Setting up the Document Output Service
The Continia Document Output Service addresses various printing and file handling challenges that you're likely to face in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central if you use a web client (browser) as your primary interface. The service provides an essential link between Business Central and your organization's own internal network, allowing files and print jobs to be exchanged easily between these. For example, it enables you to print from on-premises printers that are otherwise inaccessible from outside your organization, or to download documents from Business Central for local storage.
Key features
As organizations are increasingly moving toward the cloud, the need for a tool to connect with local printers and systems is becoming more and more apparent. The Document Output Service meets this need by enabling you to:
- Print documents from Business Central via your local computer without interacting with the browser printing dialog.
- Print automatically by connecting to the Document Output print web service in Business Central and pulling print jobs directly from a queue.
- Download documents automatically by connecting to the Document Output file download web service in Business Central.
In general, the service is essential if you access Business Central from a browser and need to communicate with your local tools and resources.
Requirements
In order for you to use the Document Output Service, your system must meet the following requirements:
- Continia Document Output must be installed before you install the Document Output Service.
- The PC that runs the Document Output Service must have .NET Framework 4.7 or later installed.
If you want the service to run as a Windows service in the background, you must ensure that the user that runs the service has been assigned the Log on as a service permission. For more information, see To grant a user “Logon as a service” permission.
How it works
First and foremost, you must install the Document Output Service in order to use it. Once it has been installed, the folder you chose to install it in contains the files listed in the table below.
Note
The default folder for the installed files is C:\Program Files\Continia\Continia Document Output Service.
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| Manager.exe | This is the Service Manager, which is used to configure the Document Output Service and to install it as a Windows service. Clicking the Settings icon opens the Settings page, which allows you to connect the service to Business Central and configure it as you please. The Windows Service Actions section contains actions that you can use to install the Document Output Service as a Windows service. For more information, see Running the Document Output Service as a Windows service. |
| ServiceGUI.exe | This can be used if you don’t want to run the Document Output Service as a Windows service or can’t assign the necessary Log on as a service permissions to a user. You can also configure this program to start automatically with Windows. Note that the program is run as a hidden program, represented by a green and white icon in your taskbar. Important Never run the program together with the Windows service, as this may cause unexpected behavior. |
| Service.exe (hidden) | This is an executable for the Windows service. Do not run this directly! |
| config.json | This file stores the configuration settings that you've defined using the Service Manager. Do not edit this unless you fully understand the impact of your changes. |
You can use these files to configure the service and, following configuration, to run the service. There are three options for configuring the service:
As part of the configuration of the print server and file download, you must authenticate the Document Output Service so that it can communicate with Business Central. You can do this in two ways:
Once you've configured the service and authenticated it, you're ready to run the service. You can run the service using one of two methods:
- As a Windows service (running in the background)
- Using ServiceGUI.exe (doesn't require a Log on as a service permission)
When the Document Output Service is running using either of the above methods, you can select which printers should print your documents. You can then use the service to print documents from Business Central, either directly or via the Document Output print queue. For more information, see the following articles: