Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Administration

By Marco Carvalho

In Detail

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 is an advanced Enterprise Resource Planning system, essentially a comprehensive business management solution, designed for midsize and large organizations. Dynamics AX provides a centralized source for business data and enables you to consolidate and standardize your business processes, helping to improve productivity and provide visibility across your organization, for a variety of business needs.

This book will enable you to successfully set up and configure Dynamics AX 2009 in your business with clear, practical, step-by-step demonstrations. You will learn how to plan and implement Dynamics AX 2009 efficiently, how to manage the Enterprise Portal, Role Centers, Kerberos Authentication, Workflow, Application Integration Framework (AIF), and much more!

Each chapter of the book explores the different aspects of administring and configuring Dynamics AX 2009 to fit any company's needs.

The book begins by introducing you to the important process of planning and implementing Dynamics AX 2009, providing the basic components to get you started with your Dynamics AX environment.

It then dives deep into the installation of the multi component server of Dynamics AX and how to get it up and running efficiently, specifically the Base Server Components, Enterprise Portal, Role Centers, Kerberos Authentication, Workflow, and the Application Integration Framework (AIF).

Other content includes the process of importing data into your Dynamics AX 2009 instance, common user administration functions, and Alerts and Notifications.

Finally, the book considers how to enhance your Dynamics AX environment after it has been installed and it is being utilized, from tuning your system to work more efficiently to backing up and maintaining Dynamics AX to make sure you are prepared for worst-case scenarios, enabling you to keep Dynamics AX 2009 functioning at its best.

By following the clear and practical steps found in the book, you will successfully master how to administer and configure Dynamics AX 2009 into your company.

Successfully set up and configure Dynamics AX 2009 into your business and effectively manage your business data with only basic knowledge of Dynamics AX and Windows Server administration required

Approach

A practical tutorial, this book shows you how to set up and configure Dynamics AX 2009 and then how to improve and maintain its performance with clear step-by-step instructions, enabling Dynamics AX to fit your company's needs.

If you are a network administrator or IT personnel charged with setting up and configuring Dynamics AX 2009 in your company, then this book is for you. A basic knowledge of Dynamics AX 2009 and general Windows Server Administration is required and familiarity with maintaining a SQL Server database server. Additionally, if you are a VAR tasked with implementing Dynamics AX into companies, then this book will provide you with a good overview and details of the whole Dynamics AX 2009 system.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Packt Publishing
• Release date: Jan 25, 2011
• ISBN: 9781847197856

Marco Carvalho

Marco Carvalho has over ten years experience in the software development and IT industry. He started working with Axapta in 2003 and has since been working exclusively developing and implementing solutions for Dynamics AX. Amongst other things, Marco along with Microsoft and various ISVs, has pioneered the integration of Dynamics AX with proprietary and third-party systems. He has also developed unique solutions that integrate Dynamics AX with Mobile and .NET technologies. Additionally, Marco enjoys educating organizations and training developers on Dynamics AX. He has held senior and management-level positions but serves as the CTO of Ingnomics Solutions, LLC an upcoming Microsoft VAR.

Book preview

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Administration

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Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Administration

Copyright © 2011 Packt Publishing

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First published: January 2011

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Credits

Author

Marco Carvalho

Reviewers

Harish Mohan

Mohammed Rasheed

Dick Wenning

Acquisition Editor

Kerry George

Development Editor

Kerry George

Technical Editors

Arun Nadar

Bianca Sequeira

Copy Editor

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Cover Work

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About the Author

Marco Carvalho has over 13 years' experience in the software development and IT industry. He started working with Dynamics AX in 2003 and has since been exclusively developing and implementing solutions for Dynamics AX. Among many other things, he has pioneered along with Microsoft and various ISVs the integration of Dynamics AX with proprietary and third party systems. He has also developed unique solutions that integrate Dynamics AX with Mobile and other .NET technologies. He enjoys educating organizations and training developers on Dynamics AX. He has also held senior and management level positions as well as manage his own Microsoft partner company.

During his free time, he enjoys producing music, walking in nature, spending time with close friends and families and reading about quantum physics and ancient history.

As with any other book, the job of the author is only a portion of the entire creation of a book, and I personally would like to extend my gratitude to my editors, projects managers, proof readers and very experienced reviewers for making this book a reality. I would like to thank my family who have been positive and unconditional supporters. I would also like to thank my daughter, who is one of the greatest teachers in my life. I would also like to thank my clients and colleagues with whom I have worked through the years that have provided opportunities for me to expand my knowledge and shape my career.

About the Reviewers

Harish Mohanbabu has over 12 years of consulting experience in a variety of roles including developer, lead developer, design authority, and technical architect in Dynamics AX and Microsoft technologies. He was nominated as a Microsoft MVP in recognition of his contribution to the Dynamics AX community. He is also the technical editor of two books on Dynamics AX, including PacktPub's 'Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Programming: Getting started'. Harish lives in Hertfordshire, England with his wife, Chelvy and their two children, Swetha and Rahul. He can be contacted via his web sites, www.harishm.com, www.harish-m.livejournal.com and you can follow his tweets on www.twitter.com/HarishM.

Mohammed Rasheed is a Solutions Architect at Junction Solutions UK (www.Junctionsolutions.co.uk) where he is responsible for the delivery of integrations and customizations on Dynamics AX. Junction Solutions are the most exciting Microsoft Dynamics AX Partner for retail, with over 40 successful implementations across the world and a retail solution that has been certified by Microsoft for quality. Junction Solutions' innovative multi-channel retail software was built on Dynamics AX to resolve the unique challenges of 21st century retailers, who trade across many channels including stores, web online, mail order, franchise, wholesale, and direct sales. Junction Solutions bring these channels together and provide modern retailers with a holistic view of their business, enabling them to develop new revenue opportunities, drive better customer service, and deliver improved profitability.

Junction Solutions was also named The Microsoft Dynamics Retail Partner of the Year in the 2010 Microsoft Partner Awards. Mohammed has a double masters in Dynamics AX with over 8 certifications on Dynamics AX. Though his strengths are rooted in x++ development, he is a highly regarded Generalist and has solid knowledge of both functional and technical aspects of Dynamics AX. His passion for development is evident in the fact that he takes pleasure from refactoring and optimizing x++ code.

Mohammed lives with his family in Chester(UK)and blogs on his website: www.dynamic-ax.co.uk.

Dick Wenning has studied Computer Science in the Netherlands. After completing his education he has developed software for the medical, local government and telecom industries.

Dick started working in 2001 for Navision Netherlands, where he was giving technical training and managing escalations at partner support. He became a member of the localisation team of Dynamics AX when Navision became part of Microsoft.

His career continued for a short period at Watermark and for the last few years Dick has been working for Crimsonwing Promentum, where he's part of a skilled team responsible for ramping up Partners on Dynamics AX. Dick specialized himself in performance and integration with Dynamics AX and he's frequently asked to consult partners and also Microsoft in Europe.

In his spare time, Dick is running his blog axstart.spaces.live.com and is a frequent speaker at technical seminars in Western Europe; this commitment has been recognized and rewarded by Microsoft with the MVP award. Dick is also a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) for Dynamics AX development and installation.

Beside these activities on AX, Dick is married with Inge and has two kids, Marleen and Ruben. Dick is also a regular chess and tennis player, and you can challenge him on playchess.com.

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Preface

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 is an advanced Enterprise Resource Planning system, essentially a comprehensive business management solution, designed for midsize and large organizations. Dynamics AX provides a centralized source for business data and enables you to consolidate and standardize your business processes, helping to improve productivity and provide visibility across your organization, for a variety of business needs.

This book will enable you to successfully set up and configure Dynamics AX 2009 into your business with clear, practical, step-by-step demonstrations. You will learn how to plan and implement Dynamics AX 2009 efficiently, how to manage the Enterprise Portal, Role Centers, Kerberos Authentication, Workflow, Application Integration Framework (AIF), and much more.

This practical tutorial shows you how to set up and configure Dynamics AX 2009 into your business and then how to improve and maintain its performance. Each chapter of the book explores the different aspects of administrating and configuring Dynamics AX 2009 to fit any company's needs.

The book begins by introducing you to the important process of planning and implementing Dynamics AX 2009, providing the basic components to get you started with your Dynamics AX environment.

It then deep dives into the installation of the multi-component server of Dynamics AX and how to get it up and running efficiently, specifically the Base Server Components, Enterprise Portal, Role Centers, Kerberos Authentication, Workflow, and the Application Integration Framework (AIF).

Other content includes the actual usage of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009, the process of importing data into your Dynamics AX 2009 instance, common user administration functions, and Alerts and Notifications.

Finally, the book will consider how to enhance your Dynamics AX environment after it has been installed and it is being utilized from tuning your system to work more efficiently to backing up and maintaining Dynamics AX to make sure you are prepared for worst-case scenarios, enabling you to keep Dynamics AX 2009 functioning at its best.

By following the clear and practical steps found in the book, you will successfully master how to administer and configure Dynamics AX 2009 into your company.

Who this book is for

If you are a network administrator or IT personnel charged with setting up and configuring Dynamics AX 2009 into your company, then this book is for you. A basic knowledge of Dynamics AX 2009 and general Windows Server Administration is required and familiarity with maintaining a SQL Server database server. Additionally, if you are a VAR tasked with implementing Dynamics AX into companies, then this book will provide you with a good overview and detail of the whole Dynamics AX 2009 system.

What this book covers

Chapter 1, System Planning and Hardware Sizing will help you understand the current hardware, software, and network infrastructure in which you will be implementing Microsoft Dynamics AX.

Chapter 2, Setup and Configuration of the Base Server Components will help you fully understand the base Dynamics AX 2009 components and their features to get your Dynamics AX environment up and running effectively.

Chapter 3, Setup and Configuration of the Enterprise Portal will show you how to implement the Enterprise Portal, a web-based solution to access data from Dynamics AX and perform many functions such as Purchase Requisitions, Sales Orders, Customer lookups, CRM, and much more!

Chapter 4, Setup and Configuration of the Role Centers will teach you how to set up and configure the business intelligence and advanced reporting capabilities of your data by using the Role Centers in Dynamics AX.

Chapter 5, Setting Up Kerberos Authentication will enhance the security of multiple services by ensuring that the Kerberos Authentication protocol is implemented into your Dynamics AX environment.

Chapter 6, Setup and Configuration of the Workflow talks about the process of setting up and configuring workflow to fit the needs of a company that requires various workflow capabilities.

Chapter 7, Setup and Configuration of Application Integration Framework looks at how to use the Application Integration Framework to exchange data either synchronously or asynchronously between one system and another.

Chapter 8, Data Migration helps you to manage, migrate, and convert your data in Dynamics AX.

Chapter 9, Security and User Administration looks at how to get a hold of the common user administration functions that are built into Dynamics AX, including setting up domains, importing users, permissions, profiles, company accounts, and much more!

Chapter 10, Alerts and Notifications shows you how to make critical, on-time business decisions by fully understanding the Alerts and Notifications features that notify you when specific criteria has been met with your data.

Chapter 11, Tuning Your Setup explains how to tweak and enhance Dynamics AX and its components for optimal performance.

Chapter 12, Backup and Maintenance teaches you how to maintain the data integrity of Dynamics AX data and develop backup and recovery processes.

Appendix A, contains additional topics on Dynamics AX administration and configuration.

Appendix B, contains additional settings, configuration options, and troubleshooting techniques.

What you need for this book

The following are the minimum requirements:

OS: Windows Server 2003 (2008 preferred)

Database: SQL Server 2005 (2008 Preferred) plus: Analysis Services, Reporting Services and Integration Services

Other: Visual Studio 2008, .NET 2.0, latest .NET 3.x version, and latest Internet Explorer 8.x

SharePoint: WSS 3.0 or SharePoint 2007

Dynamics AX 200-9 with SP1

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Chapter 1. System Planning and Hardware Sizing

Before you plan your Dynamics AX implementation, it is vital that you understand the current hardware, network, and software infrastructure in which you will be implementing Microsoft Dynamics AX. It is also equally important to gather information about a company's business requirements, functions, and departments that will be utilizing Dynamics AX 2009. At times, there may be a need to implement new hardware, network, or software resources to fulfill the needs and requirements of Dynamics AX. Therefore, gathering as much information as possible on hardware, network, and software is essential to the success of the functionality and performance of Dynamics AX.

In this chapter, we will cover:

Typical phases of a Dynamics AX implementation

How to create a robust environment in which Dynamics AX 2009 can be installed and utilized

How to size hardware, networking, and software resources that will support the Dynamics AX 2009 system

Phases of a Dynamics AX implementation

In order for Dynamics AX to function at its best, hardware and network infrastructure has a large effect on