Windows Server 2008 Compatibility with NAV

Microsoft Dyanmics NAV is compatibile with Windows Server 2008. People who are using Business Gateway and Comerce gateway need to update the solution with article
KB Article 56161.

Developing Solutions in NAV 2009

The release of the new NAV 2009 is not yet declared yet you can grab the CTP3 and take a sneak peek of the same. If you would like to know about developing solutions in NAV 2009. Here it goes

https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/documentation/whitepapers/whatsnew_nav2009.htm?printpage=false

Overview of the Platform RollUp Updates

To get hold of the overview of platform rollup updates that are available for Microsoft Business Solutions - Navision 3.7 through Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 you can follow this link

https://mbs.microsoft.com/knowledgebase/KBDisplay.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;940807

MS Dynamics NAV 2009

If you want to have a sneak preview of the same then use the following link.

https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/products/navision/2009.htm

Super Roles In SQL Server 2005 WITH MS Dynamics NAV SP3

The Super role of Microsft Dyanmics NAV contains all the permissions for the objects and system related activities in Microsft Dyanmics NAV. But when the same super role is being alloted to a user is SQL Server 2005 then you will notice the following scenarios:
Case -1:
The database is being restored and users are defined in the SQL Server 2005, and the same users are defined in the database logins in MS Dynamics NAV and the security is synchronized. Lets take two users user A and User B where user A is the dbo owner/sysadmin in SQL Server 2005 and in Navision the role assigned to the both the user A & B is SUPER. After the roles are assigned and the security is synchornized you wioll noticve that both the user/s A and B are able to acess all the object in NAV SP3(includes customized objects). Well till now you will feel that the super role in MS Dynamics NAV SP3 proprietory database is same as that of the NAV database in SP3.

Case-2:
Create a new object (table in which the client license permits to access the table say the obhect id is 50,000). Now import the object into the NAV Dtabase in SQL Server 2005. Now login to the system using the User A. You will notice that the user is able to access the table 50000. After you have verfied with the permission to the table of 50000 with the User-A, login using the user -B. Go tO the Object designer and try to run the object. The system will say that you donot have permission to the Object 50000.

Now you can see that both the users have been assigned the SUPER role but one of the user which not the dbo owner in SQL Server 2005 will not be able to have the acess. In SQL Server 2005 with NAV SP3 everytime you import a object ensure you run a Security Synchronize, as even the SUPER role (which is not the dbo owner/sysadmin in SQL SERVER 2005)will not be able to gain access to the objects.

MS Dynamics NAV on VSAT

Recently I have been engaged in an assignment where I had to access MS Dynamics NAV through VSAT. Till date I have seen implementations with Dial-up connection,Broadband, or leased line but this was the first of its kind. To have some more knowledge about the vsat you can follow the following link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Very_small_aperture_terminal
During the testing phase of this connectivity, I also tried to connect to the server directly with the client without using Citrix, the results were horrible. Please don't even try to perform the same for testing purpose also.

Secondly, We used citrix to connect to the NAV from the various remote locations. The Microsoft Dynamics NAV 4.0 SP3 was used with SQL Server 2005 to have the database server. Another server was configured which is used as the citrix server which is being acessed from the various remote ocations to login to MS Dynamics NAV. What I specifically want to discuss out here in this post is, the latency time taken to connect to the database compared to the other media such as dial-up, broad band etc with the VSAT.

Generally the connection is quite slow with 512kbps of line, opening up the login screen and entering into the database requires 10-15 secs of time, while navigation between the panes may differ from 5 to 7 secs. What I observed during this entire testing process is the posting of the various documents that are present in the NAV. The time taken to create the documents may differ from user to used based on the aquintence of the system, but the posting routines to my surprise takes the same time as you do the same in the client server architecture.

Reversal Entry Posting Date

Most of the customers do complain about the same, here is the situation. The customer passes several journals in a month and at the end of the month its month closing which the management reviews and internal audfit of the same is carried ofut. Take for example the organization passes 5000 journals in the month of January and for which the accounts have been finalized. In the month of March it come to notice that out of 5000 entries 2000 entries are wrong and needs to be reversed. Microsoft Dynamics NAV 4.0 SP3 provides the provision to reverse the journal entries, but when this functionality is used it reverses the entries exactly on the date in which the entries were being posted implies that date of posting=date of reversal.

This raises a question at the time of internal/external audit as the accounts have been finalized for that month and eventually the entries are being reversed on a seperate date, having a misleading information in the system. If the question asked when the entry was reversed, we will not have an answer to the same.

To cater to this situation I have done a simple modification, in NAV SP3. This allows the user the user to reverse the entries, but the posting date of the reversed entries are based on the workdate as set in the application.

You can download the file from the following link.
http://groups.google.com/group/MSDynamics-arena/files

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 6.0

We were expecting to see the version 5.1 of Microsoft Dynamics NAV but Microsoft announced that the 5.1 will be named as 6.0 as this version of NAV has significant changes. After viewing the video of the sneak preview of 6.0 this was quite clear that yes this version has indeed enhanced a lot specifically in terms of the user interfacse and architecture, can't comment about the added functionalities and location that we will be able to see.

In case you want to have a preview of the same and learn more aboput the upcomming NAV 6.0 follow the link

https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/products/navision/technicalpreview60.htm

Printing In Custom Paper Size

This is one of the aspect that many of us actually look for during the implementation- printing Navision reports on cutom paper sizes.

The answer to the same is simple, in the report designer donot put any papersize leave the same as blank. Run the report and previow the same. Now select the print option and set the paper size in which you want to print the report from the printer dialog box or you can use the paper sixe option.

Hope this will solve your problem.