HOWTO: Migrate Zetadocs Expenses to use Service-to-Service (S2S) authentication

ZTN6018

This Zetadocs technical note applies to:

• Zetadocs Expenses
• Business Central Online (public cloud hosted system)

Summary

Many current Zetadocs Expenses systems which are linked to a Business Central public hosted cloud system use a web service access key to connect to Business Central.  However Microsoft have withdrawn support for web service access keys, requiring appplications like Zetadocs Expenses to use an alternative authentication method called Service-to-Service (S2S) authentication instead.

This document describes how to update an installed Zetadocs Expenses system to use Service-to-Service authentication so that it continues to work without any disruption after upgrading to a version of Business Central which does not support web service access keys.

More information

These are the steps to migrate an existing Zetadocs Expenses system from using a web service access key to using Service-to-Service authentication.

Step 1: Grant access permissions for Azure Active Directory (AAD)

1. Grant consent for the Zetadocs Expenses app by clicking this link (if you have an AAD administrator account), or forwarding the link to your support team.
   
   https://login.microsoftonline.com/common/adminconsent?client_id=b6d9bbd0-9cb5-4d3b-9866-5ee6e468477a&redirect_uri=https://software.equisys.com/apps?app=zdebcxs2s
    
2. Follow the on-screen instructions to sign in with an administrator account and grant required access permissions to the Zetadocs Expenses app on behalf of your organisation.
    

Step 2: Upgrade the Zetadocs Expenses Extension for Business Central

Service-to-Service authentication requires the Zetadocs Expenses Extension for Business Central version 1.2.22050 or later.

1. Run the Business Central Admin Center
    
2. Display the Environments page, click on the first environment, then click on Apps to display the installed extensions
    
3. Find the Zetadocs Expenses extension in the list.  If it shows that a newer version of the extension is available then click Install update to start the installation process.
    
4. Run Business Central for that environment then display the Assisted Setup administration page
    
5. Find the Zetadocs Expenses extension in the list, then run the Assisted Setup.
    
6. Click Yes when prompted to run the Assisted Setup again.
   
   
   
7. Complete the Assisted Setup wizard.  This will create an Azure Active Directory Application entry to allow Zetadocs Expenses to access all companies in this Business Central environment.
    
8. Repeat for each Business Central environment
    

Step 3: Change the authentication method for the company in Zetadocs Expenses

1. Run the Zetadocs Expense admin site, display the Companies tab then manage the first company using Business Central Online to display the Company Details page.
    
2. Check that the System Type is set to “Business Central Online”, then change the Authentication Method to “Service-to-Service Authentication”.
   
   
   
3. Save the change, then repeat for each company using Business Central Online.

Step 4: Testing

1. Run the Zetadocs Expenses desktop app, display the Status screen and select a previously exported report which includes expenses for the first Business Central Online company only.  Choose Re-export from the ellipses (three dots) action menu.
    
2. Once the report export status has returned to Done, open the report and check the history lines for the Business Central purchase invoice number which has been created.
    
3. Run the Business Central client and delete the duplicate purchase invoice record which was created by the export.
    
4. Repeat for each company using Business Central Online.
    

References

Last updated: 17th January 2023 (GW / GC) 

Keywords: Web service access key  basic authentication  modern authentication