From the Microsoft Dynamics NAV / 365 Business Central Blogs: Back up on-prem DB; Data accuracy; NAV 2018 features; Object import/export

This week on the Dynamics 365 Business Central/NAV blog roundup:

• Backup your NAV on-premise database to Azure Blob storage
• Dimension combinations: Taking NAV accuracy to another dimension
• Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018 - features that make everyday work with the system easier
• How to import objects in Microsoft Dynamics NAV

Backup your NAV on-premise database to Azure Blob storage

On his Stefano Demiliani Technical Blog, Demiliani said that he recently had a discussion with his company's marketing department about how to get more Microsoft Dynamics customers to adopt Microsoft Azure.

According to Demiliani, one of the easiest ways to start using some cloud services for a Microsoft Dynamics NAV customer is related to database backup.

OK, you're a customer that never want[ed] a SaaS solution for your ERP, that is not ready for a transition of your on-premise IT infrastructure to Azure, [and doesn't] want to move your database to the cloud. But what about your database backup?

You can read more about how to start "educating" a customer to embrace the cloud by proposing this as an entry point here.

Dimension combinations: Taking NAV accuracy to another dimension

On the Qixas Microsoft Dynamics Insider blog, Floyd Chan said that there are multiple defaults and rules in Dynamics NAV that you can apply to ensure end users can perform their work efficiently and accurately.

Included in that list are dimension combinations that help provide additional accuracy when dealing with dimensions. Simply put, dimension combinations keep users from combining dimensions that don't belong together. They also keep you from posting something that doesn't belong where you are trying to put it.

To set these up, type "Dimension Combinations" in the search box, or follow the path:

Departments > Administration > Application Setup > Financial Management > Dimensions > Dimension Combinations

You can learn more about dimension combinations here.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018 - features that make everyday work with the system easier

On the prisma informatik ERP & BI Newsroom blog, a blogger said that Dynamics NAV 2018 offers some improvements that make everyday work easier and more convenient.

They write: 

[F]or example, the “Setup & Extensions” button provides a central place for the settings. Here, the user is able to obtain step by step support from several setup wizards while defining the parameters for a certain module or area. The required settings can also be made in the classic setup cards. These are collected in one single place and are stored according to area (e.g. finance, sales, projects etc.). The individual setup pages also feature keywords to search and filter accordingly.

You can learn more about these new features here.

How to import objects in Microsoft Dynamics NAV

On the ERPSoftwareBlog, TrinSoft's John Stucky offered the transcription of a video to explaining how to import and export objects from Dynamics NAV. Doing this lets you install changes that could have been made by your partner or another person in your organization.

Stucky stated that the first thing you have to do is launch the development environment. He noted that the development environment isn't the same as the role tailored client. He stated that you can't do this process from the web client or the SharePoint client or anything else. Rather, users have to do it from the development environment.

Once you load that, you want to launch Object Designer. From Object Designer, you're going to choose File, Import, and then you will simply choose the import file that contains the objects that you're trying to load. In this case, I'm going to choose one called 1173 Partial.

You can read more about how to import objects in Dynamics NAV here.