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Handle App ID change and configuration migration during major AL extension upgrade

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Posted on by LA-02071030-0

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Hi everyone,

I need some guidance regarding deployment and upgrade handling in Business Central AL extensions.

I initially developed a customized solution in AL, downloaded symbols, created the extension, and deployed it successfully in the client environment with all required configurations.

Now, there has been a major change in the solution architecture, where the entire code has been migrated to use a new API / different implementation, so I created a new AL package, downloaded symbols again, and completed all code changes.

My concern is this:

If I deploy this new package to the client environment, the App ID is different from the previous extension, so the old configuration/data setup may conflict with the new deployment.

What is the best approach in this situation?

Should I keep the same App ID and treat it as an upgrade?
If the App ID has already changed, how can I safely replace the old extension without losing configuration/data?
What is the recommended way to handle upgrade and migration in Business Central for such major changes?

Any best practices or upgrade strategies would be highly appreciated.

Thank you.

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Dynamics 365 Business Central

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YUN ZHU 100,212 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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You've only changed the app ID. This will be a new app, and if your object ID is the same as the old app, it won't install in production; you'll have to uninstall the old app.
Then, Schema Sync Mode must be set to Force. This will result in the loss of all data.

If you can export and import data from your app via Configuration Package, back up your data before uninstalling and then re-import it.

If you need automation, you need to handle it in the install codeunit section, with both apps installed. Hope the following helps.

Business Central 2022 wave 2 (BC21): Developers can write faster upgrade code (New DataTransfer data type)

Business Central 2023 wave 1 (BC22): Developers can write faster install code (DataTransfer data type in Install Codeunit)

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Gerardo Rentería Ga... 26,110 Most Valuable Professional on at

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Hi, good day
I hope this can help you, and give you some hints.

Upgrading Extensions - Business Central | Microsoft Learn

Upgrading Extensions in Business Central: Version Checks and Upgrade Tags – DvlprLife.com

Best Regards
Gerardo

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OussamaSabbouh 15,188 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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Hello ,

Best practice is: keep the same App ID if this is logically the same solution and you want to preserve existing setup/data; then just increase the version and handle changes through a normal extension upgrade with upgrade codeunits if needed. Microsoft’s upgrade model is based on publishing a newer version of the same extension, then syncing schema changes and running data upgrade logic, so this is the clean path when customers already use the app. If you change the App ID, Business Central treats it as a different app, not an upgrade, so the old data/configuration stays owned by the old extension and you can’t just “replace” it cleanly. In that case, the safe approach is a data migration from old app to new app, typically with upgrade/migration strategy such as preserving table/field IDs where possible and using Microsoft’s migration mechanisms when moving data between extensions; otherwise uninstalling the old app can risk losing extension-owned data. So the short answer is: same App ID = upgrade, different App ID = migration project. For major architecture changes, keep the same App ID unless this is intentionally a brand-new product.

Regards,
Oussama Sabbouh

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