Overview

Running Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central in Docker containers provides rapid deployment, isolated environments, and consistent setups for development, testing, and demonstrations without affecting production systems.

Who Should Use This Guide:

AL extension developers needing sandbox environments
QA teams testing Business Central customizations
Consultants creating demo environments
DevOps engineers building CI/CD pipelines for BC

Why Docker for Business Central:

Benefit	Description
Rapid Deployment	Fresh BC environment in 15-30 minutes
Cost Savings	No Azure or on-premises licenses for dev sandboxes
Isolation	Each developer can have independent environment
Reproducibility	Consistent environments from scripts
Version Testing	Run multiple BC versions simultaneously

Requirements

System Requirements:

Component	Requirement
Operating System	Windows 10/11 Pro or Windows Server with Hyper-V
RAM	16GB minimum, 32GB+ recommended
Disk Space	30GB+ free (container images are large)
Docker	Native Docker Engine or Docker Desktop
PowerShell	Version 5.1 or later

Prerequisites:

Prerequisite	Purpose
Hyper-V	Windows container isolation
Containers Feature	Windows container support
BcContainerHelper	PowerShell module for BC containers
Internet Access	Download BC artifacts and images

Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    Windows Host                              │
│                                                              │
│  ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│  │                   Docker Engine                         │ │
│  │                                                         │ │
│  │  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐    │ │
│  │  │ bcserver-25 │  │ bcserver-26 │  │ bcserver-27 │    │ │
│  │  │  (BC 25)    │  │  (BC 26)    │  │  (BC 27)    │    │ │
│  │  │             │  │             │  │             │    │ │
│  │  │ Web Client  │  │ Web Client  │  │ Web Client  │    │ │
│  │  │ SQL Server  │  │ SQL Server  │  │ SQL Server  │    │ │
│  │  │ NST         │  │ NST         │  │ NST         │    │ │
│  │  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘    │ │
│  │                                                         │ │
│  └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│                                                              │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│  │                 BC Container Manager                     ││
│  │  [Dashboard] [Create] [Backups] [Troubleshoot]          ││
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Process

Step 1: Install BcContainerHelper Module

Install the PowerShell module for managing BC containers.

Installation Command:

# Install BcContainerHelper
Install-Module BcContainerHelper -Force
 
# Import the module
Import-Module BcContainerHelper
 
# Verify installation
Get-Command -Module BcContainerHelper | Measure-Object

Expected Result: Module installed with 100+ commands available.

Update to Latest Version:

# Update to latest version
Update-Module BcContainerHelper -Force

Step 2: Create Business Central Container

Deploy a BC container with the desired version.

List Available BC Versions:

# List available BC artifacts
Get-BCArtifactUrl -type Sandbox -country us -select Latest
Get-BCArtifactUrl -type Sandbox -country us -version "25"

Create the Container:

# Define container parameters
$containerName = "bcserver-dev"
$credential = Get-Credential -Message "Enter BC Admin credentials"
 
# Get artifact URL for latest BC
$artifactUrl = Get-BCArtifactUrl -type Sandbox -country us -select Latest
 
# Create the container
New-BcContainer `
    -containerName $containerName `
    -artifactUrl $artifactUrl `
    -credential $credential `
    -accept_eula `
    -updateHosts `
    -auth NavUserPassword `
    -includeTestToolkit `
    -includeTestLibrariesOnly

Expected Timeline: 15-30 minutes for first deployment (image download).

Available Container Options:

Parameter	Description
`-artifactUrl`	BC version to deploy
`-auth`	Authentication mode (NavUserPassword, Windows)
`-includeTestToolkit`	Include test libraries for AL development
`-updateHosts`	Add container to hosts file
`-isolation`	Container isolation (hyperv, process)

Step 3: Access Business Central

Connect to the deployed Business Central instance.

Get Container Information:

# List running BC containers
docker ps --filter "name=bc"
 
# Get container URLs
Get-BcContainerUrl -containerName "bcserver-dev"

Service URLs:

Service	URL Pattern
Web Client	`https://<container-name>/BC/`
SOAP Services	`https://<container-name>:7047/BC/WS/`
OData Services	`https://<container-name>:7048/BC/ODataV4/`
Dev Services	`https://<container-name>:7049/BC/dev/`

Authentication:

Use credentials specified during container creation
For Windows auth, use domain credentials

Step 4: Manage Containers

Common container management operations.

Start, Stop, and Restart Containers:

# Stop container
Stop-BcContainer -containerName "bcserver-dev"
 
# Start container
Start-BcContainer -containerName "bcserver-dev"
 
# Restart container
Restart-BcContainer -containerName "bcserver-dev"

View Container Event Logs:

# Get container event log
Get-BcContainerEventLog -containerName "bcserver-dev"
 
# Stream Docker logs
docker logs -f "bcserver-dev"

Remove a Container:

# Remove container (preserves image)
Remove-BcContainer -containerName "bcserver-dev"

Step 5: Backup and Restore

Protect your development work with backups.

Create Database Backup:

# Backup container database
Backup-BcContainerDatabases -containerName "bcserver-dev" -bakFolder "C:\BCBackups"

Restore from Backup:

# Restore from backup
Restore-BcContainerDatabases -containerName "bcserver-dev" -bakFile "C:\BCBackups\bcserver-dev.bak"

Automated Daily Backup Script:

# Schedule daily backup
$containerName = "bcserver-dev"
$backupPath = "C:\BCBackups"
$date = Get-Date -Format "yyyyMMdd"
 
Backup-BcContainerDatabases `
    -containerName $containerName `
    -bakFolder $backupPath
 
# Rename with date
Get-ChildItem "$backupPath\*.bak" | ForEach-Object {
    $newName = $_.BaseName + "-$date" + $_.Extension
    Rename-Item $_.FullName -NewName $newName
}
 
# Keep only last 7 backups
Get-ChildItem "$backupPath\*.bak" |
    Sort-Object LastWriteTime -Descending |
    Select-Object -Skip 7 |
    Remove-Item -Force

Step 6: Deploy AL Extensions

Install custom extensions into the container.

Publish an Extension File:

# Publish .app file
Publish-BcContainerApp `
    -containerName "bcserver-dev" `
    -appFile "C:\Projects\MyExtension\output\MyExtension.app" `
    -skipVerification `
    -sync `
    -install

Compile from AL Source and Publish:

# Compile AL project
Compile-AppInBcContainer `
    -containerName "bcserver-dev" `
    -appProjectFolder "C:\Projects\MyExtension" `
    -appOutputFolder "C:\Projects\MyExtension\output"
 
# Then publish as above

BC Container Manager Application

For a graphical interface to manage BC containers, consider the BC Container Manager desktop application.

Features:

Feature	Description
Dashboard	View all BC containers at a glance
One-Click Deployment	Create containers with version selection
Backup Management	Create and restore container backups
Log Viewer	Real-time container log streaming
AI Troubleshooting	Claude-powered issue diagnosis

Quick Start:

Download from GitHub releases
Run installer or portable executable
Configure settings (backup path, optional AI key)
Click "New Container" to deploy BC

Application Capabilities:

The BC Container Manager is an Electron + Next.js desktop application that provides:

Container lifecycle management (start, stop, restart, remove)
Version selection (BC 13-27, Latest, Preview)
Automated backup scheduling
Real-time log viewing
AI-powered troubleshooting assistance

Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

Symptom	Possible Cause	Solution
Container won't start	Hyper-V not enabled	Enable Hyper-V and Containers features
Port conflicts	Another container using ports	Stop conflicting containers or use different ports
Out of memory	Insufficient RAM	Close other applications, increase VM memory
Image pull fails	Network/registry issue	Check internet connectivity, retry
Web client 404	Container not fully started	Wait for container to complete initialization

Diagnostic Commands:

# Check container status
docker ps -a --filter "name=bc"
 
# Check container health
docker inspect bcserver-dev --format='{{.State.Health.Status}}'
 
# View container logs
docker logs bcserver-dev --tail 100
 
# Check Docker service
Get-Service docker
 
# List BC containers with details
Get-BcContainers | Format-Table Name, Image, State

Common HNS Errors (Windows 11):

If you encounter HNS (Host Network Service) errors like 0x803b0013:

# Stop Docker and HNS services
Stop-Service docker
Stop-Service hns
 
# Clean up orphaned endpoints
Get-HnsEndpoint | Where-Object { $_.State -eq "Orphaned" } | Remove-HnsEndpoint
 
# Restart services
Start-Service hns
Start-Service docker

Verification Checklist

Pre-Deployment:

Docker Engine installed and running
Hyper-V and Containers features enabled
BcContainerHelper module installed
Sufficient RAM and disk space

Post-Deployment:

Container shows as running
Web Client accessible
Login with credentials succeeds
Container added to hosts file

Development Ready:

Test toolkit installed (if needed)
AL extension development services available
Backup strategy configured
VS Code connected to container

Multiple Version Management

Run multiple BC versions simultaneously for testing.

Version-Based Port Allocation:

BC Version	Web Client Port	Services Port
BC 25	8025	7047-7049
BC 26	8026	7147-7149
BC 27	8027	7247-7249

Create Multiple Version Containers:

# BC 25 (LTS)
New-BcContainer -containerName "bcserver-bc25" `
    -artifactUrl (Get-BcArtifactUrl -version "25" -type Sandbox -country us) `
    -credential $credential -accept_eula
 
# BC 27 (Current)
New-BcContainer -containerName "bcserver-bc27" `
    -artifactUrl (Get-BcArtifactUrl -version "27" -type Sandbox -country us) `
    -credential $credential -accept_eula

References

Last Updated: February 2026

Overview

Who Should Use This Guide:

AL extension developers needing sandbox environments
QA teams testing Business Central customizations
Consultants creating demo environments
DevOps engineers building CI/CD pipelines for BC

Why Docker for Business Central:

Benefit	Description
Rapid Deployment	Fresh BC environment in 15-30 minutes
Cost Savings	No Azure or on-premises licenses for dev sandboxes
Isolation	Each developer can have independent environment
Reproducibility	Consistent environments from scripts
Version Testing	Run multiple BC versions simultaneously

Requirements

System Requirements:

Component	Requirement
Operating System	Windows 10/11 Pro or Windows Server with Hyper-V
RAM	16GB minimum, 32GB+ recommended
Disk Space	30GB+ free (container images are large)
Docker	Native Docker Engine or Docker Desktop
PowerShell	Version 5.1 or later

Prerequisites:

Prerequisite	Purpose
Hyper-V	Windows container isolation
Containers Feature	Windows container support
BcContainerHelper	PowerShell module for BC containers
Internet Access	Download BC artifacts and images

Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    Windows Host                              │
│                                                              │
│  ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│  │                   Docker Engine                         │ │
│  │                                                         │ │
│  │  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐    │ │
│  │  │ bcserver-25 │  │ bcserver-26 │  │ bcserver-27 │    │ │
│  │  │  (BC 25)    │  │  (BC 26)    │  │  (BC 27)    │    │ │
│  │  │             │  │             │  │             │    │ │
│  │  │ Web Client  │  │ Web Client  │  │ Web Client  │    │ │
│  │  │ SQL Server  │  │ SQL Server  │  │ SQL Server  │    │ │
│  │  │ NST         │  │ NST         │  │ NST         │    │ │
│  │  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘    │ │
│  │                                                         │ │
│  └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│                                                              │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│  │                 BC Container Manager                     ││
│  │  [Dashboard] [Create] [Backups] [Troubleshoot]          ││
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Process

Step 1: Install BcContainerHelper Module

Install the PowerShell module for managing BC containers.

Installation Command:

# Install BcContainerHelper
Install-Module BcContainerHelper -Force
 
# Import the module
Import-Module BcContainerHelper
 
# Verify installation
Get-Command -Module BcContainerHelper | Measure-Object

Expected Result: Module installed with 100+ commands available.

Update to Latest Version:

# Update to latest version
Update-Module BcContainerHelper -Force

Step 2: Create Business Central Container

Deploy a BC container with the desired version.

List Available BC Versions:

# List available BC artifacts
Get-BCArtifactUrl -type Sandbox -country us -select Latest
Get-BCArtifactUrl -type Sandbox -country us -version "25"

Create the Container:

# Define container parameters
$containerName = "bcserver-dev"
$credential = Get-Credential -Message "Enter BC Admin credentials"
 
# Get artifact URL for latest BC
$artifactUrl = Get-BCArtifactUrl -type Sandbox -country us -select Latest
 
# Create the container
New-BcContainer `
    -containerName $containerName `
    -artifactUrl $artifactUrl `
    -credential $credential `
    -accept_eula `
    -updateHosts `
    -auth NavUserPassword `
    -includeTestToolkit `
    -includeTestLibrariesOnly

Expected Timeline: 15-30 minutes for first deployment (image download).

Available Container Options:

Parameter	Description
`-artifactUrl`	BC version to deploy
`-auth`	Authentication mode (NavUserPassword, Windows)
`-includeTestToolkit`	Include test libraries for AL development
`-updateHosts`	Add container to hosts file
`-isolation`	Container isolation (hyperv, process)

Step 3: Access Business Central

Connect to the deployed Business Central instance.

Get Container Information:

# List running BC containers
docker ps --filter "name=bc"
 
# Get container URLs
Get-BcContainerUrl -containerName "bcserver-dev"

Service URLs:

Service	URL Pattern
Web Client	`https://<container-name>/BC/`
SOAP Services	`https://<container-name>:7047/BC/WS/`
OData Services	`https://<container-name>:7048/BC/ODataV4/`
Dev Services	`https://<container-name>:7049/BC/dev/`

Authentication:

Use credentials specified during container creation
For Windows auth, use domain credentials

Step 4: Manage Containers

Common container management operations.

Start, Stop, and Restart Containers:

# Stop container
Stop-BcContainer -containerName "bcserver-dev"
 
# Start container
Start-BcContainer -containerName "bcserver-dev"
 
# Restart container
Restart-BcContainer -containerName "bcserver-dev"

View Container Event Logs:

# Get container event log
Get-BcContainerEventLog -containerName "bcserver-dev"
 
# Stream Docker logs
docker logs -f "bcserver-dev"

Remove a Container:

# Remove container (preserves image)
Remove-BcContainer -containerName "bcserver-dev"

Step 5: Backup and Restore

Protect your development work with backups.

Create Database Backup:

# Backup container database
Backup-BcContainerDatabases -containerName "bcserver-dev" -bakFolder "C:\BCBackups"

Restore from Backup:

# Restore from backup
Restore-BcContainerDatabases -containerName "bcserver-dev" -bakFile "C:\BCBackups\bcserver-dev.bak"

Automated Daily Backup Script:

# Schedule daily backup
$containerName = "bcserver-dev"
$backupPath = "C:\BCBackups"
$date = Get-Date -Format "yyyyMMdd"
 
Backup-BcContainerDatabases `
    -containerName $containerName `
    -bakFolder $backupPath
 
# Rename with date
Get-ChildItem "$backupPath\*.bak" | ForEach-Object {
    $newName = $_.BaseName + "-$date" + $_.Extension
    Rename-Item $_.FullName -NewName $newName
}
 
# Keep only last 7 backups
Get-ChildItem "$backupPath\*.bak" |
    Sort-Object LastWriteTime -Descending |
    Select-Object -Skip 7 |
    Remove-Item -Force

Step 6: Deploy AL Extensions

Install custom extensions into the container.

Publish an Extension File:

# Publish .app file
Publish-BcContainerApp `
    -containerName "bcserver-dev" `
    -appFile "C:\Projects\MyExtension\output\MyExtension.app" `
    -skipVerification `
    -sync `
    -install

Compile from AL Source and Publish:

# Compile AL project
Compile-AppInBcContainer `
    -containerName "bcserver-dev" `
    -appProjectFolder "C:\Projects\MyExtension" `
    -appOutputFolder "C:\Projects\MyExtension\output"
 
# Then publish as above

BC Container Manager Application

For a graphical interface to manage BC containers, consider the BC Container Manager desktop application.

Features:

Feature	Description
Dashboard	View all BC containers at a glance
One-Click Deployment	Create containers with version selection
Backup Management	Create and restore container backups
Log Viewer	Real-time container log streaming
AI Troubleshooting	Claude-powered issue diagnosis

Quick Start:

Download from GitHub releases
Run installer or portable executable
Configure settings (backup path, optional AI key)
Click "New Container" to deploy BC

Application Capabilities:

The BC Container Manager is an Electron + Next.js desktop application that provides:

Container lifecycle management (start, stop, restart, remove)
Version selection (BC 13-27, Latest, Preview)
Automated backup scheduling
Real-time log viewing
AI-powered troubleshooting assistance

Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

Symptom	Possible Cause	Solution
Container won't start	Hyper-V not enabled	Enable Hyper-V and Containers features
Port conflicts	Another container using ports	Stop conflicting containers or use different ports
Out of memory	Insufficient RAM	Close other applications, increase VM memory
Image pull fails	Network/registry issue	Check internet connectivity, retry
Web client 404	Container not fully started	Wait for container to complete initialization

Diagnostic Commands:

# Check container status
docker ps -a --filter "name=bc"
 
# Check container health
docker inspect bcserver-dev --format='{{.State.Health.Status}}'
 
# View container logs
docker logs bcserver-dev --tail 100
 
# Check Docker service
Get-Service docker
 
# List BC containers with details
Get-BcContainers | Format-Table Name, Image, State

Common HNS Errors (Windows 11):

If you encounter HNS (Host Network Service) errors like 0x803b0013:

# Stop Docker and HNS services
Stop-Service docker
Stop-Service hns
 
# Clean up orphaned endpoints
Get-HnsEndpoint | Where-Object { $_.State -eq "Orphaned" } | Remove-HnsEndpoint
 
# Restart services
Start-Service hns
Start-Service docker

Verification Checklist

Pre-Deployment:

Docker Engine installed and running
Hyper-V and Containers features enabled
BcContainerHelper module installed
Sufficient RAM and disk space

Post-Deployment:

Container shows as running
Web Client accessible
Login with credentials succeeds
Container added to hosts file

Development Ready:

Test toolkit installed (if needed)
AL extension development services available
Backup strategy configured
VS Code connected to container

Multiple Version Management

Run multiple BC versions simultaneously for testing.

Version-Based Port Allocation:

BC Version	Web Client Port	Services Port
BC 25	8025	7047-7049
BC 26	8026	7147-7149
BC 27	8027	7247-7249

Create Multiple Version Containers:

# BC 25 (LTS)
New-BcContainer -containerName "bcserver-bc25" `
    -artifactUrl (Get-BcArtifactUrl -version "25" -type Sandbox -country us) `
    -credential $credential -accept_eula
 
# BC 27 (Current)
New-BcContainer -containerName "bcserver-bc27" `
    -artifactUrl (Get-BcArtifactUrl -version "27" -type Sandbox -country us) `
    -credential $credential -accept_eula

References

Last Updated: February 2026

Business Central Docker Containers: Development Environment

Prerequisites

Overview

Requirements

Architecture

Process

Step 1: Install BcContainerHelper Module

Step 2: Create Business Central Container

Step 3: Access Business Central

Step 4: Manage Containers

Step 5: Backup and Restore

Step 6: Deploy AL Extensions

BC Container Manager Application

Troubleshooting

Verification Checklist

Multiple Version Management

References

Multi-Stack Docker Infrastructure with Traefik and

Docker Windows Containers: Native Engine Setup Guide

Docker Security Fundamentals: Protecting Your Containers

Business Central Docker Containers: Development Environment

Prerequisites

Overview

Requirements

Architecture

Process

Step 1: Install BcContainerHelper Module

Step 2: Create Business Central Container

Step 3: Access Business Central

Step 4: Manage Containers

Step 5: Backup and Restore

Step 6: Deploy AL Extensions

BC Container Manager Application

Troubleshooting

Verification Checklist

Multiple Version Management

References

Multi-Stack Docker Infrastructure with Traefik and

Docker Windows Containers: Native Engine Setup Guide

Docker Security Fundamentals: Protecting Your Containers