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Dynamics 365 Community / Forums / Small and medium business | Business Central, N... / Business Central: comp...
Small and medium business | Business Central, N...
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Business Central: company data migration between different databases

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Posted on by blackone 29
Hi,
 
i have a customer with 2 different DB (BC21 version onprem); each DB contains a company (DB1 company A, DB2 Company B), and both companies are used.
These DB have the same apps (and version).
 
My customer asked me to migrate company B into DB1, for having only one DB with 2 companies.
 
 
I tried "ExportData" page (9901), but the file that i create is over 350MB, and i can't upload in DB1
I can't use Config.Packages because i have to move also entries.
 
I'm thinking to do it by SQL, but i'd like to know if there any other way.
 
Have you any suggestion? 
 
Thanks
Alberto
Categories:
Dynamics 365 Business Central
  • Suggested answer
    Dr Gomathi MVP, MCT Community lead, MLE Profile Picture
    Dr Gomathi MVP, MCT... 254 on at
    Business Central: company data migration between different databases

    You have a few options for migrating Company B from DB2 to DB1 in Business Central (BC21 On-Prem):

    1. Use Data Upgrade Tools (Recommended)

    • Use the Export-NAVData and Import-NAVData PowerShell commands:
      1. Export Data from DB2: 
        Export-NAVData -DatabaseServer "DB2_Server" -DatabaseName "DB2" -CompanyName "Company B" -FilePath "C:\Backup\CompanyB.navdata"
      2. Import Data into DB1: 
        Import-NAVData -DatabaseServer "DB1_Server" -DatabaseName "DB1" -FilePath "C:\Backup\CompanyB.navdata" -IncludeApplicationData
      3. Restart Business Central service and verify the data.

    2. SQL Backup & Restore (Direct Approach)

    • Take a backup of DB2, restore it as a temporary database, and then copy Company B into DB1 using SQL scripts.
    • Make sure to copy all related tables, including entries.

    3. Use RapidStart Services (Limited)

    • If you only need master data, Configuration Packages can help, but they don’t migrate entries.

    Best Approach?

    • If you need a full migration (including entries), Export-NAVData is the best option.
    • If the file size is an issue, consider compressing the .navdata file or splitting it.
    • SQL migration is possible but requires careful handling of tables and relationships.

    Let me know if you need further details! 

  • André Arnaud de Calavon Profile Picture
    André Arnaud de Cal... 293,245 Super User 2025 Season 1 on at
    Business Central: company data migration between different databases
    Moved to the Business Central forum.

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