AX 2009 AIF Services with SharePoint Installed

Well I hope everyone is doing great today. I've been focusing a lot of my writing efforts around Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, and for good reason. There is a lot of interest in this topic, and something that needs a lot of focus "from the field". Further, this is why I've spending this week focused around Personal BI by example, with PowerPivot. With this said, and I will continue even today with this series, I did want to spend a little time with my AX 2009 project friends and point out something specific that was asked of me.

What I'm in reference to, is around the setup of AIF Web Services, when SharePoint is later installed. For this topic, lets point quickly to the TechNet resource page for this topic, located here.: Install [AX 2009] AIF Web services.

From the Resource page.:
"Application Integration Framework (AIF) Web services are used to exchange documents between Microsoft Dynamics AX and other systems. External systems can request or create data by calling the Web services that are exposed by Microsoft Dynamics AX. To perform document exchanges with Web services, you must install the AIF Web services on the application integration gateway computer using the Microsoft Dynamics AX Setup program."

With Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009, it is possible to have both AIF installed on the same web server as SharePoint is installed to. Lets take the scenario, in which, you have installed AIF web services, and later come back and install SharePoint, and further Enterprise Portal. In doing this, SharePoint shuts down the default website, which AIF Web Services where installed to - by default. What to do now? AIF has stopped working!!



Never fear! Super Microsoft Dynamics AX is hear! So I had to find a way to tie in the above graphic. Seriously though, in reading through the referenced resource page, you will find that simply changing the port number of the default website will in fact allow both SharePoint and AIF Web Services for AX 2009 work, from the same box. Further, you could move the AIF Web Services, to a new site, on the same web server, and again give it a new port. That equates to the same process actually, and the only gain in doing so is separation of the site management in IIS.

Well that's all for this morning, and a kick back to my fellow AX 2009'ers! Stay tuned as I continue to dive into the Personal BI example, with PowerPivot, and hopefully can show the power & flexibility of Microsoft Dynamics AX and the BI Story it can help create for your company, Today! Till Then!
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AX 2012 - Install multiple instances of SSRS

One area that might rise up during implementation needs, specifically for small and mid-sized deployments of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, is the ability to install multiple instances of SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) on a single server role. The goal, with this need, is to enable the two instance of SSRS, to reside on the same server role, yet, point to different instances of AX 2012.



This is critical for enabling multiple instances of AX 2012 to function, while not increasing the need for another actual server role, virtual or not. To enable this, Microsoft has refined the steps in order to achieve this, which I've done now several times actually. The home page on TechNet for achieving this task can be found here.: TechNet: Install multiple instances of Reporting Services on the same computer (for use with Microsoft Dynamics AX) [AX 2012]

The steps for achieving this second instance, after doing the initial SSRS deployment, can be found as follows:

• Install the new Reporting Services instance
• Configure the new Reporting Services instance
• Modify Reporting Services configuration files
• Restart the new Reporting Services instance
• Create a new Microsoft Dynamics AX configuration
• Connect Microsoft Dynamics AX to the new Reporting Services instance
• Deploy reports to the new Reporting Services instance
• Revert to the original Microsoft Dynamics AX configuration

With this in hand, and making sure you pay special attention to the order of these steps, and follow each step correctly, you should, with relative ease, be able to install multiple instances of SSRS on the same server role, pointing to different instances of AX 2012.

I will point out, that there is a chance you could run into a possible deployment security related issues, that I wrote about in the past: AX 2012 - SSRS Security deployment issue.

Hopefully this will help someone out, who is wanting to take advantage of having multiple SSRS instances on the same windows server role, pointing to different instance of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.

That's all for now, but check back soon as I continue my dive into Workflows, Performance series post, design patterns, Dynamics Ecosystem coverage, as much, much more!

Till next time!

"Visit the Dynamics AX Community Page today!"

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 - Report Catalog on TechNet

With the release of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 one of the great things that Microsoft itself is doing, is around the documentation and support material being developed and created.

This is a lot better than Microsoft has ever done before, and with the scale and size of changes in this release, it's for sure needed. As part of my coverage of the Dynamics Ecosystem, this is something I will highlight.

So, one of the newest great resources, that I think a lot of people can get a lot of use out of is the Report Catalog for AX 2012

"The Report Catalog for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 describes the Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services reports that are provided with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012."

What very interesting is the fact that this report catalog is being updated all the time, and it's organized according to the module the report is in. This is Great!

So for example, Accounts receivable reports in AX 2012. Here we have listed all the reports, with their friendly name, and actual Report Object name within AX.

Now, lets dive into, say Customer aging report (CustAgingReport) for AX 2012. Here we see filter information, and field information about this specific report, details of the report and where the data for this report is coming from!

This is going to be a great tool, and can quickly speed up the process for understanding the context, nature and desired audience of a given out-of-the-box report, as well as to help speed up any customization needs.

That's all for now, but I would just like to really give Microsoft credit for doing this right. Please keep it coming Microsoft team!

Check back soon... Till next time!



"Visit the Dynamics AX Community Page today!"

Honored

I just realized, but this blog has been posted on Microsoft's TechNet for being in the spot light.

Here is a screen shot from the page:


I am honored to have this blog and the work that goes into it spotlighted on TechNet. The direct link to the TechNet community page can be found here:
Microsoft TechNet - Community Home Page

Thanks to the editors of TechNet for choosing this blog, and for picking up what I write from time to time on it.

Check back soon!




"Visit the Dynamics AX Community Page today!"