Business Central Basic Docker Commands

By Steve Endow

If you haven't used Docker before, and if you're not a PowerShell expert, welcome to the club.

I am new to both, and the only reason I'm using Docker and PowerShell is to use Business Central Docker Containers.  I know just enough to do the bare minimum that I need to manage a few Business Central Docker Containers for development and testing.

I have a live stream video demonstrating the commands:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-mlyIqNl5c

Here are the basic Docker commands that I have been using.

 #Containers  
   
 docker ps  
 docker ps -a  
   
 docker start <id>  
 docker stop <id>  
   
 docker rm <id>  
   
 #Stop all running containers:  
 docker stop $(docker ps -aq)  
   
   
 #Images  
   
 docker images  
 docker images -a  
   
 docker rmi <id>  
   
 docker rmi <repository>:<tag>  
   
   
 #Check NavContainerHelper version  
 Get-InstalledModule  
   
   
 #Install Latest NavContainerHelper  
 $MyModuleName = <modulename>  
 Uninstall-Module $MyModuleName -allversions   
 Install-Module $MyModuleName -Force  

Steve Endow is a Microsoft MVP in Los Angeles.  He works with Dynamics 365 Business Central, Microsoft Power Automate, Power Apps, Azure, .NET, Dynamics GP, and SQL Server.

You can also find him on Twitter and YouTube

http://www.precipioservices.com

New "Learning Business Central" Live Stream Video Series: Two Blind Mice

By Steve Endow

After weeks of research and testing and cameras and microphones and troubleshooting, my friend Tanya Henderson and I launched our new live stream series:  Two Blind Mice: Learning Business Central.

We plan on discussing new features, updates, and sharing our learning journey as we explore Dynamics 365 Business Central.

Here is the first episode:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyL5BAq68Nw

When we go live, the live stream will be posted on my Twitter account with a link to the Periscope stream.  But you can also watch the live stream on YouTube and Twitch.

If you don't want to watch the live stream, no worries!  You can find the recorded streams on my YouTube and Twitch channels:

https://www.youtube.com/steveendow

https://www.twitch.tv/steveendow

Steve Endow is a Microsoft MVP in Los Angeles.  He works with Dynamics 365 Business Central, Microsoft Power Automate, Power Apps, Azure, .NET, Dynamics GP, and SQL Server.

You can also find him on Twitter and YouTube

http://www.precipioservices.com

Live Streaming Business Central Content

By Steve Endow

This morning I did my first solo "live stream". 


     YouTube:  https://youtu.be/J-EmRpHilNs

     Twitch:  https://www.twitch.tv/videos/664954911

     Periscope:  https://twitter.com/steveendow/status/1277607187683045378?s=20


I've participated in a few Power Platform Share live streams hosted by my friend Belinda Allen, but this morning was the first time I've streamed on my own.

Business Central Navigation Challenge: Finding "Hidden" Pages?

By Steve Endow

I'm new to Business Central.  So please excuse my lack of proper Business Central decorum.

I don't yet know the lingo, the tricks, or the secret handshake.  I barely know the basics as I slowly learn the product.

So...I'm like a new "User".  One of those pesky new users who asks the "dumb" questions.  The obvious questions.  The questions that all real Business Central users already know and don't even think about.

Like how to navigate and find pages in Business Central.

Can I just ask for directions?

"Don't navigate! Just use Search!", is the obvious response.

But I, as a typical User, will find the oddities and exceptions.  The apparent secrets of Business Central that are not obvious to a new user.

How will developers and customers deal with software EULAs in the age of SaaS?

By Steve Endow

In the last 10 years, I've sold software to over 500 "mid-market" customers.

Only 8 of those customers read the software license agreement that I provided to them.  Which is fine--I don't read them either.

But 8 of my customers did actually read the license agreement--all were large corporations.  Presumably they reviewed the license agreement because it is their corporate policy, and likely because they actually have a "legal department" or some legal resource that handles the task of reviewing software licenses.  Fun job, for sure.

We've all ignored it

If you've ever had a lawyer read a legal document drafted by someone else, you know that they will always come back with requested changes.  Always.  Whenever I hear "legal department", I know what happens next.

Of the 8 customers who had their lawyer read my license agreement, all 8 requested changes to the agreement.

When will we attend physical conferences again?

By Steve Endow

I thought I was being prudent and organized in January 2020 when I booked my flight and hotel for the Directions NA conference to be held in Orlando in June 2020.  I'm used to hotels quickly filling up for Dynamics conferences, so I thought I'd reserve my room early and get a good price on my flight.  I also made sure to get the "Super Early Bird" registration rate for Directions NA.  I was all set!

But of course, things changed drastically by March, and physical conferences were all cancelled or rescheduled.  Microsoft has cancelled all physical events through July 2021.  Many companies put a hold on all business travel.

Directions NA was rescheduled for December 1-4, 2020.  My Super Early Bird registration applied to the new conference date.  I was able to cancel my hotel reservation.  The airline will not give me a refund if I cancel my flight, so I'm going to try to reschedule it to December.  So I assumed that I would be going to Directions NA in December.

This week I looked at the dates for Community Summit North America.  October 6-9, 2020, in Nashville.

Hmmm.  October 2020?  I guess that might be possible.

What about Community Summit Australia?  August 19-21, 2020, in Melbourne.

Business Central Docker Containers: Make sure to update NavContainerHelper

By Steve Endow


UPDATE: If you're interested in a convenient way to run the BcContainerHelper PowerShell commands, check out Krzysztof's Azure Data Studio Notebook with sample BcContainerHelper commands.  Jupyter Notebooks are a great way to include documentation and commands in a single convenient format.

If you are using Business Central Docker containers, make sure to regularly update NAV Container Helper.


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UPDATE:  After thinking about this more, it just didn't make sense that the NavContainerHelper module I had downloaded just 9 days ago would have an old reference to $NAV instead of BC.  The $NAV parameter would presumably have been phased out months ago.

So how was it possible that calling my 9 day old version of NavContainerHelper resulted in an error due to an old $NAV reference?

The explanation lies in my complete ignorance of PowerShell and how PowerShell modules work.

AJ Kauffmann explained to me that I can check which versions of the NavContainerHelper module I have installed.  This is probably obvious to PS folks, but I didn't know that PS maintained multiple module versions.

AJ informed me of the "-allversions" parameter that will show all of the versions I have installed.  I've collected quite a few.

I'm a Collector

I then started wondering:  Is it possible that PowerShell called one of these old versions, which did contain the NAV reference?

The answer is:  YES.  It is possible, and likely explains the error I encountered.