Microsoft Business Central
Configuration Packages
Configuration Packages (CP) are used to facilitate the deployment of a NAV/Business Central company. This is achieved through the importing of tables and respective data from Microsoft Excel.
Configuration Packages Management
Creating a Configuration package
The process below will describe the creation of a CP. Note that this operation may require the RapidStart Services Role Center Page.
Type Configuration packages into the search box and select the result.
Click New to open a new Config. Package Card.
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Fill in the Code and Package Name fields in the General FastTab
Manually Adding tables to a Configuration Package
Open the created CP from the Configuration Packages Page
In the Tables FastTab, click on the first line under the Table ID and on the adjacent arrow to open the list of Objects
Select the tables accordingly
A line must only contain one table. To facilitate the process, you may use the Get Related Tables function. This function should be done after you select a table as described above.
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Adding tables to a Configuration Package using a worksheet
If you are planning to use the process for multiple similar companies then a Configuration Worksheet (CW) can be useful. A CW will be used to input all requested tables once, so that a CP can be filled in automatically.
Click on Configuration Worksheet -use the Search box accordingly
In each Line Type field select Table and in the Table ID specify each table value.
In the CP, click on More options than Actions than Functions and select Get tables process
Click on the ellipsis button […] next to Select Tables to open the CW.
Select the tables needed and press ok.
Importing and Exporting a Configuration Package
An CP export file is A CP can be imported or exported with the respective CW. However, when using the process between two databases, both databases must have the same schema, that is, the structure of tables, fields and properties. Otherwise some data may not be imported correctly.
Applying a Configuration Package
Exporting tables as a template
Use the search function to get to the Configuration Packages
Select and enter the CP
On the General Tab select Package and than Export to Excel
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Exporting Selected fields as a template
The previous section illustrated an example of a table export with a full field set. Business Central offers more flexibility as you can also export tables with selected fields.
Select and enter a CP.
Select a table.
Click on the Number of Fields Included on the line of selected table.
To select the fields for export, you must tick/untick the Include column per each field accordingly. Tip: The Filter functionality can be very useful when doing this process.
To include/exclude all fields at once, you must click on Set Included or Clear Included respectively. Note that all fields can be excluded except for the primary key fields.
When you are ready, return to the Configuration Package card and proceed with Export.
Importing Data through a CP
Once you get the MS Excel file, you can enter data into the tables (MS Excel Sheets) respectively. Tables with existing data can be amended or appended. The process will note the differences and apply accordingly.
The import from excel process is triggered from the process next to the export one.
Addressing import Errors
Errors encountered during the import process are highlighted in red accordingly along with a respective count. To fix the error you must follow the steps below:Â
Click on the count value found under No. of Package Errors. In Figure 13 the count is depicted as 1. The error entry in particular is displayed
Click on Show Error
The error in this case is data exceeding the character limit. You can either amend the excel and reupload accordingly, or you can amend the data directly from NAV/ Business Central.
The latter can be done from the page illustrated in the previous Figure. Find the field causing the error and change the value. The entry should disappear from the screen and the count reduced accordingly.
Applying a Package
The import done so far has not been committed to the database. To do so, you must apply the package so that all new records and/or amendments are reflected.
This is triggered from the Apply Package process. You can get there form Actions → Function → Apply Package
Once it is completed a confirmation message with all the results will be displayed.