Start Learn Microsoft Dynamics AX

This section contains information that will get you started in Microsoft Dynamics AX.

Ø  Develop and maintain high performance applications with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

Ø  Create comprehensive management solutions to meet your customer's needs

Ø  Best-practices for customizing and extending your own high-performance solutions

Ø  Thoroughly covers the new features in AX 2009 and focuses on the most common tasks and issues

Ø  Aimed at developers on the Microsoft platform with little or no previous knowledge of AX development

Ø  Updated and additional developer documentation for Microsoft Dynamics AX can be found at the Microsoft Dynamics AX Developer Center on the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN).

Ø  For new and updated documentation for administrators, see the Microsoft TechNet site Microsoft Dynamics AX Online.

Development Environment

             Main features of the AX development environment:

·         The AX programming language

·         The Application Object Tree

·         The X++ code editor

·         The compiler

·         The labels

Programming Language  :

                  The programming language in AX is called X++, and its syntax is similar to Java and C#. In addition to being an object-oriented programming (OOP) language, it also includes embedded SQL. This means that writing SQL statements in AX is very easy, because you, as a developer, do not need to create a connection to the database, create a statement that is executed on the connection, and so on. Instead, you can write the SQL statements directly into the X++ code

Morphx   :

                Dynamics AX provides an integrated development environment called MorphX. MorphX is all of the visual development in AX, and it lets the developer create code elements in a graphical way much like Visual Studio by dragging and dropping, and setting properties on elements.

AOT (Application Object Tree) :

The Application Object Tree (AOT) is the development menu in Axapta.

   

         All objects used in the application are stored in the AOT and presented to the developer in a tree organized by object type. We can open it by pressing Ctrl + D from anywhere in AX. When we open the AOT it expands with it elements as shown in following figure . Some of  AOT elements consists of its own sub elements

By accessing the AOT we can create new tables, forms, classes, jobs and reports or we can customize the existing elements .

How to create new object in AOT:

·         Right click on the selected node in AOT and click on the required new element.

·         Right click on selected  element (new) and click on properties (Alt + Enter) and set the properties which you want to apply for particular object.

·         Save by clicking save Icon on AOT menu bar(Ctrl + S).

How to open the object in AOT:

·         Select the object which you want to open

·         Go to AOT menu bar and click on the Open Icon (Ctrl + O)

Note :

·         We can also create the AOT elements in our individual project.

·         AOT also can maintain the same objects which we created in project 

3. System Topology

3. System Topology

Before you install Microsoft Dynamics AX, it is important to select a system topology that meets your needs. For information about selecting a topology in web

Ø  Planning System Topology..

Final Thought

                                                    Final Thoughts

   With all these additions, you are unable to appreciate Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 with the traditional base installation where you configure the Database, Application, AOS and Dynamics AX client. At the very least, you need to have the Analysis Services, Reporting Services, and Sharepoint Services.

2. Servers in AX Environment

2. Servers in AX Environment

                           Let us look at the servers in a Dynamics AX 2009 production environment with all these additions. We could divide the servers into three categories; base servers, extension servers and infrastructure support servers.

Base Servers

The base installation consists of the traditional components which include the Database, Application files, Application Object Server (AOS) and the Windows client. There are three servers under this category.

Database server

As the name suggests, this is where Dynamics AX data is stored. Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 could work with Microsoft SQL Server database as well as Oracle database. Although Oracle database server supports various editions of UNIX, Linux and Windows, supports for Oracle database is limited to issues that could be reproduced with Oracle under Windows environment.

File server

The Microsoft Dynamics AX application files are installed here. The application files installed here will be accessed by all Application Object Servers (AOS) in the environment. Access rights should be configured accordingly.

Application Object Server (AOS)

This server hosts the AOS Windows service. The AOS service coordinate communications among database, application files and the Microsoft Dynamics AX clients. AOS could be installed on a single computer or a server cluster for load balancing.

Extension Servers

Servers under this category add functionalities to Microsoft Dynamics AX.

Role Centers and Enterprise Portal

This server hosts a Microsoft Windows Sharepoint Services site. This server exposes the role center and enterprise portal functionalities to relevant users. You may run Windows Sharepoint Services or Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server to enable these functionalities.

Workflow server

A workflow server runs the Windows Workflow Foundation. It enables the creation of individual workflows as well as business processes in Microsoft Dynamics AX. It controls how a document flows through the system for processing and approval.

Reporting server

A reporting server uses Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services to add reporting functionality to Microsoft Dynamics AX.

OLAP server

An OLAP server uses Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services to provide multi-dimensional reporting functionality to Microsoft Dynamics AX.

Application integration server

An application integration server runs the Application Integration Framework (AIF). It allows the sharing of electronic business documents between Microsoft Dynamics AX and external parties.

Infrastructure Support

The servers mentioned earlier are either the integral part of Microsoft Dynamics AX or add specific functionalities to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009. Those under this category provide supports. The compulsory server under this category is the domain controller. We could have SMTP server to provide email abilities to alert, mass mailing, etc.

1. Installation Process

1. Installation Process

Base Components

              First, you must install the base components. A base system includes a database, an Application Object Server (AOS), application files, and at least one client.

                        - Install the database (SQL Server or Oracle).

                                - Install application files.

                                - Install the AOS.

                                - Install clients.

Complete the Initialization Checklist

                      After you have installed the base components, you must complete the initialization checklist in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client.

- Prepare for the initialization                                                                                        

- Complete the initialization checklist.

Install and Configure Required Components

                  After the initialization checklist has been completed, install and configure the required components.

- Install the reporting extensions.

- Install the analysis extensions.

- Install Enterprise Portal and Role Centers.

- Install Workflow.

Install Development Components

                 You can install the Microsoft Dynamics AX development components after you have installed the base components and completed the initialization checklist.

- Install the debugger.

- Install the Enterprise Portal developer tools.

- Install the reporting tools.

- Install Team Server.

Install Integration Components

                      You can install Microsoft Dynamics AX integration components after you have installed the base components and completed the initialization checklist.

- Install the .NET Business Connector.

- Install the AIF Web services.

- Install the BizTalk adapter.

- Install the synchronization proxy for Microsoft Office Project.

- Install the synchronization service for Microsoft Office Project.

The following figure shows the various components we have in a Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 installation

Dynamics AX 2009 Installation

The Installation of Dynamics AX

             This section provides an overview of the installation process and describes the servers used in the Microsoft Dynamics AX environment. The following topics are included

1) Installation Process

 2) Servers in MS Dynamics AX Environment   

 3) System Topology

Requirements  for  Installation

Ø  Rights required for installation

Ø  System requirements

Ø  Copy the DVD contents to a file server

Ø  Select installation type

Components in Installation

Ø  Install Base Components

Ø  Complete the Initialization checklist

Ø  Install and configure required components

Ø  Install Developments Components

Ø  Install Integration Components

The following Figure provides the overview of the installation process

  

My Blog for Microsoft dynamics AX:

My Blog for Microsoft dynamics AX:

             Friends hope this blog help you learn creating forms, reports, menu items, menus, and navigation pages. It also help you to work with the MorphX application.

                                      The Things we have to learn

Ø  Get to grips with the AX Development environment

Ø  Understand the basics of the  X++ language

Ø  Reduce the time spent on coding by storing and relating data

Ø  Optimize data retrieval to ensure each transfer contains only the data necessary for the further operations

Ø  Manipulate data in X++

Ø  Effectively handle transaction scope by using different operators

Ø  Optimize application performance and extensibility

Ø  Create services and expose them to external applications

Introduction to AX

Microsoft Dynamics AX

(ERP solution)

Microsoft Dynamics AX :

                  Microsoft Dynamics AX is the ERP solution for enterprises that provides a purpose-built foundation across five industries, along with comprehensive, core ERP functionality for financial, human resources and operations management. It empowers people to anticipate and embrace change so our business can thrive. All of this is packaged in a single global solution giving you rapid time to value.

             “Microsoft Dynamics AX is an ERP software system that provides business management solutions for midsize and larger organizations”

                Microsoft Dynamics AX provides out-of-the-box functionality for managing the business or organization ,including the modules for every business area, from Supply Chain Management(SCM) and financials to shop floor control and Warehouse Management.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009  :                  

                    Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 has incorporated numerous technologies under Microsoft to improve communication and visibility of the solution. In Microsoft Dynamics AX 3.0 and 4.0 implementations, it has configured quite some Analysis Services cubes and Reporting Services reports to provide visibility.

                    Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 is Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software that comes with its own development environment and a programming language called X++. It is specialized and optimized to solve the tasks that are typical of an ERP system.

                    Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 on the other hand has taken a different direction. A huge portion of the functionalities are taken out of Microsoft Dynamics AX. Dynamics AX 2009 comes with plenty of Analysis Services cubes and Reporting Services reports preconfigured. Then there is this dashboard that is hosted by Sharepoint Services. There is also integration with Microsoft Unified Communication, Microsoft Project Server, etc