Business Intelligence Overview

Business Intelligence Overview

Microsoft Dynamics AX provides a model driven approach for developing Business Intelligence (BI) applications that use the SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS) development environment. Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services provides online analytical processing (OLAP) functionality.

An OLAP query – called a cube - is a set of related measures and dimensions that is used to analyze data.

Cubes can be used as data sources for:

· Integrating menu item reports and Role centers.

· Integrating Web parts in Role centers.

· Browsing aggregated data that uses Microsoft Excel 2007.

BI Development Tools

You use several different tools to create and customize cubes. The following table lists the tools that you use to create and customize BI cubes.

Tool	Description
Application Object Tree	Microsoft Dynamics AX cubes are defined in the AOT. You can specify measures and dimensions at different levels and on different objects in the AOT using the BI properties that appear in the Properties sheet. An OLAP perspective is used to identify the tables that contain the measures and dimensions for a cube.
BI tools in Microsoft Dynamics AX	Microsoft Dynamics AX provides tools that are used to generate and update BI projects. On the Microsoft Dynamics AX menu, point to Tools, and then point to Business Intelligence (BI) Tools. After you create cubes in the AOT, you can generate a BI project so that you can work with the cubes in Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS). For example, in BIDS you can define calculations and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that can be used to further analyze the data. You can also modify existing cubes. For example, you may want to add measures or dimensions to an existing cube so that it contains additional data. The BI tools provided by Microsoft Dynamics AX allow you to update an existing BI project.
Business Intelligence Development Studio	BIDS is Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 with additional project types that are specific to SQL Server 2005 business intelligence. BIDS provides a variety of designers, tools, and wizards to work with the objects in BI projects that are generated from cubes in the AOT. You can define or update cube features. For example, you may want to update the goals for the KPIs for an existing cube. You can deploy and process cubes from within BIDS.
SQL Server Analysis Server	SSAS is the core data layer of the Microsoft BI platform. SSAS provides online analytical processing (OLAP) functionality for BI applications. Cubes are deployed to a SSAS database. You can process cubes directly from an SSAS database.

Provided BI Content

BI content that is installed with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 provides a model for developing BI solutions in the Application Object Tree (AOT). The following content is available:

· Default Cubes

· General Ledger cube

· Human Resources Management cube

· Sales cube

· Purchase cube

· Accounts Receivable cube

· Project Accounting cube

· Production cube

· Customer Relationship Management cube

· Expense Management cube

· Accounts Payable cube

· Role centers. Role centers display BI content such as KPIs and trend reports.

· Dynamics AX project. You can open a Dynamics AX project in BIDS to customize default cubes and other BI content such as KPIs and calculated measures.

· OLAP Perspectives in the AOT. You can add data to pre-built cubes by modifying the corresponding perspectives in the AOT.

Common BI Development Tasks

Developer tasks include:

· Creating a new cube. For more information, see Defining Cubes in Microsoft Dynamics AX.

· Updating measures and dimensions in the AOT for an existing cube.

· Updating cube features such as KPIs and calculated measures in BIDS.

· Adding new KPIs to Web parts in Role Center pages.

· Generating a business intelligence project.

· Deploying cubes in a business intelligence project.

7 c's for effective communication

7 c's of Communication

Clear: Your messages need to be clear if they are to be effective.

Concise: If you want your messages to be read by busy people, make them brief. Say what you need to say, and say no more (while maintaining goodwill, of course). Remove all words phrases and sentences that serve no purpose. You can also eliminate wordiness by substituting one word for wordy, overused expressions.

Concrete: You have a choice in your writing to use concrete (specific) or abstract (vague) words. They both have a place in business writing. However, concrete terms are typically more accurate and, in some cases, more believable.

Correct: Correctness in business writing includes spelling, grammar, punctuation, and format. For spelling, punctuation, and grammar, you should keep a dictionary and a writer's guide at your desk.

Coherent: Messages need to "hang together." Ideas need to flow from one to the next through smooth transitions. You can achieve this by outlining your messages, writing simple sentences and focusing each paragraph on one idea. You can also improve the coherence of your message through parallel structure, connecting words and phrases, and guide posts.

Complete: Check to be sure that your message is complete. Have you included all the information you need to ensure that the other person can do a complete job or make a reasonable decision?

Courteous: Your message should be positive-building goodwill and focused upon the reader. Watch gender specific language and always use proper titles.

How Speed and bandwidth affect performance in Axapta

How speed and bandwidth affect performance in Axapta

Bandwidth is the amount of data that can pass from the source to the destination per unit of time, averaged over many transactions. Measurement in mega bits per second (Mbps)/kilo bits per second (kbps).

Keep in mind that bandwidth is not a measure of speed, but rather of quantity.

If you look at your connection to the AOS as a freeway, bandwidth is a measure of the number of lanes available for traffic. The more lanes you have the greater the number of cars your freeway can handle.

Please keep in mind that bandwidth is not everything. Latency, "the speed", also matters.

Latency, is the time it takes for a single data transaction to occur -- the time between sending the data on the source end and its reception on the far end. Measurement is in millisecond, ‘ms’.

The speed on your freeway would be measured in the speed the cars traveled, and would be independent of the number of lanes available, (bandwidth). Speed on the network/Internet is determined by a measurement called "latency."

Simply put, latency measures the minimum amount of time possible for a packet to be transferred over your connection. The higher the latency gets the longer transfers take and the lower your connection "Speed Limit" will be.

This means that there will always be a minimum time that you can never beat. This is the latency. Even if you send a very small packet, the fastest it can get to the server will depend on the latency and not the bandwidth (if you have enough bandwidth for the packet).

So the perception of speed, is actually a combination of these two performance numbers.

The ping command can inform you about the latency on the network from your client to the AOS in ms. A more accurate way is to use the built in performance measurement tool in Axapta 2.5. (Administrator Inquiries Performance Tests Performance Tests Client/Server connection.) If the network has a high load of traffic, there is a possibility that the lower prioritized ICMP packet will indicate higher latency than there is on the network.
This is due to the fact that the ICMP packet used in combination with the ping command has a lower status on the network than the TCP packet.

What about the ASU?

Microsoft has defined the following:

1 ASU is the load generated by Axapta 2.5 when creating and invoicing the amount of 10 salesorders with 5 orderlines per salesorder, processed over the period of 1 hour. That's a total of 10 Salesorders with a total of 50 saleslines in one hour.

Go to http://technet.navision.com/ and see the article entitled 'ResourcesHardware Sizing Guide' about the definition of ASU. Please also read about the number of ASU the different Axapta modules produce. (Registration is required to access Damgaard TechNet.

How does all the above relate to the AOS?

With the above definition of ASU and demand for bandwidth and latency, and not at all having discussed the need for hardware, Microsoft a/s on the standard Axapta 2.5 gives the following rule of thumb that:

1 ISDN 64kbps is able to handle the throughput of 10 ASU, meaning that you e.g. can produce 100 salesorder with a total of 500 saleslines over a period on 1 hour.

The demand for latency has to be <100ms and preferably <50ms on the communication line.

Note The current latency requirement for Microsoft Dynamics AX 3.0 and for Microsoft Dynamics 4.0 SP1 is <5ms.

When the latency is high, it has a huge impact on the speed of the system.

Development gives the following formula to compute the bandwidth requirements.

The formula

ASU x 6,4 kbps = y
If y < 64 kbps then bandwidth = 64 kbps
else bandwidth = y kbps

Example:

The requirement for bandwidth by the load of 20 ASU
20 x 6,4 kbps = 128 kbps
Required bandwidth = 128 kbps

Keep in mind that the above has been tested on a standard Axapta 2.5 installation. If you have been adding to the standard application you have to consider the impact of this.

Recommendations

These can be rule of thumb only so please apply your common sense when sizing for a customer.

When talking bandwidth and latency requirements, you will need to agree to a performance level for Axapta with your customer.

Make sure that the bandwidth and latency are measured using Axapta's built-in tool rather than relying on what the network provider promises and measure it periodically over a period of time and particularly at peak hours to ensure that you know what the user will experience. Also make sure that the measurements are done on the production environment with as realistic a load as possible. It is of little value to measure one client loading a line that has to provide for 100.

Preferably Axapta should have a dedicated line to avoid mail, print etc. generating inexplicable sporadic bad performance. If this is not possible, make sure that the connection amply sized.

Keep in mind that due to the client/server architecture of Axapta, Axapta is hit very hard from high latency.

What about the future?

In the future, Microsoft has plans to produce some more detailed information in regard to the AOS communication and different types of communications lines.

Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policy

Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policy

The Microsoft Support Lifecycle policy took effect in October 2002, and applies to most products currently available through retail purchase or volume licensing and most future release products. Through the policy, Microsoft will offer a minimum of:

• 10 years of support (5 years Mainstream Support and 5 years Extended Support) at the supported service pack level for Business and Developer products
• 5 years Mainstream Support at the supported service pack level for Consumer/Hardware/Multimedia products
• 3 years of Mainstream Support for products that are annually released (for example, Money, Encarta, Picture It!, and Streets & Trips)

Phases of the Support Lifecycle

Mainstream Support

Mainstream Support is the first phase of the product support lifecycle.
At the supported service pack level, Mainstream Support includes:

• Incident support (no-charge incident support, paid incident support, support charged on an hourly basis, support for warranty claims)
• Security update support
• The ability to request non-security hotfixes

Extended Support

The Extended Support phase follows Mainstream Support for Business and Developer products.
At the supported service pack level, Extended Support includes:

• Paid support
• Security update support at no additional cost
• Non-security related hotfix support requires a separate Extended Hotfix Support Agreement to be purchased (per-fix fees also apply)

Please note:

• Microsoft will not accept requests for warranty support, design changes, or new features during the Extended Support phase
• Extended Support is not available for Consumer, Hardware, or Multimedia products

Self-Help Online Support

Self-Help Online Support is available throughout a product's lifecycle and for a minimum of 12 months after the product reaches the end of its support. Microsoft online Knowledge Base articles, FAQs, troubleshooting tools, and other resources, are provided to help customers resolve common issues.

Service Pack Support

As part of the effort to continually improve Microsoft software, updates and fixes are created and released for recognized issues. Many of these fixes are regularly combined into a single package (called a service pack) that is made available for installation. Both the Mainstream Support and Extended Support phases require the product’s supported service pack be installed to continue to receive support (including security updates). Service packs are cumulative, meaning that each new service pack contains all the fixes that are included with previous service packs and the new fixes. This is done so that you do not have to install an earlier version of a service pack before you install the latest version. A Security Rollup Package (SRP) provides a cumulative rollup of security updates that have been offered since the last SRP.

Visit the Lifecycle Supported Service Packs page to find the support timelines for your particular product’s service pack.

Service Pack Support Policy

• When a new service pack is released, Microsoft will provide either 12 or 24 months of support for the previous service pack
• Support for the previous service packs is either 12 or 24 months, varying according to the product family (for example, Windows, Office, Servers, or Developer tools)
• Support timelines for service packs will remain consistent within the product family
• Microsoft will publish specific support timelines for a previous service pack when the new service pack is released
• When support for a product ends, support of the service packs for that product will also end. The product’s support lifecycle supersedes the service pack support policy

A matrix of the Microsoft product families and the duration of service pack support for each product family is as follows:

Product Family	12 Months	24 Months
Windows		Yes
Microsoft Dynamics SL, Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and Microsoft Dynamics AX		Yes
Office	Yes
Servers	Yes
Developer Tools	Yes
Business Solutions	Yes
Consumer, Hardware, Multimedia, Games	Yes

This support policy permits customers to receive existing hotfixes or to request new hotfixes for the supported service packs during the Mainstream Support phase.

Service packs are not automatically modified to include hotfixes developed after the service pack’s initial release date. An older service pack can be modified to include hotfixes developed after the service pack has released. Contact Microsoft and request the modification.

Security updates released with bulletins from the Microsoft Security Response Center will be reviewed and built for the supported service packs only.

Microsoft strongly recommends that customers evaluate and install current service packs in a timely manner to make sure that systems are up-to-date with the most recent security software. Service packs are available on the Service Packs for Microsoft Products Web site.

Security Updates

Microsoft is committed to providing products with improved security. Our long-term goal is to remove security vulnerabilities from all our products before they are released. To realize the dream of Trustworthy Computing is a key element of our vision. Although we strive to remove vulnerabilities during development, software vulnerabilities remain a fact today and we must be prepared to respond when they are discovered.

Security Update Policy

Microsoft will provide security update support for a minimum of 10 years (through the Extended Support phase) for Business and Developer products. The security updates will apply only to the supported service pack level for these products.

Microsoft will provide security update support through the Mainstream Support phase for Consumer, Hardware, Multimedia products. The security updates will apply only to the supported service pack level for these products.

• Both the Mainstream Support and the Extended Support phases require that the product’s supported service pack level be installed to continue to receive and install security updates.
• Security updates will be available from Windows Update during the Mainstream Support phase, and the Extended Support phase (if available). Note that technical limitations in Microsoft Office 2000 require that it remain an exception to this process. Updates will be provided only through the Microsoft Download Center for the duration of its Support Lifecycle.
• Microsoft advises customers to install the latest product releases, security updates, and service packs to remain as secure as possible. Older products, such as Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, may not meet today’s more demanding security requirements. Microsoft may be unable to provide security updates for older products.

AX Dimensions with special characters when using FRx Financial Reporter

Axapta Dimensions with special characters when using FRx Financial Reporter

FRx Financial Reporter will not work with invalid characters. The characters are the following:

/ [ ] ; = \ : , . ! . - ( ) * & ^ # @ _ $ % ? + { } < > . ~

---

Overview

If the dataset you will be using FRx with has any of the invalid characters (/ [ ] ; = \ : , . ! . - ( ) * & ^ # @ _ $ % ? + { } < > . ~) they will need to be corrected or changed before you will be able to access the database from FRx.

These characters cannot be in the Chart of Accounts, Budgets, or Dimensions that you will be using.

There is a validation tool that you may download and use to verify that the database will be compatible with FRx.

Sales and Marketing Capabilities by AX edition

Sales and marketing capabilities by edition

Feature	Business Essentials	Advanced Management	Advanced Management Enterprise*	Add-on components
Sales and marketing role centers
Unified communications
Global address book
Lead management
Opportunity management
Hierarchical process templates
Web-enabled CRM data
Microsoft Virtual Earth integration
Sales management
Sales force automation
Marketing automation
Telemarketing/ telesales

*Advanced Management Enterprise available as additional components for the Advanced Management edition only.

About Posting Accounts in Dynamics AX2009

About sales order posting

Use the Inventory posting form to control the following sales order posting
accounts:

* Packing slip

* Packing slip offset

* Issue

* Consumption

* Revenue

* Discount

* Commission

* Commission offset

* Packing slip revenue

* Packing slip revenue - offset

* Packing slip tax

When you create an order line (On order status), an inventory transaction is
generated with the quantity specified, but without any financial value.

When you update the packing slip for the item (Deducted status),
transactions based on the items cost at the time the packing slip is updated
are generated in the packing slip account, and the packing slip offset
account, in connection with the packing slip update.

In order for the posting to occur, you must select two setup check boxes:

1. Post physical inventory (Inventory management > Setup > Inventory >
Inventory model groups > Setup tab).

2. Post packing slip in ledger (Accounts receivable > Setup > Parameters
> Updates tab).

When you invoice-update (Sold status) the item, the two packing slip
transactions are reversed. The items cost is credited to the account for
inventory issues, and the account for item consumption is debited.

The item sale, excluding any taxes, such as sales tax, is credited to the
revenue account. Tax is credits to the tax codes account. The sale,
including any taxes such as sales tax, is debited from the customer summary
account as set up in the customer's posting profile.

* For Discount, the sales order is posted before the line discount
is deducted, and the line discount is debited in the account for discounts.
If no account is specified for discounts, the revenue is posted after the
line discount is deducted, and the latter is not recorded directly in a
ledger account.

* For Commission, a commission account, and a commission offset
account are created. These accounts provide an overview of the
ledger-posting of commissions. When you invoice-update a sales order, the
commission on the posted amount is debited from the commission account and
credited to the commission offset account.

About purchase order posting

By using the Inventory posting form, you can control the following purchase
order posting accounts:

* Packing slip

* Packing slip offset

* Receipt

* Consumption

* Discount

* Fixed receipt price profit

* Fixed receipt price loss

* Fixed receipt price offset

* Charge

* Stock variation

* Packing slip purchase

* Packing slip purchase offset

* Packing slip tax

* Fixed asset receipt

When you create a purchase line (Ordered status), an inventory transaction
is generated with the quantity specified, but without any financial value.

When the item is received (Received status), transactions based on the
items' cost as recorded in the purchase line are generated in the packing
slip account, and the same transactions are reflected in the packing slip
offset account for the packing slip update.

For the posting to occur, you must select two setup check boxes:

1. Post physical inventory (Inventory management > Setup, Inventory >
Inventory model groups > Setup tab).

2. Post packing slip in ledger (Accounts receivable > Setup > Parameters
> Updates tab).

When you update the invoice for the item (Purchased status), the two packing
slip transactions are reversed. For an item not using standard cost, the
item's true cost is debited from the inventory receipt account. Any tax is
debited in the tax code account, and item purchases, including tax, are
credited to the vendor summary account according to the setup in the
supplier's posting profile.

For items with a standard cost, transactions are made based on the standard
cost specified in the Price field on the Price/Discount tab on the Inventory
table. The difference between the real cost and the standard cost is posted
in the standard accounts for gains and losses.

If an account for discounts is indicated, the purchase posts before the line
discount is deducted, and the line discount will be credited in the separate
account for discounts. If you do not specify an account for the line
discount, the inventory receipt is posted after the line discount is
deducted, and the latter is not recorded directly in a ledger account.

To specify that a purchase is for the internal use of a fixed asset, use the
Fixed asset receipt option.

About inventory posting

Microsoft Dynamics AX provides control over the following inventory posting
accounts:

* Fixed receipt price profit

* Fixed receipt price loss

* Issue

* Loss

* Receipt

* Profit

* Fixed asset issue

You can generate transactions for inventory profits and losses when you
record transactions in the inventory, for example, in a profit/loss journal.
For inventory profits, the receipts account is debited, and the account for
inventory gains is credited. For inventory losses, the issues account is
credited and the account for inventory gains is debited.

About production posting

Production posting activities follow the production process.

* As items are consumed during production they are recorded in the
production order. This process generates issue transactions to make up for
the missing raw materials.

* As the materials are consumed, they are posted to both the Picking
list issue account and the Picking list offset account.

When the production is reported as finished, a receipt transaction is posted
to the finished item. The cost calculated for the finished item is then
posted to both the Report as finished receipt account and the Reported as
finished offset account.

Finally, when production is complete, all accounts are updated with the
final calculations. The raw materials that were actually consumed are
credited to the account tracking inventory issues and debited from the
account tracking item consumption. The overall cost of the finished item is
debited from the inventory Receipt account and credited to the inventory
Issues account.

are posted to during production

* Picking list issue

* Picking list offset account

* Report as finished receipt

* Reported as finished offset account

* Issue

* Issue offset account

* Receipt

* Receipt offset account

Check List for Year End Closing in Axapta

Year End Closing in AX2009

This checklist will assist you in closing a Fiscal Year

1. If you are using Inventory Management, run the Inventory Close process through the end of your fiscal year. (Inventory Management Periodic Closing and Adjustment)
2. Create a new Fiscal Year. (General Ledger Setup Periods Periods)
3. Set the appropriate Periods to Stopped in the current Fiscal Year. Also Open the Closing Period to allow posting of the Closing Entries. (General Ledger Setup Periods Periods)
4. Backup Data.
5. Make Adjusting Entries. (General Ledger Periodic Fiscal Year Close Closing Sheet)

6. Print final Financial Statements. (General Ledger Reports Periodic Financial Statement)

7. Transfer Opening Balances into the new Fiscal Year. (General Ledger Periodic Fiscal Year Close Opening Transactions)

8. Reset Number Sequences (optional). (Basic Setup Number Sequences Number Sequence)

1. If you are using Inventory Management, run the Inventory Close process through the end of your fiscal year.
(Inventory Management Periodic Closing and Adjustment)

The Inventory Close process will take into account the Inventory Valuation selection you have selected on the Inventory Model Group from the Weighted Average Method that is used during the month.

2. Create a new Fiscal Year
(General Ledger Setup Periods Periods)

Create the next Fiscal Year that you will be creating transactions for. This step may have been done previously if the Fiscal Year is not closed right at Year End.

3. Set the appropriate Periods to Stopped in the current Fiscal Year. Also Open the Closing Period to allow posting of the Closing Entries.
(General Ledger Setup Periods Periods)

Change the status of any period that should not have further transactions posted to it to Closed.

Note - That a Closed Period may not be reopened.

4. Backup Data.

Backup the Axapta data.

5. Make Adjusting Entries.
(General Ledger Periodic Fiscal Year Close Closing Sheet)

Use the Closing Sheet to enter any Adjusting Entries you or your auditor has deemed necessary.

6. Print final Financial Statements.
(General Ledger Reports Periodic Financial Statement)

Print your Final Financial Statements. This would include the Cash Flow Statement, Statement of Stockholder's Equity, Profit and Loss Statement (Income Statement), and Balance Sheet. If you have any other reports that you require, print those at this time as well.


7. Transfer Opening Balances into the new Fiscal Year.
(General Ledger Periodic Fiscal Year Close Opening Transactions)

Use this job to move the Balance\Asset Account Balances forward into the New Fiscal Year. This job will also move the balances of your Profit &amp; Loss\Cost\Revenue accounts to the Year-end Result account which is set up in the System Accounts (General Ledger Setup Posting System Accounts).

UNLIMITED COMPANY ACCOUNTS in MS Dynamics

UNLIMITED COMPANY ACCOUNTS

The Microsoft Dynamics AX Base Package comes with three company accounts:

• A demo account, which can be used for testing and training purposes (note that testing can also be performed safely by duplicating the application and database)

• A DAT account, which is used to store non-company-specific data such as user permissions

• A company data account, which contains all the business information that will be used by the Microsoft Dynamics AX solution

Each additional company account enables you to host a separate set of data for each of your business units or clients. When a transaction is made in one company account, it will not affect the data in any their company account. Also, multiple company accounts enable customers to build a separate data set for each of their business groups, plants, or offices.

Even though the data in each company account is kept separate from other company accounts, it is possible for different accounts to share data tables, such as ZIP codes, exchange rates, or customer and vendor data. This reduces the amount of redundant data that needs to be stored. If desired, transactions can also be made between company accounts.

Data Storage and Security

• Company accounts enable separate data sets to be stored within the same database

• Separate company accounts can be modified independently—transactions in one account do not affect the data in separate accounts

• Domains support user access to multiple company accounts (see Domains on the following page)

Benefit statement:

Separate company accounts let you divide up your business data to support separate business groups in your company. You can also use company accounts to host sets of data for other companies. With company accounts, Microsoft Dynamics AX can store unique data sets in one installation and enable those separate sets to interact with common tables. This maintains the data integrity of each account and can reduce TCO for your company.

Key questions:

• How do you host separate client accounts?

• How do you build and work with separate data sets for different internal business groups, plants, or offices?