Steps for Upgrading from Nav 2015/2016/2017 versions to Dynamics 365 Business Central

Mathan
Mathan Member Posts: 55
in NAV Three Tier
Hi everyone,

I have searched various places but I ended up without any answer, I would like to know what are the upgrading steps required to upgrade/move all the customized objects from Nav to Dynamics 365 Business Central? Is it possible to upgrade or should we reimplement the customized objects directly on "Dynamics 365 Business Central" all over again?

Any help on this would be highly appreciated

Mathan

Answers

  • HannesHolst
    HannesHolst Member Posts: 119
    Hi,

    This depends which version you are using/planning to use.
    The cloud-version of D365BC does support Extensions only.
    The on-premise version is not released yet.
    My blog - https://www.HannesHolst.com/
  • Mathan
    Mathan Member Posts: 55
    Hi hannesHolst,

    Thanks for your response, Yes I understand the cloud version of Dynamics 365 Business central support only extensions.

    So, I was wondering if it is possible to upgrade all my customized objects from Nav 2015 to D365BC. Is there any steps on how to upgrade the custom objects from NAV 2015 as extensions in the cloud version of D365BC?

    I would also like to know about the steps involved in the Data upgrade from Nav 2015 to D365BC.
  • Mathan
    Mathan Member Posts: 55
    Update: For those looking on what to do regarding this. Check out https://community.dynamics.com/nav/f/34/t/282868
  • Inga_Simplanova
    Inga_Simplanova Member Posts: 21
    How to convert Dynamics NAV reports to Extentions you can read here: https://bit.ly/2vJ5Ewe
  • Andrewalwin69
    Andrewalwin69 Member Posts: 12

    This thread is a bit old, and the approach has changed significantly with newer Business Central versions.

    For NAV 2015/2016/2017 → Business Central, you typically don’t directly upgrade customizations. You need to:

    1. Technical upgrade first (NAV → BC base)
    2. Convert C/AL to AL using tools
    3. Refactor customizations into extensions (no more object overlayering)
    4. Data upgrade + testing in stages
    5. Move toward SaaS or modern on-prem BC

    So no, reimplementing everything from scratch isn’t required, but heavy customizations often need redesign, not just migration.

    In current projects, best practice is:

    • Clean up unused custom objects first
    • Use Microsoft upgrade/code conversion tools
    • Minimize custom code and replace with standard + extensions

    Big shift: from “upgrade code” → “modernize architecture”

    If your NAV has heavy modifications, expect partial rebuild, not just a lift-and-shift.

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