How to Clone a Solution with Microsoft Dynamics 365?

A CRM system, as you know, evolves over time and regularly requires improvements. As you introduce updates and enhancements to your Dynamics 365 setup, you may find yourself managing multiple versions of your solution. Without a clear structure, this can quickly become overwhelming.

Fortunately, there's a straightforward way to maintain control and coherence over your versions: the clone a solution feature.

What is it? Why should you use it? And how does it work in Microsoft Dynamics 365? This article walks you through everything you need to know about cloning a solution.

What is a solution in Dynamics 365?

Before you clone a solution, it’s essential to understand what a solution represents in Dynamics 365. In simple terms, a solution is a container of customizations and configurations. It includes components like entities, workflows, dashboards, and more.

A business solution in IT can be seen as a set of modules that form an integrated system used to automate and align various business processes—manufacturing, finance, HR, logistics, and more.

If you’d like a deeper understanding, here’s a helpful video that explains what a solution in Dynamics 365 is.

Managed vs. unmanaged solutions

Before you clone a solution, you need to understand the difference between managed and unmanaged solutions—because only unmanaged solutions can be cloned.

A managed solution:

• Doesn’t allow the addition or removal of components
• Cannot be exported
• When deleted, removes all included components

An unmanaged solution:

• Allows adding, modifying, and deleting components
• Can be exported or imported
• Can be exported as a managed solution
• Is the only type eligible for cloning

Why clone a solution in Dynamics 365?

When working on a CRM, every version of your solution accumulates updates and patches. Over time, you may be managing several iterations—some of which include only partial improvements. That’s where the clone a solution function becomes useful.

By cloning your solution, you can merge patches with your base solution and generate a single consolidated version. Not only does this simplify maintenance, but it also allows you to rename the cloned solution, making it easier to track and identify.

What happens when you clone a solution?

When you clone a solution that contains multiple patches, Dynamics 365 fuses those improvements into one coherent version. This consolidated solution becomes your new base for future updates—clean, unified, and ready to evolve.

Steps to clone a solution in Microsoft Dynamics 365

Ready to get started? Here’s how to clone a solution:

1. Go to Settings
2. Click on Solutions

3. Select the parent solution to clone

In this example, you’ll choose the main solution you wish to consolidate—in our case, Event Managers Version 1.0.0.0. This is the solution that contains the improvements and patches you want to merge.

4. Click on “Clone the solution”

Once the solution is selected, click on the Clone the solution button. This action initiates the process that will generate a new version of your solution, combining all the enhancements from previous patches into one unified version.

This is where the magic happens: instead of juggling fragmented updates, the clone solution step gives you a fresh, stable, and centralized version of your CRM customization.

Once you’re in the Solutions section, proceed as follows:

1. Select the parent solution you want to consolidate. In our example, that’s Event Managers Version 1.0.0.0. This solution includes all the patches and changes you've made over time.
2. Click on the Clone the solution button. This action will create a new solution version that merges all updates into a single, unified solution.

Using the clone solution feature here is essential to eliminate scattered patches and create a streamlined version of your CRM configuration.

After clicking on the Clone the solution button, a new interface will appear to guide you through the final setup.

• You’ll first see the name of the base (out-of-the-box) solution. At this stage, you can choose to rename the cloned solution. This is particularly useful to differentiate versions and improve traceability within your CRM environment.
• You’ll also have the option to add internal notes to this cloned version. These notes can include version history, context for the patch, or instructions for your team.

Once you’ve made the necessary changes, simply click on the Save button.

Congratulations! You’ve now successfully used the clone solution feature in Dynamics 365 to merge all updates into a single, clean version of your CRM solution.

Once the cloning is complete, you’ll notice that your original solution (version 1.0.0.0) has now been fused with the improved version (1.0.1.0). This fusion consolidates all enhancements, updates, or patches into a single, unified solution.

Even if you had multiple patches, the clone solution feature ensures they are all merged into one clean version—saving you from managing scattered components.

Important note: Once you clone a solution, there’s no way to revert the fusion or separate the changes from your original out-of-the-box solution.

If you want to preserve the original version, we strongly recommend that you export and store it safely on-site before initiating the clone process.

This precaution ensures you maintain a fallback version, just in case you need to reference or restore it in the future.

Conclusion: why the clone solution feature is essential—but irreversible

To wrap up, using the clone solution feature in Microsoft Dynamics 365 allows you to:

• Fuse your out-of-the-box solution with all its patches and improvements into one consolidated version
• Rename the cloned solution for better version tracking and clarity
• Be aware that this action is permanent—once the solution is cloned, you can’t separate the changes afterward

That’s why we strongly advise you to export your original solution before cloning it, especially if you think you may need to revert to the previous version later.

For a more detailed walkthrough on importing and exporting solutions, you may contact our experts at Gestisoft and book a free consultation.