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Navision Upgrades

Let’s see the main steps involved during a version upgrade. In this case, it is assumed that the customer is running a version of Microsoft Business Solutions Navision 3.7 or more.

1. Get a backup of the current customer database and restore it in a 2009 client.

2. Identify all the objects modified in the customer database. For this process, Developer Toolkit for MS Dynamics NAV is recommended and all modifications that are done in the current client installations will be highlighted by the Developer Toolkit. Text form all objects files of both current customer database and cronus database should be provided to the Developer Toolkit as the inputs.

3. Analyze the modifications in the customer db and decide whether they are really required in the new version. For example, similar functionality may have been introduced by the new version. In such cases the modifications done in the old version may become obsolete. For example, from ver. 3.6 to NAV 2009 several areas have been redesigned a lot such as Jobs & Resources, Approval & Work Flow management area. Therefore, it will be a must to understand this and decide on the modifications are to be continued with the new version.

4. Integration: If there are any modifications done in the customer database in regard to any integration, a separate analysis need to be done against them. For example, if the upgrade is coupled with the SQL migration in which case database plat form will be changed from Navision Database Server to the MS SQL Server. Consequently, the some of the integration technologies such as C/FRONT, CODBC, NODBC need to be changed as per the SQL server environment. Certain C/FRONT development becomes obsolete and a separate developments need to be done using.NET technology. Before going live, these new developments should be tested thoroughly.

5. Create a new empty database and load 2009 objects. Once this is completed, you can load all 50k range objects of the customer database also into the new 2009 db as they do not need merging.

6. Start text comparing and indentify the changes and make the same changes in the new 2009 database. The merging option available in the Developer Toolkit is not recommended at all for this process even though it is possible, as it may crop up unwanted issues in the down the line. Therefore the modifications in the new 2009 db must be done through a manual process. Simply, the developer toolkit should be used ONLY as a comparison tool and NOT as a merging tool.

7. Use transformation toolkit to move the forms into pages in the new 2009 DB

8. Go through all reports and create layout for RTC (Role Tailored Client)

9. Once the objects have been upgraded it would be time for you to do the data upgrade.

10. Get a backup of the current customer database which is restored in a 2009 client under the step 1.
11. Load the 2009 upgrade toolkit on it and follow through the process. It is highlighted that if you are upgrading db other than Navision worldwide version it is important for you to override the worldwide upgrade toolkit objects with the relevant localized upgrade toolkit objects. When it is prompted to run the ‘Upgrade NAV 2009 – Step 1’ process, you may say ‘yes’, but make sure to leave the pc uninterrupted till the process completes as it may require more resources / memory.

12. When the ‘Upgrade NAV 2009 – Step 1’ process finishes, load the Step 2 objects of the upgrade toolkit. As in the above step, make sure to load any localized upgrade toolkits if you are upgrading db other than Navision worldwide version.

13. Once the step process is over, load the new roles and permission to the database. This will enable in grating rights for the new features and functionalities.

14. Do a thorough functional testing. The upgraded database should be validated by a complete integration testing done in the customer site before going into live. The integration testing should get the participation of users and their scenarios.

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