Business Central 2020 release wave 1

Path: Business Central on-premises > Upgrade > Earlier versions > Business Central 2020 release wave 1 · tier official · system platform · narrative reviewed (checked by Opus)

Overview

This section covers upgrading on-premises Business Central to 2020 release wave 1 (version 16). It starts with an entry page that describes the two routes: a technical upgrade, or refactoring the application onto the Microsoft system application. Separate step-by-step pages cover each starting point: unmodified C/AL version 14 or earlier, a customized version 14 C/AL application moved onto the Microsoft system and base applications, and a version 15 base application. The upgrade pages generally follow a similar sequence: install version 16, convert the database, configure the server, publish extensions, synchronize tenants, run the data upgrade, and upgrade control add-ins. The technical upgrade pages for 14 to 16 and 15 to 16 add detail on the task scheduler and encryption management. The 15 to 16 page also covers extension recompilation and single-tenant versus multitenant deployments. Customized solutions need extra pages. These cover Txt2Al code conversion, the DestinationAppsForMigration setting, and the pages on moving tables and fields between extensions, up or down the dependency graph, using migration.json. A separate page covers installing version 16 cumulative updates, and a compatibility matrix shows supported upgrade paths. Start with “Upgrade to Business Central 2020 Wave 1”, then pick the page that matches your source version.

Key points

• Entry page offers two routes to version 16: technical upgrade or application refactoring to the system application; source versions include 13, 14 and 15.
• Separate procedures exist for unmodified C/AL (14 or earlier), customized C/AL version 14, and version 15 base application.
• Typical steps: install version 16, convert the database, configure the server, publish extensions, synchronize tenants, run data upgrade, upgrade control add-ins.
• Version 15 upgrades also require recompiling extensions that are not version 16.
• Txt2Al converts customized version 14 C/AL code to AL, including .NET interoperability and test libraries.
• DestinationAppsForMigration is a server instance setting that migrates tables and extensions from C/AL to AL and handles extension dependencies during upgrade.
• Moving tables and fields between extensions uses migration.json; moving up the dependency graph needs a two-stage process with a transition extension (version 16.5 pages).
• Installing a version 16 cumulative update involves database conversion, extension publishing, system symbols, recompilation and tenant synchronization.

Learn pages

• Business Central Upgrade Compatibility Matrix: Provides an overview of the Business Central versions and their compatibility
• Code Conversion from C/AL to AL: Description of the conversion process from C/AL to AL.
• DestinationAppsForMigration: Learn how to use the DestinationAppsForMigration setting in Business Central Server for upgrading from C/AL to AL extensions. Detailed guide and FAQs included.
• Install a version 16 update: This article describes the tasks required for getting the monthly version 16 update applied to your Dynamics 365 Business Central on-premises.
• Migrating Tables and Fields Between Extensions: Explains how to migrate tables and fields from one extension to another.
• Moving Tables and Fields to Extensions Down the Dependency Graph: Explains how to move tables and fields from an extension to another extension that is down the dependency graph.
• Moving Tables and Fields to Extensions Up the Dependency Graph: Explains how to move tables and fields from an extension to another extension that is up the dependency graph
• Technical Upgrade From Version 14 to Version 16: Describes how to do a technical upgrade from Business Central 14 to 16
• Technical upgrade from version 15 to version 16: Upgrade from Business Central 2019 (v15) to 2020 (v16) with our comprehensive guide. Learn about prerequisites, database preparation, and post-upgrade tasks.
• Upgrade to Business Central 2020 Wave 1
• Upgrading Customized C/AL Application to Microsoft Base Application: Describes how to upgrade an unmodified Business Central 14 application to version 16 Microsoft Base Application
• Upgrading Unmodified C/AL Application to Version 16: Describes how to upgrade an unmodified Business Central 14 application to version 16 base application
• Upgrading Version 15 Base Application to Version 16: Describes how to upgrade an unmodified Business Central 15 application to version 16

Source: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0). Descriptions are Learn’s own.