Accessing Navision from an Extranet

Olds

The company I work for is currently having Navision 3.70 implemented, within which will be a large product database. Once the system has gone live and the company is happily running on it, I would like to host, among other things, a subset of the product database on a company extranet. Long term, further information from the Navision system will be accessed, and I would also like the ability to update information contained in Navision from the extranet.

The key issue is that, if possible, I want the solution to be non-intrusive in terms of coding – I don’t have any level of Navision developer license and have no desire to purchase one. My only interest is to have the extranet access data from within Navision, and where required process the data externally and then fire the data back at Navision to update.

What is the scope for this? Is NAS required? All the examples I’ve seen suggest that codeunit modification is necessary to make use of NAS, though I’m sure simple data retrieval and posting should be possible.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

kine

If you are using MS SQL Option for Navision, there is no problem to read data (but calculated fields you must do through subqueries - are not in DB). But if you want to write into database back, you must know, what you are doing wery well, because no bussiness logick will be fired when data are entered (no validation, etc. - if you write lowercase char into CODE field, you will be not able to read the record within Navision and the client will popup error etc.) For inserting data from external applications the some new tables are commonly used and then processed with internal Navision logic (through some App. Server or periodically runned report etc.)

If you have Native DB (Navision DB) you can use C/ODBC driver to access all data.

Last solution is to use C/FRONT - API for all languages - VB, C++, etc. where you have all tools to connect, read data, insert data etc. but without application logic (no validations etc.) But this API is same for SQL or Native DB... and there is no problem to make some wrapper class for this API to use it in same way as C/AL code in Navision...

Waldo

Personally, I always use an Application Server to create links between a third pary application and Navision. In this case, may be you can use Message Queues in combination with the Application Server for online data requests?

Olds

Thanks guys, I appreciate the responses.

We have the C/FRONT Granule, and the C/ODBC granule, so those options are open, but I share your concerns regarding validation kine.

Waldo, when you say Application Server I assume you mean NAS? I think we can justify the expenditure on a NAS license if it overcomes validation issues, and as long as no codeunit modifications are required to use it effectively.

We are running the Native Navision DB currently by the way.

nt

Personally, I always use an Application Server to create links between a third pary application and Navision. In this case, may be you can use Message Queues in combination with the Application Server for online data requests?

hi guys,

how i can install the message queues in XP i can't see it in the windows components!

thanks

gturner

I work for a solution center that has a Navision add-in that will allow processing messages from a MSMQ if you're interested. I've built an ASP.NET presentation layer on it, and it's worked great.

visgold

Hi

I am trying to access Navision NativeDB from ASP but i am not able

Kindly suggest me as i am using this Code through System DSN

<%
Set conn=server.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
Set RS = server.CreateObject("ADODB.RecordSet")
dsn = "DSN=Navision"
dsn = "DRIVER={C/ODBC 32 bit};"
dsn = dsn & "UID=super;"
dsn = dsn & "PWD=super;"
dsn = dsn & "sName=local;"
dsn = dsn & "NType=tcp;"
dsn = dsn & "CN=CRONUS Dutch Ltd.;"
dsn = dsn & "CSF=Yes;"
dsn = dsn & "SERVER=N;"
dsn = dsn & "RD=No;"
dsn = dsn & "ML=2048;"
dsn = dsn & "CD=No;"
dsn = dsn & "BE=Yes;"
dsn = dsn & "CC=Yes;"
dsn = dsn & "RO=No;"
dsn = dsn & "QTYesNo=Yes;"
dsn = dsn & "IT=a-z,A-Z,0-9,_;"
dsn = dsn & "OPT=Text"
conn.Open dsn
SQL="Select * from Customer"
RS.Open SQL, conn
%>
I am getting ISAM ERROR and not able to reach
Help me pls that what is the problm in my coding ](*,)

Thanks

Ian_piddignton

If you decide to use NAS it is worth remembering that you get on instance(session in Navision) free with the Basic G/L Granule.


Ian

Waldo

Also keep in mind that the one NAS session can only connect to one company in one database!!