D365 BC - RapidStart (Part - 1)
Ahmad Subhani
Chartered Management Accountant (CMA) | D365 - Business Central Functional Consultant [ Implementation & Support ]
RapidStart is a handy tool in NAV and Business Central that lets you easily move lots of data around. It's great for setting things up in the beginning, but you can also use it whenever you need to make big changes to a bunch of information.
In this Article, we are going to discuss first 3 Points present in the Rapid Start. and the rest of the points will be discussed in the next Articles. There are total 8 Points which are as follow:
Configuration Worksheets
To start preparing a configuration package, choose a company you've already set up and customized to fit your solution needs. This company acts as a blueprint for configuring new ones. In a worksheet, list the tables you want to manage in your configuration, including any related tables since they're connected. These tables provide the structure for building a new company. Afterward, package and deploy your configuration.
To keep track of your work, check the Config. Package Table FactBox for record info and the Config. Related Tables FactBox to watch table relationships.
Add Table to the Worksheet
Table: If you select this then it means you can select the table that are present in the system.
Now this 18 is representing the Table which is currently "Customer". You can check this on the Customer List as well.
Group: You can categories the list of Tables in one Group. For Example Customers/ Vendors/ Items comes under the category of Master Data so we can configure it like this that Master that is the Group and List of Master Data is Tables.
Area: Just like the Tables comes under the category of Groups, similarly Groups comes under the category of Area. Like Customer Card comes in Master Data and Master Data of Sales so we can create the hierarchy like,
Now this 22 is representing the Page which is currently "Customer List". You can check this on the Customer List as well.
In progress: The configuration is In Progress.
Completed: The configuration is Completed.
Ignored: The configuration is Ignored [For Time being].
Blocked: The configuration is Blocked.
Blanked: The configuration is Blanked means no status currently for this Table.
In Sales Line there is no pages currently exists, that's why the mark is untick.
Action Bar Fields
Now the fields that are present in the Action Bar.
The field that are present in the Home Options are explained Under:
Apply Data: Apply the data in the Package to the Database. After you apply data, you can only see it in the Database.
Assign Package: Assign the Tables that you want to treat as part of your configuration to a configuration package.
Move Up: Move the selected line up in the List.
Move Down: Move the selected line down in the List.
Toggle Promoted Only: If you click on this Button then the filter will be applied and you will see the lines in which this button is enabled.
The field that are present in the Prepare Options are explained Under:
Excel: You can Export and Import the Data Templates. If you select the Customer and click on Export then system will export data in excel just like it is done through Configuration Package. And exactly which Package is going to use is the one that is specified in the Package Code.
Copy Data from Company: Copy commonly used data from the Existing Company to a new one. For Examples, if you have a standard list of Reason Code that is common to all your service management implementations you can copy the codes easily from one company to another.
Just select the name of the company in this field and then use the copy data field.
Get Configuration Tables: We can apply the parameters and on the basis of that we can configure the tables in the system. There are 4 Options present in here.
Get Related Tables: Select tables that relates to existing selected tables that you also wants to add to the configured packages.
For Examples, I select the Customer Table and then click on the Get Related Tables then all the related tables come here.
Deleted Duplicate Lines: Remove duplicate lines that have a same Package Code. It will automatically identify all the lines and then it will delete it.
The field that are present in the Line Options are explained Under:
Fields: You can see the list of the fields that are present in one table.
Database: If you click on the Database Data then it will open the Page of that Database. For Example, I select the Customer table and then I click on the Database. The List of Customers is now Open.
Filters: We can apply the Filters at the time of Configuration.
Package Card: You can see the configuration Package Card from here.
Package Data: You can see the configuration Package Data from here.
Errors: And If any error occurs in the table after using the configuration Package then you can see that from here.
The Errors, Filters, Fields, Package Data, Package Card are discuss in more detailed in the Configuration Package.
Hope so this Detail regarding the Configuration Worksheet will be Enough for you and you will have a Good Understanding about this now.
Configuration Packages
For Business Central online, there's a default configuration package encompassing Microsoft's standard application with local functionalities. You can duplicate this package and customize it as needed. Many reselling partners opt to create separate configuration packages for each functional area, like manufacturing and sales. This allows for easy application and setup of new areas within a company when required.
It's advisable to pre-fill setup tables in these packages to minimize manual data entry for each customer. Additionally, default data used with RapidStart Services can be manually adjusted using the configuration worksheet.
Header Level Fields
Product Version: It is a Free Field to let users distinguish the version of the configuration package of Business Central. It can be useful when we work in migrating from different versions.
Language ID: This option defines the language of the package you are using. As the Business Central tooltip reads:
Specifies the ID of the Windows language to use for the configuration package.
Processing Order: We can define a number to help in the import processes. To let you know which packages to apply first.
[This is the text Field. We can specify 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. It means that we can setting the Priority]
Exclude Config. Tables: This option, if not checked, will export configuration tables when we export the package. If we want to Export the list of tables and wants to exclude the tables which are related to configuration like (Questionnaire, Question Area, Line, Template Line, Selection Rules, etc.)
Line Level Fields
In this we will discuss the Fields that are present under the Table Section.
Table Section:
Package Data: [This is what we are going to Import]. As we have mentioned above, once imported from Excel, the data will stay at an intermediate table until the user decides to import it into the database. This table is called ‘Package Data’ or ‘Config. Package Records’.
Database Data: [This is what that currently exist]. This is the true data from the database. These are the records we will find in the table of Business Central.
Errors: When filling the Excel file, users can introduce errors. For example, if we introduce a longer value than the limit of the field in Business Central an error will pop up:
The line will turn red, and we can see the number of errors.
To see the error we have to click on ‘Show Error’ from the error list or just on the number of errors.?
If we ignore the error and apply the package, the code will be cut to 10 characters automatically. In this case it′s the maximum length:
However, we can fix the error in the ‘Package Data’ before importing. You can do it like this and the error will disappear:
We can see the type and length of the field if we hover over the header in the Excel sheet:
Fields: Here we can choose which fields to include in the export/import process. Also, we can choose to validate the field or not. That is, trigger Business Central validations processes when entering data as we will normally do.
Filters: The filter option allows to setup some rules when exporting data. Let′s test it out. We will set a rule for the ‘Due Date Calculation’.
We can tell if we have a filtered table thanks to the ‘Filtered’ field:
If we export the data we can see that only ‘COD’ with 0D calculation has been exported.
Let′s test the import with two records. One with 3D and other with 0D:
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We get both records in the intermediate table:
If we apply, we can see that they have been imported. As we can see, the filter only applies when exporting data, not when importing.
Processing Rules: Depending on the table, we can apply some actions for the data we wish to import. For instance, we can ship or invoice sales orders when uploading them to Business Central.
How to Post Using Configuration Package in Business?Central
Two days back one of the customer asked me is there any way that I can post sales transactions using configuration package and I said yes it is possible to do that by using processing rules in configuration package. Today’s blog post will explain how it is possible.
In this blog post we will see how we can post sales transaction using configuration package.
Step 1:- Create Configuration Package for Table Sales Header and Sales Line
Specify the 36 - "Sales Header" & 37 - "Sales Line" Code and we will use this example.
Step 2 :- Select required fields in each table?.
I select "Table > Fields" and select the fields which is required.
Step 3 :- Set the Parent Table ID Against Sales Line Table
This option is applicable when data dependencies exist, such as between headers and lines in a document. Header data must be established first before corresponding line data can be created. For instance, an order number generated at the header level needs to be propagated to the associated lines. In essence, processing of headers precedes that of lines.
Step 4 :- Set up the processing rules.
Select table 36 and click on table –> Processing rules.
Step 5: - Set up Action and processing filters.
In Processing rules select desire action as below and set up processing filters.
I set filter for document type =order and set action as Ship
Filters
Action
Step 6 :- Export the package in Excel
Now Export the Data to Excel
Step 7 :- Add the Required Data in Excel File
If you look in here you will see that the data that is exported is according to the Filter.
Step 8 :- Import the Data Back in Package
Step 9 :- Apply the package
Step 10 :- Navigate to posted shipment to check the posted shipment.
Data Templates
We have the possibility to apply templates to the tables. [How to create a template is discussed later in this article]
In this example ‘TEMPLATE 1’ has 27D as the default value for the ‘Due Date Calculation’.
If we import the Excel with no data in ‘TEST1’ payment term:
And applying the package, we can see that the Default Value ’27D’ has been applied from the template:
Dimensions As Columns
This option lets us break down Dimensions from the record. For example, let′s check this column for table 36 (Sales Header).
Before checking ‘Dimensions as Columns’ the exported Excel only had until the ‘GB’ column:
However, after exporting with this option enabled we can see that 7 dimensions have been added.
They correspond with the dimensions of the system:
Skip Table Triggers
This field along with the ‘Validate Field’ let you bypass controls and validations that would trigger before the import.
Specifies whether the information in a field is to be validated during migration. Select the check box if you want to enable validation for the field. This is useful when you want to limit data to a prescribed set of options.
Delete Table Records Before Processing
Be careful with this option. As it reads, it will delete all the data in the table and import the data of the package.
Specifies whether table records should be deleted before the migration process is begun.
In the Payment Terms currently there are more than 10 terms currently exists.
Now we are going to upload the file in which there are only 2 payment terms.
In the Configuration Package Records - Payment Terms you can see that there are only 2 terms.
After Validating and Applying the table.
Delayed Insert
Specifies that a record will only be inserted after validation that it contains key and non-key fields. If you do not select the Delayed Insert check box, then empty lines may be imported, for records with errors in non-key fields.
Sometimes we import the data and the data that is imported is Blank. To avoid such circumstances we can enable this Delayed Insert feature.
Validate Relations
As we have mentioned above. This option is the same as ‘Validate Package’ from the header′s actions.
With this option, we can check table relations. For example, if we introduce a value ‘TEST1’ on the ‘SAT Payment Term’ field, it will check that this value is in the table. Otherwise, it will throw an error.
After importing the data from Excel we can select this option before applying it to the database:
As we can see, an error is found.
The field SAT Payment Term of table Payment Terms contains a value (TEST1) that cannot be found in the related table (SAT Payment Term).
Apply Data
Same option as the header. But we can select which tables to apply.
Excel Section
This Feature is for Import and Export of the Data.
Same option as the header. The only difference is that we can do it for one or more tables.
Configuration Templates
Configuration templates contain a set of default settings that are automatically assigned to the records imported into Business Central. Configuration templates are an alternative to the cloud migration tools that you can use to migrate customer data from supported products.
To Create a New Template just click on the "New".
Header Level Fields:
The list of the fields are explained below.
Code: Specifies the code of the data template.
Description: Specifies a description of the data template.
Table ID: Specifies the ID of the table on which the data template is based.
Table Name: Specifies the name of the table on which the data template is based.
Enabled: Specifies if the template is ready to be used.
Line Level Fields:
There are some other important fields that needs to be discussed.
Fields: The Field present in every table.
Templates: Template inside a Configuration Template. If we select this then we can fill the Template Code in here & Fields option will be un-editable.
Related Templates: Exactly similar like the above one the only difference is that if 2 templates are related which each other.
Header Action Fields
Click on New > Copy Configuration Template. Copy all information to current configuration templates from the selected one.
Tips
Use these capabilities to scale your business as a reseller. Most of the relevant pages apply to both Business Central online and on-premises. However, some processes rely on access to the underlying database and are too complex to use for Business Central online. For Business Central on-premises, you probably want to use Windows PowerShell to help you deploy. For more information, see Administration of Business Central On-Premises and Administration of Business Central Online , respectively.
Hope so this Article is very Helpful for you.
Thanks for Reading
Ahmad Subhani
D365 Business Central - Functional Consultant
MB-800 Microsoft Certified