How to Deploy BACPAC on Azure SQL

This topic is in connection with my session “Deploying and Managing Dynamics NAV 2016 with Azure SQL Database” on NAV TechDays 15 and I want to continue my previous article.

Before I start with BACPAC deployment, first I have to make a small correction of my previous article. Last time, I forget one important thing. Before you create BACPAC file, you have to delete all Windows users from your source database.

You can do it in following way. In SQL Server Management Studio, find your source database and collapse it until you find Security > Users. Then check all users (right-click > Properties > General).

You need to check User Type field; if you find Windows User, you need to delete it. Right-click on this these users and choose Delete.

Now, you can continue with all steps I’ve already described in previous article. Now, we can start with deployment.

First, we have to have Azure subscription and create Azure SQL Server. When you open your Microsoft Azure Portal (https://manage.windowsazure.com), choose SQL DATABASES and choose SERVER tab. Click ADD and type your Login Name, Login Password, Region and click on Complete.

You will get some weird name as Azure SQL Server. Click on this SQL Server, go to DASHBOARD tab and copy this SQL Server name. Add .database.windows.net to your SQL Server name; this will be your full SQL Server name. Now, go to CONFIGURE tab and Add Allowed IP address to Azure SQL firewall. This step is necessary if you want to use this SQL Server from your local computer (with this step, you added your computer IP address to Azure). Every time you want to connect from some other computer to your Azure SQL Server, you have to repeat this step.

Now, you need to make connection from your SQL Server Management Studio to your Azure SQL Server. In Server Name, you need to type your full Azure SQL Name and your Login and Password.

When we make connection, we can start with deployment. Go to Database, right-click and choose Import Data-tier Application. You need to choose your BACPAC file, your target Database file and continue until system finish with deployment.

Now we can check result. We can find new database on SQL Server Management Studio on Azure SWL connection. Also, we can see in on Azure Portal; choose DATABASE tab on SQL DATABASES.

In process of deployment, it is possible to have one issue. This is situation if you can only select the obsolete service tiers of Azure SQL Database, Web and Business, with a maximum database size of 150 gigabytes (GB), when you try to set target database. Of course, in this situation, there is no option to select the new service tiers, Basic, Standard and Premium. If you try to upload on obsolete service tiers, you will get the error message.

This issue occurs because SQL Server Management Studio 2014 is not updated to match the current service tier offerings. This issue was first fixed in the Cumulative Update 5 for SQL Server 2014. You just need to install this CU 5 and repeat deployment step.

How to Create BACPAC for Azure SQL

25/11/2015 atotovic Microsoft Dynamics NAV Azure, Azure SQL, BACPAC, Microsoft, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, NAV, NAV2016, NAVTechDays, NAVUG, SQL

A BACPAC is a Windows file with a .bacpac extension that encapsulates a database’s schema and data. The primary use case for a BACPAC is to move a database from one server to another – or to migrate a database from a local server to the cloud. I’ll write about BACPAC because I want to introduce you with NAV 2016 database migration to Azure SQL Server. I already had a session with this topic on NAV TechDays in Antwerp and I want to introduce more people with this processes.

If you want to prepare BACPAC file from your NAV 2015 database, you need to run Microsoft SQL Management Studio and find your local database from where you want to create BACPAC file.

Right-click on database and choose Task > Extract Data-tier Application. Click Next and choose where you want to save your BACPAC file.

If you want to save it on local HDD, choose “Save to local disk” and browse the location where you want to save this file on your local computer.

If you want to deploy it to Azure storage, choose “Save to Windows Azure”, click Connect and type your Storage Account and Storage Key and choose Container. If you want to change BACPAC temporary name and location, change the file name and browse the location. This temporary file and location is file where system will put BACPAC file before it’ll be uploaded to Azure storage; after that system will delete it. Click Next and Finish and wait. System will create BACPAC file.

NAV on Azure SQL on NAVTechDays

23/11/201524/11/2015 atotovic Conference, Microsoft Dynamics NAV Azure, Azure SQL, deployment, manage, Managed, Microsoft, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, NAV, NAV2016, NAVTechDays, portal, PowerShell, presentation, script, service, SQL

Last week we finished one of the best NAV conferences this year. NAV Tech Days this year had about 950 NAV passionate attendees from all around the world. Everything in organization was the amazing; Luc did a great job.

This NAV Tech Days was very special for me, because I was the speaker on this conference for the first time. My topic on NAV Tech Days was “Deploying and Managing Dynamics NAV 2016 with Azure SQL Database”. This is something new in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016. I know, a lot of partners still not use NAV on Azure, but by my opinion this feature can move all of us forward. Azure SQL can save a money and we finally have a good tool for managing our multitenant environment – Management Service Portal.

I gave a word to people on my session that I’ll publish my presentation and PowerShell scripts on my blog. You can find them here:

In few following scripts, I’ll describe all details about using NAV 2016 on Azure SQL Server and give you some answers on additional questions I already got.

Do You Have Suggestions for Better NAV?

13/11/2015 atotovic Microsoft Dynamics NAV Connect, Dynamics, improve, Madeira, Microsoft, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, NAV, NAV2016

Very often I hear ideas how NAV can be better, but people think Microsoft doesn’t listen. This is not true, Microsoft really wants to hear all your suggestions. Customer feedback is very important for Microsoft. Because of that, spend a bit of time to give your suggestions about NAV.

If you don’t know how you can do it, just try to login to Microsoft Connect. You can add your suggestions here or support some other good idea. If you want to create a new, just click on this button and choose NAV as your product.

If you want to give a chance to your idea, try to be detailed with reasons why it will improve NAV. I know, many of you already know for this possibility, but many of you don’t know. Give your ideas and make an NAV better.

Report Layouts per Customer in NAV 2016

12/11/201512/11/2015 atotovic Microsoft Dynamics NAV customer, document, Dynamics, Invoice, Layout, memo, Microsoft, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, NAV, NAV2016, NAVUG, order, Quote, RDLC, Report, statement, Word

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 is released about one month and we could see a lot of different new features. One of the small but amazing news is possibility to add different report layouts per each customer. This was one of very often requirement in implementation process and finally we can use it.

We can choose different reports per customer and after that, different report layouts. We can also add an e-mail as default per each document. It is possible for Quote, Order Confirmation, Invoice, Credit Memo and Customer Statement.

We just need to open a customer card and find Document Layouts on Navigate tab. Than choose report IDs and layouts. Eventually, you can add an e-mail. You can use RDLC or Word layouts, as well. Now, if you print one of these documents, you will see that these report document layouts are configured as default.

If you want to make new document report Word layout, I already wrote about it here.

Directions NA and Directions EMEA 2016

08/11/2015 atotovic Conference, Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016, Chandler, Conference, Directions, Directions EMEA, Directions NA, Dynamics, Microsoft, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, NAV, NAV2016, NAVUG, Prague

Few days ago, Directions 2015 season has finished. Directions EMEA in Mannheim has finished in first part of October and Directions NA in Orland has finished on the end of the same month. There were a really amazing conferences, bigger then ever. We had a a lot of excellent sessions and announcements of the last NAV release.

After all these news, we have a complete year to make some good projects with NAV 2016 using all these knowledge we learned on Directions sessions. Now we have some also amazing NAV conferences (NAV TechDays and Convergence), but with them this year conference season is finished.

What we can expect the next year? Of course, we are waiting new Directions, as well. Currently, we already know where Directions will be and start to prepare for them with never better NAV.

See you there.

New CUs for NAV 2015, NAV 2013R2 and NAV 2013

04/11/2015 atotovic Microsoft Dynamics NAV Application, Build, CU, Dynamics, hotfix, Microsoft, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, NAV, NAV 2015, NAV2013, NAV2013R2, NAVUG, Updates

Yesterday I’ve published article about the first CU for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016.

Only one day after this release, Microsoft also published new Cumulative Updates for:

Now, you can download and try them.

CU 1 for NAV 2016 Has Been Released

03/11/2015 atotovic Microsoft Dynamics NAV Application, Build, CU, Dynamics, features, hotfix, Microsoft, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, NAV, NAV2016, NAVUG, Platform

The first cumulative update for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 has been released today. It includes all application and platform hotfixes and regulatory features. This cumulative update is known as Build 43402 and you can download it here from Partner Source.

One of the platform hotfixes is solving the issue when Dynamics NAV 2016 overwrites Dynamics NAV 2015 MMC controls. There are also some useful hotfixes as for example: G/L budgets do not export and import as in Dynamics NAV 2015, the password on the Setup page can be edited in view mode, cannot using of toolbar in report preview…

There are also a lot of application hotfixes for almost in all NAV modules.

But I’m not sure what exactly mean the feature: “Setting the language and regional format in the Web client setup is no longer supported”. If I understand it good…

But, first to install it and then more information.

NAV 2016 Universal App System Requirements

01/11/2015 atotovic Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015, Dynamics, Microsoft, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, MSDN, na, NAV 2015, NAV2016, phone, Phone Client, System Requirements, Tablet, Tablet Client

In my few articles, I’ve already wrote about Phone Client in NAV 2016 and how to install it on own smartphone with self-signed certificate. Also, I already wrote about NAV 2016 system requirements.

But in all of these articles, I didn’t wrote about system requirements for phone client. And now, it is not phone client; it is an NAV Universal App. It can work on any device you have, but if this device meets requirements.

In short, Universal App can work on devices with Windows 10/8.1, Windows Phone 8.1, iOS 8.4 and Android 4.4.3 with minimum 1 GB RAM (for Windows and Android). Tablets must meet minimum 7″ screen size with minimum 960×510 resolution and Phones must meet minimum 4″ screen size with minimum 854×480 screen resolution.

In my older article about system requirements I said that there are not official data, this is my research. But if you want more about official system requirements, try here on MSDN. I hope, this is a clear.

Totovic Dynamics 365 Blog

Month: November 2015