Business Central 29.0 Is Generally Available: What Cloud Customers and Partners Need to Do.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central version 29.0, also referred to as 2026 release wave 2, is now generally available (GA).

This is an important milestone for Business Central customers, consultants, developers, and implementation partners. New Business Central cloud customers onboarding after the GA release will start with version 29.0, rather than version 28.

For existing customers running Business Central 28, this is also the point where upgrade preparation becomes important.

This article covers the key actions you should take when working with Business Central cloud environments as version 29.0 becomes generally available.

What changes with Business Central 29.0 GA?

During the preview period, multiple Business Central versions may be available when creating a new environment. After version 29.0 reaches general availability, Microsoft gradually moves the platform toward version 29.0 as the standard version for new cloud environments.

For new customers:

• New Business Central cloud environments will start with Business Central 29.0.
• Version 28 environments will eventually no longer be available for new environment creation.
• Preview versions will also eventually disappear from the environment creation options.
• Customers and partners currently testing or implementing on version 28 need to consider their go-live plans carefully.

If you have a customer who has completed testing on Business Central 28 and is planning to go live on that version, the transition period around the 29.0 GA release is particularly important.

How do you create a Business Central 29.0 environment?

Business Central cloud environments are managed through the Business Central Administration Center.

As an administrator, you can create:

• Production environments
• Sandbox environments

A typical Business Central tenant includes one production environment and three sandbox environments. Additional production environments can be purchased when required. Additional production environments also provide additional sandbox capacity, subject to Microsoft’s environment and storage limits.

Step 1: Open the Business Central Administration Center

Go to the Business Central Administration Center and select the option to create a new environment.

The environment creation wizard allows you to specify the environment name, environment type, localization, and Business Central version.

Step 2: Enter an environment name

Choose a meaningful name for the environment.

For example: BC29GA

A clear naming convention becomes especially useful when a tenant contains multiple sandbox environments.

Step 3: Select the environment type

Choose whether you want to create:

• Production
• Sandbox

For development and testing, a sandbox environment is normally the appropriate choice.

Step 4: Select the localization

The localization should match the country where the customer is doing business.

The selected localization determines which country- or region-specific functionality and extensions are available in the environment.

For example: Localization: United States

Select the localization that matches the customer’s actual business requirements rather than simply choosing the country used for development.

Step 5: Select Business Central 29.0

During the transition period, you may see multiple versions in the environment creation interface, including:

• Business Central 29.0
• Business Central 28.x
• Preview versions

As Microsoft completes the transition to version 29.0, older versions and preview versions will eventually disappear from the creation options.

Should you create a Business Central 28 environment before it disappears?

Yes, if you have a specific reason to go live on Business Central 28.

This is one of the most important considerations during the transition to version 29.0.

Suppose a customer:

• Has completed user acceptance testing on Business Central 28.
• Has completed process testing on version 28.
• Has prepared their extensions for version 28.
• Has a go-live planned shortly.
• Is not yet ready to move the implementation to version 29.

In that situation, you should consider creating and retaining the required version 28 environment while the option is still available.

Once Microsoft removes version 28 from the environment creation options, you will not be able to create a new environment on that version through the normal environment creation process.

What if you need an empty environment for a version 28 go-live?

Business Central Administration Center provides environment-copy capabilities that can be useful during implementation and go-live preparation.

Depending on the scenario, you can copy:

• Sandbox to Production
• Production to Sandbox
• Sandbox to Sandbox

Therefore, if you have a planned version 28 go-live, make sure you have the required environment available before version 28 disappears from the creation options.

The key point is simple:

If you have a legitimate requirement to remain on Business Central 28 for an upcoming go-live, do not wait until version 28 is no longer available for environment creation.

What should existing Business Central 28 customers do?

If you already have customers running Business Central 28 in production, version 29.0 GA marks the beginning of the next upgrade cycle.

Microsoft will evaluate the customer’s environment and extensions for upgrade compatibility.

One of the first things partners and administrators should check is whether the correct people are configured as notification recipients.

Why are notification recipients important?

Microsoft can send notifications when compatibility issues are identified as part of the upgrade process.

If you are not receiving these notifications, one possible reason is that the appropriate users have not been configured as notification recipients.

In the Business Central Administration Center, review the notification recipient settings and make sure the appropriate people are included.

Consider adding:

• Your technical or implementation contact
• The partner’s responsible consultant
• The customer’s relevant administrator or key contact

Multiple notification recipients can be configured. You do not need to rely on a single person receiving all upgrade-related notifications.

This is especially important when Microsoft identifies an extension compatibility issue that could affect the customer’s upgrade.

What should you check in the production environment?

The next important area is the customer’s scheduled update.

When a new major version becomes available, you should not simply allow the production environment to upgrade without considering the customer’s testing and business schedule.

For example, a customer may still be:

• Completing testing
• Validating custom extensions
• Training users
• Running month-end activities
• Performing another critical business process

An unexpected upgrade can create unnecessary disruption.

Review the production environment and check the scheduled update information.

Should you delay the production upgrade?

If the customer has not completed testing on Business Central 29.0, consider scheduling the production upgrade for a later date that provides enough time for testing.

The objective is not to avoid version 29.0. The objective is to make sure the customer has an opportunity to validate the new version before production is upgraded.

A typical approach is:

1. Make version 29.0 available in a sandbox.
2. Upgrade the sandbox.
3. Allow users to test.
4. Validate extensions and integrations.
5. Resolve any issues.
6. Confirm business-process readiness.
7. Schedule the production upgrade.

This gives the customer a controlled path from testing to production.

How should you configure the update window?

The update window defines when Microsoft can perform the upgrade on the scheduled update date.

The update window should be aligned with the customer’s agreed maintenance period.

For example, if a customer operates in India and finishes business around 10 PM, you might configure an appropriate India time zone and a maintenance window that starts after normal business hours.

The update window must allow at least the required maintenance period. A six-hour window does not mean that the upgrade will take six hours.

Instead, it provides Microsoft with the necessary time window to perform the update and, if necessary, handle a rollback scenario.

Consider these factors when configuring the update window

• Customer’s time zone
• Normal working hours
• Critical business operations
• Maintenance periods
• Weekend versus weekday operations
• Agreed downtime expectations
• Internal IT policies

Do not select the update window based solely on the partner’s working hours. The customer’s operating schedule should be the primary consideration.

What should you do with sandbox environments?

Sandbox environments are particularly useful during a major-version transition.

If a sandbox is used for customer testing, consider upgrading it to Business Central 29.0 as soon as the version becomes available.

This allows users to validate the new version before production is upgraded.

For example:

Business Central 28 Production
            |
            v
Business Central 29 Sandbox
            |
            v
User Testing
            |
            v
Extension / Integration Validation
            |
            v
Business Central 29 Production

This approach provides a controlled upgrade path.

What about sandbox environments used for critical testing?

Not every sandbox should necessarily be upgraded immediately.

If a sandbox is being used for an important testing activity that depends on the current version, review its scheduled update separately.

For example, if a sandbox is currently being used to validate a specific Business Central 28 feature or customer process, an automatic upgrade could interrupt that testing.

Therefore, review both production and important sandbox environments.

The goal is to avoid surprises while still getting a Business Central 29.0 test environment available as early as possible.

What should you do with PTEs?

If you are working with Per-Tenant Extensions (PTEs), version 29.0 GA is an important point to review extension compatibility.

You should validate your PTEs against Business Central 29.0.

A practical approach is:

1. Create or identify a suitable Business Central 29.0 sandbox.
2. Deploy the PTE.
3. Test installation and upgrade behavior.
4. Test the affected business processes.
5. Test integrations and dependencies.
6. Review any compilation or runtime issues.
7. Fix compatibility problems before the customer’s production upgrade.

This gives you a period to identify and resolve compatibility issues before the production environment moves to version 29.0.

What should Business Central partners do now?

For partners managing multiple Business Central cloud customers, version 29.0 GA is a good point to create a customer-by-customer upgrade checklist.

For each customer, review at least the following:

This simple checklist can help prevent last-minute upgrade issues.

What are the key actions after Business Central 29.0 GA?

Here is a practical summary.

1. Check notification recipients

Make sure the appropriate partner and customer contacts are configured to receive Microsoft upgrade and compatibility notifications.

2. Review production update schedules

Check when each production environment is scheduled to move to the next major version.

If the customer needs additional testing time, adjust the schedule accordingly.

3. Configure the update window

Make sure the update window matches the customer’s:

• Time zone
• Working hours
• Maintenance agreement
• Operational requirements

4. Upgrade a sandbox early

Make Business Central 29.0 available to key users in a sandbox and start testing.

5. Test PTEs

Validate Per-Tenant Extensions against Business Central 29.0.

6. Test integrations

Do not limit testing to the Business Central application itself. Validate integrations and external systems as well.

7. Review version 28 go-live projects

If a customer is still planning to go live on Business Central 28, review the environment requirements immediately.

If version 28 is still available for environment creation, create the required environment before Microsoft removes that version from the available options.

8. Communicate with the customer

Make sure the customer understands:

• What version they are currently running
• When their sandbox will be upgraded
• When production is expected to be upgraded
• What testing is required
• What the update window means
• What business activities should be avoided around the upgrade

Business Central 29.0 GA: The important takeaway

Business Central 29.0 GA is not just a version-selection change for new customers. It starts the next upgrade cycle for the existing Business Central cloud customer base.

For new implementations, Business Central 29.0 becomes the version to plan around.

For existing Business Central 28 customers, the focus should be on:

• Upgrade compatibility
• Notification recipients
• Sandbox testing
• PTE validation
• Integration testing
• Production update scheduling
• Maintenance windows

And if you have a customer with a genuine requirement to go live on Business Central 28, the transition period is important because the ability to create new version 28 environments will eventually disappear.

The safest operational approach is to avoid treating the GA date as a simple version number change. Use it as the starting point for a structured upgrade-readiness review across all your Business Central cloud customers.

Quick Business Central 29.0 GA Checklist

Use this checklist when reviewing a customer environment:

• Confirm current Business Central version
• Check notification recipients
• Review Microsoft upgrade compatibility notifications
• Review production update date
• Review production update window
• Confirm customer time zone
• Create or identify a BC 29.0 sandbox
• Test key business processes
• Validate PTE compatibility
• Validate integrations
• Communicate the upgrade plan to the customer
• Review any version 28 go-live projects
• Preserve a required BC 28 environment before the option disappears
• Schedule production upgrade after successful testing

Final Thoughts

Business Central 29.0 GA marks the beginning of another major release cycle.

If you are a Business Central consultant, developer, administrator, or implementation partner, now is the time to move from preview discussions to practical upgrade preparation.

Start with your sandboxes, validate your extensions, review your production schedules, and communicate the plan clearly with customers.

And if you still have a customer implementation targeting Business Central 28, pay particular attention to the availability of version 28 environments during this transition period.

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