Initial Configuration
This guide walks you through the initial setup of Cloud Replicator after installation. You'll configure general settings and connect to your Azure cloud destination.
Accessing Cloud Replicator Setup
- Search for "Cloud Replicator Setup" in Business Central
- Open the Cloud Replicator Setup page
- If this is your first time, default values will be automatically created
General Settings
The General section contains settings that apply to all replication operations.
Default Data Destination
Select the default cloud destination for new table mappings:
| Option (dropdown caption) | Description |
|---|---|
| Azure Table Storage | Microsoft Azure Table Storage |
| Azure Cosmos DB (TableDB API) | Cosmos DB using the Table API |
| Azure Cosmos DB (NO SQL API) | Cosmos DB using the Core / NoSQL (document) API |
| Azure AI Search | Azure AI Search indexes |
You can override this setting per table in the Table Mapping configuration.
Company Name Field
Company Name Field Name (Default: _CompanyName)
This setting specifies the field name used to store the Business Central company name in replicated data. The company name is added as a field to every replicated record, allowing you to filter data by company in your cloud destination.
Exclude Characters from Company
Exclude Characters from Company
Specify characters that should be removed or replaced in company names when used in partition keys. Special characters can cause issues with some cloud storage systems. Characters specified here are replaced with underscores.
Example: If your company name contains special characters like & or ', add them here to ensure compatible partition keys.
Engine Settings
Configure how the replication engine processes data.
Replication Engine Count
Replication Engine Count (Default: 10)
The number of parallel background sessions used for replication. Higher values process data faster but consume more system resources.
| Scenario | Recommended Value |
|---|---|
| Small datasets | 5-10 |
| Medium datasets | 10-20 |
| Large initial replication | 20+ |
Table Splitting
Use Table Splitting (Default: No)
When enabled, large tables with integer primary keys are automatically split across multiple engines. Each engine processes a range of records in parallel.
Maximum Records per Engine
When table splitting is enabled, this sets the maximum number of records each engine processes. Larger values mean fewer splits but longer individual engine runs.
Debug Mode
Replicate in Debug Mode (Default: No)
When enabled, replication runs in the foreground instead of background sessions. Use this only for troubleshooting - it will block your Business Central session during replication.
Engine Timeout
Engine Timeout (Default: 24 hours)
Maximum duration a single replication engine can run before timing out. Increase this for very large tables that take longer to replicate.
Connection Settings
Configure retry behavior for cloud connections.
Connection Retry Count
Connection Retry Count (Default: 10)
Number of times to retry a failed connection before giving up. Higher values improve resilience to transient network issues.
Connection Retry Delay
Connection Retry Delay (Default: 1000 ms)
Milliseconds to wait between connection retry attempts. Some cloud services require back-off periods when throttling occurs.
Rollback Time
Rollback Time (Default: 0)
Duration to "roll back" when filtering records for incremental replication. This ensures records modified just before the last replication are included in the current run, preventing missed updates due to timestamp precision.
Example: Setting 5 minutes means records modified in the 5 minutes before the last successful replication will be re-checked.
Configuring Cloud Destinations
Configure credentials for each cloud destination you plan to use. You only need to configure the destinations you'll actually use.
Azure Table Storage
- Locate the Azure Table Storage section
- Enter your Storage Account Name
- Found in Azure Portal: Storage accounts > [Your Account] > Overview
- Enter your Storage Account Access Key
- Found in Azure Portal: Storage accounts > [Your Account] > Access keys
- Use either key1 or key2
Azure Cosmos DB (Table API)
- Locate the Azure Cosmos DB (Table) section
- Enter your Cosmos DB Account Name
- Found in Azure Portal: Azure Cosmos DB > [Your Account] > Overview
- Enter your Cosmos DB Account Access Key
- Found in Azure Portal: Azure Cosmos DB > [Your Account] > Keys
- Use the Primary or Secondary key
Azure Cosmos DB (NoSQL)
- Locate the Azure Cosmos DB (NoSQL) section
- Enter your Cosmos DB Core Account Name
- Enter your Cosmos DB Core Access Key
- Enter your Cosmos DB Database name
- This is the database within Cosmos DB where collections will be created
- Create the database in Azure Portal if it doesn't exist
- Optionally enter a Partition Key Postfix
- Text appended to partition keys for additional categorization
Azure AI Search
- Locate the Azure AI Search section
- Enter your Azure AI Search Service Name
- Found in Azure Portal: Search services > [Your Service] > Overview
- Enter just the service name, not the full URL
- Enter your Azure AI Search Key
- Found in Azure Portal: Search services > [Your Service] > Keys
- Use an Admin key (not Query key) for index management
Saving Configuration
All settings are saved automatically when you exit the setup page. There is no explicit save button required.
Verifying Configuration
After configuring your settings:
- Create a test table mapping (see Configuring Table Mappings)
- Run a manual replication for a small table
- Verify data appears in your cloud destination
- Check the Replication Log for any errors
Configuration Best Practices
Start Small
Begin with a small number of engines (5-10) and a single table. Increase parallelism after verifying everything works correctly.
Test in Sandbox
Always test configuration changes in a sandbox environment before applying to production.
Secure Credentials
Access keys provide full access to your cloud resources. Limit who can access the Cloud Replicator Setup page.
Document Your Settings
Keep a record of your configuration settings outside of Business Central for disaster recovery purposes.