Implementing extensions in NAV Development Preview using Docker

Introduction:

This blog describes Container, Docker, and Benefits of using Containers. As containers was a new functionality in Microsoft Dynamics NAV Development Preview from September Update, this document also demonstrates creating containers and how to implement extensions using containers. Also, it includes saving the image into Azure Container Registry Service.

Pre-requisites:

• Microsoft NAV Development Preview(December update)
• Visual Studio Code(VS Code)

Description of Containers:

1. What is a Container?
A container image is a lightweight, stand-alone, executable package of a piece of software that includes everything needed to run it: code, runtime, system tools, system libraries, settings. Available for both Linux and Windows based apps, containerized software will always run the same, regardless of the environment. Containers isolate software from its surroundings, for example differences between development and staging environments and help reduce conflicts between teams running different software on the same infrastructure.

2. Why do we use container?

When you are running an app on a computer, you stand the risk that it will conflict with everything else on the machine. If two apps are having the same name and utilizing the same folder structure on the hard drive, there is a conflict and if 2 apps are using different versions of the same DLL, there might be problems.With a container, you achieve a higher level of isolation. Each container has its own file system, its own registry, its own network layer with its own published ports, and of course its own memory space – kind of like a virtual machine, just without the fat guest operating system.

3. What is a Docker?

Docker is the company driving the container movement and the only container platform provider to address every application across the hybrid cloud.Docker enables true independence between applications and infrastructure and developers and IT ops to unlock their potential and creates a model for better collaboration and innovation.

4. Implementing Docker:

What is a Docker Image?

An image is an inert, immutable, file that’s essentially a snapshot of a container. Images are created with the build command, and they’ll produce a container when started with run. Images are stored in a Docker registry such as registry.hub.docker.com.

i. List of Docker Images

ii. List of Containers

PS C:\Users\cfadmin> docker ps

CONTAINER ID        IMAGE                                     COMMAND                  CREATED             STATUS    
              PORTS                                                                                                  

     NAMES

c45e57849c56        microsoft/dynamics-nav:devpreview-finus   "powershell -Comma..."   14 hours ago        Up 2 minute

s (healthy)   80/tcp, 1433/tcp, 0.0.0.0:443->443/tcp, 0.0.0.0:7046-7049->7046-7049/tcp, 7045/tcp, 0.0.0.0:8080->8080/t

cp   navserver

iii. Creating a new Container

PS C:\demo> docker run -e ACCEPT_EULA=Y a9

Initializing...

Starting Container

Hostname is 0b04fbea782e

PublicDnsName is 0b04fbea782e

Using NavUserPassword Authentication

Starting Local SQL Server

Starting Internet Information Server

Creating Self Signed Certificate

Self Signed Certificate Thumbprint 52600A924814D5A8848D7990BC3F76F7FB6FAF66

Modifying NAV Service Tier Config File with Instance Specific Settings

Starting NAV Service Tier

Creating DotNetCore NAV Web Server Instance

Enabling Financials User Experience

Creating http download site

Creating Windows user admin

Enabling SA

WARNING: This license is not compatible with this version of Dynamics NAV.

Creating NAV user

WARNING: This license is not compatible with this version of Dynamics NAV.

WARNING: This license is not compatible with this version of Dynamics NAV.

Container IP Address: 172.18.232.162

Container Hostname  : 0b04fbea782e

Container Dns Name  : 0b04fbea782e

Web Client          : https://0b04fbea782e/NAV/WebClient/

NAV Admin Username  : admin

NAV Admin Password  : Tyvo6712

Dev. Server         : https://0b04fbea782e

Dev. ServerInstance : NAV


Files:

http://0b04fbea782e:8080/al-0.12.15359.vsix

http://0b04fbea782e:8080/certificate.cer


Initialization took 105 seconds

Ready for connections!

Note:

• Instead of full Image ID starting few characters can be used as Identifiers.
• Image Name can also be instead of Image ID.
• Download the Certificate from the URL and installed in Enterprise Trust, Trusted Publisher.

iv. Viewing the created Container

PS C:\demo> docker ps

CONTAINER ID        IMAGE                                     COMMAND                  CREATED             STATUS                 PORT

S                                                                                                        NAMES

0b04fbea782e        a9                                        "powershell -Comma..."   3 hours ago         Up 3 hours (healthy)   80/t

cp, 443/tcp, 1433/tcp, 7045-7049/tcp, 8080/tcp                                                           stupefied_stonebraker

ca1980d041c6        microsoft/dynamics-nav:devpreview-finus   "powershell -Comma..."   28 hours ago        Up 6 hours (healthy)   80/t

cp, 1433/tcp, 0.0.0.0:443->443/tcp, 0.0.0.0:7046-7049->7046-7049/tcp, 7045/tcp, 0.0.0.0:8080->8080/tcp   navserver

Newly Created Container with name as ‘stupefied_stonebraker’ and ID as ‘0b04fbea782e’

5. In Visual Studio Code:

i. Contents of Launch.json file

ii.Contents of App.json file

iii. Contents of Code unit which displays a Hello Message

iv. Contents of Customer Card which Creates a field and an action that triggers the CodeUnit above

v. Contents of Customer Table Extension that adds a field 

vi. in the Extension Management Pane

vii. Action in Customer Action

vii Displaying Hello Message

viii. Added field in the Customer Card Page

6. Merging the Containers in Image and Managing with Azure Container Service

i. Comitting the Container ‘stupefied_stonebraker’ to Image ‘microsoft/dynamics-nav:devpreview–finus’

PS C:\Users\vmadmin> docker stop stupefied_stonebraker

stupefied_stonebraker

PS C:\Users\vmadmin> docker commit stupefied_stonebraker microsoft/dynamics-nav:devpreview-finus


sha256:eca05b64ed3619c688225685613e27fb4dbb6823aee46e24e96f3d813158440f

ii. Tag the Image ’ microsoft/dynamics-nav:devpreview–finus’ as ‘navcontainerregister.azurecr.io/dynamics-nav:v1’ and push the committed image to Azure Container Service

PS C:\Users\vmadmin> docker tag microsoft/dynamics-nav:devpreview-finus navcontainerregister.azurecr.io/dynamics-nav:v1

PS C:\Users\vmadmin> docker login --username NavcontainerRegister --password 6QiIyg9ICAa=aEg1jL2Wp8JumxvfPAEd navcontainerregister.azurecr.io

Login Succeeded

PS C:\Users\vmadmin> docker push navcontainerregister.azurecr.io/dynamics-nav:v1

The push refers to a repository [navcontainerregister.azurecr.io/dynamics-nav]

79bb52c8ab0d: Preparing

9c54b1a40ebc: Preparing

0d828dcd4895: Preparing

b52bf723b284: Preparing

4beec416a215: Preparing

282537c6428c: Preparing

b786ae432ac1: Preparing

b07b88fd6145: Preparing

28c2b5be05f7: Preparing

cc91b1f75f98: Preparing

7305c5891baa: Preparing

bb5530559b18: Preparing

021428a01c82: Preparing

13b346524402: Preparing

cda2d40c0d33: Preparing

64efa9cbaf9b: Preparing

aa2b81bfb0aa: Preparing

505553846eae: Preparing

7a83b9538cb1: Preparing

20c2a3ed5225: Preparing

5437ac367abf: Preparing

c856f8e0a2f7: Preparing

f358be10862c: Preparing

b07b88fd6145: Waiting

28c2b5be05f7: Waiting

cc91b1f75f98: Waiting

7305c5891baa: Waiting

bb5530559b18: Waiting

021428a01c82: Waiting

13b346524402: Waiting

cda2d40c0d33: Waiting

64efa9cbaf9b: Waiting

aa2b81bfb0aa: Waiting

505553846eae: Waiting

7a83b9538cb1: Waiting

20c2a3ed5225: Waiting

5437ac367abf: Waiting

c856f8e0a2f7: Waiting

f358be10862c: Waiting

282537c6428c: Waiting

b786ae432ac1: Waiting

b52bf723b284: Pushed

9c54b1a40ebc: Pushed

4beec416a215: Pushed

b07b88fd6145: Pushed

282537c6428c: Pushed

b786ae432ac1: Pushed

cc91b1f75f98: Pushed

28c2b5be05f7: Pushed

bb5530559b18: Pushed

021428a01c82: Pushed

cda2d40c0d33: Pushed

13b346524402: Pushed

aa2b81bfb0aa: Pushed

64efa9cbaf9b: Pushed

505553846eae: Pushed

20c2a3ed5225: Pushed

79bb52c8ab0d: Pushed

c856f8e0a2f7: Skipped foreign layer

f358be10862c: Skipped foreign layer

0d828dcd4895: Pushed

7305c5891baa: Pushed

7a83b9538cb1: Pushed

5437ac367abf: Pushed

v1: digest: sha256:0aa9bfe03388e4fa20f83fcac99dafdf1933f58a2aed9d1c8bb2d05d162f062e size: 5343

iii. Azure Container Registry Repository: Pushed Image into Container Registry in Repositories

Conclusion:

These are the actions that can be performed on containers using Docker and how extensions are developed on Containers.