A WCF service. You call it from code through generated proxy classes. Microsoft Learn

A REST API under /api/v1 that reads and writes entity records. Each API key belongs to a service account with roles, so a key can do only what its roles allow.

REST API

MDS builds its security on users and groups, local or from Active Directory. Microsoft Learn

Users get their rights only through roles, and users and roles live in Primentra. The wizard does not copy MDS users, groups or permissions.

User management · Migrating MDS security

Read, Create, Update and Delete, or Deny. You set them on the model, and its entities and attributes inherit them. Microsoft Learn

Rights cascade from model to entity to attribute. A model or entity takes Create, Read, Update and Delete. An attribute takes None, Read or Write. Preview As shows the app as one user sees it.

Roles and permissions · Preview As

Optional rights on the members of a hierarchy: Read, Update, Delete or Deny. Microsoft Learn

Rights stop at the attribute. Primentra has no rights per row or per hierarchy member.

Roles and permissions

Access to the areas of Master Data Manager, such as Explorer, Version Management and System Administration, plus a Super User permission. Microsoft Learn

Two flags on a role. Administrator gives full access to everything. Approver lets the members of the role decide on requests.

Roles and permissions

You add Active Directory users and groups to MDS and give them rights. Microsoft Learn

Not yet. Active Directory sign-in is in development and expected in Q4 2026. The plan: people sign in with their Windows account, AD groups map to Primentra roles, and an account that AD disables loses access here too. Until then, users and roles live in Primentra, and users sign in with a Primentra account.

Active Directory and SSO

The web application, used mainly by administrators. Explorer is the area for people who edit data. Microsoft lists Internet Explorer 9 or later as the only supported browser. Microsoft Learn

One web app for administrators and editors. Editors work in a grid that behaves like a spreadsheet, with arrow keys, paste, filters and bulk edits.

Grid overview

Load filtered MDS data into Excel, edit it, and publish it back. Microsoft offers a download for SQL Server 2016 up to 2022. Microsoft Learn

There is no Primentra add-in for Excel today. You paste rows from Excel into the browser grid, import .xlsx and .csv files with a column mapping step, and export any entity to .xlsx. Each save passes your business rules and shows in the audit trail.

Pasting rows · Import from Excel · Replacing the add-in

Enterprise and Developer editions only. Microsoft licenses Developer for development and test, not for production. Microsoft Learn

SQL Server 2016 or later, in the Express, Standard or Enterprise edition. An instance you already run is fine.

System requirements