Nav2013 Enus Upgrade 05
Nav2013 Enus Upgrade 05
Nav2013 Enus Upgrade 05
Module Overview
”Going Live” focuses on the deployment phase of the upgrade project that
implements the upgraded solution in the actual production environment and
produces a successful go live. ”Going Live” covers the activities that are included in
this phase, such as pre-production upgrade, acceptance testing, and the actual
live data upgrade.
After finishing code and the data upgrade on the test environment, Adam, the
development consultant from the Microsoft Certified Partner, must implement the
upgrade on the customer production environment. To make sure that the
production database of Cronus International Ltd. is not corrupted during the
upgrade process, Adam first performs the upgrade in the pre-production
environment.
Later, after he performs acceptance testing with the customer’s key users and the
customer signs off on the upgrade, he performs the live data upgrade on the
customer’s production environment.
Objectives
• Prepare the pre-production environment for upgrade.
• Configure the software.
• Conduct user training.
• Move the upgraded solution to the pre-production.
• Set up users.
• Perform acceptance testing.
• Conduct production upgrade and go live.
Pre-Production Upgrade
Before you start the data upgrade in the production environment, you should
perform the pre-production upgrade. This is the “test” upgrade, where the
upgraded solution undergoes post-upgrade actions and testing by the partner
and the customer’s key users before they are moved to the production
environment.
Note: Before you start the upgrade, make sure that the customer has the
license file upgraded to the newest version of Microsoft Dynamics NAV.
For more information about the various client types, see the following website.
Client Types
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=277039
Note: When you install Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013, all components must
have the same version and build of Microsoft Dynamics NAV for the software to run
correctly.
You can have multiple instances of any of the core components in a production
environment.
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=277040
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=277041
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=277042
In addition to the three core components, there are additional components that
improve or supplement the core components, as follows.
Component Purpose
Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server Tool for configuring and managing
Administration Tool Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server and
Microsoft Dynamics NAV sites.
Microsoft Dynamics NAV Portal Set of components that you use to
Framework for Microsoft build SharePoint web applications that
SharePoint display Microsoft Dynamics NAV pages
and reports.
Development Environment Development environment for creating
and modifying Microsoft Dynamics
NAV applications in Application
Language (AL)
Microsoft Office Outlook Add-In Component for synchronizing data,
such as to-dos, contacts, and tasks
between Microsoft Dynamics NAV and
Outlook.
Automated Data Capture System Microsoft Dynamics NAV tool for
(ADCS) accurately capturing data for inbound,
outbound, and internal documents,
primarily for warehouse activities. With
ADCS, company employees use
handheld devices and radio frequency
technology to continuously validate
warehouse inventories.
Web Server Components Components that enable Microsoft
Dynamics NAV web clients to connect
with a browser.
Additional Components
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=277043
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=277044
For Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013, you must install Microsoft Dynamics NAV
Server on a 64-bit operating system. Microsoft Dynamics NAV also requires a 64-
bit edition of SQL Server. If there is no usable edition of SQL Server on the
destination computer, Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 Setup installs a 64-bit
edition of SQL Server 2012 Express
Installation options
When you run Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 Setup, you can select from a list of
predefined installation options that are logical collections of Microsoft Dynamics
NAV components.
Installation Options
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=277045
During and after installation of Dynamics NAV, you can configure options for the
selected components.
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=277046
User Training
Therefore, you must conduct user training that offers insight into the differences
between the old functionality and the features of the solution's target version,
changes in user interface (UI) design, and so on. Such training prepares the
selected users to participate in the user acceptance testing.
The training must be delivered in short, directed sessions that begin with a broad
overview to provide the trainees with a framework of the overall solution. As soon
as this overview is delivered, sessions must focus on the users’ defined job tasks.
We recommend that you use the pre-production environment that has the
customer’s migrated data from trial data upgrade. Using customer-specific data
improves the learning experience. By viewing data that they are familiar with,
users can understand the functionality more quickly.
Newer users must be provided with the correct tools and training before the
actual training on site. The prerequisite training options may include eLearning,
existing customer training programs and curriculum, and so on.
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=277047
The pre-production data upgrade enables you to use the latest customer business
data and objects to evaluate the upgraded solution and to check whether the
system functions correctly and no data is lost because of the upgrade.
During pre-production upgrade, you repeat all steps of the trial data upgrade
except that you use the customer’s pre-production environment, and the
customer performs the testing. See “Data Upgrade” for more information.
You must set up roles and permissions for existing users to work in the new
RoleTailored environment. Use the following checklist to set up a secure Microsoft
Dynamics NAV 2013 environment:
1. Check that all required users and groups are created in the upgraded
database after the pre-production data upgrade.
2. Create new users, if it is necessary.
3. Configure Role Centers.
4. Assign users and groups to profiles.
You can use the Windows client to do any of the following tasks:
• Add users.
• Associate each user with one or more permission sets,
• Create and modify permission sets.
About Users
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=277048
About Permissions
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=277049
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=277050
When a user creates a new database, that user automatically is assigned only the
SUPER permission set. As you create and define permission sets in a new database
and companies, always assign the BASIC permission set that grants all users access
to all required system tables and other fundamental tables.
Note: In versions of Microsoft Dynamics NAV that are earlier than Microsoft
Dynamics NAV 2013, the word role was used to describe a set of permissions for a
set of objects in the Microsoft Dynamics NAV database that you assign to one or
more users. In Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013, the new term for this concept is
permission sets.
Follow the steps in “Data Upgrade” to upgrade roles and permissions in the
database.
After you create users, you must assign them to permission sets and add them to
profiles to align them with role centers in the RoleTailored client.
Profiles are collections of Microsoft Dynamics NAV users who share the same role
center. A role center is a type of page that contains different parts. Each part is a
container in which you can host other pages or predefined system parts, such as
an Outlook part or parts to add tasks, notifications, or notes.
Configuration
For example, when Susan, an order processor, uses the Microsoft Dynamics NAV
Windows client, she uses the Order Processor Role Center. This is customized to
help her perform her daily tasks. In configuring Susan's Role Center, the
administrator added or removed UI elements. This includes items in the
navigation pane, page parts, and FactBoxes.
To configure a profile, you must open the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Windows
client in configuration mode.
3. Replace “profileid” with the name of the profile that you want to
configure.
You use the User Personalization page in a RoleTailored client to assign a user to
a profile.
1. In the Search box, type “User Personalization”, and then select the
related link.
2. In the ribbon, click New.
3. In the User ID field, click the AssistEdit(…) button to view all
available user logins.
4. Select a user login, and then click OK.
5. In the Profile ID field, select the profile ID that you just created. Click
AssistEdit to view all available profiles.
Personalization
Personalizations are modifications that are made by a user, such as changing the
UI of a page to fit individual requirements and preferences. Users perform all
personalization tasks. Examples of user personalization are as follows:
• Resizing columns
• Changing the contents of drop-down menus
• Customizing the navigation pane
• Adding or removing FactBoxes
• Organizing items in the Quick Access pane
• Saving queries or filters
• Selecting columns in a list location
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=277051
Acceptance Testing
When you complete and test all tasks within the upgrade, the code upgrade is
complete. After the objects are transformed, and the trial and pre-production data
upgrade are performed, acceptance testing can start.
Acceptance testing is based on real-world scenarios for the application in the pre-
production environment. During acceptance testing, the primary focus is the
functionality and the usability of the upgraded Microsoft Dynamics NAV solution,
instead of on the technical aspects. In other words, the whole system and its end-
to-end processes must be tested to make sure that the upgraded Microsoft
Dynamics NAV system meets customer business requirements.
To perform acceptance testing, set up a local upgraded database, and give your
key users a short introduction about what was upgraded and then let them test
the upgrade. The users who participate in the test must receive user training
before they perform the test. You can run the same use cases as discussed in the
planning stage.
Note: The testing must be done with the customer’s license so that problems
with the license are discovered before live data upgrade.
• Functional
• Performance and stress
• Integration
• End-to-end scenario
Functional Testing
In the functional testing stage, the whole functionality of the solution must be
verified by key users.
The test team can run these activities manually or use the automated tests that are
created in the Application Test Toolset for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 on the
pre-production environment. The test team can create additional tests, if it is
necessary.
Functional testing verifies that all functions, features, and customizations that are
included in the upgraded solution work correctly in Microsoft Dynamics NAV
2013, and meet customer business needs and requirements. In other words, the
focus is on real business scenarios and business processes that the users perform.
Stress testing frequently refers to tests that put a larger emphasis on robustness,
availability, and error handling under a heavy load, instead of on what might be
considered correct behavior under typical circumstances. In particular, such tests
make sure that the software does not crash under conditions of insufficient
computational resources, such as memory or disk space or unusually high
concurrency.
Performance and stress testing can measure and define different testing results
and characteristics, such as CPU time, physical I/O, memory usage, and so on. The
testing results are then collected, analyzed, and compared with the pass/fail
criteria that was first established. For example, you can use the source version of
Microsoft Dynamics NAV as a base for comparison. Use the test result information
to improve performance.
Integration Testing
When the upgraded solution is integrated with a third-party system(s), key users
and application consultants must perform integration testing by using the
integration testing scripts. Developers usually create and run automated unit tests
for this purpose.
Integration testing verifies that integration of the solution that was upgraded to
Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 with other systems works as expected and satisfies
customer business processes and needs.
End-to-end scenario testing verifies that Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 supports
all aspects of the business after the upgrade of the customer solution is
completed. It also makes sure that the following results were achieved:
Note: You must clearly define the pass or fail criteria for the tests. You should
carefully analyze and review these results against these criteria before you obtain
customer sign-off.
If any issues are detected during testing, you must have available resources at the
customer site to resolve problems. Review issues and make sure that they are
actual problems with the upgrade and not a change in requirements. Do not
accept a change in requirements as an upgrade bug. Make sure that you log all
valid bugs.
As soon as you resolve the issues, let the users perform additional testing. Finally,
ask the customer to approve the completion of the work and move to production
upgrade.
Use the Application Test Toolset for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 to automate
tests. The tool contains the following items:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=277052
4. Click Get Test Codeunits, and then select All Test Codeunits.
5. After Microsoft Dynamics NAV finishes loading all test codeunits, they
are displayed on the Test Tool page as shown in the “Test Tool Page
All Codeunits” figure.
Note: Any changes that were done to the database through running of tests
from the Test Tool are automatically rolled back by using the Test Isolation
testability feature of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013.
You can also run individual tests on codeunits by selecting them, and then
selecting either Active Line or Active Codeunit after you click the Run action.
If any test fails, you can attach a debugger session and rerun the failing test. The
debugger then breaks at the line where the test failed. Then you can inspect the
call stack and examine variables to determine the underlying cause of the failure.
If you developed a custom test codeunit, you can easily integrate it into the
Application Test Toolset. To include your own tests, follow these steps:
1. In the Test Tool page, click the action Get Test Codeunits, and then
select Select Test Codeunits. This displays a page that lists all available
test codeunits that includes your own.
2. Select the codeunits that you want to add to the tool, and then click
OK. The new test codeunits appear at the bottom of the Test Tool list.
You now can select and run them exactly like any of the default tests.
The available tests in the Application Test Toolset are built on a layer of libraries
that contain helper functionality to automate many aspects of Microsoft Dynamics
NAV 2013.
For example, the library named Library – Sales contains functionality that is related
to working with customers and sales documents. This includes creating new
customers, sales headers, and sales lines, and posting sales documents. The library
is extensive and has functionality in many areas of the product, such as finance,
service, jobs, warehousing, inventory and so on.
Note: When you develop custom tests from scratch, take advantage of the
existing helper functionality for functions.
To help you browse the libraries, Microsoft included a Microsoft Compiled HTML
Help file (*.chm), that is bundled with the .fob file.
For successful execution of the live data upgrade, make sure that there is a well-
scripted set of activities that are coordinated between the users and the project
team. The step-by-step script is based on the results of the pre-production data
upgrade that specifies the estimated time for the data migration process. Based
on the script, accurately schedule the data upgrade to production to make sure
that users see the most recent data when the system becomes available.
Scheduling
The final upgrade of data typically is performed over the weekend. This strategy
reduces the system downtime during the normal work week. However, this
strategy requires support and coverage from the customer’s operations and
administrative personnel.
To perform the live data upgrade, you must make sure that no users are
connected to the production database, and that data that they enter is not lost
after the lock-out. Therefore, before locking out users, you must inform them
about the date and time of the lock-out and require them to finish all tasks.
You can use one of the following examples to lock out users, depending on the
customer's business environment:
• You can use the Expiration Date field in the User Card window, to
make sure that everybody is offline at the appropriate date.
In most cases, trade-offs occur in the cut-off for the users to enter data that will
be upgraded to the new solution. If the cutoff date is set too early in the process,
you may have to enter data two times: one time in the existing solution, and again
in the new solution after going live.
You can extend the time slot for upgrading the data to allow for time to resolve
any issues.
If the cut-off date is set too late in the process, the time slot for upgrading the
data is shortened. This reduces the time to resolve issues.
Resources
Organizing the live data upgrade process must also include the description of the
team that is performing the upgrade. It can be personnel from the customer site
or the project team.
If the customer selected the project team to perform the upgrade, decide upon
the method of doing the upgrade: remotely or on site.
If the customer decides on a remote connection, inform them that they must
provide the project team members with full access to the servers and the database
and maintain stable connection.
To perform a live data upgrade, use the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Upgrade Go-
Live Checklist that is available in Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step. Make sure that
you carefully follow the Upgrade and Going Live instructions.
For more information about how to deploy clients, see the following website.
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=277053
Additional prompts that help you organize and perform the live data upgrade
correctly include the following:
Risk Mitigation
To eliminate any risks that may arise during the production upgrade, be prepared
with a set of strategies to resolve issues in advance, such as the following:
If you face any problems during the live upgrade, you must make sure that you
have enough time to roll back to the old production environment. Remember that
a restore process can take time.
Note: The best practice is to always keep the old production environment
running until the upgrade is complete. During this time all users are locked out and
the database is set to Single-User Mode.
Restoring a backup is a costly and risky operation. We recommend that you enable
the existing DB again by removing Single User to give access to all users if the
upgrade must be rolled back.
The project manager at the customer site signs off when the go live is successful.
The project is not considered complete until the customer has given a final
approval. This is due as soon as all processes are signed off and approved, and all
bugs are resolved.
After going live, you must follow up with the customer on any pending items that
must be closed and, most important, obtain the customer’s satisfaction with the
project. These items must be measured and documented.
After the customer project manager agrees that the upgraded application and
data were delivered according to the project plan, a formal project closure
meeting should occur between the executive project management teams.
Summary
The ultimate target of the upgrade project is to implement the upgraded solution
in the customer’s production environment, make sure that the solution is stable
enough, and that it can be operated by the users. This task is performed through
two major stages, as follows:
The live data upgrade results from careful planning, designing, and testing. It
requires coordination and communication with the customer’s business
community. The update must be as transparent an activity as possible and must
factor in trade-offs between duplication of effort and risk.
Module Review
Test Your Knowledge
1. What are the primary human resources to perform acceptance testing of the
upgrade on the customer site?
( ) True
( ) False
3. What conditions must the customer secure for performing the live data
upgrade remotely?
4. If you face problems during the live upgrade, you must make sure that you
have enough time to roll back to the old production environment. How can
you calculate the time that is required for recovery?
1. What are the primary human resources to perform acceptance testing of the
upgrade on the customer site?
MODEL ANSWER:
Acceptance testing should be performed by key users from the customer side
who were adequately trained in the upgraded system.
( ) True
(√) False
3. What conditions must the customer secure for performing the live data
upgrade remotely?
MODEL ANSWER:
The customer must make sure that a stable Internet connection is maintained
on the production site, and provide the project team with full remote access
to the production database and all servers.
4. If you face problems during the live upgrade, you must make sure that you
have enough time to roll back to the old production environment. How can
you calculate the time that is required for recovery?
MODEL ANSWER:
To calculate the time that is required for recovery and to prepare for rolling
back if there are issues, you can perform a test roll-back, and describe its flow
and results in the Disaster Recovery Test Results document of Microsoft
Dynamics Sure Step.
MODEL ANSWER:
Integration testing verifies that integration of the solution that was upgraded
to Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 with other systems works as expected, and
that it satisfies customer business processes and needs.