Once you've extracted the downloaded file, the folder where you extracted the file should look something like this:
Note
If you have any prior versions of Dynamics NAV (or Navision) installed, please make sure you uninstall them before you run the installation.
Click on the Setup.exe file and run through the installation wizard.
Click on the Install Demo option and go grab some coffee. We'll wait for you.
After Dynamics NAV is installed, run the Visual Studio Web Developer 2010 Express installation. Again, this is needed for creating and modifying Dynamics NAV reports.
There's an additional component that you will need to install on your computer in order to properly modify Dynamics NAV reports using the Visual Studio Web Developer Express. You will need to install the free version of Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Shell (Integrated) Redistributable Package. The link is as follows:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=115
For this book, any additional contents on the installation files will not be needed. Running through the installation wizard will be more than enough for what we need to do.
Suppose you're a curious person like myself and you click on the Choose an installation option instead; you'll instead be presented with a list of the components that you can install.
Here's a quick rundown of the components that can be installed individually. If you click on an icon, you will get a description of what it is. I will go through these options in simple English.
The components you will see are as follows:
Client: This is the Role Tailored Client, or as Microsoft calls it, the "Windows Client". If you wish to deploy this for your company, you will at least need to install this component.
Administration Tools: This is the snap-in console that allows you to configure the Windows services related to Dynamics NAV. This is an interface that allows you to be able to, for example, change the port for a Dynamics NAV connection without having to mess with DOS prompts or the registry.
Documentation: If you want the documentation or Help to be available for the NAV client, you should probably install this.
Server: Dynamics NAV is a three-tier system. The middle tier is where the business logic is executed. So any device, web service, or client software will use the middle tier to get and write data into DynamicsNAV.
SQL Server Database Components: Choose this option for installing SQL Server Express on your computer. Do this only if you have a version below SQL Server 2008 installed on your computer. Microsoft recommends that you should use at least SQL Server 2008 R2. Dynamics NAV 2013 will only run on a SQL Server database. Sorry!
Portal Framework for SharePoint: Dynamics NAV is integrated with SharePoint. This will allow you to build SharePoint web applications in Dynamics NAV. For this to work, you will need SharePoint 2010 installed.
Microsoft Office Outlook Add-in: Believe it or not, Dynamics NAV has a built-in CRM solution. This option allows you to install a component to Microsoft Outlook to synchronize contacts, tasks, and calendar items with Dynamics NAV.
Automated Data Capture System: ADCS is the acronym that you'll find if you do a search online. This option allows the warehouse staff to pick and put away inventory to/from the warehouse bins in real time using handheld devices.
Web Server Components: Dynamics NAV 2013 is the first version in NAV history to have an out of the box web client. This option allows you to use a web client instead of the Windows client.
ClickOnce Installer Tools: If you're an in-house IT guy, you know that installing software on each and every computer is a pain. ClickOnce technology allows you to deploy Dynamics NAV through a web link. You can preconfigure the setup for each user so they can do the installation themselves.
If any of the preceding components catch your eye and you would like additional information on them, Microsoft provides detailed explanations on each of the components and how to deploy them in your organization. This detailed information can be found at:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd301130(v=nav.70).aspx
If you want more information on these additional components and how they can benefit your business, I would highly recommend you contact your local Dynamics NAV partner and get them involved. Nothing is more frustrating than installing something and not knowing how it works.