Fundamentals of "old" Navision

Your Navision is not old... and that is completely independent of the version number. Of course, each new version also gives them new capabilities along the way. To address a REST-Api with DOS-Navision 3.53 or 3.56 is a bit of a pain... but possible! Just like sending PDF's via email. Have a look at my page!

Follow this link for old versions & Setup-DVD's

Introduction

For me, the highlight was

*Usability
*Speed of operation
*Simplicity of adjustment
*Functionality of the application

given with the native 2009R2 solution - not with the 2009R RTC, which was the usual Microsoft mess... continued with Navision / Business Central 2013. From 2013 r2 it then became properly usable again for the first time.

But detached from that: article stocks, G/L account balances, debit & credit and special prices do not change, not even in 30 years. And the rest around it, like webshop, end customer app, paperless picking, a PIM system, emails and all that stuff: We can teach that to your Navision, too, if you want. This way, your Navision, which you paid for long ago and which -if your maintenance contract is cancelled- can be used permanently free of charge, continues to be the driving force in the basement of your company's IT.

For me, Navision 2018/BC14 is the optimum for the RTC, because almost all of the RTC's teething troubles have been eliminated and the system can finally be used productively. Which could not be said of Navision 2013, 2015 etc. Navision 2017 was quite good, and the new web client of BC14/Navision 2018 was the long-awaited breakthrough.

But here, in this article, it should first be about the very basic things that you need from time to time, but which are increasingly difficult to find on the Internet. Please be patient, the page will be built up bit by bit. Feel free to contact meif you have questions on these topics. A short initial consultation is generally free of charge.

I fill the corresponding part so little by little with content, if I just have to do with it. You just need a specific tutorial that is not yet available? Write me and I'll add it quickly.

Create a backup

Backup DOS-Navision 3.5x, 3.53, 3.56

This topic will be filled with content when the opportunity arises. If you currently have a concrete need for it contact meIn a nutshell: you can record macros in these Navision versions and then (e.g.) start the navin.exe with this macro, which then starts a data backup. This also allows you to completely automate periodic jobs such as creating collective invoices, posting invoices, retrieving web shop orders, sending data to partners via FTP, etc.

Backup Windows-Navision Financials, Dynamics (Business Central)

Note: You can also make fully automatic backups with your native Navision; since version 3 of Navision, this has been done using the Hotcopy program supplied with the product. However, these backups are always a 1:1 copy (snapshot) of your running productive database. This section is about a much more compact data backup, for example, to send it to a developer or to turn it into a test environment. With this guide, your database can be easily reduced to 1/10th of its original size for transmission, and then typically restored to about 85% of its original size at the recipient's site.
A 40 GB Navision database (for example), filled with 35 GB of data (file/database/information), can be compressed to 3.5 GB using the method described here. This amount can easily be transferred via WeTransfer or other methods nowadays.
With a script editor such as ac’tive Aid (Autohotkey) , this process can also be automated. However, for a regular daily backup, I recommend Hotcopy. Note: Hotcopy, like the SQL server, always backs up the complete database, which in our example is 40GB. However, this may also be desirable (e.g. for immediately executable test environments)!

Preparation:

If someone else, e.g. I as a developer, should work with the sent database, it is important that he is also registered in it as a user with super rights. You make sure this via Tools/Access rights/Database logins:

If I am your maintainer, this user is already set up in your database. If not, please enter me (or the recipient of the test database) there, if not already there.
If you run Navision with the SQL Server (which is possible with Nav 2009R2 without any problems, if you make a few adjustments...), it can be that the passwords are empty here. This is then also so OK.

Note: Your recipient will most likely import your database natively using this backup (data backup), at least that's always the case for me. If your recipient needs an SQL backup, the procedure is more involved.

Create a backup:

Please call Extras/Create data backup

You can't go wrong with the [X] Whole Database settings.
Alternatively, you can also back up only individual clients. Then make sure that in any case
[X] Data shared for all clients and
[X] Application objects
are selected.

For the file name, please make sure that your company name, the current date, and behind the date a -01 is written, e.g.
c:\temp\companyname 20230220-01.fbk

Navision will usually create more than one backup file, for this the last digit is incremented, if there is none, one is appended.

Now you can sit back, Navision will now create the backups for you.
If you want to send the database / data backup: The resulting files you can still significantly pack (make smaller / compress) with Windows ZIP!

It is realistic to collapse a database in this way to about 1/10th - more likely even smaller.
A logical backup in this way requires about 1/3 of the original database content. Unlike SQL_Server, no empty database contents and no secondary keys are backed up.
The resulting backup files can be compressed to about 1/6 of their original size with Windows ZIP. With 7Zip even 1/10 are possible! For me you are welcome to use 7Zip, for other recipients clarify the packing program in advance. So even 70Gb databases can end up as a handy 5 Gb 7z packed backup e.g. burned to a DVD or sent via a service provider.

Advantage of e.g. 7Zip : You can not only pack the backup, but also provide it with a password at the same time. This password is best transmitted via a 2nd channel, e.g. instead of email with WhatsApp.
Advantage of Windows ZIP: This is already installed on all Windows computers and is only a mouse click away.

Automatic backups with Hotcopy

Since around Navision 5.0 (2005), Navision can finally create fully automatic backups... not bad, because the old DOS Navision could do that already in 1992 🙂
However, the automatic data backup with the newly introduced Hotcopy makes one thing fundamentally different from all other data backups before:
A fully operational copy of the database is extracted! The result can be immediately opened with any native Navision database server or client and fully used for production or testing.

owever, unlike a logical backup, a hot copy do not check the contents of the database for integrity. On the other hand, a hot copy can actually perform a complete or partial integrity test of the database.

Here is a proven example script for automated data backup (automated backup or fully automatic data backup):

set year=%date:~6,4%
set month=%date:~3,2%
set day=%date:~0,2%
set hour=%time:~0,2%
set destination=c:\dbBackup
set log=%destination%\log.txt

echo %year% %month% %day% %hour% > %log%

del %destination%\NavBU_H-3.fdb >> %log%
ren %destination%\NavBU_H-2.fdb NavBU_H-3.fdb >> %log%
ren %destination%\NavBU_H-1.fdb NavBU_H-2.fdb >> %log%
ren %destination%\NavBU.fdb NavBU_H-1.fdb >> %log%

c:
cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Dynamics NAV\60\Database Server
hotcopy.exe source="E:\Datenbank\FinDB.fdb" destination=c:\DBbackup user=backup password=password servername="192.168.x.x" nettype=tcp >> %log%

copy c:\DBbackup\FinDB.fdb %destination%\NavBU.Fdb >> %log%

if %hour% == 18 del %destination%\NavBU_T-3.fdb >> %log%
if %hour% == 18 ren %destination%\NavBU_T-2.fdb NavBU_T-3.fdb >> %log%
if %hour% == 18 ren %destination%\NavBU_T-1.fdb NavBU_T-2.fdb >> %log%
if %hour% == 18 ren %destination%\NavBU.fdb NavBU_T-1.fdb >> %log%

This batch file can be easily scheduled using Windows Task Planner, and will create a backup every time it is run.
When this batch file is called up at 6 p.m. (if %hour% == 18...), versioning takes place at the same time: the previously created data backups are “aged”, thus directly creating a grandfather – father – son data backup.
To save disk space (each backup is a complete copy of the original database!), it is recommended to compress the backup folder using the Windows backup function or to store the backups on a NAS or other external storage destination.

What to do with the error message: The following message came from the server. The operating system cannot access to the file . ?
Yes, there really is no file name here, just the dot.
This is Navision's way of saying that it does not have access to a specified folder. This could also be the temp folder, for example. In the case of hotcopy, it is presumably the target directory, and presumably the database server (!) is running under the network service account.
Then please open the target directory with Windows File Explorer and add the access right for the network service to the target folder.

Sending a data backup, e.g. as a test database

If you want to send your database via a cloud service provider (as described below)'it is best to use the option to password protect the files when packing them.

Google Drive & OneDrive

Depending on how they are integrated, upload the created and packed backup files to your Onedrive or GoogleDrive folder, and create a share link from there. If you already use these services, they are usually the first choice, since you have between 15Gb of storage (Google) and 1Tb (OneDrive) available.

Dropbox

Free here is only 2Gb, reserved storage. This is very impractical, only recommended if you have a Dropbox account with more storage.

pCloud Transfer

To use without registration, already free of charge 5 Gb are possible, that is usually enough for databases with an original size of 50 Gb. The service can be called multiple times, so that even larger backups can be sent in these 5Gb chunks.
https://transfer.pcloud.com/

You simply drag the packed backups into the browser window with the mouse. You can also assign a password here via "Encrypt your Files".
Please enable "Get a Link to share" if you want to receive and share the link yourself, or enable Transfer via email if you want pCloud to send a mail directly to the recipient with the download link. If you need to transfer more than 5Gb, first drag the files up to this limit into the window, send the message, and then call the service again.

WeTransfer

The operation is similar to pCloud, also the workaround if you want to transfer more than 2Gb.

WeTransfer.com

With WeTransfer you still have to verify their sender address by a confirmation email, you can bypass this by registering once and for free.

Importing a data backup

Readback DOS-Navision 3.5x, 3.53, 3.56

This topic will be filled with content when the opportunity arises. If you currently have a concrete need for it contact me!

Rücklesung Windows-Navision Financials, Dynamics (Business Central) unter nativer Datenbank

Attention! The process for SQL database backup can be completely different! That is if you use the SQL_backup, which is legitimate. However, if you use Navision up to version 2009R2, you can actually still backup and restore an SQL_Database via the client, the process is then quite similar to the one described here. However, I will only discuss the native database (Classic Database Server) here, as this should be the main application for readers of this article.
You will also probably need this topic if you want to create a Navision test environment with the Classic Client. This is also possible if you simply copy the original database files, e.g. with HOTCOPY, and then open them with the client... however, these files become quite unhandy if you want to send them.

Let's Go!

With the 2009 (or 2.01, 3.70 etc.) client you create an empty fresh database. This should not be more than 30Gb in size, otherwise it will later result in the error message
"The operating system has issued the error message (665): The requested operation could not be completed due to a file system limitation."
I haven't been able to pinpoint an exact limit yet, but from my own experience I just try to stay under 32Gb, so 30Gb is an easy limit to remember.
Really stupid: You may be able to access the database a few times, and then get this error message sometime later. If you have the Navision database on a compressed or encrypted drive, try moving it to a normal drive and see if you can access it again. This is not safe. You may also have to restore the database again, according to these instructions.

Start the client, go to File/Database/New:

Determine the approximate database size needed: you will need about three times the file sizes of the backup:

Please note the uncompressed size here. Both data backups and a test database can be stored wonderfully on a Windows-compressed and/or Bitlocker-encrypted hard disk partition / directory in the native (Classic Client) Navision.

Rule of thumb: Backup size x 3, so here approx. 34 Gb x 3 = 102 Gb. Clearly more than the recommended 30/32 Gb.

Extending a multi-part database: If, as in this example, you already know that the database will be more than the infamous 30 Gb, you have, after all, only created a trunk database to begin with.

You can expand this (or any other multi-part database) here:

Please also note this information (also below under Extend): Only one database part may be created per physical hard disk. This is especially important for SAN/NAS with Raid5 hard disks! If more than one database part touches a physical hard disk, the write/read optimizations per database part will get in each other's way. Of course, this is not so crucial for a test database.

Tip: Copy down the values with the F8 key (works everywhere in the Classic Client!) and adjust only the details.
Then OK, and sit back and wait.

The progress indicator applies per individual database part, it therefore appears in this example 4 x for the 4 database parts.

Now it is time to import the backup. Make sure that the backup files are numbered consecutively. Sometimes they are also numbered according to the pattern
fin.fbk
fin2.fbk
fin3.fbk, in that case someone has not read my instructions here.

Then rename fin.fbk to fin1.fbk before the next step.

Navision Financials/Dynamics then asks again what it should read in from this backup:

And then it starts with the readback. SSD is quite fast, HDD takes forever.
Attention. After the pure data has been read in from the backup files, all secondary keys must still be created, Navision does this automatically.

If the previously created database is too small for data import, you need to expand the Navision Dynamics database in the known way, and import it again.

If the previously created database is too small for the keys, you have to extend the Navision Dynamics database in the known way, and call the Import Database function. Navision will then continue the key creation at the aborted location.

At the end, Navision once again reports that the backup has been successfully imported, and that's it.

In my experience there is only one situation in which Navision Dynamics does NOT read in its data backup, and that concerns errors in tables, i.e. table objects which cannot be compiled. But you don't do something like that.

Attention! Directly after the backup was read in one go (not if the database had to be extended in between), there is an interesting point! ( The one immediately after The backup has been read successfully):
You can now create users or assign rights - even or especially because you have not yet had to log in to the database! Depending on the version, you can also set/delete passwords here. This can be an "emergency nail"!
And one more hint: If you read a backup created by Navision Dynamics/Financials under SQL with the native client back into a native Navision database, all passwords assigned under the SQL Server are NOT included in Navision! You must then either immediately create a valid (super) user, set a password for a user, or log in later with the username WITHOUT password or with the password from BEFORE the SQL Server conversion (if the user already existed then)!

Rücklesen einer Datensicherung über den Navision Classic Client in einen SQl Server

Sie müssen auf einem frischen SQL Server erst einige Vorbereitungen treffen. Übrigens läuft Navision Financials 2009 R2 ganz hervorragend auch mit den aktuellen SQL Datenbankservern, mindestens bis zum SQL Server 2019.

Starten Sie den SQL Server Configuration Manager, klicken Sie auf die SQL Server Dienste, dann im rechten Fenster auf den SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER, dieser Name ist abhängig davon ,wie sie diese Instanz benannt haben), rechte Maustaste, Eigenschaften.

Im aufgehenden Fenster den Reiter Startparameter aktivieren, in dem Feld „Startparameter angeben“ diesen Text eintippen: -T4616 (nicht, wie im Screenshot, ;), dann rechts daneben „hinzufügen“.

Mit Übernehmen speichern, mit OK schließen, den SQL Server über sein Kontextmenü neu starten.

Starten Sie das Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio, und verbinden Sie sich mit der gewünschten SQL Server Instanz.
Unter „Sicherheit“ (oder „Security“) den Benutzer auswählen. mit dem man später über den Navision Classic client die SQL Datenbank errichten / Ändern möchte.

Dieser benötigt die sysadmin Rechte.

Dann aus der System Databases/master die Tabelle dbo.$ndo.srvproperties löschen

Kopieren Sie dann mit (z.B.) dem Windows Datei Explorer von der Setup DVD aus dem Ordner …SQLDatabase\PFiles\Microsoft Dynamics NAV\60\Database die Datei xp_ndo_x64.dll (sollten Sie, warum auch immer, die 32 Bit SQL Server installation verwenden, dann natürlich die xp_ndo.dll) in ihr SQL Server Verzeichnis Tools/BINN.

Dies legt automatisch die Extended Stored Procedure xp_ndo_enumusersids an. Sie müssen dann noch in der MSSQLSS auf die gleiche Datein(!) die 2. Extended Stored Procedure xp_ndo_enumusergroups anlegen. Beide brauchen das Recht Execute für die Public-Rolle.
Übrigens… sich hier einfach selber irgendwie die Extended Stored Procedure xp_ndo_enumusersids and xp_ndo_enumusergroups selber zu erstellen, um damit dem Lizenzmanager von Navision Financials weniger Benutzer vorzugaukeln, als wirklich in der Datenbank angemeldet sind, wäre vermutlich ein klarer Lizenzbruch…

Hiermit ist die Ersteinrichtung eines neuen MS Sql Datenbankservers für Navision Financials abgeschlossen. Unter RTC sind diese Schritte übrigens nicht nötig.

Installing/setting up a client

Installing/Setting up Navision 3.53,3.56

Simply copy the entire folder of a running client to a new computer. You can then usually start the navin.exe there, or you already have a batch file and a LNK file to start it. You don't need a “setup” in the actual sense here. However, you can start it from the 2 original discs .
A little background information:
navi.exe: the normal DOS executable
navin.exe: Navision for Nt (hence the N in naviN.exe). This Navision can use up to 2 Mb (I think) RAM, a huge advance over the classic client. This is not used for data, however, but for nested function calls.

Installieren/Einrichten Navision 2.01, 2.60, 3.01, 3.60 unter HyperV

Navision Financials läuft erst ab der Version 4.03 unter aktuellen Betriebsystemen wie Windows 10, Windows 11 und deren Serversystemem wie Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2023 etc.

Navision Financials in den Versionen unter 4.03 ist noch in C++ geschrieben (danach in C#), und läuft daher nur unter XP, Windows 98 (echt!), Windows Server 2003, 2012 usw.

Aber: Die gibt es heute nicht mehr, bzw. sollte man aus gutem Grund nicht mehr verwenden. Nur… Was hilft einen das, wenn man aus irgendwelchen Gründen mit Navision Financials in der Version 2.01, 2.60 etc arbeiten has to? Virtuelle Maschinen helfen hier weiter! Und da sind wir schon beim nächsten Problem: Wer weiss heute noch wie man ein XP Einrichtet oder wie man Dateien zwischen einem aktuellem Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2023 und Windows XP austauscht? Das ist nämlich gar nicht mehr so einfach. Neue SMB-Versionen, andere Netzwerksicherheiten und noch mehr verhindern einen einfachen Dateiaustausch zwischen Windows XP und Windows 10/11/2023.

In ganz kurz: Installieren Sie sich ein Windows XP, erlauben Sie dort die Remote Verbindung, und verbinden Sie sich dann von dem Windows Host (z.B. windows 10 windows 11 windows 2023) über RDP auf den Client inkl. Laufwerksfreigabe.

Im Einzelnen:

Erstellen Sie im Virtuellen Host Ihrer Wahl, z.B. VM Ware, oder, wie in meinem Beispiel, in HyperV eine neue virtuelle Maschine, z.B. diese hier:

Generell achten Sie bitte auf diese Einstellungen:

UEFI: Nein, nehmen Sie die älteste Version, die Ihr Hypervisor oder Virtueller Host erlaubt. Bei HyperV ist das „Generation 1“.

Arbeitsspeicher: Hier reichen i.d.R. 2048 oder 4096 Mb (also 2 oder 4 Gb), das was „Damals“ so üblich war. Das waren noch Zeiten…
Navision kann eh nur sinnvoll ca. 1Gb davon benutzen.

Prozessor: 1, maximal 2 Kerne machen hier Sinn.

Netzwerk: am besten ein „Lokales“ oder „Host Only“ Netzwerk, ihr XP sollte keine Verbindung nach „Außen“ erstellen können, und auf keinen Fall darf jemand „Von außen“ Zugriff auf Ihr virtuelles XP erhalten, Sie wären praktisch sofort ab dem ersten Start Virenverseucht, und das „von innen“, also innerhalb Ihres Netzwerkes – das will niemand, auch Sie nicht.

Mir ist dabei folgendes passiert: Ich konnte mit dem RDP Client (siehe weiter unten) später auf diese Virtuelle Maschine (VM) zugreifen… aber nach ein paar mal neu starten war Schluss damit!

XP Unter HyperV (Hyper-V) hatte erst einen Netzwerkzugriff, später dann nicht mehr.
Dies lies sich lösen, indem ich unter Hyper-V (HyperV) die „Netzwerkkarte“ löschte und statt dessen eine „Ältere Netzwerkkarte“ benutz habe.

Diese Netzwerkkarte hat einen deutlich geringeren Netzwerkdurchsatz, daher nur umschalten, wenn XP ohne diese Funktion keine Internetverbindung (mehr) unter HyperV hat!

Vergessen Sie dabei nicht, die Ältere Netzwerkkarte unter XP / HyperV auch mit einem Virtuellem Switch zu verbinden, welcher definitiv eine Verbindung mit Ihrem Host-Betriebsystem erlaubt. Im Zweifelsfall (und mit allen Risiken!!) ist dies der Virtuelle Netzwerkswitch, welcher XP auch den Internetzugriff erlaubt.

Datei und Datenaustausch zwischen dem Host und Windows XP oder 2003 unter HyperV

Weil es hier gerade so gut passt: Das Windows-Bios schaltet beim Booten gerne die NumLock Taste aus. Das nervt. In früheren HyperV Managern konnte man dies noch unter Einstellungen/Bios konfigurieren – heute nicht mehr.
Starten Sie auf dem Host eine Powershell-Sitzung als Administrator, und benutzen Sie diesen Befehl:
Set-VMBios [NameDerVM] -EnableNumLock

So, nun aber zum eigentlichen Thema: Datenaustausch & Zwischenablage zwischen einer XP oder Windows Server 2003 Virtuellen Maschine unter HyperV.

Elegante Lösung:

Verbinden Sie sich mit dem RDP zu der Virtuellen Maschine, NICHT mit „Verbinden“ aus dem HypeerV Menü!

Hier können Sie über den Registerreiter „Lokale Ressourcen“ Laufwerke Ihres Hosts freigeben und auch die Zwischenablage aktivieren.

Die notwendige IP Adresse finden Sie in ihrem HyperV Manager in dem Reiter Netzwerk (Mitte/Ganz unten).

Wenn Sie sich nun mit dieser RDP-Sitzung (Remote Desktop Protokoll) auf ihre Virtuelle Maschine verbinden, so haben Sie sowohl die Zwischenablage zur Verfügung wie auch einen direkten Laufwerkszugriff.

Holzhammermethode

• Speichern Sie irgendwo in ihrer Virtuellen Maschine die gewünschte Datei, welche Sie in ihrem Host-Betriebssystem abgreifen wollen.
• Fahren Sie die virtuelle Maschine herunter
• Öffnen Sie die virtuelle Festplatte (VHDX Virtual Hard Disc), in dem Sie mit dem Explorer von Ihrem Hostbetriebsystem diese VHD/VHDX doppelklicken, Sie wird dann als benutzbare virtuelle Festplatte eingebunden.
• Bearbeiten Sie diese eingebundene virtuelle Festplatte wie Sie wünschen. Sie können hier auch Dateien ablegen, auf die Sie dann später innerhalb ihrer Virtuellen Sitzung wieder zugreifen können!
• Trennen Sie diese eingebundene virtuelle Festplatte, indem Sie im Explorer den Laufwerksbuchstaben mit der rechten Maustaste anklicken, und dann „Auswerfen“ anwählen.

Installieren/Einrichten Navision ab ca. 4.03

Richten Sie auf aktuellen Windows-Clients zuerst .Net 3.5x ein:

Then start the C/Side client setup:

If you accept the license terms, enter a username, then select “Custom”:

Then please select these options:

Next, then „Install“.

The installation is now being carried out.

On some systems, both Windows 10 and Windows 11, I just couldn't get this setup file to work. In this case, this little workaround helps:
Simply start the CSideClient setup directly:
In your folder, you will find a folder named CsideClient, which contains a file named Microsoft Dynamics NAV Classic.msi that you can also access directly. This will open the setup program:

Click your way briefly through the initial settings, and you will then return to the setup described above.

If nothing works: You can also copy the Navision program folder from a working client to a new client, “most” of Navision will then also run. However, anything that requires Navision-specific DotNet libraries will not work. You can also install these individually, but that is beyond the scope of this tutorial. If you need help with this, please contact me.

Occasionally, the Navision setup forgets to copy the customized fin.flf, and, even more annoyingly, the German language layer.

Both are quickly corrected.
Please copy your company FIN.FLF file into the new program folder.
In addition, please check whether the DEU folder exists. If it is missing, you will not be able to switch your Navision to German.

Then copy the DEU folder from your setup folder, e.g. Z:\NaviSetup\CsideClient\program files\Microsoft Dynamics NAV\60\Classic, to your Navision program folder:

If this doesn't work right away, e.g. because Windows complains that the source path is not available when you “paste”, then Explorer has switched the user context. That's okay! First copy the DEU file and possibly the fin.flf to c:\temp (for example; it is important that it is a local folder, not a network folder), and then copy the file/folder from c:\temp\ to the program folder, as shown above.

After a restart, “German” will be available as the application language.

Extra tip: If you check both (the fin.flf and the DEU folder) BEFORE the first start and, if necessary, make the necessary changes, your Navision will start immediately with the German interface and you will not have to change anything.

Starting the client/application

Client DOS-Navision 3.5x, 3.53, 3.56

This topic will be filled with content when the opportunity arises. If you currently have a concrete need for it contact me!

Client Windows-Navision Financials, Dynamics

This topic will be filled with content when the opportunity arises. If you currently have a concrete need for it contact me!

Starting the database server

Server DOS-Navision 3.5x, 3.53, 3.56

This topic will be filled with content when the opportunity arises. If you currently have a concrete need for it contact me!

Server Windows-Navision Financials, Dynamics

This topic will be filled with content when the opportunity arises. If you currently have a concrete need for it contact me!

Updating a license file

DOS-Navision 3.5x, 3.53, 3.56

The license file was always called navi_inf.dat. This had to be copied into each client folder and into the server folder. We no longer provide license files for DOS Navision.

Windows-Navision Financials, Dynamics Classic Client

Copy the license file into the server folder. Alternatively, you can also transfer this license file to the server from each client via Tools/License file/Import. You should also copy the first license into each Navision client folder. However, Navision only uses this to check whether it is allowed to connect to a server, and then, after connecting,

By the way: You can only export the local license file via “Export”, not the server-stored one.

SQL-option up to Navision 2018

Start the (development) client and access the license display via Tools/License Information. As with the last point, but the menu button is called “Upload”.
By the way: You can only export the local license file via “Export”, not the server-stored one. After uploading the new license file, you must first restart the client so that it can retrieve the new license file from the server.

Setting up a second Navision database server

Server DOS-Navision 3.5x, 3.53, 3.56

This topic will be filled with content when the opportunity arises. If you currently have a concrete need for it contact me!

Server Windows-Navision Financials, Dynamics

This guide assumes that a native (Classic Client) Navision database server is already installed and ready for operation, see previous guide.

Locate the program directory of the previous Navision database server and copy it, e.g.

If you want to give the new folder a meaningful name (“My Test DB Server”), then this is the right time to do so. Make a note of the new folder name.

Find out the service name of the previous server from the services:

In this screenshot it is SERVER1

Enter the old AND the new server in the HOSTS and SERVICES (Yes, they still exist...)

If the Navision clients and servers do not find a suitable entry in the services and hosts, they will get port 2407 from the Navi program itself; this default cannot be changed.

The appropriate entries must be made on EVERY client. The parameter servername= is used for resolution by host/service. Normally, the DNS takes care of assigning the correct IP address. However, if we want to specify the port (and we have to if we want to run several servers at the same time), we can't avoid editing the SERVICES and HOSTS. Navision always looks in the HOSTS first to see if it finds a suitable entry for the server name. If it does, it then looks in the Services for the appropriate port. If the server name is missing from the hosts, no attempt is made in the services. In this case, the server is searched for via DNS and a connection attempt is made on the standard port 2407.

Here is a link to another tutorial for now, until I can finish this one up nicely.
Attention! This linked tutorial How To install multiple DB-servers on 1 PC (for development)? | mibuso.com will render a normal installation unusable! It is more suitable for developers.

Setting up the NAS Navision Application Server Parameters

The initial setup of a NAS from Navision 3.01 to 2009R2 does not know a graphical interface. It is completely configured on the command line - and that very easily and quickly. After that, the running NAS can be configured graphically as a SnapIn in the management console. "In principle" this also works with an unconfigured NAS, but that almost always jams.

Before configuring, you should think about...

• Which user should this NAS use. Often a network and Navision superuser is used. This is the most convenient solution, but it is not the most secure.
• Which parameter should the NAS pass to the function with ID 99 (usually NASHandlerbut the name is not important. Decisive is the ID 99!) in the code unit 1? For the original JobQueue this could be JOBQUEUE (as I generally recommend).
• Which database server, which instance, which client should be used by this NAS?

After these things are cleared up, we are ready to go. The NAS can simply be copied from its source on the DVD to its destination folder, e.g. C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Dynamics NAV\60\Application ServerThe setup program essentially does nothing more than query the following parameters, copy the NAS, and start it with the queried parameters.

I recommend the following procedure:
Start the NAS locally with the correct parameters. This usually takes a few tries until they are correct. As soon as it is running, it is registered as a service with InstallAsService.

Parameters that the NAS.exe or NASsql.exe understands, separated by commas:

• appservername The name of the Navision service in the service control. With net start appservername the service can be started from the command line, and accordingly stopped again with net stop appservername (if it was installed as a service).
• nettype The network protocol to be used, usually TCP or TCPS. *
• servername Name of the server (both native and SQL! But of course the used NAS must match the server, so nas.exe for the native database server and nassql.exe for the SQL server. For sql-server the instance is appended directly to the server name, e.g. NavSqlServer\Instanz3*
• database is only used with SQL Server. With the native database server the server already knows the database. Exception: If the NAS is to process a native database completely autonomously, e.g. every morning a database backed up with hotcopy is to be switched to test mode. *
• company Name of the client to be used. The NAS in the Classic versions can only handle one client at a time! It is recommended to put the client in "", i.e. company=“My Client„*
• startupparameter Which text should be transferred to the function with ID 99 in code unit 1.
• objectcache Program code memory size. 32000 is usually OK.
• installasservice installs the parameterized NAS as a service.
• uninstallasservice uninstalls the parameterized NAS as a service. No program files are deleted in the process! It may be necessary to specify the desired service with the appservername parameter.

The parameters with a * can be queried in any running Navision client via File/Database/Information, and the current client is displayed in the title bar for this purpose.

Here no user was (and can!) be provided! The user must be entered after the installation as a service in the service console for the corresponding NAS service, and then this must be restarted.

*

Output of programs / objects

Output DOS-Navision 3.5x, 3.53, 3.56

This topic will be filled with content when the opportunity arises. If you currently have a concrete need for it contact me!

Output Windows-Navision Financials, Dynamics

This topic will be filled with content when the opportunity arises. If you currently have a concrete need for it contact me!

Reading in programs / objects

Read DOS-Navision 3.5x, 3.53, 3.56

This topic will be filled with content when the opportunity arises. If you currently have a concrete need for it contact me!

Importing objects into Windows-Navision Financials, Dynamics

If you have received your program changes (“object” or “objects”) from me or another Navision partner by email,
Save the objects to be read in a folder to which you have write and read access.

Then start Navision with a user that includes the group Super. These users often have a name like Super or AdminIn many companies, however, the managing director or even all employees have these super access rights. Here you will find an explanation of why this is not good.

Start the development environment with Shift+F12:

The object designer starts if you have the necessary access rights. Your license always allows this.

Call the import via the now changed file menu to start the import of the objects:

The normal Windows file open dialog starts. The file type is usually already set to the file type FOB (Financials Object FIf you want or need to handle the file type TXT here, you don't need my instructions, then you are already a pro. Navision behaves differently with text objects! On the other hand, a look into such a text object is almost a look into the future: You practically already see what is nowadays called AL program code and is programmed at Business Central in Visual Studio here. You can transfer text objects from Navision 2.01 to AL with very few (also automatable!) adjustments!
Select the file with the Navision customizations ("Objects") to be read in and press "Open"

Next, you will be asked what Navision should do with the objects found. There are two possible dialog boxes here, both of which want to know whether you want to open the import worksheet. YES Yes yes, you do, believe me!
This one where you press OK:

Or this one, where you press No .

It is important that the following dialog (Import Worksheet) opens in any case:

Don't forget to click on “Replace all” here, otherwise Navision will perform a “Merge”, see the top line. You don't want that, I don't want that, your neighbor doesn't want that, and the federal government doesn't want that. Believe me. Nobody wants that.
If this does slip through, please repeat the import immediately and remember to "Replace All".

After that, press "OK" in the Import Worksheet, then Navision / Business Central imports the programs ("objects") contained in the file, then displays a statistic, and that's it, done.

Users may still need to log out of Navision and log back in to take advantage of the changes. This may also apply to application servers that perform tasks in the background ("scheduler").

Enlarge database

For both versions: zooming in is easy, zooming out is not possible. Well... Maybe: Perform a complete logical database backup (i.e. not via hotcopy) via the client, delete database files, create new databases smaller, import backup again. But this is rarely necessary, e.g. if you have cleaned up your database and deleted old, unnecessary data from it..

Enlarge database DOS-Navision 3.5x, 3.53, 3.56

This topic will be filled with content when the opportunity arises. If you currently have a concrete need for it contact me!

Enlarge database Windows-Navision Financials, Dynamics

The easiest way to see if a database increase is necessary is to click here:

Important here is the level of the native Navision database on the first page of the database information. This should be between 80% and 95% for larger Navision databases.
Below 80%: The hard disk arms must overwrite unnecessary empty space in the database (does not apply to SSD, of course). Above 95: Larger processing operations may run out of free space in the database ("Other activities have overwritten the free space in the database").

You expand the databases via File/Database/Expand:

Tip: Go immediately one step further to Advanced.

You can extend an existing database file here, or create a new database file.

Please note that the drives and directories of the Navision database server are meant here! With the selection you cannot select these - in contrast to the SQL server - however on your local client, you must enter these "blindly".

Recommendation: Keep individual database files under 30/32 Gb. Problems have been observed with larger database files. See reading back data backup. If you want to install a backup of a 80Gb database locally on your laptop, this has of course no significance. In this case, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Attention! When you create a new database section, please note this:

Register Automation Servers

In the native Navision & Dynamics versions from version 3.01 (was there actually a 3.00?) upwards, a then revolutionary technology was built in: Automation Server. This was then (2002 or so) something like .net is today. It allowed Navision Dynamics unimagined new possibilities. Direct interaction with Word & Excel, offering real-time web server services like my Infocenter, reacting to incoming mails incl. forwarding or extraction of mail attachments... And, an eternally missed and with the timer element on a form only rudimentarily replaceable timer function!!
Where do these automation server functions actually come from, you will ask yourself at the latest when you can no longer compile an object because Navision reports: The selected type library could not be loaded.
And then? Then just install the automation server 🙂
Well, of course it's not that simple, you have to know which one first...
A very popular one here is Microsoft Office 32 Bit (Navision Dynamics is a 32Bit application, so Nav can only contact Office 32 Bit. But you can install Office 32Bit and Office 64Bit in parallel on your computer without any problems!).
But the automation servers brought along by Navision itself also tend to attract unpleasant attention... and that is if you have not installed Navision on a computer, but have simply copied it onto it. Why should you do that? Because then it runs better! Navision Dynamics from about version 4.03 (more precisely: from hotfix 69) actually runs without problems on Windows 10 & Windows 11.... But not every version can be installed there, the installer is much more sensitive!

How are Navision's own automation servers installed?
First of all, find out which one is necessary. By the way, Navision does not reveal this in the variable declaration as usual:

Now you can do as much with Unknown Automation Server.Unknown Class as without any info at all.

Here the description of the variables helps! In this example Timer.

With this info, go to the \CsideClient\Common\Microsoft Dynamics NAV\ folder on your setup DVD and see what's there.

In this folder you will find a ntimer.dll. They are always DLL's or OCX's.
Other examples are the MSMAPI.OCX and the Navision Mailhandler.dll.
Please copy this NTimer.dll into the folder c:\windows\SysWOW64 (System Windows over Windows 64 Bit, main directory name can be different %Windows%) - best for all computers running Windows & Navision.
Then start a command prompt with administrator privileges, and change to the c:\windows\SysWOW64 folder:

Now enter here: regsvr32 dll-name, e.g. regsvr32 ntimer.dll

In the same object, it now looks like this, and the object can be successfully compiled/used.