My company is currently on NAV 2009 R2 Classic and we want to move to NAV 2018. There have been quite a few programming changes made to the old software mostly to match our pricing program, however we also would like to reclassify our products in newly created item categories, product and posting groups and re-vamp our chart of accounts. We would also like to leave behind some of the old data (if possible keep the last 2-3 years) as the database is over 100 GB now and our weekly maintenance and backup takes over 20 hours to completely execute, not to mention only about 6,000 of the 20,000 items are active SKUs. Is it advisable to do an upgrade from the 2009 to 2018, or should just do a new implementation?
Hi Maruska3.
It is not enought information from my point of view ( to do new implementation is the easiest way to do, but you may loose history + analitics).
E.g. the advice for the way maybe differ - based on the difference in the functionality between both versions (do you use dimension or not; the Product Groups does not used anymore (if I remember correctly), question with warehousing because you wrote about SKU, etc).
but if I were you I would do “compress” action to decrease the size of DB to keep the last 2-3 years only like a first step + try to re-map all stuff. All action on test database.
It is strange to have this time, because I had 1-2 hours backup for DB up to 450-500GB.
Yeah, a 100gig backup should not take more than approx 20-25 minutes.
Hi Maruska,
Welcome to DUG. [emoticon:c4563cd7d5574777a71c318021cbbcc8]
First of all, I’m entirely with RedFox and Palle on the backup. A 100 GB SQL database should not take more than about 30 minutes to complete. That’s similar to the size of the database containing all the posts and data on this website, takes about 20 minutes, even with compression turned on, resulting in an 18 GB backup file.
Typically I would consider doing a new implementation, if having historical data is not really an issue. I would generally not import any (except open entries) into a new implementation. And if the majority of the customers current customization’s would no longer be needed. If some of the changes currently made as customization’s are now standard, but the data model makes it harder to just upgrade.
If historical data or/and continual operation is important, with less downtime etc. then upgrade is typical better.
Except I would never recommend anyone to do an upgrade to an older version, when a new version has been released. ALWAYS upgrade to the currently released version, unless something very specific talks for it. Currently that is not NAV 2018, but Dynamics 365 Business Central OnPrem (Fall 2018 release). OnPrem = Onpremise - not the SaaS version - there are still a few differences.
And when that has been said, then that does change things. With C/Side and C/AL announced to be retired with 1-2 years, then you would have to rewrite (most of) your existing customization’s to AL Extensions anyway. And do in a fashion so that you would be able to upgrade your data into Extension objects is certainly not a trivial task. You would typically need to not only reprogram, but refactor everything what was done into smaller separate extensions. Upgrading to NAV 2018 and include all your changes in C/Side, would be quite easy, but like peeing in your pants to keep warm. Not recommended! [emoticon:bfea11b94cc048458ee2c01f963db38d]
So if we were talking about NAV 2009 vs. BC OnPremise (with the option of using Intelligent Cloud etc.), then a lot more speaks for a new implementation vs. upgrade.
But generally we don’t have enough information to say exactly what is better for your company. There are many other important factors. A database of about 100 GB (or for that matter 500 GB) is not an important factor.
Hi Erik.
I dis agree with you about this sentence.
It is good for the Implementation company (this side) to do upgrade to the last version with “new technology” (clear DB and new experiance), but to be on both side (I worked on Customer side also and know their pain very well) I prefer to wait till at least release of the SP 1. + based on some data we need to have history… => no possible to use BS OnPrem.
If I make decision now I will use NAV 2018 only. + e.g. another example I have information about 1 customer installation which use already uses NAV 2018 and Customer wants to add another database to this “level”. They don’t care (and no need) to use Extension type.
I don’t want argue, but just real information from question. If Maruska3 inform us more details when we can say more :))
P.S.
)))) Erik, just for my understanding - why did you change version? Have you ever see real usage of “Intelligent Cloud” from customer, but not MS side (who wats to control data)?? I know that MS wants to use “Intelligent” cloud anywhere and DON"T wants to listen customers, but maybe we need “to ask” the customer first?
This is a discussion forum, so don’t worry about not agreeing with what I write. There is not one way of doing things and everything has pros and cons. So I love to hear from you and all our other members. [emoticon:c4563cd7d5574777a71c318021cbbcc8]
I should have added: But don’t use the RTM releases in production. Wait for CU2 or CU3. [emoticon:c4563cd7d5574777a71c318021cbbcc8]
But in this case we talk about a customer currently on NAV 2009. Even if they start today, then it would take them 2-3 months before they would be live on the new version. By then we have had many CU releases, and I have full confidence in the product team at Microsoft that whatever issues are there now are fixed. Their main focus for the next year is not so much new functionality, as it is improving what is there.
So starting a new project with NAV 2018, at this point doesn’t really make sense to me.
If I were a customer, and I spent 100000’s EUR on implementing a new ERP system, then I would expect that I’m getting the new version and that my new customization’s are done in a way, that I don’t have to spend even more money in just a few years on getting everything re-done as extensions. If the technology had not be there then it was different. But Extensions are here and have been here since 2016. So it’s not a question if the customer “need” to use extensions or not. In a year or two, then they don’t have a choice. By “selling” them C/Side customization’s they basically have to do it and pay for it again.
The backup task in itself takes a couple of hours only, the maintenance tasks is where most of the time is used as it includes checking the integrity of the database, reorganizing and rebuilding the index, and updating the statistics.