Navision 2.60.C C/Side files for 2.60.B sql migration

Business Central/NAV Developers Forum
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I have searched for many days now, with no results. I’m working on migrating an old database created using Navision 2.60.B. I’ve been asked to migrate the database into a format suitable for use in Microsoft Access. The only way I’ve come up with is to migrate the database from Navisions’ Native Database format to an SQL database, which can then be easily linked into anything.

The problem I face is deceptively not simple: The earliest version of any SQL Server software I have available is MSSQL (Microsoft SQL) 2008 R2, but I can put the database in compatibility mode so it’ll behave like MSSQL 2000. I attempted to simply perform the conversion without any fuss, but due to the antiquated state of Navision 2.60.B, I received nothing but the expect (technically unexpected sense I tried this prior to researching and realizing the error was common) “ANSI/OEM code page 0 error” (Note: Not the actual error message, but a paraphrased version of the real error message received). I’ve gathered that I need to copy a set of DLL’s from a Navision 2.60C (2.60 SP3) hotfix, but nowhere in the vast lands of the internet can I find a download link to this hotfix. I’ve found numerous threads and posts detailing exactly what I’m looking for and users with the same needs as I, none of which contain any links or helpful data on where one may obtain these files.

I already know that 2.60.B won’t work with SQL Server 2000, the latest it can interface with is SQL 7, But sadly I do not have SQL 7 nor can I use SQL or set compatibility mode to SQL 7.

Please, if anyone out there has anything that could help me, it would be deeply appreciated.

TL;DR : I need a link to the C/side (I assume “C/Side” is a shorthand for “Client Side”, I’ve never seen that term before this project) DLL’s needed to update Navision 2.60.B to 2.60.C allowing Navision to interface with SQL Server 2000.

Please post a link if you could, so that all the users out there who are damned with the same curse as I, may find a place of hope and sanctitude, ridding us all of these antique programs that holds us back like great anchors.

EDIT:

As I was applying tags to this post, I thought it would be best of me to better my request and share more;

  • I’ve read that it may be possible to retrieve the requested files via Microsoft’s Partner Network, but I do not have access to this

  • I’ve already backed up the database in it’s native format so that it may be restored into the sql format

  • I’m running Fin 2.60.B and am under the impression that I need to use the 2.60.C hotfix

  • Any helpful tips, please post them

  • A quick re-summarization of what I’m doing: My company has been using a Financial Navision 2.60.B Native Database client and server for many years as a means to store information about our clients and services, the first red flag in my mind is that a piece of software designed around financial databasing is being used for what can be thought of as a “student database, hosting details about students, tests that they’ve taken, certifications received, and scorings”. After one of our data-entry executives performs the extensive task of updating an entry in this database, they then must re-enter parts of this information into a second database, controlled by a program called Asure ID. I’ve been asked to convert the Navision Native Database into one that can be managed through Microsoft Access and also be accessed by Asure ID. Given that both Microsoft Access and Asure ID can connect to an SQL Database (and an SQL Server being, by it’s very nature, dynamic and non-restrictive to the user), I concluded that the best course of action would be to migrate the Navision Native database to an SQL database by exporting it in fin.exe then restoring it in finsql.exe onto an sql server, I could then set up a connection to this database for both Microsoft Access and Asure ID, giving them a shared, dynamic, and easily modified database.

Again, anything insite would be appreciated. If you’re reading this and you happen to have a copy of Navision 2.60.C/D/E, I ask you to please, if you could, create a zip file containing the files and share them with me.

2

Hi Travis,

Have you considered using the C/ODBC interface - that’s the ODBC driver to access NAV’s native database?

As another comment, then I surely will suggest that you upgrade if not the whole application, then at least the “engine”. That’s all the executables etc. This you can do without changing any objects and would give you access to use a much newer version of SQL Server. Of course it requires that your company at one point had or have a maintenance agreement. If you don’t have it anymore, then you will be able to get the version available up until the point the maintenance was canceled. Moving the “engine” from 2.60 to e.g. NAV 4.00 SP3 would not take a lot of time, and the client would even be able to run on newer versions of windows!

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PS: I don’t have a copy of this old version. And only the North American databases are available for download - for use in upgrades.

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I think the nuances of determining the latest version of the application that Microsoft agrees that your company is entitled to will be more challenging than actually locating the install files. I agree with Erik; I think your best approach would be to do a technical upgrade to the latest version you’re allowed to install.

I’m not the best person to ask about how to go about getting that information from Microsoft, but I’m pretty sure that it will involve a NAV Solution Center. I’m guessing that you don’t have a current relationship with a solution center? We might be able to make a rough guesstimate about the best version you can hope for by looking at your company’s maintenance agreement history. If you have an idea of when you stopped funding your annual maintenance agreement, you might be able to compare that information to the release dates of the various versions. Or, you can take a look at the date on your NAV license file to get an idea of the time frame.

I don’t have any information about versions 2.60C or 2.60D, but I believe that 2.60E Service Pack was released in June of 2001, 2.06F in December of 2001 and 2.60G in July 2002.

The FinSQL executables from the install disks, I believe, look like this:

2.60.E - version 2.60.5.7127, dated April 2, 2001.
2.60.F - version 2.60.06.7896, dated Sept 5, 2001.
3.10.B - version 3.10.1.11409, dated August 7, 2002.
3.60.A - version 3.60.00.12033, dated December 19, 2002.
3.70.B - version 3.70.2.19516, dated October 20, 2004
4.00 - version 4.0.0.19365, dated September 16, 2004
5.00 - version 5.0.24199, dated March 6, 2007

So hopefully that gives you enough information to get an idea of which version you might consider moving to, but as I mentioned, you’ll need to iron out the administrative details with Microsoft before doing much of anything else. It’s most likely the case that you’ll need an updated license file from Microsoft before you’ll be able to run any of these newer applications.

On a lighter note, I think the answer to your question (I assume “C/Side” is a shorthand for “Client Side”, I’ve never seen that term before this project) is Client-Server Integrated Development Environment. Way back when, the folks at Navision seemed to be quite fond of the “C/” nomenclature. There was C/Side for the development environment, C/AL for the development language, C/Front for their external interface development tool, and they even had a financial unit of measure that they used in their product pricing sheets called C/Shells. There may be other similarly-named products in the stable (oops, wrong metaphor), but I’m not aware of any.

I hope this gets you started in the right direction. Your project sounds like fun.

Cheers,

5

Actually C/S is a short for client/server - and C/SIDE for Client/Server Integrated Development Environment. So now with NAV 2013 it’s no longer a client/server, but a three tier system, and all what’s left of the old client is the “Development Environment”. And if you also remember the old logo. Then it was a pictogram of the ocean. The old name (in Denmark) was Navigator. It was about water and the sea (sea side).

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The problem with using the C/ODBC drivers is that it still doesn’t allow me to convert the database to SQL, (unless I’m missing something). The version of SQL doesn’t matter too much at this point nor the version of windows. My client wants to get rid of Navision, be done with it. As I stated, they don’t use navision for financial management or anything like that, they’re using it for something that a program like Microsoft Access is much more suited for.

I did manage to find the C/ODBC drivers but I’m not sure what use they are to me unless I’m missing something. Is it perhaps possible that, after creating an ODBC object, I could connect to that through something, and then use that something to convert the database to SQL?

As to your other comment, I’m not technically looking to go through the process of upgrading Navision to 4.00 as that would cost my client and they don’t want to pay for anything unnecessary (like an upgrade to a program they wish desperately to move away from). Their service agreement is most definitely long past expired seeing as they only paid for the bare minimum of what they needed/wanted, and they purchased this license over 15 years ago.

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Oh, Thanks for the insite on what all these interesting acronyms, greatly appreciated.

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Is this supposed to be a “one-time” job. You want to pull out everything now and then forget Navision?

Or are you looking for a solution where you can import/export data from Navision and synchronize it with your Access database?

C/ODBC is a standard ODBC driver and allows you to use tools which support it, like Microsoft Query and I think that Access also used to support it. You basically writes normal SQL scripts into the native NAV database.

9

Pretty much, It’s a one time Job, once that the database is out of Navision native format, navision will never be used again, the only thing they wish to keep from Navision is the data within the database. They want to use Access and wish to never touch Navision again. This is why I’m trying to just get my hands on a copy of the 2.60.C hotfix, I can install the update, connect to the SQL server, import/restore the database, and then be done.

As far as the ODBC driver goes, I like the idea, I may try it in a moment, if successful I’ll be sure to share my method and results. (And yes, Access supports ODBC)

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If this is an end-of-life project, then ODBC is definitely your best approach. It will work with Access and probably any version of SQL you care to use (Access being the middle-ware so to speak). You would just move all of your data with queries, as Erik mentioned. And, if you already have the c/odbc drivers, then it has the added bonus of being pretty much free.

11

If it’s a one-time job, and you look at all the time you have already spent on it and will still have to spend on it installing hotfix or C/ODBC and finding out how to do it, then you would be much better of just asking Navision freelancer to help you. An experienced freelancer could take your database and convert it to a SQL Server database (2008/2012 or whatever) in a few hours and send it back to you. Then you or your client never has to think about Navision again!

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Biggest problem with the idea of hiring a freelancer would be that this database contains very sensitive information. I’m going to go ahead and just use the ODBC drivers, plot some middle ware, convert and be done.

Thanks everyone for all the help!

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Most freelancers deal with “sensitive information” every day and are used to sign “non-discloser agreements” all the time. So that’s the last thing they need to worry about.

But good luck, I hope it works out for you.

And please remember to verify the answer which helped you.

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Most freelancers deal with “sensitive information” every day and are used to sign “non-discloser agreements” all the time. So that’s the last thing they need to worry about.

But good luck, I hope it works out for you and your client.

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This company has some big issues with just about everything. The only reason I’ve been asked to do this is because I also work for the same company, I had made the suggestion previously but they outright refused.

The reason I say client instead of my company is because this is a side job they contracted me for.

16

I must be doing something wrong, I’ve installed the C/ODBC drivers and am trying to set up the object, but I keep getting a no permissions error when I try to select the company, and the button for selecting the database is disabled.

Any ideas?

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Well, there’s room for middle ground on your work with a NAV contract developer. You can farm out the bulk of the heavy lifting without giving anyone access to the data. The contractor would just need a copy of the database objects, which you can create through Object Designer. With a copy of the table objects, the contractor can build the target SQL Server structures and the scripts to populate them. Then you could just run the scripts from your local environment and be done with it. Just a thought.

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I’ve been explicitly denied permission to allow anyone outside to touch this >.< .

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My guess is that you either didn’t apply the correct license to where you installed the C/ODBC. Or it might even be that your clients license doesn’t allow you to use C/ODBC.

You might face the same problem with if you tried to upgrade and use SQL. In these old pre versions Microsoft, permissions to run it on SQL Server was something you should pay extra for.

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Yup, the license file doesn’t have anything for C/ODBC, I’m assuming there’s no “legal” way to upgrade the license? Are the any simple “not so legal” ways? o.O