“The role of a solution architect is to solve a problem by
defining a system that can be implemented using
technology.
Good architects define systems by applying abstract
knowledge and proven methods to a set of
technologies with the goal of creating an extendible and
maintainable solution.”
PROBLEM DEFINITION
Domain Knowledge / Ability to conceptualize
SOLUTION DEVELOPMENT
Technical Knowledge/ Ability to apply patterns
The Architecture Journal, Journal 15
www.ArchitectureJournal.net
Role of an AX Solution Architect
Conceptualize
Design & plan
Develop, Integrate
Integrations, Customizations,
Performance, Scalability
Customization
Interfaces
Test, test & test
E2E Scenarios
Security
H/W & Topology
E2E Solution
Dashboards and
Business Reporting
Data
Deploy, Monitor & Maintain
Performance
Deployment
Monitor, Diagnose,
Resolve
Quality
Configuration
Scale up & out
Automate
Review
Enhance
Issues
Deployment
Upgrade
Key Activities








Strategic alignment &
direction
Solution scope
Solution stack
Core AX Modules
Industry models
ISV Solutions
Stack product
choices
Architecture
blueprint











User experience
Workflows &
Business Process
maps
Data model
Identity/Access
Messages & Services
Performance
Modeling tools
Interfaces
Design patterns
Test patterns
Management






Reuse existing assets
ALM & Deployment
management
Code quality & metrics
to reduce risk
regarding upgrade &
performance
Usage of AX & Stack
best practices
Automated tooling &
testing
Extensibility,
scalability & reusability





Test driven
development,
detailed test plan
E2E testing
Security,
performance and
load testing
Track, triage and
resolve
Quality first




Seamless deployment
and rollout plan
Continuous
monitoring of AX and
stack products
Usage monitoring for
H/W scale up and out
Pro active and NOT
reactive
Four general Solution Architecture perspectives that are important and are commonly used are :
Business perspective
• The high-level objectives and
goals.
• The business processes carried
out.
• Major organizational structures.
Application perspective
• Services that support the
business processes.
• Cross Organization functionality
• Interaction and
interdependencies
Information perspective
• Standard data models.
• Data management policies.
• Descriptions of the patterns of
information production and
consumption
Technology perspective
• Desktop and server hardware.
• Operating systems.
• Network connectivity
components.
Technology options
Simon the solution architect is called in to design the feature.
A. User Experience
A
A F
D
B. Workflows & Business process
F E G
C. Data
D. Identity/Access
E. Messages & services
F.
Performance
G. Patterns
B
F
B G
G F C
F
E
New feature & framework uptake
Cross layers
Presentation Layer
Client UI Components
Browser UI Components
Reporting Components
Security
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Form templates
Form controls
Form BP checker
Interaction classes
Low code , Business Logic
Interaction classes
Proxies
EP Web control templates
Performance considerations
RDP classes & queries
MVC pattern
User interaction, batch
Analysis & cubes
Services Layer
Model & layer choices
Operations
Service Interfaces
•
•
•
•
•
•
Document Services
Custom Services
Attributes
•
•
•
•
•
Transformations & value lookups
Deployment ports (AOS, IIS)
Logging & traceability
Business Layer
Business Workflow (WF)
Business Components
Business Entities
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
WF providers
WF Queues
Automated tasks
Line Level WF
Calculation logic
Business Op Framework
Reusability
Business events
Unit of Work
Loyalty entities
Axd entities
Data Layer
Data Modeling Components
•
•
•
Table inheritance
Date effectivity
Queries
Roles
Duties
Privileges
Entry points
SOD, Compliance
Trusted intermediaries
& proxy users
•
•
•
Indexes & table types
Table properties metadata
Relationships and associations
Transaction monitoring
SLA’s
Locking, Blocking
Transaction monitoring
Long running
transactions
Communication
•
•
•
•
•
•
Message formats
Message payload
Interop
Protocols (Net.TCP, ws
HTTP etc.)
Guaranteed delivery
Sync vs. Async
How Simon used design patterns & practices to conceptually abstract the problem
into the architecture components and use the simple, powerful, agile platform &
framework to solve the requirement.
•
Architecture
perspective
•
Business
Information
Application
Technology
Membership & Loyalty management for
•
Finance, Accounts Receivables, Sales &
retail customers
Marketing, Customer Service, ISV Add
Ability to earn, redeem and view balance
on
points across Contoso store locations
•
Cross company transactions
•
Rewards & tier calculation process
•
Multi channel high volume integration
•
Multi country, company & currency
with external/internal entities
uptake
•
Security, policies & audit
•
High volume data transactions
•
SOA design approach
•
Real time enquiry by multiple entities
•
Multi device application (future)
•
Customers, Sales agents, Sales
•
Multiple methods, protocols for
Managers, Customer service, Finance,
Audit
•
Customer PII data, inactive data
•
Analysis & BI (spending patterns, pricing
etc.)
connecting to the data


Organization

Can the points be used anywhere in the world?

Are the points accepted by third parties?
Financials


Purchasing



Did we talk with the accounting team to understand the accounting treatment for points.
Do we purchase products from partners that customers can redeem their points on.
Sales

The points will only have value if someone can do something with them.

How are the points used ? Do they give a discount,
Marketing

Did we capture the right marketing authority when the customer sign up for the points
Implementation
Customization
• We select the wrong
functionality
• No budget for an ISV
that we need.
• Select and ISV that we
might not need.
• Wrong choice on
structure data
• Can’t decide which
system master’s data
• Don’t meet users
expectations
• Can’t set the right
expectation
• We do work that is not
necessary.
• We take on work that
we can’t estimate
completion
• We make the wrong
build vs buy decision
Business
Process
Design
Reporting and
Business
Intelligence
User
Experience
Organizational
Structure
Financial
Structure
Supply Chain
Structure
Data Storage
Legal Entity
US
Global
Address
Book
(People/Or
ganization)
Legal Entity
UK
COA,
Calendars,
Currency,
Product
Legal Entity
FR
Other
Master
Data ……
Legal Entity
IE
Administrat
ive Data,
(Users,
security…
…)
Organization Role(s)
Organization Hierarchy
Legal Entity
Business Unit
Configuration
vs.
customization
Operating Unit
Cost Center
Data security
Team
Department
Value Stream
Business policies
Multi-hierarchies
for complex
organizations
Financial and geographic view
Contoso
Group
Contoso
Group
Contoso France
Contoso US
Contoso Russia
Contoso Spain
Contoso US
Contoso Mexico
Contoso West
Contoso East
Seattle Plant
Los Angeles Branch
Contoso Brazil
Las Vegas Regional
Distribution Center
Contoso Mexico
Distribution Center
New York
Branch
Atlanta Regional
Distribution Center
Contoso South Africa
Customer
Vendor
Sites
Warehouse
Sales Order
Legal Entity
US
Released
Products
Global
Address
Book
(People/Or
ganization)
Shipments
Receipts
Invoice
Purchase
Order
COA,
Calendars,
Currency,
Product
Other
Master
Data ……
Administrat
ive Data,
(Users,
security…
…)
Access and delivery
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server
Reports
Role centers
MS Excel
PowerPivot Scorecards
Plans
Application layer and user tools
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Dynamics AX
BI platform
Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft Dynamics AX
Other database
sources
Other general
data sources
Top tips from the Session
 Use the available resources to understand & implement the technical architecture of Dynamics
AX 2012
Conceptualize
Design & plan
InformationSource
InformationSource
MSDN
TechNet
Partnersource
RapidStart
AAT
MS P&P
AX Design Patterns
RapidStart
Develop, Integrate
Code Analysis Tool
TFS
VS 2010
MSDN
AAT
RapidStart
Test, test & test
VS 2010
Deploy, Monitor & Maintain
Test Manager
AX Benchmarks
SCOM & IDMF
Diag FX
AX Trace Parser
Upgrade Assistant
SA Resources
 Reuse existing application design & coding patterns
 Build/Develop for tomorrow. Consider growth, scale, maintainability and upgrade.
 Use ALM tools/features to plan, track and manage the implementation
 Include testing and performance as parallel tracks to the main implementation phase.
What is Available & Where Can I Find it?
Microsoft Dynamics InformationSource :
http://informationsource.dynamics.com
Microsoft Dynamics ERP RapidStart Services :
https://www.rapidstart.dynamics.com
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 for Developers :
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa496079.aspx
Microsoft Dynamics AX architecture [AX 2012] :
Sure Step Online :
The Microsoft Dynamics AX product team blog :
The Performance team blog :
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd309612.aspx
https://mbs2.microsoft.com/Surestep/default.aspx
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/dax/
http://blogs.msdn.com/baxperf
The Dynamics AX Sustained Engineering team blog : http://blogs.technet.com/b/dynamicsaxse/
Microsoft patterns & practices :
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/practices/bb190332
Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) :
http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-us/strategies/alm
Visual Studio Test Professional Overview :
http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/
AX 2012 Certifications :
https://mbs.microsoft.com/customersource/training/certifications/professional/MBS_Axapta_prep.htm
AX 2012 Learning Plan :
https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/training/learningplans/MSDAX2012ProductBasedLeaPlan.htm
Get Involved!
Email: DAXTAPF@microsoft.com
Come by the Dynamics AX Booth
and learn more
Program Goals


Dynamics AX Product Development Cycle
GO Live TAP
•
Validate Product Features/Readiness
through actual customer deployments
before Release
Private Beta TAP
•
Validate Product Features/Readiness
through customer testing/feedback
BEFORE Release
Post Release Cycle
Rapid Deployment Program
• Early measure of Shipped Product Quality leveraging
rapid customer deployments!
• Validate Training/Documentation/Support
Customer/Partner Council
• Individuals willing to provide feedback on
Dynamics AX Product Direction and feature
designs