SugarCRM can use SQL Server, MySQL or Oracle back-ends (if not more). The database is just used as a relatively dumb data store, there are no stored procedures. All the logic seems to be in the business layer(s).

I'd prefer to access the DB directly, since I'm going to be periodically syncing SugarCRM with enterprise Fox data. But some tables will be challenging to populate e.g. Users stores a password hash, which from what I've been able to find looks like Blowfish.

Talking to the business layer may be simpler for low-volume, ongoing syncing/updates.

>It's been a couple of years, but I do recall that populating the system with a lot data via SOAP was very slow. For the project I had, it was much more efficient to initially write to the MySQL tables direct. Of course, this means that I had to take the time to figure which tables need to be updated and what should go in each.
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>>Anyone have any experience/war stories populating a SugarCRM database with Fox data?