You can synchronize data, such as to-dos, contacts, and tasks, between Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 and Microsoft Office Outlook. This enables users who rarely connect to Microsoft Dynamics NAV, such as salespeople who work out of the office, to keep their Microsoft Dynamics NAV data current. For example, a sales manager can set a meeting for a salesperson as a to-do in Microsoft Dynamics NAV, and that salesperson can view or edit the meeting from his or her Outlook calendar.A salesperson can also add a new contact in Outlook, and that contact is added to the company's Microsoft Dynamics NAV database.
Within Microsoft Dynamics NAV, you define the mapping between Microsoft Dynamics NAV entities and Outlook items. You then specify which entities users will synchronize.
The Microsoft Office Outlook Add-In for Microsoft Dynamics NAV is required to set up and use synchronization. Outlook must be set up and configured for users before the add-in is installed. If it is not, then the add-in may not display correctly. You must also set up either a Web service or an Application Server connection. This process is described in this walkthrough.
About This Walkthrough
This walkthrough illustrates the following tasks:
-
Setting up Microsoft Dynamics NAV synchonization in a multiple user environment.
-
Configuring Microsoft Dynamics NAV for Outlook synchronization.
-
Mapping Microsoft Dynamics NAV Entities to Outlook items.
-
Assigning synchronization entities to synchronization users.
-
Applying change log settings.
-
-
Setting conditions for entities.
-
Setting up Web services or an Application Server connection between Outlook and Microsoft Dynamics NAV.
-
Configuring synchronization in Outlook.
-
Applying synchronization settings.
-
Establishing the connection using either Web services or Application Server.
-
Setting up synchronization folders.
-
Setting a filter to exclude Outlook contacts from synchronizing with Microsoft Dynamics NAV.
NoteWhen you complete the setup and configuration of Outlook synchronization that is described in this walkthrough, you can test your setup by performing the steps that are described in, "Walkthrough: Synchronizing Information Between Outlook and Microsoft Dynamics NAV," which is located in the Microsoft Dynamics NAV online Help.
-
Setting Up Synchronization in a
Multiple User Environment
Although this walkthrough does not describe setting up and using the Outlook add-in with a multiple-user environment, it is possible to do so. If the Outlook add-in needs to be used by multiple users on the same machine, such as in a terminal services scenario, then the following steps are recommended:
-
Before installing the add-in, ensure that Outlook is properly installed for all the users who need the add-in.
-
Install the Outlook Add-in from the Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 product media, and ensure that the installation is for all users.
For best results, install Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 and the Outlook add-in on a machine that has not had Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 installed and then uninstalled on it before.
Prerequisites
To complete this walkthrough, you will need:
-
Microsoft Office Outlook installed and configured for you as a user.
-
One of the following Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 installations. Make sure that each listed component is installed.
Installation that connects using Web services -
RoleTailored client
-
Server
-
Microsoft Office Outlook Integration
-
-
SQL Server option
-
Demo Database
-
-
Classic client
-
Microsoft Office Outlook Integration
-
-
Microsoft Office Outlook Add-In
Installation that connects using Application Server -
RoleTailored client
-
SQL Server option
-
Demo Database
-
-
Classic client
-
Microsoft Office Outlook Integration
-
-
Application Server
-
Microsoft Office Outlook Integration
-
-
Microsoft Office Outlook Add-In
For more information, see How to: Choose Components to Install.
-
Configuring Microsoft Dynamics NAV
for Outlook Synchronization
Before you begin working with synchronization setup, ensure that you are a Windows Login user with super role permissions.
To define synchronization users
-
Open the Classic client.
-
On the Tools menu, point to Security, and then click Windows Logins.
-
If you are not already listed in the Windows Logins window, then add yourself, click Roles, and then assign Super as the Role ID for your Windows login.
NoteYou can use any role that enables you to add a salesperson and modify data in the Outlook Synch. Entities and Outlook Synch. User Setup tables.
Add yourself as a salesperson in Microsoft Dynamics NAV so that you can assign synchronization entities to yourself, and then test your setup.
To add yourself as a salesperson
-
In the RoleTailored client, click Departments, click Sales & Marketing, click Sales, and then under Lists, click Salespeople.
-
Click New, and then fill in the following fields in the New Salesperson/Purchaser card.
Field Description Code
Your initials.
Name
Your name as defined in your Outlook profile.
E-mail
Your e-mail address as defined in your Outlook profile.
-
Click OK.
Mapping Microsoft Dynamics NAV
Entities to Outlook Items
You begin synchronization setup by identifying the Microsoft Dynamics NAV objects that will be synchronized. When you open the Outlook Synch. Entities window for the first time, you may receive a message that asks for permission to connect to the Outlook synchronization .config file that is installed with the Outlook add-in. Select the option that always allows you to connect.
The following table lists the entities that are set up by default and the Outlook item types that they map to:
| Microsoft Dynamics NAV entities | Outlook items |
|---|---|
|
Contacts: Company or Person Contacts |
Contacts |
|
Contacts: Salesperson |
Contacts |
|
To-do type: Blank or Phone |
Tasks |
|
To-do type: Meeting |
Meeting |
To set up synchronization entities
-
Click Departments, click Administration, click Application Setup, click Microsoft Office Outlook Integration, and then click Outlook Synch. Entities.
The default synchronization entities are sufficient for this walkthrough. However, if you want to add an entity, then in the Outlook Synch. Entities window, click New. In the New Outlook Synch. Entity window, add the information for the new entity that you want to map to an Outlook item. For more information, see the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Application Help.
After you have set up entities to synchronize with Outlook items, you assign users to the entity that they want to synchronize. In the following procedure, assign yourself as the user that is associated with the default entities.
When setting up synchronization, you can first assign a user to one or two entities and then continue with the setup to test that your connection works.
To assign synchronization entities to users
-
Open the Outlook Synch. User Setup window.
-
Click New, and in the Outlook Synch. User Setup window, click the User ID drop-down arrow, and then click your User ID.
-
Click the Synch Entity Code drop-down arrow, and then add synchronization entities in the following order, with the User ID set to yourself:
-
Add CONT_COMP. Leave the No. of Elements field at 0.
-
Add CONT_PERS. Leave the No. of Elements field at 0.
-
Add Cont_SP. Leave the No. of Elements field at 0.
-
Add APP.
For APP, click the No. of Elements field to open the Outlook Synch. Setup Details window.
Click New, click the line under Outlook Collection, click Recipients, and then click OK. Add another line for the Outlook collection Links. Click OK.
-
Add Task.
For Task, click the No. of Elements field to open the Outlook Synch. Setup Details window.
Click New, click the line under Outlook Collection, click Links, and then click OK.
-
-
Click OK. The elements that you have added will be updated after you apply the change log settings.
You must activate the change log to enable tracking of the changes that you made to the synchronization entities.
To apply change log settings
-
In the Outlook Synch. User Setup window, click Related Information, point to Setup, and then click Register in Change Log Setup.
-
Add a filter for each entity as follows:
-
Where Code is <Synch. Entity Code name>.
-
And Code is <Synch. Entity Code name>, and so on.
-
-
Click OK. Close and reopen the company to enable the change log settings.
NoteRun the Register in Change Log Setup batch job each time that you add or change a synchronization entity to ensure that the changes are collected for the required fields.
Setting Conditions for
Entities
You should set conditions for the TASK and APP entities. This helps limit whose tasks and meetings are placed on your Outlook calendar. For example, you could set a condition to retrieve only those meetings and tasks that involve you as the salesperson and that you own. Meetings and tasks need a Meeting Organizer or Task Owner, so you must create a condition. If you do not, then you cannot synchronize meetings withMicrosoft Dynamics NAV.
To configure conditions
-
In the navigation pane, click Departments, click Administration, click Application Setup, click Microsoft Outlook Integration, and then click Outlook Synch. User Setup.
-
Select the line with the APP entity, and then click in the Condition field.
-
In the Outlook Synch. Filters -Condition window, in the Field Name field, select Salesperson Code. In the Value field, add the code for the salesperson.
-
Repeat steps 1 through 3 for the TASK entity.
Otherwise, setting conditions for other entities is not mandatory, but you should do it to prevent mass data transfer to a local mailbox or a Public Folder.
Setting Up Web Services or
Application Server Connection
You must set up either a Web services or an Application Server connection between Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Outlook. Perform either procedure to set up a connection.
To set up a Web services connection
-
Ensure that Web services are running:
-
Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Services.
-
Right-click Microsoft Dynamics NAV Business Web Services, and then on the shortcut menu, click Start.
-
Close the window.
-
-
Open the RoleTailored client.
-
In the navigation pane, click Departments, click Administration, click IT Administration, click General, and then click Web Services.
-
Locate the DynamicsNAVsynchOutlook service, double-click to open it, and then select the Published check box. Click OK.
To set up an Application Server connection
-
On the Start menu, point to All Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Application Server Manager for Microsoft Dynamics NAV.
-
Right-click Application Server for Microsoft Dynamics NAV Manager, and on the shortcut menu, point to New, and then click Application Server.
-
In the New Application Server for Microsoft Dynamics NAV dialog box, add values for your server's Host Name and Service Name fields. The host name is generally your database server name. You can find your service name as follows:
-
Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Services.
-
Right-click Application Server for Microsoft Dynamics NAV Classic <machine name>-SQL, and on the shortcut menu, click Properties. The service name is displayed on the General tab.
-
-
Click OK.
-
In the NASMSnapIn window, a Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 form is displayed. You may need to expand the snap-in tree to get to the form. Fill in the form as follows:
Field Description Database Server Name
Your SQL Server database server name
Database
Demo Database NAV
Company Name
CRONUS International Ltd.
Start-Up Parameter
OSYNCH
Net Type
TCP/IP Sockets
Object Cache size
8000
-
Click Apply the Settings, and then click Start Service.
-
Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Services. In the Services window, right-click Application Server for Microsoft Dynamics NAV Classic <machine name>-SQL, and on the shortcut menu, click Properties.
-
On the Log On tab, select the This Account option, and then add your Windows login credentials, including your domain if your computer is part of a domain. Click Apply.
-
Stop and restart the service to enable the login credentials.
Configuring Synchronization in
Outlook
Now open Microsoft Outlook. The Microsoft Dynamics NAV Synchronization toolbar that is displayed in your Outlook client contains four buttons by default.
| Toolbar button | Description |
|---|---|
|
Synchronize |
Start synchronization manually. |
|
Settings |
Configure synchronization, including automatic synchronization, conflict resolution, and connection, and set folders and filters for synchronization entities. |
|
Troubleshooting |
Resolve synchronization issues. If the Troubleshooting icon is red, then you have existing errors that must be fixed. |
|
Connection State |
Indicates whether you are connected. The icon displays a red X when you are not connected. |
Applying Synchronization Settings
Begin by establishing synchronization settings in the Settings dialog box. You can set synchronization to run automatically and set how frequently that it should run. You can also set how conflicts should be resolved between Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Outlook when changes have been made in each application simultaneously.
Because you want to test your synchronization setup manually to ensure that it is working properly, you will not select the automatic synchronization setting. In addition, you will not select the automatic resolution setting at this time.
To set rules for synchronization
-
In Outlook, on the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Synchronization toolbar, click Settings.
-
On the General tab, select Show synchronization progress and Show synchronization summary.
-
Select Resolve conflicts manually.
Establishing a Connection Between Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Outlook
On the Connection tab, you must select a type of connection. You must have a working connection before you proceed with the synchronization settings.
If you set up Web services, then use the following steps to establish your connection.
To establish a Web services synchronization connection
-
In the Server Type area, select Microsoft Dynamics NAV Service Tier.
In the Connection Type area, Web Service is automatically selected. Use the default Web service path that is displayed in the Web Service Path text box: http://localhost:7047/DynamicsNAV/WS/Codeunit/DynamicsNAVsynchOutlook
-
In the Company Name box, select CRONUS International Ltd.
-
Click Test Connection.
If your connection succeeds, then you receive a message, and the red "X" is removed from the icon on the Connection State toolbar button. If your connection does not succeed, then you receive an error message. To resolve the error, stop and restart the Web service.
If you set up Application Server, then use the following steps to establish your connection.
To establish an Application Server synchronization connection
-
In the Server Type area, select Microsoft SQL Server.
-
In the Connection Type area, C/FRONT.NET is automatically selected. In the Server Name box, select the name of your SQL Server.
-
In the Database Name box, select Demo Database NAV (6-0).
-
In the Company Name box, select CRONUS International Ltd..
If your connection succeeds, then you receive a message, and the red "X" is removed from the icon on the Connection State toolbar button. If your connection does not succeed, then you receive an error message. To resolve the error, stop and restart the Application Server service.
Defining Synchronization Folders
Each Microsoft Dynamics NAV entity must be mapped to folders that you create for this purpose in Outlook. The folders must map to the entity type. This means that for contacts, the folder must be created in Outlook Contacts, for tasks, the folder must be created in Outlook Tasks, and so on. If you create a new entity, you set the Outlook item that that entity maps to. You can verify what Outlook item you set by double-clicking the entity in the Outlook Synch. Entities window in Microsoft Dynamics NAV.
To set folders for synchronization entities
-
Create a new folder in Outlook for each entity that you have set up for synchronization. For example, create a Company Contacts folder, and set the folder to contain Contact Items. The following table lists the default entities and the type of folder to create.
Microsoft Dynamics NAV entities Outlook folder item types Microsoft Dynamics NAV Contacts of the Company type
Contacts
Microsoft Dynamics NAV Contacts of the Person type
Contacts
Microsoft Dynamics NAV Salespeople
Contacts
Microsoft Dynamics NAV Meetings
Calendar
Microsoft Dynamics NAV Tasks
Tasks
-
In the Settings dialog box, click the Folders tab.
The entities that you set for synchronization are displayed in the Synchronization Folders area. If you add a new entity in Microsoft Dynamics NAV, then it is displayed in this list.
-
Click Browse, and then map each entity to the folder you created for it. Click Apply.
Setting Filters
You set filters to define any items that you do not want to be synchronized. For example, if you have a personal appointment or personal contacts that you do not want to be synchronized with your Microsoft Dynamics NAV contacts, then you can filter for those. In this scenario, you filter to exclude personal contacts from synchronization by excluding contacts that contain home telephone numbers.
To set a filter
-
On the Filters tab, on the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Contacts of the Person type line, click Edit.
-
In the Field Name box, select HomeTelephoneNumber.
-
In the Condition box, select is not empty, and then click Add to List.
Contacts with home telephone numbers will not be synchronized. Click Apply, and then click OK.
-
On the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Synchronization toolbar, click Synchronize.
The Synchronization Progress message is displayed. When synchronization is complete, you can view the details for the synchronization.
Next Steps
You have completed the required setup for synchronizing information between Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Microsoft Office Outlook. To test your setup, see Walkthrough: Synchronizing Information Between Outlook and Microsoft Dynamics NAV.
See Also
© 2010 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.