Microsoft Dynamics NAV/Business Central Integration

Portway connects to on-premise Microsoft Dynamics NAV/Business Central through proxy endpoints. Your external applications reach NAV/BC data and services without talking to the ERP directly. Environment-specific headers route each request to the correct database instance.

Overview ​

The integration uses Portway's proxy endpoints to forward requests to the internal NAV/BC OData web services. Each request carries its environment configuration. That is how data ends up coming from the correct company database and server instance.

Configuration Requirements ​

Environment Headers ​

All requests to NAV/BC endpoints require critical headers that are automatically added based on the environment:

These headers are configured in the environment settings and automatically injected into proxy requests.

Environment Settings ​

Each environment needs to be configured in its settings:

{
  "ServerName": "NAV-SERVER",
  "ServerInstance": "DynamicsNAV130",
  "ConnectionString": "Server=NAV-SERVER;Database=Demo Database NAV (13-0);Trusted_Connection=True;Connection Timeout=5;TrustServerCertificate=true;",
  "Headers": {
    "Company": "CRONUS%20International%20Ltd.",
    "ServerInstance": "DynamicsNAV130", 
    "ServerName": "NAV-SERVER",
    "Origin": "Portway"
  }
}

Available NAV/Business Central Endpoints ​

Proxy Endpoints ​

Each NAV/BC OData service you want to expose gets its own endpoint definition. A few common examples:

Customers ​

{
  "Url": "http://nav-server:7048/DynamicsNAV130/ODataV4/Company('CRONUS%20International%20Ltd.')/Customer",
  "Methods": ["GET", "POST", "PATCH", "DELETE"]
}

Items ​

{
  "Url": "http://nav-server:7048/DynamicsNAV130/ODataV4/Company('CRONUS%20International%20Ltd.')/Item",
  "Methods": ["GET", "POST", "PATCH", "DELETE"]
}

Sales Orders ​

{
  "Url": "http://nav-server:7048/DynamicsNAV130/ODataV4/Company('CRONUS%20International%20Ltd.')/SalesHeader",
  "Methods": ["GET", "POST", "PATCH", "DELETE"]
}

Sales Order Lines ​

{
  "Url": "http://nav-server:7048/DynamicsNAV130/ODataV4/Company('CRONUS%20International%20Ltd.')/SalesLine", 
  "Methods": ["GET", "POST", "PATCH", "DELETE"]
}

Composite Endpoints ​

Composite endpoints handle complex operations that require multiple related transactions. These endpoints can create sales orders with lines, general journal entries, or other multi-step NAV/BC operations in a single request.

Authentication with NAV/Business Central ​

The proxy endpoints handle NAV/BC authentication transparently:

1. Requests are forwarded with Windows authentication or NAV/BC service authentication
2. The service account running Portway needs NAV/BC database access
3. Individual API tokens control access to specific OData services

Error Handling ​

NAV/BC specific error responses are preserved and forwarded:

// NAV/BC validation error
{
  "error": {
    "code": "ValidationError",
    "message": "Customer 10000 does not exist in company CRONUS International Ltd.",
    "details": {
      "service": "Customer",
      "field": "No",
      "value": "10000"
    }
  }
}

Notes ​

A few NAV/BC specifics that save debugging time:

• NAV/BC OData field names use underscores (e.g., Sell_to_Customer_No). Use these exact names in $filter and $select expressions.
• The Company header value needs to be URL-encoded (e.g., CRONUS%20International%20Ltd.).
• Test against a NAV/BC test company before connecting to production.