book

Microsoft Dynamics AX Implementation Guide

by Yogesh Kasat

September 2015

Beginner to intermediate

348 pages

7h 56m

English

Packt Publishing

Read now

Unlock full access

Support files, eBooks, discount offers, and moreWhy subscribe?Free access for Packt account holdersInstant updates on new Packt books
What this book covers

ErrataPiracyQuestions
Project kickoffManaging customer expectations and commitmentsTips for customersCustomer environment and cultureResourcesConsulting team resource alignmentCustomer resource alignmentExternal resourcesEstablishing the teamThe kickoff meeting
The project planCommunicationChange controlBudget trackingThe view from the top
The requirement gathering techniquesThe tools to use at this stageQuestionnaireLeadNegotiate
Why is CRP needed?Considerations for CRP successThe CRP execution
The Dynamics AX components and architectureDatabasesThe middle tierReporting and BIClientThe Help serverCapacity planning and infrastructure estimationCapacity planningThe deployment detailsReportsOperating sites and schedulesThe ISV productsCustomizationsIntegrationsThe batch processUsing Lifecycle Services – Usage ProfilerInfrastructure estimation
The production system topologyThe nonproduction system topology
The cloud servicesMicrosoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 on Azure
PlanningThe SQL serverThe AOS serverReviews
Integration planningIntegration scenariosIntegration requirementsSynchronous or asynchronous
Application Integration Framework and servicesThe AIF architectureKey concepts in AIFServicesAdapters – transport mechanismMessage processingCloud-based integrationThe Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Data Import/Export FrameworkAn ad hoc manual file import/exportAutomated asynchronous integrationMaster data management.NET Framework – .NET InteropThe .NET Business ConnectorThe third-party integration solutionConnector for Microsoft Dynamics
Selecting the right integration technologyDeveloping a high-level conceptual designDefining field mappingDevelopment, configuration, and testing
Managing scope – simplifying data migration through rightsizing the scopeQuestions to ask during the scoping exerciseLeading the data migration requirements sessionsThe battle of history
Data mapping and transformationPlanning the data migrationSelecting the tools for data migrationHow do I select the right tool?Data migration versus data entryData import features developed on the projectThe Data Import/Export FrameworkTerminologiesArchitectureThe import/export processA summary of key featuresAIFThe features of AIFCustom X++Describing custom X++Excel add-inDescribing an Excel add-inData migration execution tipsInitial templates for businessExtracting source data into SQL tablesNever rename/repurpose fieldsConsidering premigration stepsConsidering postmigration stepsChanging SQL to simple recovery modeMultithreading and max DOPIndex and statistics maintenanceDisabling the AX loggingConsidering SQL updates on migrated dataThe SQL import – through caution and expertiseManaging configurationsConfiguration management simplified with DIXFReviewing and deciding on the configuration
Gathering BI and reporting requirementsThe top three customer issues in reportingInaccurate data and calculationPerformanceLayout and formatting
SQL Server Reporting ServicesOut-of-the-box SSRS reportsEP chart controlsCues in Role CenterThe AX auto-report wizardExporting to Excel from formsBusiness intelligence/analytics – cubesAccessing data from cubesSSRS reports on AX clientKPIs and chart on AX Role CenterExcel and Power BIThe Report Builder toolVisual StudioThe Management Reporter toolList pagesOffice Add-insWord add-insExcel add-insOther add-on BI solutions
DevelopmentTestingDeployment
The functional design documentWhy write FDD?Fit/Gap review sessionProject management aspects of designThings to know before writing FDDThe party modelThe global address bookThe financial dataThe reverse engineering toolKey global featuresBig picture diagramsThe functional architectureIntegrationsThe flow of dataDo's and Don'ts
Overview and objectivesGuidelines for Solution Design Documents
Before choosing ISV solutionsAfter selecting the partnerCommon pitfalls
Overview and objectivesGuidelines for the Technical Design DocumentPreparationExecutionOutcome
Configuration planning
The Data Import/Export FrameworkImporting and exporting data using various formatsCopying and comparing data between legal entitiesCopying data between Microsoft Dynamics AX instancesCreating a custom entityThe Microsoft Dynamics ERP RapidStart ServicesThe Excel add-inExport/Import – DAT/DEF fileThe definition groupDefining the export criteriaFinding related tablesThe LCS configuration manager – the beta versionThe Test Data Transfer Tool – the beta version
The golden environmentCopying the template companyBuilding configuration templates
Getting ready for developmentThe version controlThe development environmentThe shared AOS topologyThe private AOS topologyThe TFS branching strategiesThe main only strategyThe development and main branching strategyDevelopment, main, and releaseGround rules for developmentDevelopment layers and modelsAOT objects' naming conventionsLabel files and languageEstablishing the code review process
ConceptualizationData designAdding fields to the existing tablesTable TypesRegularIn-memoryTempDBTable fieldsDate effectivityTable propertiesThe table groupThe table cachingIndex considerationsThe clustered indexThe non-clustered indexBest practices for indexesTables key considerationsThe alternate keyThe primary keyThe replacement keyThe foreign keyThe natural keySurrogate keysThe delete actionsThe business logicThe number sequence frameworkThe FormLetter frameworkThe RunBase frameworkThe SysOperation frameworkServices and the Application Integration Framework (AIF)Other application and development frameworksBest practices to customize business processesReusing the codeUsing eventingCustomizing the codeWhere to add the custom codeThe user interfaceClient user interface guidelinesThe list pagesThe details formsDetails forms with linesThe simple listThe simple details formsThe simple list and details formsThe table of content formsEnterprise portal user interface guidelinesList pagesThe details formsThe two-phase create dialogReport user interface guidelinesThe document type reportsThe simple listThe group list typeSecurityKey conceptsSecurity rolesDutiesThe process cyclePrivilegePermissionsPoliciesSecurity for custom objects
Best practice checkNaming variables and objectsCommenting the codeLabels and textDatabaseTransactionsException handling
DevelopmentCreating the buildTesting/defect fixingRelease to productionApplication Lifecycle guidelines and best practices
Performance testing and tuningPreparing for the processThe execution stageOutcome
The trace parserThe performance monitorThe performance analyzer – DynamicsPerfThe LCS system diagnosticsThe performance benchmark SDKThe SQL Server ProfilerThe SCOM pack for Microsoft Dynamics AX
InfrastructureIssues due to inadequate hardwareVirtualizationThe environment setupNetwork bandwidth and latencySetting up WindowsSetting up SQL ServerAn outdated application, kernel, and missing hotfixesInappropriate AX configurationsNumber sequencesDatabase loggingDebugging in productionMaintaining indexesBatch serversCode and queriesData cachingToo many RPC calls between the client and server tiersSet-based operationsBatch parallelismLong-running queries – missing indexesDisplaying methods on form grid
Understanding the issuePlanning and defining the analysis strategyCorrective action and reviewGeneral scenarios and investigation strategiesIssue 1Issue 2Issue 3Issue 4Issue 5Issue 6Issue 7Issue 8
TestingThe test planningTest scenarios and test case developmentUnit testingFunction testingSystem integration testingUser acceptance testingThe UAT planningUAT execution and experiencesThe UAT outcomeEnd-to-end testingEnd-to-end test planningExecution and real-life examplesTrainingA training planThe change managementTraining preparationSystem and business readinessSecurity rolesBusiness process flowsTraining manuals and user guidesThe Task RecorderThe business process modelerThe Help systemPersonalizationThe training environment
Key considerations prior to going live
Business contingency planningSome technical tips
Initial stabilizationTriage and prioritizationBug fixes and their business impactThe deployment stageTroubleshooting tips and FAQs
Preparing for the first month-endReporting requestsSecurity and roles assignmentsForm changesPerformance reviewsThe data growthTraining opportunitiesEngaging with MicrosoftA Microsoft support budgetBusiness process optimizationOpen change requests
Why post-implementation review?Key factors to get the most out of PIRPreparing for PIRPain points from experiencePost-implementation review – an AX 2012 customerCurrent state – key challengesThe unused potential of Dynamics AXImprovement opportunities – processes and systemsNew features from the next release
When to upgradeBenefit to the business operationsAre operations ready for the change?Stabilization of the newer versionContinued technical supportUpgrade versus reimplementationProject strategy and planning
Source to targetIn-place upgrade
Planning the upgradeManaging customization (Fit/Gap)Managing the scopeManaging the dataBusiness engagementImpact on integrationsImpact on reportingCode freeze in the source systemInfrastructure planningThe upgrade analysisThe code upgradePlanning for the code upgradeThe code clean-upNew features that replace the existing onesStandalone partner/customer codeChanges in customization due to Microsoft refactoring in a new versionThe code upgrade processThe baseline databaseSelecting the upgrade checklistImporting AOD/model files into the baseline databaseExecuting the code upgrade checklistCode upgrade conflict toolsThe upgrade scriptThe security upgradeTesting the data upgradeObjectivesPlanningExecutionOutcomeUpgrade testingData validationSystem and regression testingIntegration and end-to-end testingEnd-user adoptionDeployment planning and execution

Content preview from Microsoft Dynamics AX Implementation Guide

Integration technologies

As enterprises move toward using more and more specialized applications rather than having an ERP do everything for them, you need a robust framework and strategy for managing integrations within the ERP system. Dynamics AX provides many such robust frameworks and functionalities to integrate with third-party applications using modern techniques.

The following section outlines the commonly-used integration technologies in Dynamics AX. It is important to make sure that the technical analysts and developers in your project are familiar with these technologies, so that they can support the design process and identify the best integration solution for your project.