Hi, Readers.
Today I would like to share an important update in Business Central 2024 wave 2 (BC25).
Manage environment updates more flexibly:
Business value
With extended periods for major releases and optional minor updates, administrators have more flexibility to update environments in a way that suits their needs. Businesses have more time to prepare for updates and plan them for less busy periods.Feature details
Previously, relatively rigid update policies were in place for major and minor updates. This release introduces the following changes for much more flexibility:https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/release-plan/2024wave2/smb/dynamics365-business-central/manage-environment-updates-more-flexibly?wt.mc_id=DX-MVP-5004336
- Five-month update periods for major updates: This change gives more time for thorough testing and preparation before implementing the update. Resellers can spread the workload of updating all customer environments over the entire calendar year to avoid peak periods for major updates. Developers have more time to ensure all apps are compatible with the update, and customers with specific testing and preparation requirements have more time to comply with those requirements.
- Optional minor updates: This change allows administrators to choose when and whether to implement minor updates based on their needs and schedule. The default behavior of environments receiving updates every month doesn’t change. Instead, a new environment-level setting makes it possible to opt out of monthly minor updates.
Last Thursday, Japan time, Microsoft held the following Business Central Office Hours Call, DK046 Flexible update management in Dynamics 365 Business Central.
PS: Register and stay tuned for upcoming calls: aka.ms/BCOfficeHours. Watch on-demand recordings: aka.ms/BCOfficeHoursRecordings (About 1 to 2 weeks later).
And the Microsoft Learn has also been updated, so I would like to share some new information about it, and hopefully give you some help.
Major updates and minor updates for Business Central online:
As you know, Business Central environments are updated according to the Business Central roadmap with two major updates in April and October each year, and monthly minor updates. More details: Dynamics 365 Business Central: Managing Major Updates
Initially, the major update period was within 30 days, but later due to the new coronavirus, it was extended to 60 days and has remained so until the current version (BC24). However, as the number of environments managed by partners increased and there were also situations where environments could not be upgraded due to internal issues at Microsoft, 60 days was clearly not enough. Microsoft is finally making a change.
In short, the major update period becomes 5 months (Can be scheduled freely). Before the preview of the next major version is released.
It is divided into 4 stages:
Next is Minor updates. Minor updates are still shipped monthly. Automatic scheduling on environments around a week after release.
From Business Central 2024 wave 2 (BC25), we can use an environment-level settings to stop automatic scheduling of minor updates. (setting does not affect scheduling of major updates)
You can set or change target version for scheduled update to any later version (Major or minor)
So, flexibility is optional and the default behavior is unchanged.
PS: In the Q&A, a partner confirmed that we can skip any minor update and only do the major update, for example, BC25.0 -> BC26.0.
Finally, it is important to note that this is only available for Microsoft-localized environments in Business Central 2024 wave 2 (BC25). Partner-localized environments (All w1 environments) will need to wait until next year’s Business Central 2025 wave 1 (BC26). This is also mentioned in Microsoft Learn above, Major updates and minor updates for Business Central online.
This is a big change, so prepare for this major update depending on your environment type.
2. What’s new: Flexible update management
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Hope this will help.
Thanks for reading.
ZHU
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