Navutilus technology

Many firms have more than one company in one database. Consequently they need to synchronize data in same tables of different companies (e.g. directories, financial charts) from time to time or periodically. You can create common tables (DataPerCompany property = No) containing data for many companies but it is may be not really convenient.

There is the easy way to keep your companies data synchronized with Navutilus Data Transfer utility. The software makes possible to replicate data from one company to whole list of others.

Example

You want to synchronize dimensions directories in next four companies:  CRONUS HQ, CRONUS International Ltd., CRONUS Development Ltd., CRONUS New Affiliate. Cronus HQ is the source of data to replicate.

Just follow next steps:

1. Start the Navutilus Data Transfer utility and create card of data transfer (name it Dimensions).

2. Setup Data Transfer Route as in picture above.

3. Setup tables list.

• Select tables 348-351 containing dimensions data.
• Set the rules of replication to rewrite values in recipient tables if its have the primary key identical to the transferred values.

4. Now you can start the replication process manually (click Functions, Transfer Data) or automatically with robot.

Note: the software prevents start of replication process if essential parameters are not set by user (Blocked by system flag will be active).

To setup robot properties open Schedule tab.

Set date and time of replication start (Schedule Start DateTime field), activate periodicity of replication (Run interval value in Run Periodicy field) and time 10 minutes in Run Interval (min) field.  So activated robot will transfer data every 10 minutes. Robot has two possible states – Robot activated and Robot Idle.

Robot will log both accomplished and stopped by error transfers (error log includes reasons of transfer fail). 

Now synchronization will be a routine. Just keep CRONUS HD directory in actual state.

How can I export or import the data with BLOB type?

Now you can use the Navutilus Dataport Maker utility to make this process fast & simple.

Example. You want to insert one company’s item directory to other company, but also you want to keep item images in that directory. The most obvious way is to transfer directory itself and then all the pictures one by one manually or with the specially created program code. Any way you lose lots of time.

If you use Navutilus Dataport Maker utility you just need to:

1. Open Navutilus Dataport Maker card,

2. Fill the fields Code (some card’s code), Description, Dataport ID (ID number of new dataport), Dataport Name and Caption. To allow image (BLOB picture) transfer mark Export/Import BLOB flag.

3. Fill the table part of form – select tables to transfer. For the example, select tables 27 Item and 5404 Item Unit of Measure.

4. Call the Create Dataport Object function. In appeared window select name of object to create (utility creates dataport object as txt-file).

5. Import new dataport, compile it and Run. 

In the dataport request form enter File Name and Direction. If export selected than two files will be created. One txt-file for the data and one blb-file for the BLOB content (items images).

6. Open receiving company and run the dataport again. Import our txt-file. blb-file (items images) will be imported automatically.

Thus, all the process takes only few minutes.

There are users who want to know how to correct unintentional misprints in NAV database.

Usually you can use direct way of correction and usually it helps. But values of some significant fields (e.g. item Description or employee Last Name) are copied to many different fields in many different tables in database. Misprint correction in the card will not cause auto correction of “replicated” misprints. We can not be sure that it will not cause any troubles later.

For example let’s search for Item Description “INNSBRUCK Storage Unit/G.Door” in Cronus database. We use Navutilus Search & Replace Pro utility.

Search result - 28 values in different fields of different tables.

This Item Description was entered in Item Card form and then was replicated by system (e.g. during documents posting). If we correct misprint in Item Card form, then we leave some misprints uncorrected.

Usually we have to use programmer who knows data replication rules in NAV. He will open tables through Object Designer and correct misprints one by one manually. In high customized system such process can fail to spot some of misprints.

Navutilus Search & Replace Pro utility allows you to correct misprints by easy and fast way. Just search needed value, filter unwanted results with standard NAV features (make only replacing records visible), enter correct value in field Replace with and click Replace function. Found misprints will be corrected instantly.

All process will take from few seconds to few minutes (if you have to select found results manually).

Fast and convenient table structure browser displays detailed table structure of any Microsoft Dynamics NAV (Navision) table.

The tool works with fields list, shows values of Option type fields, displays related tables (with related table structure instant overview), shows field type in Native and SQL databases, shows table keys.

You can filter table fields with standard NAV features. For example you can view only Code type fields:

 The utility gives you an opportunity to overview special (not allowed to see in Object Designer) tables’ structure. For example table Date:

Technical Spec

Version 2.04 (14.10.2009)
Microsoft Dynamics NAV versions: 4.xx, 5.xx, 2009
Microsoft Dynamics NAV database types: Native, MS SQL
Content: 1 table, 4 forms
Requirements: License permissions to insert & run tables, forms, reports
Distribution: Freeware

Source: http://www.navutilus.com/nav_sb/nav_sb.htm

Sometimes you have to protect some objects source code. It can be needed in case of:

  - Protected demo-version creation,
  - Protection of your active database objects from unintentional or/and unauthorized modifications,
  - Protection of the crucial/complex objects against unreasonable modifications,
  - Know-how protection

The solution is to use Navutilus Object Squeeze utility. The utility physically removes source codes from Navision objects and makes them smaller. Way of struggle against this technology only one – decompiling, if the Navision decompiler somewhere exists.

Let’s illustrate squeeze-technology having applied it to codeunit 12 Gen. Jnl.-Post Line. By the way, the utility handles only those objects on which its User has license permissions to read and modify.

Open squeeze-procedure card:

1. At first we set object type (Codeunit) and its number (12)

2. Then we mark flag in Replace Source field (otherwise the source code will not be removed)

3. Then in Source Replacer Text field we load the squeeze_trigger.txt file in order to use it as the template when replacing event triggers and functions. This file, for example, contains the text:

>> SQUEEZED TEXT <<

4. Then we mark flag in Replace Documentation field (otherwise the Documentation trigger will not be replaced).

5. Then in Documentation Replacer Text field we load the squeeze_document.txt file in order to use it as the template when replacing the Documentation trigger. This file, for example, contains the text:

Attention!
DO NOT TRY to compile this Squeezed~ object.

6. Then we mark flag in Erase Local Variable Names field (otherwise local variable names will not be removed).

7. At last we run Squeeze Objects! function. In some seconds (in a local variant of operation) we receive the message on process end (we, certainly, have saved the object before this procedure :)).

Now we can open the codeunit in Object Designer. The result is

Pay attention – now instead of local variable names blank spaces are represented.

Thus, the protected object is as a result received. By the way, in this concrete case its size has decreased from 460Kb to 226Kb.

Now source code is protected and squeezed objects are fully functional and ready to work.

http://www.navutilus.com/nav_os/nav_os.htm