Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 and the use of Claims Based Security

While at DAXCONF11 this past Jan. one of the sessions I attended was around security, and what is changing for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012. There is actually a good bit to talk about in this area, and the topic I wanted to focus on for this post is around Microsoft Sharepoint 2010, and it's enabling of Claims Based Security.

The link above is a great resource, that gets to the point of Claims based security. In short, Claims based security is meant to address.:

• Claims based authentication addresses privacy and other compliance concerns


• Claims based authentication addresses integration of different systems

Now, looking at how this was demoed at the conference, we actually saw the fact that no longer does an AD user have to exist, for granting role based security rights within AX.

This is actually huge in what it enables. So for example, you can have say Windows Live ID, and make use of that to grant a Windows Live User ID access rights, and role based security for context, to the given Windows Live user id through the new Claims Based Security!

This means that your external customers, vendors and other business partners do not have to have an AD account, instead they could login to your portal and site through Windows Live, A Custome Security Login for your site, and many other third party security.

This is enabled through the use of Microsoft Office SharePoint 2010, Claims Based security.

Now that's the given, but what this also enables is the steps and move towards the Cloud for Microsoft Dynamics AX!

This is a huge step in helping make future AX versions move more securely to the cloud, as well as giving you instant usage with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 and cloud based properties / integrations.

Take a look at the following Ch. 9 Video, that is also a great overview and introduction to Microsoft Office SharePoint 2010 Claims Based Security.: Ch9: Introduction to Claims based Security

"Claims-based identity provides a common way for applications to acquire identity information from users inside their organization, in other organizations, and on the Internet. Identity information is contained in a security token, often simply called a token. A token contains one or more claims about the user. Think of it as metadata about the user that stays with them throughout their session."

I am sure, in looking at this, you can see that Microsoft is very serious about the use of SharePoint, as well as enabling Microsoft Dynamics AX for the cloud!

Well that's all for now, but check back soon as more to come! Till Next time!

"Visit the Dynamics AX Community Page today!"

MSDW: Dynamics AX Team Announces Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Compatibiltiy with AX 2009 SP1

Over at MSDynamicsWorld.com, a new article is out, that focuses around the recent news of Dynamics AX 2009 SP1, being able to make use of MOSS 2010 and some of its features.

The full article can be found here.: Dynamics AX Team Announces Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Compatibiltiy with AX 2009 SP1

I was actually interviewed for this article, and I think it captures well the impact this has on the Dynamics AX community and customer base. I love some of the things that fellow AX Pro, Joe Marcus had to say.:
"Knowing what SharePoint 2010 offers, I would say one of the benefits is the future-proofing of the stack... So you wouldn't have a homogeneous stack anymore. If you were a customer who had AX 2009 and your organization was moving toward 2010 SharePoint, you'd have to have multiple implementations of SharePoint," he said. "What this really does for an IT shop, is it puts them back into compatibility with the stack. So it's more of a future proofing for better [Microsoft] Office interoperability."

My Focus was around this, but more heavily on what MOSS 2010 brings, with BI focus.:
"AX has part of it built on top of SharePoint, specifically its Enterprise Portals and its role centers, which help shape the user experience for a certain role type like a CEO, shop floor control person, comptroller," he said. "When a user goes and connects either through the rich client or the web-based client, the role center delivers to the user the information they need like the most common tasks, reports, forms. SharePoint has new features specifically around BI and one of the hot ones is PowerPivot, a self-service targeted business intelligence. So Microsoft's vision is trying to give access to everybody in the company who needs access to BI versus just to a select few. That's what SharePoint 2010 brings and this update enables Dynamics AX SP 1 to have its Enterprise Portal and role centers deployed on it and be used versus using the older SharePoint 2007"

I would like to thank MSDW for including me on this interview, and I think it's important this recent move and news for supporting AX 2009 on MOSS 2010 and the Office 2010 system. This move shows Microsoft continued support of AX throughout the entire stack and vice versa, which is one of the many benefits of a company investing into Dynamics AX.

That's all for now, check back soon as more to come!

"Visit the Dynamics AX Community Page today!"

Microsoft SharePoint 2010 now compatible with Dynamics AX

I just saw this today when checking around, but the Dynamics AX Sustained Engineering team on Thurs of last week did a blog post about how Microsoft SharePoint 2010 is now compatible with Dynamics AX 2009 SP1.



The direct link to that can be found here.:
Dynamics AX Sustained Engineering Team is pleased to announce the compatibility of Microsoft SharePoint 2010 with Dynamics AX 2009 Service Pack 1

From the post.:
"Please notice the following system requirements for SharePoint 2010:
- .NET 3.5 and only in 64 bits mode
- Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 Standard and Enterprise Edition
- SQL Server 2005 SP3 with latest cumulative Update or SQL Server 2008

For Upgrade from MOSS 2007 or WSS 3.0 please notice the *Service Pack 2* is required.
Also, the side by side installation of SharePoint 2010 against any previous version is *not* supported."

I personally have a few clients I am working with that are very interested in this. I have been waiting to hear when this was going to happen. Its good to see it take place.

This is great news, because now all the great features like PowerPivot, etc. can be taking advantage of, in a more native setting.

That's all for now, check back soon!

"Visit the Dynamics AX Community Page today!"