Tom's Blog: Microsoft Dynamics and other cool stuff

Sad news today. Last night, Microsoft colleague and first class blogger David Boschmans passed away. He was working for 3 years in our office as Developer Platform Advisor. His last blog entry dates from July 3th... In the few occasions I had the chance to work with him, you could see his passion for technology and the love for his job. Our thoughts go out to his wife and kid.

Farewell David... Wherever you are... We'll miss you!

The new service pack for Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 has been released, with the very original name SP2.

Some of the highlights are:
·         Support for 15 different new document AXDs in the Application Integration Framework.
·         Updates and bug fixes to functionality shipped in Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 Service Pack 1.  Changes include areas such as Financials, BI & Reporting, Client, Cost Accounting, Customer Relationship Management, Developer & Partner Productivity Tools, Enterprise Portal, Inventory Management, Manufacturing, Master Resource Planning, Product Builder, Project Accounting, Application Object Server, and Shop Floor Control.

Partners can download it on PartnerSource, customers can find it on CustomerSource

We just released a huge extension on the help system for Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 SP1.
This update contains:
·                 355 new online help topics
·                 596 new form help topics
·                 152 new developer topics

We now deliver a list of changed and updated topics with every refresh of our Microsoft Dynamics AX help files online. The list of changes and updates in the Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 SP1 documentation (since Dec. 2006) is available at: http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/d/5/5d50760d-c906-4aa4-87da-35cc058b0f16/DAX_ContentChanges_2007FEB.doc

Available Online or As A Hotfix

There is a great newsletter you can subscribe to if you are a Dynamics AX partner. Just go to Insights on Partnersource and flag the global AX partner newsletter.

 Coming to your inbox monthly.

The process for developing, building, and releasing application hot fixes and updates will fundamentally change from Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 SP1 onwards. The hot fix layer files will be made cumulative in the sense that previous fixes will be included in the latest released hot fix or the next critical update. Due to this cumulative approach, released hot fixes are expected to be tested in conjunction with all supported updates and their fixes. In this way, we intend to reduce conflicts between fixes.

Another major difference between the patching strategy of Microsoft Dynamics AX 3.0 and 4.0 SP1 onwards, will be the type of hot fix deliverable. We expect to release cumulative hot fixes as an AOD file, which will be distributed out of the DIS layer inside Microsoft Dynamics AX. This should make it simpler to distinguish Microsoft code from code developed by a partner, as well as making it possible to use the inbuilt upgrade tools to upgrade a partner’s customization layer(s) in a similar manner to installing a service pack in Microsoft Dynamics AX 3.0. A major advantage of this new approach is that it will now be easier for Microsoft as well as partners to better determine the current hot fix status of any customer system.

We expect that all cumulative hot fixes will be rolled forward into the next critical update and major release, so that partners upgrading their customers to a new major release should only need to delete the entire DIS layer to help ensure a smoother upgrade path.

The Belgian government changed the layout for the VAT forms (starting Jan 2007). We have modified our reports in AX. You can find them here.

Hurray, hurray, this is what we've all been waiting for. I still remember my initial talks on this a few years ago when I said: "Mark, we need a book from MS Press on AX to be taken seriously!". "Great idea", he said... And now, it's here. And what a book it is...

The book delves into the technology and tools of Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0. The architects from the Microsoft Dynamics AX team take you deep inside the application frameworks and the development environment. You’ll get expert insights to help you master the intricacies of planning, programming, and maintaining adaptable enterprise resource planning solutions. New and experienced developers are the intended target audience, and consultants will also benefit from reading the book. The intention is not to give any guidance on application functionality, but rather to offer as much technical information between the two covers as possible.

You can get a glimpse here or order it directly at e.g. Amazon (but you might as well get it at Barnes & Nobles or any other online store)

This is for the people that are used to working with AX 3.0. We just released the Microsoft Dynamics AX 3.0 Inventory Closing Rollup 2. The intention of the release is to improve the user experience of partners and customers, and consequently further increase the value of Microsoft Dynamics AX 3.0.

You can download the Microsoft Dynamics AX 3.0 Inventory Closing Rollup 2 on PartnerSource.

Yesterday at TechEd 2006, Ray Ozzie (Microsoft's CTO and coming man ;-) ) announced the general availability of Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0, a whole mouth full to say Axapta. It has some great stuff in, like the AIF or Application Integration Framework, with which you can basically integrate any process in your application with any other application or company using standard XML. Great!

Locally, Datanews already picked up on this, but globally tons of press are picking this up. Here's the pressrelease.

Also check out Satya's blog on his thoughts how AX and Dynamics as a whole is delivering on the idea of services integration and business mashup scenario's.

We are on a roll here!

As time draws closer to the biggest milestone in the (short, but wonderful) history of Microsoft Dynamics AX, my nerves are rising as well. In a few days, (if all goes well), we will RTM Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0. RTM is a Microsoft term for Release to Manufacturing, meaning the development team saying: "Hey guys, we're done, now you go and sell the stuff."

A few days later, we will start selling in the US and Canada and the rest of the world will follow in the months to come.

And this is BIG... On a scale of world hunger, global warming and other diseases, this might look pretty small, but trust me, for the team of developers behind it, this is BIG! Great work, guys.

Meanwhile, for those that are hungry for more (and if you are a partner), you can go to the readiness site on partnersource.

And while Steve Ballmer will kick of things in the US, we have a bit of a smaller event lined up for Belgium. I'll keep you posted on this one, but all I can say for now, it's looking COOL (literally).

Ever wondered how to install your Dynamics application with regards to internet facing topologies?