Connect Business Central on-premises
For Business Central on your own server or hosted by your partner. Your partner creates a user for Docentra, and the user can only read. Then you enter the server's address, the user name and the user's access key in Docentra.
Who does it: Your Business Central partner creates the user, in about fifteen minutes. Then it takes you a minute to enter the details in Docentra.
Before you start
- Business Central 17 (2020) or later. With an older version or Dynamics NAV (Navision), use the “Any other system” guide instead and upload an export.
Steps
Send this page to your Business Central partner
What your partner does is under “For your Business Central partner” below.
Enter the details in Docentra
When you have the address, the user name and the access key, open Settings › Accounting system in Docentra, choose Connect next to Business Central on-premises, enter them and choose Connect.
Pick the company
If the user can open several companies, Docentra asks which one to read. Pick it.
For your Business Central partner
Docentra checks that the company pays its suppliers what was agreed. It uses the standard API v2.0 and only reads: posted purchase invoices and credit memos, vendors, vendor ledger entries and the documents attached to invoices.
Access keys work only when the server instance signs users in with NavUserPassword or AccessControlService, not with Windows.
Create a user with D365 READ only
Search for Users and create a user for Docentra, for example DOCENTRA. Under User Permission Sets, give the user D365 READ and nothing else.
Create a web service access key
On the user card, under Web Service, set the Web Service Access Key. Choose Key Never Expires. If you set a Key Expiration Date instead, remember to renew the key before then.
Make the API reachable
Turn on the API on the server instance (ApiServicesEnabled) if it isn't on already. Docentra must be able to reach it from the internet over https, with a publicly trusted certificate (port 7048 by default).
Any of these addresses works: the API's (https://bc.nordlys.dk:7048/BC/api/v2.0), the server instance's, or an OData address on the server instance. If the server hosts several customers, keep ?tenant= in the address.
Send the details
Send the address and the user name to the person connecting Docentra, and send the access key separately.
What the access allows
D365 READ gives read access to data. The only things it can change are the user's own lists of favourites and the list of published web services. On every request, Docentra also asks for a read-only session.
Docentra only reads. It never creates, changes or deletes anything in your system.
Removing access
In Docentra: open Settings › Accounting system and choose Disconnect. The booked entries are removed from Docentra, but invoices Docentra has already read stay.
In Business Central: change or remove the user's web service access key, or disable the user created for Docentra.
If something goes wrong
- “The system didn't accept these details”
- Check the user name and the access key. The key is not the user's password. It is on the user card under Web Service.
- “Docentra can't reach that address” or “The system didn't answer”
- The address has to be reachable from the internet, over https, with a valid certificate. Check the address and the port with whoever sent them. Also check that the server lets Docentra in.
- “Another accounting system is connected”
- Docentra reads only one accounting system per company. Disconnect the other system first, then connect this one.
- “Business Central no longer gives Docentra access”
- The access was removed in Business Central, or the person who connected it can't sign in any more. Choose Connect again.