Dynamics 365 Business Central SaaS: How to Export database and restore it on local SQL Server and configure a Business Central On-Prem Instance without Docker

Pre-requisites: Business Central Admin Center & Azure Standard Storage Accounts  

Steps to follow:

1. Create a Storage account in Azure portal and get the Blob Service SAS URL.

2. From Business Central Admin Center, create database export request by providing SAS URL.

3. You need to wait for some time depending on database sizeto compete the backup process.

4. Once backup completes, the bacpac backup file will be available for download in Storage Account Containers.  Download the bacpac file to your local SQLServer.

5. Open SSMS, and right-click Databases and then select Import Data-tier Application…

6. Follow the instructions and provide the bacpac file path which you have downloaded in step 4.

7. Wait for some time till database restored.

8. Once database restored, it will be available in Database list.

9. It is worth to note that only 10 database export allowed per environment per month.

10. Install & configure Business Central On-Prem with Multitenant=True.

11. Create Application database using New-NAVApplicationDatabase -DatabaseServer -DatabaseName

12. Set database name to the instance using Set-NAVServerConfiguration -ServerInstance -KeyName DatabaseName -KeyValue <databasename>

13. Restart the service using Restart-NAVServerInstance -ServerInstance

14. You need to get the Tenant ID and the same can be obtained from the table $ndo$tenantproperty of the restored database. Browse the table and get the Tenant ID.

15. It is mandatory to have the same app version of Business Central in Saas & On-Prem or On-Prem may have higher version.

16. Publish the System Application, Business Foundation, Base Application & Application app using Publish-NAVApp -ServerInstance -Path

17. Publish all Microsoft & Third-Party apps which are installed in SaaS environment using Publish-NAVApp -ServerInstance -Path

18. Mount the tenant using Mount-NAVTenant -ServerInstance -DatabaseName -DatabaseServer -Tenant -AllowAppDatabaseWrite

20. Sync the tenant using Sync-NAVTenant -ServerInstance -Tenant -Mode Sync

21. Sync all apps which you published in step 16 & 17 using Sync-NAVApp -ServerInstance -Name -Version

22. Proceed with data upgrade with Start-NavDataUpgrade -ServerInstance -Tenant -FunctionExecutionMode Serial -ContinueOnError

23. You need to wait till State becomes Operational in upgrade process. The same can be checked with Get-NAVDataUpgrade -detailed -tenant

24. You may also run Get-NAVAppTenant -serverinstance to check if any app sync is pending or not.

25. Restart the service using Restart-NAVServerInstance -ServerInstance

26. You can now access the web client using http://localhost:<Port>/<Instance>/?tenant=<TenantID>