SharePoint Online: Microsoft IDCRL Authentication Deprecation (SOAP Schema)

Overview

Microsoft is retiring legacy IDCRL (Identity Client Runtime Library) authentication — the underlying sign-in method used by CData SharePoint Drivers when operating in SOAP Schema mode. After April 30, 2026, SOAP Schema connections to SharePoint Online will stop working.

Note: Some customers have reported cutoffs as early as April 1, 2026. If you are already experiencing connection failures, follow the temporary extension steps below.

Who is Affected

Reference: Legacy SharePoint Authentication (IDCRL) Is Retiring — What to Do Before May 1, 2026 | Microsoft Community Hub

Option 1: Temporary Extension (Short-Term Relief)

If your IDCRL access has already been cut off, Microsoft provides a tenant-level override to re-enable legacy authentication protocols until the deadline. This is a temporary measure — migration to REST Schema remains required.

Step 1 — Install SharePoint Online Management Shell

Download and install from the Official Microsoft Download Center.

Step 2 — Connect to Your SharePoint Tenant

Run the following in PowerShell. An OAuth prompt will open — sign in with a SharePoint Admin account.

Import-Module Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell
Connect-SPOService -Url "https://-admin.sharepoint.com"

Step 3 — Re-Enable Legacy Authentication

Set-SPOTenant -AllowLegacyAuthProtocolsEnabledSetting $true
Set-SPOTenant -LegacyAuthProtocolsEnabled $true

Step 4 — Verify the Change

Get-SPOTenant | Select-Object AllowLegacyAuthProtocolsEnabledSetting, LegacyAuthProtocolsEnabled

Confirm that both properties return True before resuming operations.

Option 2: Migrate to REST Schema (Recommended)

Migrating to REST Schema is the permanent solution. Your existing CData Driver product and license already include full REST Schema support — no additional purchase or product change is required.

How to Switch

1. Open your existing CData SharePoint Driver connection configuration.
2. Set Schema=REST in the connection string or connection properties panel.
3. Update the authentication method to one supported by REST Schema (e.g., OAuth 2.0).
4. Test and validate your queries against the REST Schema.

Important: The REST Schema exposes a different set of tables, columns, stored procedures, and parameters compared with SOAP Schema. You will need to review and adjust your queries.

Reference: CData SharePoint Driver Documentation — REST Data Model

Query Migration Tool: CData Code Assist for SharePoint

CData Code Assist for SharePoint is a free tool that simplifies the SOAP-to-REST query migration. It runs as a local MCP server and integrates with AI coding assistants such as Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, and Gemini CLI.

1. Download and install CData Code Assist on your local machine.
2. Connect Code Assist to your SharePoint Online environment using REST Schema.
3. Pass your existing SOAP Schema queries to your AI coding assistant — it will use Code Assist to explore the REST Schema and rewrite your queries automatically.

Support

Contact the CData Support Team if you have questions or need assistance with your migration.

• CData Software Support