# Upgrade Business Central 14 to 27: Path, Work and Release Updates > Source: https://netray.co/erp-help/upgrade-business-central-14-to-27-path-and-latest-updates > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: ERP Help ## Short answer You cannot jump from Business Central 14 straight to 27 in one move; Microsoft's supported upgrade paths go through intermediate versions, and the real work is converting C/AL customizations to AL extensions before the first step. Check the current upgrade documentation for the exact path, run the upgrade in a copy, and treat it as a project, not a patch. ## Kind how-to ## System dynamics ## Erp Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ## Module Upgrade / Release Management ## Query upgrade business central 14 to 27 ## Alternate Queries - business central latest updates - business central process only report - business central format time - business central consultant certification ## Applies To Business Central on-premises version 14 (Spring 2019 era) upgrading to the current wave (version 27 is the 2025 release wave 2). Online tenants are updated by Microsoft and follow release waves instead. ## Steps ### Plan the upgrade from 14 to 27 **Items:** - Confirm the starting point: version, build, and whether the system runs C/AL code in the base application or extensions only. - Read Microsoft's current upgrade documentation for supported paths from version 14, and list the intermediate versions you must pass through. - Inventory customizations: C/AL object changes, third-party add-ons and reports. Each needs an AL extension or a supported ISV version for the target. - Convert C/AL customizations to AL extensions, using the dependency and conversion tooling, and move them into events and extension points instead of modified base objects. - Restore a copy of production into a test server and run the upgrade steps there, including data upgrade, on the same hardware class you will use for go-live. - Validate with real users: posting routines, costing adjustments, reports, integrations and permissions. - Plan cut-over: freeze, final backup, upgrade, smoke tests, rollback criteria and who signs off. - After go-live, adopt a cadence for updates so you never fall 10 versions behind again. ## Sections ### Why 14 to 27 is a project **Body:** Version 14 predates the extension-first model. Many version 14 systems carry customizations directly in base objects, and newer versions no longer allow that. So the cost is not the data upgrade itself but rewriting customizations as AL extensions and retesting every business process. Add to that the changes between 14 and 27: new permission model, new web client behaviors, retired features, and renamed or moved pages. A realistic plan budgets more time for conversion and testing than for the technical upgrade. ### Release updates: what the latest versions mean for you **Body:** Microsoft ships two major release waves per year (April and October), with monthly minor updates. Online customers are updated by Microsoft; on-premises customers choose when to upgrade but only supported versions get updates and security fixes. Check the Business Central release plan and lifecycle pages for dates before choosing a target. For latest-updates questions, the practical rule is to target the newest version that all your ISV add-ons support, and keep a test environment on the next wave to catch problems early. ### Process-only reports and Format time in AL **Body:** A process-only report in AL is a report with the ProcessingOnly property set to true; it has a request page and code but no layout, and is used for batch jobs such as updating records. In version 14 they were report objects without a layout too, so they usually convert cleanly. Formatting a time value in AL uses the Format function with a format string, for example Format(MyTime, 0, ':'), and Format(MyTime, 0, 1) for the standard format of the user's regional settings. Check the Format function reference for the other tokens. **Code:** report 50100 "Update Customer Flags" { ProcessingOnly = true; UsageCategory = Tasks; ApplicationArea = All; // dataitem and code here } // Format a time TimeText := Format(MyTime, 0, ':'); ### Certification for the consultants on the project **Body:** The functional consultant exam is MB-800, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Functional Consultant. Developers usually study the AL language through Microsoft Learn rather than a dedicated exam. Check Microsoft's certification pages for current exam codes before booking. ## Pitfalls - Planning a single jump from 14 to the latest version without checking supported paths. - Leaving customizations in base objects and finding at upgrade time that they cannot be applied. - Forgetting ISV add-ons. Each needs a version for the target release. - Testing the technical upgrade only and skipping process testing such as costing and posting. - Waiting until the version leaves support before starting. ## Ai Angle Before an upgrade an assistant can read your object list, extensions and permission sets and produce an inventory of what is customized and what depends on what. It does not do the conversion for you, but it shortens the discovery phase. Netray runs this on-prem on a copy of the system. ## Faq ### Can I upgrade Business Central 14 directly to 27? **Answer:** Not in a single supported step. Microsoft publishes upgrade paths that go through intermediate versions, and customizations must be extensions first. Check the current upgrade documentation for the exact sequence and run it on a test copy before production. ### How do I make a process-only report in AL? **Answer:** Create a report object, set ProcessingOnly to true, add a request page if needed, and put your logic in the triggers. It has no layout and is typically exposed through a page action or a search entry. ### How do I format a time in Business Central? **Answer:** Use the Format function with a format string, for example Format(MyTime, 0, ':'). Without a format string, a number such as 1 gives the standard regional format. ### Which certification covers Business Central consulting? **Answer:** MB-800, Dynamics 365 Business Central Functional Consultant, is the functional exam. Verify the current exam code and skills outline on Microsoft's site. ## Search terms upgrade business central 14 to 27, business central upgrade path, business central latest updates, business central process only report, business central format time, business central consultant certification, mb-800 business central, c/al to al extension, business central release wave, business central on-premises upgrade --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json