NavContainerHelper – Create a SQL Server container and restore a .bak file

Update 2021/2/10: Microsoft stopped creating images for Docker in the summer of 2020. We now publish artifacts, which can be used to spin up containers and BcContainerHelper has replaced NavContainerHelper. This blog post reflects the old way of using NAV/BC on Docker and references NavContainerHelper, which is outdated.

If you haven’t read the first post about the NavContainerHelper, you should do so.

The following script sample, will create a new SQL Server container and restore a NAV 2018 database backup file (Demo Database NAV (11-0).bak) placed on the host in a folder called c:\temp\navdbfiles. Continue reading

NavContainerHelper – Create a SQL Server container with the CRONUS database from a NAV container image

Update 2021/2/10: Microsoft stopped creating images for Docker in the summer of 2020. We now publish artifacts, which can be used to spin up containers and BcContainerHelper has replaced NavContainerHelper. This blog post reflects the old way of using NAV/BC on Docker and references NavContainerHelper, which is outdated.

If you haven’t read the first post about the NavContainerHelper, you should do so.

The NAV container images contains SQL Express with the CRONUS Demo Database. If we want to get a copy of the databases from a NAV container image, we can override the navstart.ps1 script with a script, which basically just starts the SQL Server, takes the database offline and copies the database files to a folder. Continue reading

NavContainerHelper – Start a NAV container and place the database files on a file share on the host computer

Update 2021/2/10: Microsoft stopped creating images for Docker in the summer of 2020. We now publish artifacts, which can be used to spin up containers and BcContainerHelper has replaced NavContainerHelper. This blog post reflects the old way of using NAV/BC on Docker and references NavContainerHelper, which is outdated.

If you haven’t read the first post about the NavContainerHelper, you should do so.

The database files are placed inside the container by default. If you want to copy the database to a share on the Docker host, you can override the SetupDatabase.ps1 script by creating a file called SetupDatabase.ps1, specify that in myScripts.ps1 to New-NavContainer and share a folder on the host, which can host the DB files. Continue reading

NavContainerHelper – Specify your own Database backup file to use with a NAV container

Update 2021/2/10: Microsoft stopped creating images for Docker in the summer of 2020. We now publish artifacts, which can be used to spin up containers and BcContainerHelper has replaced NavContainerHelper. This blog post reflects the old way of using NAV/BC on Docker and references NavContainerHelper, which is outdated.

If you haven’t read the first post about the NavContainerHelper, you should do so.

If you have a database backup file (.bak), you can specify that as parameter to the container. You can specify the bakfile using a secure URL. Read this for information about how to create a secure url for a file. Continue reading

NavContainerHelper – License

Update 2021/2/10: Microsoft stopped creating images for Docker in the summer of 2020. We now publish artifacts, which can be used to spin up containers and BcContainerHelper has replaced NavContainerHelper. This blog post reflects the old way of using NAV/BC on Docker and references NavContainerHelper, which is outdated.

If you haven’t read the first post about the NavContainerHelper, you should do so.

By default the NAV containers are using the CRONUS demo database and the CRONUS Demo license file is already imported in that. If you want to use you own licensefile, you have a few options on how to do this. Continue reading

NavContainerHelper – Authentication

Update 2021/2/10: Microsoft stopped creating images for Docker in the summer of 2020. We now publish artifacts, which can be used to spin up containers and BcContainerHelper has replaced NavContainerHelper. This blog post reflects the old way of using NAV/BC on Docker and references NavContainerHelper, which is outdated.

If you haven’t read the first post about the NavContainerHelper, you should do so.

This post covers the different ways of setting up authentication for your Container. Continue reading

NavContainerHelper – Certificates

Update 2021/2/10: Microsoft stopped creating images for Docker in the summer of 2020. We now publish artifacts, which can be used to spin up containers and BcContainerHelper has replaced NavContainerHelper. This blog post reflects the old way of using NAV/BC on Docker and references NavContainerHelper, which is outdated.

If you haven’t read the first post about the NavContainerHelper, you should do so.

If you want to secure the communication to your container, you need to use a certificate. Continue reading

NavContainerHelper

Update 2021/2/10: Microsoft stopped creating images for Docker in the summer of 2020. We now publish artifacts, which can be used to spin up containers and BcContainerHelper has replaced NavContainerHelper. This blog post reflects the old way of using NAV/BC on Docker and references NavContainerHelper, which is outdated.

What are Containers? What is Docker?

If you are new to Docker and Containers, please read this document, which describes what Containers are and what Docker is.

If you want more info, there are a lot of Channel9 videos on Containers as well

If you have problems with Docker (not NAV related), the Windows Containers Docker forum is the place you can ask questions (read the readme first). Continue reading

NAV on Docker version 0.0.4.1

Update 2021/2/10: Microsoft stopped creating images for Docker in the summer of 2020. We now publish artifacts, which can be used to spin up containers. This blog post reflects the old way of using NAV/BC on Docker.

Some of you might already know what lies behind this cryptic title, some of you might not care. This post describes what changed in the Generic image version 0.0.4.1, which today is the foundation of all images on the Docker hub and of course also of the generic image on the docker hub. Continue reading

Can I run NAV 2015 (and earlier) on Docker?

Update 2021/2/10: Microsoft stopped creating images for Docker in the summer of 2020. We now publish artifacts, which can be used to spin up containers and BcContainerHelper has replaced NavContainerHelper. This blog post reflects the old way of using NAV/BC on Docker and references NavContainerHelper, which is outdated.

NAV on Docker is here to stay, and a lot of partners have discovered how NAV on Docker can save a lot of time in their development processes. NAV ships and maintains Docker images for all NAV versions (all CUs, all localizations) since NAV 2016RTM. One of the questions I have been asked a lot is, whether we will ship images for older versions of NAV. Continue reading