Business Central Admin Center Trick: Retrieve Installed Apps from Multiple Environments
Managing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central environments is straightforward when you only have a few environments to monitor. However, as the number of environments grows, routine administrative tasks can become repetitive and time-consuming.
One such task is obtaining a list of installed extensions across multiple Business Central environments.
The Traditional Approach
Most administrators follow a process similar to this:
Open the Business Central Admin Center.
Select an environment.
Launch Business Central.
Open Extension Management.
Export or record the installed extensions.
Repeat for every environment.
While this works for one or two environments, it quickly becomes inefficient when dealing with:
Multiple Sandbox environments
Multiple Production environments
Customer tenants
Upgrade assessments
Extension inventory audits
If you manage 10, 20, or even more environments, the amount of manual effort increases significantly.
The Hidden Opportunity
What many Business Central administrators don't realize is that the Admin Center already retrieves a large amount of information behind the scenes.
When the page loads, data is exchanged between the browser and Microsoft's services through API requests. This information can often be inspected using the browser's Developer Tools.
Instead of manually opening each environment, it is possible to leverage the information already available within the Admin Center.
Using Browser Developer Tools
Modern browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome include built-in Developer Tools.
By pressing F12, administrators can inspect network activity and review the data being returned to the browser.
This information can include details about:
Business Central environments
Installed applications
Application versions
Publishers
Additional metadata
The returned information is typically available in JSON format, making it easy to process and analyze.
Why This Matters
This approach offers several advantages:
Time Savings
Instead of opening each environment individually, you can work directly with the available data.
Better Reporting
JSON data can be exported and transformed into Excel, Power BI, Power Query, or other reporting tools.
Improved Auditing
Having a consolidated list of installed applications helps with:
Upgrade planning
License reviews
Extension inventory management
Customer environment assessments
Scalability
The larger the number of environments, the greater the benefit of automating data collection.
Real-World Use Cases
This technique can be especially useful for:
Business Central Administrators
Technical Consultants
Solution Architects
Support Engineers
Microsoft Partners
Managed Service Providers
Any professional responsible for multiple Business Central environments can benefit from reducing manual administration effort.
Video Walkthrough
I have created a step-by-step video demonstrating the complete process.
In the video, you'll learn:
How to access the relevant data using F12 Developer Tools
Where to find the application information
How to extract the JSON response
How to use the data for reporting and analysis
🎥 Watch the full video here:
Final Thoughts
Many administrative tasks in Business Central can be simplified by understanding how the Admin Center works behind the scenes.
Sometimes the most valuable productivity improvements don't come from new tools—they come from making better use of information that is already available.
If you're managing multiple Business Central environments, this technique can help you save time, improve visibility, and reduce repetitive manual work.
Have you found another efficient way to inventory installed applications across environments? Feel free to share your approach in the comments.
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