Knowing your data and database

Before you try to connect an external tool to the Dynamics NAV application, some knowledge about the database can get in your way in understanding what's available in SQL Server and how to use it to your advantage.

First, we will investigate the structure of the internal NAV database. It is important to understand the database and tables and how they are related to be able to use them with reporting tools that will directly access the tables in the database.

Then, let's focus on the SQL database, because although you can access the native database via the NODBC driver, it is not recommended.

Note

The NODBC driver

A common use of NODBC is for example to allow UPS or FedEx software to access and read the shipping address information in the Sales Header or the Sales Shipment Header table.

But, the NODBC database driver is not optimized for performance. If you use it to transport a lot of data, it can slow down the Dynamics NAV application. Also, the NODBC driver...