Delete out-of-license table data

In an email exchange between a few NAV developers, we where discussing how to delete or modify data from read-only tables or tables that are not included in the customer license.

In the Classic Client the consultant was able to change to a partner license to make data changes.  Since NAV 2013 tables are opened through the server instance and the only way to have tables opened with the partner license is to upload the partner license to the database and restart the server instance.  That is not a best practice method but a possible way if you have a dedicated developement server instance where no user is connected.

If that is the case you can use PowerShell to upload the license so it will only work on this service instance.

[code lang=”powershell”]Import-Module ‘C:\Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics NAV\71\Service\NavAdminTool.ps1’
Import-NAVServerLicense -ServerInstance DynamicsNAV71 -LicenseFile MyLicenseFile.flf[/code]

If a user server instance is restarted the customer will be running the partner license and that is a dangerous thing. Make sure that you have the correct customer license at hand before doing this and make sure that you upload that license back with the same PowerShell commands as soon as your data changes have been done.

Another way to solve this is with programming.  You either create a Page, Report or a Codeunit to modify the data.  If the field is read only a Report or a Codeunit is needed to modify the data with code.  Other fields can be edited with a Page.  To enable modification with the customer license the object needs to have special permissions.

Then one of the group mentioned another problem.  If a customer is started with the CRONUS data then you will have data in tables that are not licensed.  In that case you can’t change this with the customer license.  Here the first method of change to a partner license is available but I suggest another method.

Here is a Report that will loop through Table Information.  Running on the customer license it will find all tables that are out of license containing data and give you a SQL script to execute that will delete all data from these tables.

[code lang=”sql”]USE [CRONUS International Ltd]
GO
DELETE FROM dbo.[CRONUS International Ltd$Payroll Cue]
GO
DELETE FROM dbo.[CRONUS International Ltd$Banking Card Process Setup]
GO
DELETE FROM dbo.[CRONUS International Ltd$Banking Card Type]
GO
DELETE FROM dbo.[CRONUS International Ltd$Banking Collection Agent]
GO
[/code]

I hope this will answer these questions and give you a simpler way to start a new company with existing data, or just check if you have any data that is not included in the customer license.

The Report – Create SQL Delete Script – is attached.  This version is for NAV 2013 R2 but the text version should also work in NAV 2013.

DeleteScriptNAV2013R2