Setup and Configuration

As a functional consultant setting up a new Global Master Data Sync installation
I want to designate a Business Central company as the Master and assign it a unique Partner ID
So that it can own and distribute Data Templates to Subscriber companies

Setup:

1. Open Global Master Setup in the company that will act as the Master.
2. Set Company Type to Master.
3. Enter a unique value in Partner ID (letters and numbers only, no spaces). This ID will identify this company in every file exchanged.
4. Verify that Master Auto Update Record Set, Master Create IC Files, and Master Exchange Record Set are all enabled (they default to on when you select the Master role).
5. Save the record.

Note: The Partner ID cannot be changed once Data Templates referencing it have been created. Plan the ID carefully before releasing any templates.

As a functional consultant setting up a receiving company
I want to designate a Business Central company as a Subscriber
So that it can receive and apply synchronized master data from a Master company

Setup:

1. Open Global Master Setup in the Subscriber company.
2. Set Company Type to Subscriber.
3. Enter a unique Partner ID for this company (different from the Master's Partner ID and from every other participant's ID).
4. Verify that Subscriber Handle IC File and Subscriber Synch. Record Set are enabled.
5. Set Subscriber Log Creation Policy to the desired level (Errors is the default).
6. Review Maximum No. of Attempts to Synchronize and Reset No. Of Synchronization Attempts (Hours).
7. Configure the External File Account (see US-05).
8. Save the record.

As a consultant implementing a topology where one company both owns templates and synchronizes from another Master
I want to configure a single company as both Master and Subscriber
So that it participates in both roles simultaneously

Setup:

1. Open Global Master Setup.
2. Set Company Type to Master and Subscriber.
3. Enter a unique Partner ID.
4. Both the Master Company group and the Subscriber Company group become active simultaneously. Review and configure all flags in both groups.
5. Configure the External File Account for the Subscriber transport.
6. Use Create Job Queue Entries — both the Master job (starting at 06:10) and the Subscriber job (starting at 06:05) will be created.

Note: Both pipelines share the same Partner ID and storage account in this configuration.

As a system administrator
I want to create the scheduled background jobs that drive the synchronization pipeline
So that data is exchanged automatically without manual intervention

Setup:

1. Open Global Master Setup on the company where you want to schedule automation.
2. Ensure Company Type and Partner ID are already set.
3. In the action bar, choose Create Job Queue Entries (also available from the promoted Process group).
4. Confirm the prompt.
5. The action creates entries that do not already exist:
   • On a Master or Master-and-Subscriber company: Global Master: Create and send IC File Logs to Subscribers (starts at 06:00 for pure Master, 06:10 for Master-and-Subscriber).
   • On a Subscriber or Master-and-Subscriber company: Global Master: Import, update and synchronize Record Data (starts at 06:15 for pure Subscriber, 06:05 for Master-and-Subscriber).
6. Both entries are created in On Hold status under the GM Job Queue Category, with a 15-minute recurrence interval, a maximum of 10 run attempts, and a rerun delay of 120 seconds. The ending time is 23:00.
7. Open the Job Queue Entries page, locate the new entries, and set them to Ready when you are prepared to start the pipeline.

Note: If a job queue entry for a given codeunit already exists, the action shows a message instead of creating a duplicate.

As a consultant setting up file-based data exchange
I want to connect Global Master Data Sync to an External File Account
So that the Master and Subscriber companies can exchange synchronization files via a shared, centrally managed file storage

Setup:

1. Ensure at least one file account is configured in Business Central (File Accounts page) using a supported connector — for example Azure Blob Storage, SharePoint, or SFTP.
2. Open Global Master Setup.
3. In the Subscriber Company group, find the External File Account sub-group.
4. Click the Select Account link (shown in blue as Select Account). A lookup of available file accounts opens.
5. Select the shared file account. The Account Name and Connector fields populate automatically.
6. To verify connectivity, use the Storage Connection actions in the action bar:
   • Upload test file — uploads a small test file named after the Partner ID.
   • Download test file — downloads it back to confirm read access.
   • Delete test file — removes the test file to clean up.
7. Ensure the same file account (or a compatible one pointing to the same storage location) is configured on every Subscriber that will receive files from this Master.

Note: To detach a connected account, click the blue Detach Account: [name] link. The account GUID is cleared and the label reverts to Select Account.

As a consultant maintaining an existing installation that uses direct Azure Blob Storage credentials
I want to configure the legacy Azure Blob Storage transport
So that the system continues to work with the original connection setup without migrating to External File Accounts

Setup:

1. Open Global Master Setup.
2. Set Import Method to Azure Blob Storage. This field is in the General group of the setup page.
3. Once selected, the Azure BLOB Storage group becomes visible in the Subscriber Company section, and the legacy BLOB Storage actions appear in the action bar.
4. Enter the Account Name (the Azure Storage account name, e.g. mystorageaccount).
5. Enter the SAS token — a Shared Access Signature that grants read/write/delete permissions on the container.
6. Enter the Container name (the container within the storage account used for synchronization files).
7. Use the Test BLOB Storage Connection actions to verify: Upload Test File to BLOB Storage, Download Test File from BLOB Storage, Delete Test File in BLOB Storage.
8. Ensure all Partner records on the Master also have their Data Exchange Type set to Azure Blob Storage.

Note: The Azure Blob Storage transport is the original mechanism and is still fully supported. However, new installations should prefer the External File Account approach, which leverages the platform's built-in connector framework.

As a consultant implementing a cross-tenant topology where the Master pushes data directly via Business Central's OData API
I want to configure OAuth2 credentials so the Master can authenticate to the Subscriber's tenant
So that data can be exchanged without a shared file storage

Setup:

1. On the Master company, open GM Tenant Connector Codes (search for it or find it under Administration).
2. Create a new line:
   • Code: A short identifier for this connector (e.g. the name of the Subscriber tenant).
   • Description: A descriptive label.
   • Microsoft Entra tenant ID: The GUID of the Subscriber's Azure Active Directory tenant. (The Subscriber can find this on their own Global Master Setup page in the Connection Information group under Microsoft Entra tenant ID.)
   • Client ID: The application (client) GUID of the app registration created in the Subscriber's Entra ID tenant that has permission to call the Business Central API.
   • Client Secret: The client secret value for that app registration (stored encrypted).
3. On the Partner record for the Subscriber company, set Data Exchange Type to Web-service and reference this connector via the Tenant Connector Code field.
4. Use the Test Setup action on the Partner record to validate that the connector can authenticate and that the Subscriber returns the expected Partner ID and Company Type.

Note: The Token Key and Token Expiration Time fields on the connector are maintained automatically — the system caches the access token and refreshes it when it expires.

As a system administrator
I want to control how much logging the Subscriber creates during synchronization
So that I can balance auditability with storage and performance

Setup:

1. Open Global Master Setup on the Subscriber company.
2. Locate Subscriber Log Creation Policy in the Subscriber Company group.
3. Choose the appropriate option:
   • None — no log entries are created.
   • Success and Errors — a log entry is created for every synchronized record, regardless of outcome.
   • Errors — only failed synchronizations are logged (default).
   • Success — only successful synchronizations are logged.
4. Save the record.

Note: Setting this to Success and Errors on large datasets can generate significant log volume. Review the Subscriber Log Entries periodically to manage growth.

As a functional consultant
I want to configure how many times the Subscriber retries a failed synchronization record and how long before skipped records are automatically retried
So that transient errors are handled without manual intervention, and persistent errors are surfaced without consuming resources indefinitely

Setup:

1. Open Global Master Setup on the Subscriber company.
2. Set Maximum No. of Attempts to Synchronize to the desired value (minimum 1, maximum 100, default 5). When a record fails synchronization, its attempt counter increments. Once the counter reaches this maximum, the record is skipped until it is reset.
3. Set Reset No. Of Synchronization Attempts (Hours) to the number of hours after which skipped records are automatically put back into the synchronization queue (default 24, minimum 0). Setting this to 0 disables the automatic reset.
4. Save the record.

Note: When a synchronization run processes a record successfully, its attempt counter is reset to zero automatically.

As a system administrator or consultant
I want to find this company's Microsoft Entra tenant ID, environment name, company ID, and company name
So that I can share this information with the Master company's administrator to configure a Web-service Tenant Connector pointing to this environment

Setup:

1. Open Global Master Setup on the company that will be referenced as a Subscriber.
2. Scroll to or expand the Connection Information group.
3. Note the following read-only values:
   • Microsoft Entra tenant ID — the GUID of this company's Entra ID directory.
   • Environment Name — the name of the Business Central environment (e.g. Production, Sandbox).
   • Company Id — the GUID that uniquely identifies this company within the environment.
   • Company Name — the display name of this company.
4. Share these four values with the administrator of the Master company. They will be needed when creating a Tenant Connector record pointing to this environment.

As a consultant setting up a new Master company
I want to download and apply the standard Data Template packages published by Abakion
So that I have a ready-made starting point for common data synchronization scenarios (items, customers, vendors, G/L accounts, etc.)

Setup:

1. Open Global Master Template Packages (search for it or find it under Administration). The page is only available in Master companies.
2. In the action bar, choose Get standard packages. Confirm the prompt. The system downloads all relevant packages from Abakion's central storage. Existing packages are replaced.
3. Review the list. For each package you want to apply, ensure Apply is checked. You may use Set "Apply" to activate or reset the flag in bulk on a selection.
4. If you want to use a different template code from the original, enter a value in New Data Template Code on the relevant line before applying.
5. Choose Apply selected Packages. Confirm the prompt.
6. The system creates the Data Templates (headers, lines, filters, and sub-template links) in the current Master company and sets their status to Pending Approval.
7. Review and release the imported templates before they can be used in synchronization.

Note: A package cannot be applied if a template with the same code already exists. Use the New Data Template Code field to rename incoming packages when a conflict exists.

As a system administrator
I want to temporarily stop the Master from creating and sending IC File Logs to Subscribers
So that I can perform maintenance on templates or partners without affecting Subscriber environments

Setup:

1. Open Global Master Setup on the Master company.
2. In the Master Company group, clear the Master Exchange Record Set check box. This prevents the pipeline from sending files to partners, even if IC files are still being created.
3. To also stop IC file creation, clear Master Create IC Files.
4. To resume, re-enable the relevant check boxes.

Note: Alternatively, place the Job Queue entry for the Master pipeline on hold by setting its status to On Hold in the Job Queue Entries page. This is more targeted because it pauses the entire job, not just one step in the pipeline.

As a system administrator
I want to temporarily stop the Subscriber from importing and applying new IC files
So that I can investigate data discrepancies or perform maintenance without new synchronization data overwriting changes

Setup:

1. Open Global Master Setup on the Subscriber company.
2. Clear Subscriber Handle IC File to stop the import of incoming IC files. Files will accumulate in the file account but will not be processed.
3. To also pause the synchronization of record data that is already imported, clear Subscriber Synch. Record Set.
4. To resume, re-enable the check boxes.

Note: Pausing at the Job Queue level (setting the Subscriber job to On Hold) achieves the same result more cleanly.

As a consultant performing a full reset of the Global Master Data Sync installation on a Master company
I want to delete all Data Templates and their related records in one operation
So that I can start the template design from scratch without residual data

Setup:

1. Open Global Master Setup on the Master company.
2. From the action bar, choose Functions > Delete Data Templates. A wizard opens.
3. Follow the wizard to select which templates to delete. The wizard runs the Delete Data Templates report, which removes selected template headers along with all lines, filters, record IDs, field values, file logs, subscriber assignments, and related data.
4. After deletion, the Company Type and Partner ID remain set. If you also need to reset those, change Company Type to blank (note: this is only possible when no templates exist).

Note: This operation is irreversible. Take a database backup before proceeding in a production environment.

As a consultant who has completed the initial configuration on both Master and Subscriber
I want to activate the Job Queue entries so that automated synchronization begins
So that Master data starts flowing to the Subscriber without further manual intervention

Setup:

1. On the Master company, open Job Queue Entries.
2. Find the entry for Global Master: Create and send IC File Logs to Subscribers. Set its status to Ready.
3. On the Subscriber company, open Job Queue Entries.
4. Find the entry for Global Master: Import, update and synchronize Record Data. Set its status to Ready.
5. Monitor the Master Activities and Subscriber Activities cue tiles on the Global Master Role Center to confirm that files are being created and synchronized.

Note: Before activating the pipeline, ensure at least one Data Template has been released on the Master and at least one Partner is configured and not on hold.

As a system administrator troubleshooting a synchronization issue
I want to browse the files currently present in the connected file storage
So that I can confirm that files are being written and identify any that have not been processed

Setup:

1. Open Global Master Setup.
2. From the action bar, choose Storage Connection > Show files (when Import Method is External File Account) or Show BLOB Storage Files (when Import Method is Azure Blob Storage).
3. A list of files in the account opens, filtered to files whose names start with the company's Partner ID. Review the files and their timestamps.

As a consultant who wants to copy a custom template design between environments or share it with another customer
I want to export template packages to a file and import them into another Master company
So that I can replicate template configurations without rebuilding them from scratch

Setup:

1. Open Global Master Template Packages on the source Master company.
2. Use Functions > Get Templates to generate packages for any templates that do not yet have a package record. Select the templates you want to include and confirm.
3. Select the package rows you want to export.
4. Choose Package > Export Packages. The packages are exported to an XML file.
5. On the target Master company, open Global Master Template Packages.
6. Choose Package > Import Packages and select the file.
7. Review the imported packages, set Apply for those you want to create, and use Apply selected Packages to create the templates.