How to Export Business Central Databases in the Admin Center: Complete BACPAC Guide

Summary

In this detailed tutorial, Tek Na Msangi walks us through the process of exporting databases using the Business Central Admin Center. The primary focus is on creating a BACPAC file, which is crucial for backing up your database. The video outlines the steps to create a shared access signature URL for secure data transfer, setting up storage accounts, and executing exports. Emphasizing ease and accessibility, this guide reassures users about the straightforward nature of the process, even offering alternatives such as using PowerShell.

Highlights

• Creating a BACPAC file is a breeze with Tek Na Msangi’s tutorial 📂
• Master the use of shared access signature URLs to ensure data security 🔑
• Discover how affordable storage accounts can be set up 💰
• Even non-techies can navigate the Business Central Admin Center 🛠️
• Effective for users with various levels of access permissions 🚀

Key Takeaways

• Learn to export BACPAC files easily from Business Central Admin Center 📂
• Understand the importance of shared access signature URLs for secure data transfers 🔑
• Storage accounts setup and their affordability 💰
• Step-by-step guidance even for non-technical users 🛠️
• Useful tips for users with different admin access levels 🚀

Overview

Tek Na Msangi’s video is a perfect companion for anyone looking to export databases from the Business Central Admin Center without a hitch. She navigates through the intricacies of creating a BACPAC file and setting up a secure environment for your data. The explanation is tailored to cater to both seasoned tech users and beginners alike, ensuring everyone finds it easy to follow. This is more than just a how-to; it's a reassuring guide through potentially overwhelming tech tasks.

In the world of database exports, the shared access signature (SAS) URL plays a pivotal role. Tek highlights how this tool facilitates secure, delegated access to storage accounts, making the whole export process seamless. Understanding the SAS URL is key to ensuring that your data export is both secure and efficient. With Tek’s guidance, you’ll see that setting up these secure connections can be straightforward and stress-free.

Tek's overview includes detailed steps for setting up storage accounts, with a few hacks thrown in for good measure. She demystifies the pricing and performance options, making it easier to choose the right plan — be it a paid or trial subscription. The comprehensive walk-through includes insightful tips on managing storage and access levels, reinforcing that exporting databases doesn’t have to be daunting. Whether you’re fully in charge of your business system or working as a delegated admin, the steps remain clear and achievable.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 01:00: Introduction and Concept Overview The chapter titled 'Introduction and Concept Overview' is part of a series on the Business Central Admin Center. In this video, the process of exporting a BC Pac file (also known as a backup file) from the Business Central database is explained. The video provides a step-by-step guide on how to access the Business Central Administration Center to create a database export by navigating to the database section and selecting the create database export option.
• 01:00 - 03:00: Creating a Database Export The chapter titled 'Creating a Database Export' explains the process and implications of creating a database export. It begins with a description of the interface, noting that users can change the file name as needed. A critical aspect of the process is the confirmation that by exporting a database, users acknowledge that the data, which may include personal data, could be transmitted to a location different from the one hosting the admin center. This means that exporting data may involve transferring it to different geographical locations.
• 03:00 - 07:00: Setting up Storage Account In the chapter titled 'Setting up Storage Account,' the focus is on creating a shared access signature (SAS) for a storage account. A shared access signature URL is introduced, which is essential for providing secure delegated access to the storage account. This allows specific permissions and time frames for access without compromising security.
• 07:00 - 10:00: Generating Shared Access Signature This chapter explains the process of generating a Shared Access Signature (SAS) for use in Business Central. The SAS is used to write files to a storage account. The chapter outlines the simplicity of creating a database export using a shared link. It mentions that accessing specific information can be done easily through an information tab which directs you to the desired link. Overall, the process is described as straightforward.
• 10:00 - 13:00: Initiating and Completing Export In this chapter titled 'Initiating and Completing Export', the speaker explains the process of managing storage accounts. They mention logging onto a platform (presumably Azure Active Directory or similar) and stress the importance of privacy by not revealing the details of their storage accounts. Users are guided to create a storage group or select a default Resource Group, considering multiple subscriptions if applicable. The focus is on creating a storage account specifically for export, and the speaker highlights the need to appropriately name the storage account, emphasizing that it should adhere to certain criteria (indicated by 'should be all').
• 13:00 - 15:00: Export Permissions and Conclusion The chapter discusses the configuration of export permissions, highlighting the importance of choosing the right geographical region for data storage. The speaker prefers the East US region while considering Azure Blob Storage as the primary service. The chapter concludes by recommending standard practices for common scenarios without delving into much further detail.

How to Export Business Central Databases in the Admin Center: Complete BACPAC Guide Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 welcome to video two of the business Central admin Center series how can we be able to export as promised we're going to export the BC Pac file backpack file the backup file from the database um the business Central Administration Center and you go to the database and you click on create database export and
• 00:30 - 01:00 the window that will be generated will be looking like this and we have the option of changing the file name and uh so there is so so what is this so by creating a database export you confirm that you understand that data including personal data may be transmitted to a geography other than the geography that hosts your admin Center so that's like your data might be exported to a different
• 01:00 - 01:30 [Music] geography and the there is a what we need to create is a shared access signature so the URL here it's a shared access signature URL that's the URI that we need that will enable um so what does it do uh it provides a secure delegated access to the storage account
• 01:30 - 02:00 so business Central uses the signature to write the ba uh PSC file to your storage account so this shared access signature is the one that we want to use all right so what do you need to be able to create a a database export it's easy this link will be shared and ideally when you click on this information tab it opens that particular link so it's pretty straight for
• 02:00 - 02:30 and uh what it is now I've gone to aav logged on and I'm I'm going to storage accounts I don't want you guys to see what kind of storage accounts I have because I have quite some storage accounts you can create a storage group or choose the default story Resource Group that is there if you have several subscriptions you can choose the subscription then you we call we create this is a storage account for expert so we say what is the storage account name so we can call it uh it should be all
• 02:30 - 03:00 small cups account yetu then the the region should be let's stick to East us for me I don't mind the region then the primary service is aab blob storage and then a recommended standard for more scenarios nothing much there then there is now the
• 03:00 - 03:30 the performance I'm going for the standard recommended for most scenarios and then there is now the GE redundant storage that is intermediate option with fail over capabilities in a secondary region recommended for backup scenarios so this is a backup scenario and we can choose the recommend recommended option so if you're wondering how I've got here you can just search for storage accounts in your AA you need an ajust subscription to be able to create database exports or rather the alternative here will be to create a a
• 03:30 - 04:00 trial account to test it and confirm everything is okay storage accounts are not expensive in AA they are pretty cheap So based on your size of data you can look at the subscription that is um valuable for the AA blob storage as low as 20 25 I think $25 us we need we need to double check in the azha pricing calculator for up to 100b for the azha storage account so it's a good resource to use that is pretty pretty pretty
• 04:00 - 04:30 cheap not not a very expensive resource in AA so we'll review and create here and once we review and create we can be able to see the breakdown of how the storage will be done and all that and then the validation is in progress all righty let's go the validation is in progress the key here is the shared access signature URL then most of the most of most of the settings will be the same like you can see what is the soft delete period retention period uh
• 04:30 - 05:00 container retirement period file share retirment period everything is set up the way we should be able to do it then let's create it we are initializing deployment let's go let's go let's go you're not using copilot submitting deployment for Resource Group BC admin export so once we create it we need to be able to specify a few settings here
• 05:00 - 05:30 and then in our resource and then we'll be able to get the shared access shared access what is it okay I keep forgetting this name shared access signature Ur and then once we get the shared access signature URL link we are able to paste it there and then create an export then we'll be able to view it in our container our in our storage accounts so let's go so this is our account uh and
• 05:30 - 06:00 uh we'll definitely go to the resource go to Resource after it's created real quick the resource has been created and on the security and networking there's a tab of shared access signature so that's what we need basically the shared access signature sometimes a sh is overwhelming with a lot of services you don't know what to do what to create so it's good to always focus on user documentation and just whatever is needed for you to do is what you you need access to so
• 06:00 - 06:30 okay it's it's describing here a shared access signature is a URI that grants restricted access rights to aure storage resources you can provide a shared access signature to clients who should not be trusted with your storage account key but whom you wish to delegate access to certain storage account Resources by Distributing a shared access signature URL to these clients to grant them access to a resource for a specified
• 06:30 - 07:00 period of time and then you can see there is account level shared access signature that can delegate access to multiple storage accounts that is blob file Q table and all that so in the allowed Services it's recommended that you only leave leave it to uh to blob and then you allow container and object this is for the purpose of business Central allow read write delete and uh create for business Central the others are not needed for this this particular
• 07:00 - 07:30 shared access signature and then the expiry period should be more than 24 hours so from now up to maybe we can add it to maybe the next dat to allow it to be more than 24 hours then we are using of course the region is Nairobi what else then https only we only want secure access and then we generate the shared access storage signature connection string then we can copy the URI so this URI the block blob Services uh The Blob
• 07:30 - 08:00 service s URL that's the one that's needed and it's the one that we paste it here and we create our database export and we'll leave it now to run behind the scenes you can close your Administration Center you don't need to be worried so the database export has successfully initiated the operation may take several minutes to to several hours to complete depending on the size of your database once completed uh the production export container of Accu blah blah blah I will
• 08:00 - 08:30 be having uh that and then the export will continue even if you never get away from this page even if you close the business Central Administration Center this export will still be able to work so if we go to The Container now of account yetu ideally as at now it doesn't have anything but there is a production exports that has been created at 6:20 p.m. so it is pretty close and uh the file The Blob the BC do uh the backup file will be created here and we
• 08:30 - 09:00 can be able to view that file and download the bacp uh the back how is it pronounced bc. PSC B PSC file so that's how we are able to create a production export and uh in the container here once you click on this file you'll be able to see the results uh after the file has been exported successfully and you can also be able to show the the deleted blob so that's it
• 09:00 - 09:30 for this video if you have any challenge um before I end the video remember for you to be able to have this permission either you're maintaining this account the customer's account as a uh the export permission as a client account as a uh let me say as a partner where you have delegated access delegated admin access or you can export it using the um okay as Global administrator of
• 09:30 - 10:00 your tenant if you're still the global administrator you're able to export and you should have the d365 backup stroke restore permission for you to be able to do all these functions in the admin Center so this video is just an overview to show you how easy it is for you to be able to to export and uh don't be afraid of Performing the operation or worried of where to go but the link is there in the S um link the I the information icon
• 10:00 - 10:30 when you click on it it takes you straight to exporting database in the admin Center I will share this particular link on the the the description for you to be able to easily access it and just go through it read it again first and then understand it then go execute and it will be very very straightforward and easy for you if you prefer using Powershell that's up to you but that's the procedure I wish you a good a good day if you're you're watching in the morning and good evening
• 10:30 - 11:00 or afternoon depending on the time you're watching have a good one see you in the next video If you enjoyed this video make sure to like subscribe and ring the notification Bell so that you don't miss the next one