Deep Dive on the Microsoft Dynamics AX Platform

3. AX
Platform
Application
Lifecycle
Management
Cross
platform
HTML5 Client
Cloud
optimized
Server
runtime
Visual Studio
developer
experience
Integration
Framework
Analytics &
Reporting

4. Microsoft Dynamics AX
DynamicsIntegrator
(AzureBizTalkServices)
AX MorphX Dev Tools Visual Studio 2015 IDETools
Active Directory Azure ADIdentity
SQL Server 2014
SSAS SSRS
Azure SQL
(w/Operational Analytics)
Power BI SSRS
Azure
Blob
DocDB
Data
WIN32
Rich
Client
SharePoint
Enterprise
Portal
Modern
App
HTML5
Windows
Universal App
(w/EMS MAM)
iOS
Android
Client
Windows Server
MOM Pack
AX App
Azure Compute
Telemetry Enabled
AX
Workspaces
App Suite
App Foundation
App Platform
Application
ODataV4
DynamicsLifeCycleServices

5. VisualStudiodeveloperexperience
Microsoft Dynamics AX Platform
ALM – Lifecycle
services
Client Server
Office(Office365,Yammer,Skype)
Microsoft Platform (including Commerce/Marketplaces)
Devices (Cross platform: Windows, Android, iOS, OS X)
PartnerApps
Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP application
(based on the AX 2012 R3 CU9 App)
Integration
Analytics &
Reporting
Trial & signup
Provisioning
Deployment
Diagnostics, Telemetry
& Monitoring
Configuration
Upgrade Experience
Implementation
Experience
Support Experience
Trial & signup
Provisioning

7. NAVIGATION
50 ftFORMS
WORKSPACES
100 ftDETAILS /
TRANSACTIONS
TAB PAGETABLE OF CONTENTS
Tab Tab Tab Tab Tab
LIST
Item
Item
Item
Item
Item
Item
Item
Item
Item
Item
LIST
Item
Item
Item
Item
Item
Item
Item
Item
Item
Item
SIMPLE LIST AND D ETAILS
Tab Tab Tab Tab Tab
LIST SLIDER
5,000 ft
15,000 ft
LIST
Section label
LIST
Section label

8. Virtual Machine running Windows Server 2012 R2
Internet Information Services (IIS) Web Server (with ASP.NET)
ASP.NET Web Application
Data accessMetadata Security Workflow Caches
Web Services Search
UI Interaction Service
Server Forms Engine
Task Recorder Reporting
Form
state
Meta-
data
UI Interaction Service
Client Forms Engine
Form
state
Meta
-data
Supported Web browsers (IE, Edge, Chrome, Safari)
Static web
resources
Web resources
Pure web technologies
e.g. HTML5, CSS, JS
Mix of managed and
unmanaged code. All
runs within context of
ASP.NET web app.
SSRS Web
App
Management
Reporter Web
App
AX client forms
engine
(HTML/CSS/JS)
requested and
cached by browser
Request for a
form sent to
server
Pre-compiled form
resources returned by
server and rendered
by client forms
engine + browser
(then cached)
All communication is
HTTPS using Restful
protocol with JSON
serialization of data
and commands
Changes to record state
and command state
synchronized between
client and server. Efficient
delta only protocol.
1 2 3 4

9. Microsoft Dynamics AX
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012
CLIENT SERVER
Physical control
Logical control
AOS
Database
CLIENT
SERVER
Physical control Logical control
AOS
Database

10. • Microsoft Dynamics AX Platform – Conceptual
Architecture
• Cross platform HTML5 Client

11. Microsoft Dynamics AX Platform
Virtual Machine running Windows Server 2012 R2
Internet Information Services (IIS) Web Server (with ASP.NET) AOS Batch Server (.exe)
Microsoft Dynamics AX Platform
Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP application
(based on the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 CU9 App)
Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP application
(based on the
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 CU9 App)
ASP.NET Web Application
Data access
Forms Engine
Security
Workflow
Caches
DIXF
SearchUI Interaction Service Web Services Task Recorder
Security
BatchMetadata
Caches
Data access
User Interface
Metadata
User Interface
Code
Batch Jobs Code
Reporting
Web Services
Code
Metadata

12. Azure SQL Database Service
Premium SKU (HADR). AX
Database, both rowstore &
columnstore
Azure Active
Directory
Azure Traffic
Manager
AX App Server (AOS) runs as an
IIS WebApp + Windows Service
for Batch. Scale out as needed.
Azure Load
Balancer
SSRS and Management Reporter
run as IIS WebApps. Scale out as
needed.
Optional: Retail Server runs as an
IIS WebApp. Scale out as needed.
OData
AX Client
(optional POS client)
AX Client
(optional POS client)
AX Client
(optional POS client)
Azure deployment architecture for high availability
Optional: Azure BizTalk App Services
Redirect to remote
Azure Data Center for
business continuity
Azure BLOB
Storage
AX files
Office365 including Power BI
2..n VMs
2..n VMs
2..n VMs
Optional sync
to on-premises
Active Directory
App
Gateways

13. Self-service Single
sign on
•••••••••••
Username
Simple
connection
Cloud
SaaSMicrosoft
Dynamics
CRM
Office 365Microsoft
Dynamics
AX
Other
Directories
Windows Server
Active Directory
On-premises Microsoft Azure Active Directory
ApplicationServer: AzureActive Directoryfor identitymanagement
Multi-factor authentication

14. Application Server: Security – Authentication for UI (SAML 2.0)
1. Sign-in via AAD (can be multi-factor AuthN) 2. AAD redirects to Microsoft Dynamics AX
3. Microsoft Dynamics AX start page displayed
See MSDN here for details

15. Microsoft Confidential 17
Application Server: Security – Authentication for services (OAuth 2.0)
Apps that consume Microsoft Dynamics AX web services Microsoft Dynamics AX web services (OAuth)
Apps granted delegated access (but don’t get to see credentials)
Microsoft
Dynamics AX
App Server
See MSDN here for details

16. Secure Microsoft Dynamics AX through “entry points” i.e. Menu items & Service
operations
Context specific permissions
Reduce over-permissioning, required for direct URL deep linking
Application Server: Security – Authorization/Access Control
AX 2012 AX 7

17. The new release of Microsoft Dynamics AX Development Environment
Visual Studio
Local runtime
Business
Database
Deploy to cloud environment
Metadata API
Runtime
Debug/Run (F5)
Build
Developer experience: Developer Environment Architecture

18. Data Entity (simplified projection of schema)
Azure SQL Database
RowStore & ColumnStore
OData
(HTTPS/JSON/XML)
REST
(HTTPS/JSON)
SOAP
(HTTPS/XML)
X++ Class
X++ Class Table(s)
Relational
Query
Aggregate
Query
Single record or
batched records
Data Import/Export Framework (DIXF)
Transform Validation Recurrence
Asynchronous high volume interface
File Upload Data Staging
Application Server (AOS)
Application Lifecycle (LCS) data management tasks e.g.
- Data migration for initial system load
- Move data between AX instances (Test Prod)
- Master data synchronization etc.
Azure App Services
(BizTalk)
Custom Apps
& integrations
Integration: Overview

19. Reporting: Microsoft Dynamics AX Client visualizations
25
Embedded Charts
Document Reports

20. Analytics & Reporting: Power BI integration
Microsoft Confidential
AX Application Server
OData
(HTTPS/JSON/XML)
‘AX 7’ data in Power BI Power BI integrated within ‘AX 7’
client
Data entities enable both
OLTP and OLAP data to be
accessed via OData

21. Data Entity
(simplified projection of schema)
Analytics : OLTP and OLAP unified
27
AX DB
OLAP (Aggregate Measurement)OLTP
Data Entity
(simplified projection of schema)
Both OLTP and OLAP
data structures fully
modeled in the AOT
Data Entity abstraction
can be created for both
OLTP and OLAP data
structures
SQL Server uses both
row oriented and
in-memory column
oriented storage
(replaces SSAS)
OData
AX DB
applicationintent=readonly
specified in connection
string to direct read only
queries to the secondary
database
Primary Read-Only Secondary
Replication

22. Machine Learning : Cortana Analytics Suite + Microsoft Dynamics AX