Integrating Dynamics AX 2009 with the outside world

One topic I wanted to start really spending some time on, in the next few months is Integration options for Dynamics AX 2009.

There are several ways for doing this, and what I want to take and look at each. Go over some pro's and con's, and when should the different approaches be used.

So the following is a list of ways you can integrate Dynamics AX 2009 with the rest of the world.:

Outbound Integration

• Calling a COM Object - Server and Client Context


• Calling a .Net Assembly - Server and Client Context


• Calling a Web Service through a .Net Wrapper


• Calling a Web Service or WCF Service through Service Reference in AOT


• Out of the Box AIF Outbound End Points


• Custom AIF End Points - (MSMQ, File Transfer, Web Service, FTP)


• AIF End Points for BizTalk - BizTalk then offers a wide range of options once inside it's scope


• Your own custom or Third party developed framework that lives inside Dynamics AX 2009

So the above list can be sliced upon into sections of itself. Like Server or Client context, AIF, Web Services, etc.

The approach I want to take is now take the above list, on my next post, and talk about the pro's and con's of each type. After that, take the same list, and talk about when each of the types would be used, and what would be driven factors to use those.

Hopefully by the time we cover these options a solid understanding of what all exist for integration Dynamics AX 2009 out to the rest of the Microsoft stack, and world can be understood and we can move forward with inbound integrations.

I also plan on giving examples of some of these. Like the Reporting Options in Dynamics AX 2009, the integration options are many. And there is specific factors that drive you to choose different paths.

That's all for now, check back as more to come. August is Lean month, so another post tomorrow on the LCE, and interviews are coming up. See you then!




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