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12 Ways to Improve Your Productivity at Work

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Between constant meetings, phone calls and emails, staying productive at work can be a challenge. However, the odds of staying productive can be greatly improved by taking some simple steps in order to stay efficient.

Here are 12 tips from the Bayt.com team to help you to make the most of your time at work:

1. Don’t let emails take over your day

We are all so accustomed to email that as soon as we see a new email in our inbox we instinctively click it on, focus on the content of the email, and respond. These seemingly tiny activities during the day can quickly add up to large amounts of time that not only cause your day to slip away, but also distract you from completing your current task.

If replying to or disposing of an e-mail takes less than two minutes, do it right away. Send less to receive less: Keep your e-mails short, and write fewer of them. Here are some tips from the career experts at Bayt.com to help you control your work emails.

2. Eliminate unnecessary meetings

Face-to-face communication is essential (email is fraught with misinterpretation), but be ruthless about protecting your time. Avoid every meeting that isn’t truly necessary.

3. Learn how to say ‘no’

While everyone wants to be a good team player at work, saying ‘no’ is sometimes the right thing to do. If you are not the best person for a task, or if you have other pending deadlines, it is OK to turn down a work request.  read more

The administration of number sequences – AX 2012

The administration of number sequences is performed by using actions provided in the Administration group on the action pane on the Number sequences list page.

Organization Administration –> Common –> Number Sequences ---> Number Sequences

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  • Status list

Provides a list of numbers that have been generated for continuous number sequences, but which have not been committed to the database. The numbers are either currently being used in a user session, are reserved for future use in a user session, or are free for use if a new client user session requests a new number for a particular number sequence in the list. If a new number does not exist for a specific continuous number sequence, it is generated by the sequence number framework from the next value for that number sequence in the Number sequence table (NumberSequenceTable).

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  • Manual cleanup

Allows the administrator to manually clean up numbers in the status list. Use of this option is only recommended after an unexpected system failure; in such rare circumstances, numbers might not be automatically cleaned up.

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  • History

Provides the history of changes to the number sequences themselves.

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A number of administrator tasks can be performed from the Details page. An administrator can, for example, schedule an automated periodic cleanup for every number sequence by entering intervals on the Automatic cleanup FastTab as displayed in image below

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An administrator can also assign number sequences by using a page in the parameters forms in individual application modules. For example, you can view or assign the number sequences to specific references in the General ledger module. You can navigate to the form by using the path General ledger > Setup > Parameters.

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How to reset TTSBegin/TTSCommit in AX

We are using TTSBegin and TTSCommit when update and create a record in AX, but some times an error is occurred  and through an exception.

If we did not abort TTS by using TTSAbort  statement between try and catch keyword as below

try

{

ttsBegin;

// your update code

ttsCommit;

}

catch

{

ttsAbort;

}

so we may facing this error below,

To fix this error please run the following job

static void ResetTTS(Args _args)
{
    while (appl.ttsLevel() > 0)
    {
        info(strfmt("Level %1 aborted",appl.ttsLevel()));
        ttsAbort;
    }
}

Make sure that the X++ code has been compiled to Microsoft .NET Framework CIL - AX Batch Error

I developed custom class which extend RunBaseBatch system class to run in server, After created my class and run the class though batch job, there is an error is occurred and got the following error in log.

"Unable to construct an object from the class Sample Class in the batch framework. Make sure that the X++ code has been compiled to Microsoft .NET Framework CIL, and that the constructor does not require any parameters"

After search through internet I got solution by run “Generate incremental CIL” as  displayed below

image

Hint: May it takes time depend on server configuration.

Performance considerations for number sequences in Dynamics AX

Consider the following information about how the configuration of number sequences can affect system performance before you set up number sequences.

Continuous and non-continuous number sequences

Number sequences can be continuous or non-continuous. A continuous number sequence does not skip any numbers, but numbers may not be used sequentially. Numbers from a non-continuous number sequence are used sequentially, but the number sequence may skip numbers. For example, if a user cancels a transaction, a number is generated, but not used. In a continuous number sequence, that number is recycled later. In a non-continuous number sequence, the number is not used.

Continuous number sequences are typically required for external documents, such as purchase orders, sales orders, and invoices. However, continuous number sequences can adversely affect system response times because the system must request a number from the database every time that a new document or record is created.

If you use a non-continuous number sequence, you can enable Preallocation on the Performance FastTab of the Number sequences form. When you specify a quantity of numbers to preallocate, the system selects those numbers and stores them in memory. New numbers are requested from the database only after the preallocated quantity has been used.

Unless there is a regulatory requirement that you use continuous number sequences, we recommend that you use non-continuous number sequences for better performance.

Automatic cleanup of number sequences

In case of a power failure, an application error, or other unexpected failure, the system cannot recycle numbers automatically for continuous number sequences. You can run the cleanup process manually or automatically to recover the lost numbers.

Carefully consider server usage when you plan the cleanup process. We recommend that you perform the cleanup as a batch job during non-peak hours.

How to pass parameter to SSRS report from Dynamics AX

The below code for Passing parameters to SSRS using X++ code.

 

    MenuFunction SSRS_MyReport;

    Args Args;

    str parmId ="";

    ;

   // create reference to menu item “OverTime” which is in AOT
    SSRS_MyReport = new MenuFunction(menuItemOutputStr(OverTime),MenuItemType::Output);

    Args = new Args();

    // Set parameters and parameter value
    // I have 3 Parameters Nationality, EmplGroup, PeriodID

    parmId = "Nationality=KSA&EmplGroup=HERD&PeriodID=2014_05";

    // Assign parameters to report
    Args.parm(parmId);

    // Run the report
    SSRS_MyReport.run(Args);

 

 

Notes:

1- Parameters name is case sensitive, so it should set name as predefined in report.

2- You can pass more than one parameters by add “&”   between each parameter.

3- Not add space between parameters, it cause an error

Recalculation Error Dynamics AX 2009

while running inventory recalculation process, I got this error

“Cannot edit a record in stock transactions (InventTrans) An update
conflict occurred due to another user process deleting the record or changing
one or more fields in the record"

solution to avoid this error, go to AOT –> DataDictionary –> Tables ----> InventTrans

right click on table to display properties window then change OccEnabled property to No.

then resume recalculation again, it will work successfully.

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Configuring the instance of SQL Server for Dynamics AX

Improve SQL performance lead us to optimize AX performance, this post is one of posts to achieve that

1- Configuring max degree of parallelism

The max degree of parallelism option is a setting that affects the entire instance of SQL Server. Microsoft Dynamics AX workloads generally perform better when intra-query parallelism is disabled. However, the upgrade process benefits from parallelism, as do activities that are used exclusively for batch jobs or maintenance. Use the following settings when the system performs maintenance activities or an upgrade:

· Before an upgrade to a new release of Microsoft Dynamics AX, or before a large number of maintenance or batch activities, set max degree of parallelism to the smallest of the following values:

· 8

· The number of physical processor cores

· The number of physical processor cores per non-uniform memory access (NUMA) node

· When the Microsoft Dynamics AX database is used in a production environment, set max degree of parallelism to 1.

Use the following statements to set the value of max degree of parallelism.

Examine the output from the second sp_configure 'max degree of parallelism' statement, and confirm that the value has been changed. In the following query, the first sp_configure 'max degree of parallelism' statement sets the value of max degree of parallelism to 1. The second sp_configure 'max degree of parallelism' statement returns a value of 1.

EXEC sp_configure 'show advanced options', 1;

RECONFIGURE;

GO

EXEC sp_configure 'max degree of parallelism', 1;

RECONFIGURE;

GO

EXEC sp_configure;

For more information, see max degree of parallelism Option. For general guidelines, see Knowledge base article 329204, General guidelines to use to configure the MAXDOP option. For tips from the SQL Server team, visit the SQL Server Relational Engine team's blog, SQL Server Engine Tips.

2- Configuring max server memory

SQL Server dynamically acquires and frees memory as required. Typically, an administrator does not have to specify how much memory is allocated to SQL Server. However, the max server memory option can be useful in some environments. Make sure that sufficient memory is available for the operation of Windows Server. For more information, see Configure SQL Server and storage settings, later in this topic.

If you find that the dynamic allocation of memory adversely affects the operation of Windows Server, adjust the value of max server memory based on the available random access memory (RAM). For more information, see Effects of min and max server memory.

3- Monitoring available memory

Make sure that sufficient memory is available for the operation of Windows Server. For example, make sure that you run a dedicated instance of SQL Server on a server that has at least 4 gigabytes (GB) of memory. If the available memory for the server drops below 500 megabytes (MB) for extended periods, the performance of the server may degrade.

Use the Memory: Available Mbytes performance counter for the Windows Server operating system to determine whether the available memory drops below 500 MB for extended periods. If the available memory drops below 500 MB frequently or for extended periods, we recommend that you reduce the max server memory setting for SQL Server or increase the physical memory of the server.

Detailed guidance about memory management is beyond the scope of this topic. For more information about how to monitor memory and troubleshoot performance issues, see the Windows Server and SQL Server documentation.

4- Allocating storage for tempdb

We recommend that you determine the total size of the data files and transaction log files that are required for the tempdb database, and that you set a specific value. Do not use automatic growth, or autogrow, setting for space management. Instead, use autogrow as a safety mechanism, so that tempdb can grow if tempdb files use the space that was originally allocated to them. Follow this process to determine the number and placement of data files.

· Determine the number of processors that are available to SQL Server. Unless you are using an affinity mask, this number is same as the total number of processors that you see on the Performance tab of Windows Task Manager. When hyperthreading is not enabled, each processor corresponds to a processor core. Affinity masks and processor cores are beyond the scope of this topic. For more information, see the Windows Server and SQL Server documentation.

· Based on performance testing of the OLTP workload for Microsoft Dynamics AX, we recommend that you maintain one tempdb data file per processor. For more information, see the performance benchmark reports on PartnerSource or CustomerSource.

· Isolate tempdb on dedicated storage, if you can. We recommend that you move the primary data file and log file for tempdb to high-speed storage, if high-speed storage is available. The Microsoft Dynamics AX database runs in read committed snapshot isolation (RCSI) mode. In RCSI mode, row versions are stored in tempdb. By creating multiple files for tempdb data, even if these files reside on the same storage device, you can improve the performance of tempdb operations.

· Determine the size of the tempdb data files and log files. You must create one primary data file and one log file. Determine how many additional, secondary data files you require for the tempdb data. For best results, create data files of equal size. The total number of data files must equal the total number of processor cores. The aggregate size of the primary data file and all other data files must equal the total data size that you determined for the tempdb database.

For more information, see Optimizing tempdb performance.

· Resize the primary data file and log file for tempdb. Move the primary data file and log file to dedicated storage, if dedicated storage is available. The primary tempdb data file cannot be moved while the instance of SQL Server is running. To complete the move, you must use an ALTER DATABASE statement and restart the instance of SQL Server. For more information, see ALTER DATABASE.

Note: The data files and transaction log files for tempdb can reside on the same storage device.

· If space is available on the drive where tempdb files are allocated, do not configure the autogrow property for data files and log files as a percentage. Instead, configure the autogrow property as a specific number of megabytes. If you can, configure the data files and log files to grow by 100 to 500 MB, depending on the available space. Monitor the data files, and when they grow, adjust the original allocation to prevent automatic growth later. If the autogrow property is configured in megabytes instead of as a percentage, the allocation of space is more predictable, and the chance of extremely small or large growth increments is reduced.

· Monitor the tempdb data files and log files to make sure that they are all sized correctly, and that all data files are of equal size. Use SQL Server Management Studio or a transact-SQL query to view the database properties. Verify that all the data files are of equal size, and that they have the same size as the value that you originally provided. If one or more files have grown, adjust the initial size of all files.

Configuring physical storage for SQL server of Dynamics AX

This post provides general recommendations for physical storage. Determine the applicability of these recommendations to your environment. Some storage area network (SAN) vendors may have alternative recommendations that take precedence. Recommendations are listed in order of priority.

  • Many factors contribute to optimal I/O performance for a disk. By default, Windows Server 2008 aligns partitions. When you upgrade to Windows Server 2008, preexisting partitions are not automatically aligned and must be manually rebuilt to guarantee optimal performance. Therefore, until you rebuild the migrated partitions, alignment of disk partitions remains a relevant technology.

Check existing disks on the server, and be aware of the differences in the analysis of basic partitions and dynamic volumes. Rebuild the partitions, if you can, and appropriate and create all new partitions based on guidance from the SAN vendor. If the vendor does not provide recommendations, follow the best practices for SQL Server. See Disk Partition Alignment Best Practices for SQL Server.

The partition offset value must be a multiple of the stripe size. In other words, the expression, partition offset / stripe size, must resolve to an integer value.

  • Create the tempdb database files, data files for the Microsoft Dynamics AX database, and Microsoft Dynamics AX log files on disk arrays of type RAID 1, RAID 0 + 1, or RAID 10. We recommend RAID 10 for these files. Do not use RAID 5.
  • Store the data files for the Microsoft Dynamics AX database on separate physical stores from the transaction log files.
  • Store the tempdb data files on a separate physical store from the data files and log files for the Microsoft Dynamics AX database.
  • Store other database files on separate physical stores from the data files and log files for tempdb and the Microsoft Dynamics AX database.

Tune data access settings [AX 2012]

You might want to tune the database settings for Microsoft Dynamics AX to improve performance. Settings that you can tune include connections, query settings for the use of literals, string functions, or hints, concurrency mode used for database changes, and the table and index options, such as table and index data compression, and index fill factor and sort in tempdb settings.

Before changing settings, you should trace the usage of your Microsoft Dynamics AX database to ensure that you have clear understanding of performance under the current settings.

Test all tuning changes before implementing them in a production environment. In a test or development environment, make a single change and then test your system's performance before making another change.

Tune connections

The following table lists common connection issues, and also some adjustments to try in the Server Configuration Utility.

Symptom

Adjustments to try

Queries that return a large number of rows execute slowly.

Increase the Maximum buffer size value in small increments.

If this adjustment has worked, the number of round trips to the database, as measured in Performance Monitor by a decrease in the value of SQL Server statistics: batchrequestsPerSecond value. Stop increasing the value when the rate of improvement diminishes.

You may also want to change the Maximum buffer size value if you receive an error similar to the following:

The total, internal size of the records in your joined Select statement is 29374 bytes, but Microsoft Dynamics is by default performance-tuned not to exceed 27646 bytes. It is strongly recommended that you split your tables(s) into smaller units.

Maximum buffer size refers to the size of buffer the kernel allocates for holding input/output data to and from SQL Server. The buffer can be used to hold more than one row of the entire result set for output binding, and it should be allocated large enough to hold at least one row. The buffer size needed for one row depends on the number of tables joined (exist join excluded) and the size of the aggregated table columns. When large numbers of joins are used, or wide tables, a customer may encounter the issue that the maximum buffer size is less than the space needed to hold one row of the result set.

Due to the way the kernel handles data binding, the aggregated table column size is always the width of the entire table. Therefore, attempting to resolve the issue by limiting the field projection list does not help. You can fix the issue by rewriting the join, or by increasing the Maximum buffer size value.

Because large joins and wide rows may lead to performance issues, we use this limit to catch performance issues and ask customers to rethink their joins.

Results for ad hoc queries are returned slowly

Verify that the appropriate indexes are in place.

Tune queries

If queries in the system are running slowly, you may want to change settings for literals, string functions, or hints.


Adjust the use of hints

In Microsoft Dynamics AX, you can allow developers to override the index selected by the query optimizer. In most situations, allowing the query optimizer to select an index for a query results in improved performance.

Changes in the use of hints

The following changes to hints have been made:

· The OPTION (FIRSTFAST) hint is applied by default for form data sources. It can be suppressed, or set to a specific value. Use of this option appends an OPTION (FAST) to the SQL Server query.

· OPTION( FAST) is now set to what we expect the number of rows to be returned to the database in a single roundtrip. This is based on maximum buffer size.

· FASTFORWARD cursors are used for all user queries unless the query is a full text search.

Change table and index options

Table and index options that can be changed from within Microsoft Dynamics AX include table compression settings, and index compression, fill factor, and sort in tempdb settings.

Data compression options

If you have appropriate hardware, we recommend that you set all tables and indexes to use page-level compression. Compression saves disk space and memory consumption, but increases CPU consumption.

When page-level compression has been set, expect between 10-15 percent additional CPU consumption.

If you are concerned about CPU consumption, we recommend that you start by setting the ten largest tables in your system to use table compression.

Use the guidance in the following resources to help you determine how or whether to compress your tables and indexes:

· SQL Server Books online: Creating Compressed Tables and Indexes

· SQLCat article: Data Compression: Strategy, Capacity Planning and Best Practices

· Database Engine team blog post: Compression Strategies.  

Fill factor options

We recommend that you not set the fill factor options (fill factor and pad index) for all indexes. Only set fill factor values on indexes that show rapid fragmentation, where fragmentation has a performance penalty. Adjusting fill factor can be important for tables that you want to retrieve sequential rows from, for example, sales line.

We recommend that you work with your database administrators to identify the tables to set this value for.

Sort in tempdb

We recommend that you not set the sort in tembdp options for all indexes. Only enable sort in tempdb for indexes that show rapid fragmentation, where fragmentation has a performance penalty.

We recommend that you work with your database administrators to identify the tables to set this value for.

To change table and index options

1. Click System administration > Periodic > Database > SQL administration. Select all tables, all indexes, or a specific table or index, and then click Table and index options.

2. Select the options to set, and then click Save.

The SQL statement that will be executed is displayed at the bottom of the form.

clip_image001Important

The changes that you have made will not be applied unless you specify that they should be applied by using the SQL administration form.

To turn off data compression, click Enable compression, click None for the type of compression, and then close the Select table and index options form, and then click Apply compression in the SQL administration form.

3. To apply changes in the SQL administration form:

o For tables, click Table actions, and then click Apply compression.

o For indexes, click Index actions, and then click Reindex.

Change the concurrency mode

Concurrency mode settings enable you to reduce locking conflicts in your system. Set concurrency mode settings only at the table or statement level, not throughout your Microsoft Dynamics AX program.

Optimistic concurrency

An optimistic concurrency strategy does not lock data when the data is retrieved from the database for future modification. Therefore, no locks are held while filters and other business logic are being applied. Data is locked only when an update is performed. If any data has been changed by another transaction between the time of the retrieval and the time of the update, the change is detected and an Infolog exception is displayed.

Pessimistic concurrency

A pessimistic concurrency strategy uses an update lock to lock data when the data is retrieved from the database for future modification. Locks are held while filters and other business logic are being applied, in addition to being held during an update. Data cannot be changed by other transactions.

Acquiring an update lock for a large volume of rows increases the lock escalation from row level to table level in SQL Server. This can block other users and reduce transaction throughput.

Table-level concurrency settings

If the global concurrency mode is set to Optimistic concurrency mode enabled per table, table-level control of concurrency settings is available using the OccEnabled property.

Runtime update options

If you are encountering many update errors, you may want to use the runtime update options to help troubleshoot. These options are intended for temporary use only, as they might significantly slow performance.

Use Writes all UPDATE conflict exceptions to the log to write all update conflict exceptions to the log.

Use Update record version automatically to have Microsoft Dynamics AX search in memory for the recordID every time that that a record is updated, and then change the update values in all instances of the record.

If you have a table set to optimistic concurrency, and you are experiencing optimistic concurrency violations that affect the performance of the transactions that use the table, then first set the Writes all UPDATE conflict exceptions to the log option. If, from your analysis, it appears that the use of optimistic concurrency is causing a problem, then set the table to pessimistic concurrency.

To change concurrency settings

1. Click System administration > Setup > Database > Select concurrency mode.

2. Select the appropriate concurrency mode and runtime options for your environment.

3. Click Close.

Statement-level concurrency settings

You can use the optimisticlock or pessimisticlock keywords in a SELECT statement to override the global or table concurrency mode settings.

For more information, see the following topics:

· Best Practice Performance Optimizations: Database Design and Operations

· Transaction Integrity

· Exception Handling with try and catch Keywords

· Select Statement Syntax

· Table Properties

Tune data access settings [AX 2012]

You might want to tune the database settings for Microsoft Dynamics AX to improve performance. Settings that you can tune include connections, query settings for the use of literals, string functions, or hints, concurrency mode used for database changes, and the table and index options, such as table and index data compression, and index fill factor and sort in tempdb settings.

Before changing settings, you should trace the usage of your Microsoft Dynamics AX database to ensure that you have clear understanding of performance under the current settings.

Test all tuning changes before implementing them in a production environment. In a test or development environment, make a single change and then test your system's performance before making another change.

Tune connections

The following table lists common connection issues, and also some adjustments to try in the Server Configuration Utility.

Symptom

Adjustments to try

Queries that return a large number of rows execute slowly.

Increase the Maximum buffer size value in small increments.

If this adjustment has worked, the number of round trips to the database, as measured in Performance Monitor by a decrease in the value of SQL Server statistics: batchrequestsPerSecond value. Stop increasing the value when the rate of improvement diminishes.

You may also want to change the Maximum buffer size value if you receive an error similar to the following:

The total, internal size of the records in your joined Select statement is 29374 bytes, but Microsoft Dynamics is by default performance-tuned not to exceed 27646 bytes. It is strongly recommended that you split your tables(s) into smaller units.

Maximum buffer size refers to the size of buffer the kernel allocates for holding input/output data to and from SQL Server. The buffer can be used to hold more than one row of the entire result set for output binding, and it should be allocated large enough to hold at least one row. The buffer size needed for one row depends on the number of tables joined (exist join excluded) and the size of the aggregated table columns. When large numbers of joins are used, or wide tables, a customer may encounter the issue that the maximum buffer size is less than the space needed to hold one row of the result set.

Due to the way the kernel handles data binding, the aggregated table column size is always the width of the entire table. Therefore, attempting to resolve the issue by limiting the field projection list does not help. You can fix the issue by rewriting the join, or by increasing the Maximum buffer size value.

Because large joins and wide rows may lead to performance issues, we use this limit to catch performance issues and ask customers to rethink their joins.

Results for ad hoc queries are returned slowly

Verify that the appropriate indexes are in place.

Tune queries

If queries in the system are running slowly, you may want to change settings for literals, string functions, or hints.


Adjust the use of hints

In Microsoft Dynamics AX, you can allow developers to override the index selected by the query optimizer. In most situations, allowing the query optimizer to select an index for a query results in improved performance.

Changes in the use of hints

The following changes to hints have been made:

· The OPTION (FIRSTFAST) hint is applied by default for form data sources. It can be suppressed, or set to a specific value. Use of this option appends an OPTION (FAST) to the SQL Server query.

· OPTION( FAST) is now set to what we expect the number of rows to be returned to the database in a single roundtrip. This is based on maximum buffer size.

· FASTFORWARD cursors are used for all user queries unless the query is a full text search.

Change table and index options

Table and index options that can be changed from within Microsoft Dynamics AX include table compression settings, and index compression, fill factor, and sort in tempdb settings.

Data compression options

If you have appropriate hardware, we recommend that you set all tables and indexes to use page-level compression. Compression saves disk space and memory consumption, but increases CPU consumption.

When page-level compression has been set, expect between 10-15 percent additional CPU consumption.

If you are concerned about CPU consumption, we recommend that you start by setting the ten largest tables in your system to use table compression.

Use the guidance in the following resources to help you determine how or whether to compress your tables and indexes:

· SQL Server Books online: Creating Compressed Tables and Indexes

· SQLCat article: Data Compression: Strategy, Capacity Planning and Best Practices

· Database Engine team blog post: Compression Strategies.  

Fill factor options

We recommend that you not set the fill factor options (fill factor and pad index) for all indexes. Only set fill factor values on indexes that show rapid fragmentation, where fragmentation has a performance penalty. Adjusting fill factor can be important for tables that you want to retrieve sequential rows from, for example, sales line.

We recommend that you work with your database administrators to identify the tables to set this value for.

Sort in tempdb

We recommend that you not set the sort in tembdp options for all indexes. Only enable sort in tempdb for indexes that show rapid fragmentation, where fragmentation has a performance penalty.

We recommend that you work with your database administrators to identify the tables to set this value for.

To change table and index options

1. Click System administration > Periodic > Database > SQL administration. Select all tables, all indexes, or a specific table or index, and then click Table and index options.

2. Select the options to set, and then click Save.

The SQL statement that will be executed is displayed at the bottom of the form.

clip_image001Important

The changes that you have made will not be applied unless you specify that they should be applied by using the SQL administration form.

To turn off data compression, click Enable compression, click None for the type of compression, and then close the Select table and index options form, and then click Apply compression in the SQL administration form.

3. To apply changes in the SQL administration form:

o For tables, click Table actions, and then click Apply compression.

o For indexes, click Index actions, and then click Reindex.

Change the concurrency mode

Concurrency mode settings enable you to reduce locking conflicts in your system. Set concurrency mode settings only at the table or statement level, not throughout your Microsoft Dynamics AX program.

Optimistic concurrency

An optimistic concurrency strategy does not lock data when the data is retrieved from the database for future modification. Therefore, no locks are held while filters and other business logic are being applied. Data is locked only when an update is performed. If any data has been changed by another transaction between the time of the retrieval and the time of the update, the change is detected and an Infolog exception is displayed.

Pessimistic concurrency

A pessimistic concurrency strategy uses an update lock to lock data when the data is retrieved from the database for future modification. Locks are held while filters and other business logic are being applied, in addition to being held during an update. Data cannot be changed by other transactions.

Acquiring an update lock for a large volume of rows increases the lock escalation from row level to table level in SQL Server. This can block other users and reduce transaction throughput.

Table-level concurrency settings

If the global concurrency mode is set to Optimistic concurrency mode enabled per table, table-level control of concurrency settings is available using the OccEnabled property.

Runtime update options

If you are encountering many update errors, you may want to use the runtime update options to help troubleshoot. These options are intended for temporary use only, as they might significantly slow performance.

Use Writes all UPDATE conflict exceptions to the log to write all update conflict exceptions to the log.

Use Update record version automatically to have Microsoft Dynamics AX search in memory for the recordID every time that that a record is updated, and then change the update values in all instances of the record.

If you have a table set to optimistic concurrency, and you are experiencing optimistic concurrency violations that affect the performance of the transactions that use the table, then first set the Writes all UPDATE conflict exceptions to the log option. If, from your analysis, it appears that the use of optimistic concurrency is causing a problem, then set the table to pessimistic concurrency.

To change concurrency settings

1. Click System administration > Setup > Database > Select concurrency mode.

2. Select the appropriate concurrency mode and runtime options for your environment.

3. Click Close.

Statement-level concurrency settings

You can use the optimisticlock or pessimisticlock keywords in a SELECT statement to override the global or table concurrency mode settings.

For more information, see the following topics:

· Best Practice Performance Optimizations: Database Design and Operations

· Transaction Integrity

· Exception Handling with try and catch Keywords

· Select Statement Syntax

· Table Properties

Uninstall Microsoft Dynamics AX

This topic explains how to uninstall Microsoft Dynamics AX by using Add or Remove Programs on the Control Panel.

Databases, log files, and application files must be removed manually. Information about how to manually remove components is also included in this topic.

Uninstall components by using Add or Remove Programs

Use this procedure to remove Microsoft Dynamics AX components.

  1. Open Add or Remove Programs. (Start > All Programs > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs).
  2. Select the component that you want to remove, and then click Remove. The components that are listed in the following table can be removed.

Option

Removes

Microsoft Dynamics AX Components

Selecting this option removes the following components:

o Client

o Role Centers and the Enterprise Portal framework

o Workflow

o Reporting extensions

o Debugger

o Enterprise Portal developer tools

o Reporting tools

o .NET Business Connector

o AIF Web services

o BizTalk adapter

o Synchronization proxy for Microsoft Office Project

o Synchronization service for Microsoft Office Project

This option removes all components that are installed on the local computer. You cannot select to remove individual components.

Microsoft Dynamics AX Client Help Files

Select this option to remove all Help files in all installed languages. You should not remove Help files unless the client is also being removed.

Microsoft Dynamics AX Object Server (instance name)

Select this option to remove a specific Application Object Server (AOS) instance.

Before you remove an AOS instance, use the Microsoft Dynamics AX Configuration utility to point all clients to a valid AOS instance, or update the shared configuration file.

When you remove an AOS instance, it is not automatically removed from the list of batch and load balancing servers. After you uninstall an AOS instance, you must manually delete it by using the Server configuration form or the Cluster configuration form.

  1. A message box asks you to confirm that you want to uninstall. To proceed, click Yes.

Remove remaining components manually

If you choose to remove an entire installation, some components remain after Add or Remove Programs is finished. The following table provides more information about removing components manually.

To remove this

Do this

Application files

Delete the application file directory from the location that you installed it to.

Database and log files

Use database server administration tools to delete the database and log files.

Role Centers and the Enterprise Portal framework

Delete Web sites by using SharePoint Central Administration.

Reporting extensions

· Delete SQL Server Reporting Services objects, such as data sources, reports, and report models by using Reporting Services.

· Delete the contents of the Microsoft Dynamics AX report folder.

Analysis extensions

Delete SQL Server Analysis Services objects, such as databases, cubes, and models by using Analysis Services.

Create and Post inventory journal by code : Dynamics AX

        InventJournalTable              inventJournalTable;
        InventJournalTrans              inventJournalTrans;

        InventJournalNameId             inventJournalName;
        InventDim                            inventDim;
        JournalCheckPost               journalCheckPost;
       

//Below code creates journal header       

        inventJournalTable.clear();

        inventJournalName =  InventJournalName::standardJournalName(InventJournalType::Movement);
        inventJournalTable.initFromInventJournalName(InventJournalName::find(inventJournalName ));

        inventJournalTable.insert();

       

//Below code creates journal lines

        inventJournalTrans.clear();

        inventJournalTrans.initFromInventJournalTable(inventJournalTable);

        inventJournalTrans.TransDate = systemDateGet();

        inventJournalTrans.ItemId = "MDJ0001";

        inventJournalTrans.initFromInventTable(InventTable::find("MDJ0001"));

        inventJournalTrans.Qty = 2500;

        inventDim.InventSiteId  = '12';

        inventDim.InventLocationId = '1201';

        inventDim.wMSLocationId = 'BULK-001';

        inventJournalTrans.InventDimId = inventDim::findOrCreate(inventDim).inventDimId;

        inventJournalTrans.insert();

       

//The below code posts the journal
        journalCheckPost = InventJournalCheckPost::newPostJournal(inventJournalTable);
        journalCheckPost.run();

Configure the workflow notification options [AX 2012]

Notifications may be sent to you when workflow-related events occur. For example, a notification may be sent to you when a document is assigned to you for approval or when the workflow process is completed for a document that you submitted. You can specify how you want to receive workflow notifications.

  1. Click File > Tools > Options.

  2. In the left pane of the Options form, click Notifications.

  3. In the Receive notifications every (minutes) field, enter the number of minutes to specify how often you want to receive notifications.

  4. In the Line-item notification type list, specify how you want to receive workflow notifications for line items from the following options:

    • Grouped – Notifications for line items are grouped into a single notification.

    • Individual – A notification is sent for each line item.

  5. To receive notifications in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client, select the Show notifications in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client check box.

    If you select the Show notifications in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client check box, you can also specify whether you want to receive notifications as pop-up messages. To receive pop-up messages, select the Show pop-ups for notifications check box.

  6. To receive notifications as email, select the Send notifications in email check box.

Walkthrough: Creating a Report Bound to a Report Data Provider Class (X++ Business Logic) [AX 2012]

In this walkthrough, you use a report data provider (RDP) class with business logic to process data and then display the outcome of the business logic on a report.

An RDP class is an X++ class that is used to access and process data for a Reporting Services report. The options for a data source type for a Microsoft Dynamics AX report are query, business logic, and RDP. An RDP class is an appropriate data source type when the following conditions are met.

  1. You cannot query directly for the data you want to render on a report.
  2. The data to be processed and displayed is from Microsoft Dynamics AX.

The following illustration is a preview of the report that you create in this walkthrough.

clip_image001Note

The data that displays in your report may vary depending upon the sample data that is available to you.

The following elements are required to set RDP as your data source type.

  • Temporary table – RDP class fills a temporary table with data that will be used by Reporting Services to display the report.
  • Data contract class – defines the parameters in the report.
  • Report data provider class – processes business logic based on parameters and a query, and then returns the tables as a dataset for the report.

This walkthrough illustrates the following tasks:

  • Creating a temporary table
  • Defining a report data provider class
  • Defining the report parameters
  • Defining a method to return data to Reporting Services
  • Adding business logic for the report
  • Creating a reporting project
  • Binding a report to a report data provider class


Creating a Temporary Table

Data for an RDP report is preprocessed and then stored in a temporary table. The temporary table is used by Reporting Services when the report is displayed. A table returned by a method can be a temporary table (InMemory or TempDB) or a regular table. When the data returned is used for reporting only, it is a best practice to use a temporary table.

  • Use an InMemory temporary table if the dataset is small, for reports that will display fewer than 1000 records.
  • Use a TempDB temporary table for large datasets to improve performance.

In this section you will create a temporary table to store the data for the report.

To create a temporary table

  1. In the AOT, expand the Data Dictionary node, right-click the Tables node, and then click New Table.
  2. Right-click the table, and click Properties.
  3. In the Properties window, set the Name property to TmpCustTableSample and set the Table Type property to TempDB. This will define the table as a SQL Server temporary table.
  4. Expand the node next to the TmpCustTableSample table so that you can see the Fields node.
  5. Press Ctrl+D to open another AOT window and move the window so you can see both AOT windows.
  6. In the second AOT, expand the Data Dictionary node, expand the Extended Data Types node, and drag the following types to the Field node in the first AOT window:
    • AccountNum
    • CustName
    • LogisticsAddressing
    • CustGroupId
    • Phone
    • CustInvoiceAccount
    • ActionDays
    • InclTax
  7. In the second AOT window, expand the Base Enums node and drag the CustAccountStatement enumeration to the Fields node of the first AOT window.

Defining a Report Data Provider Class

The RDP class is a data provider that allows you to add business logic for the data that is displayed on a report. The business logic for this example prompts the end user for parameter values, processes business logic to generate data in a table, and then returns the table to render in the report. In this section, you define the RDP class by extending the SRSReportDataProviderBase class. Then add the TmpCustTableSample table as a global variable. The following list describes the attributes that are attached to the RDP class for this example:

  • Attach the SRSReportQueryAttribute attribute to specify the query to use to get the data for the report.

For this example, set the attribute to the Cust query.

  • Attach the SRSReportParameterAttribute attribute to specify the data contract class that defines the report parameters for the report.

For this example, set the attribute to the SrsRDPContractSampledata contract.

To define a report data provider class

  1. In the AOT, right-click the Classes node, and then click New Class.
  2. Right-click the new class, click Rename, and then enter SrsRDPSampleClass.
  3. Expand SrsRDPSampleClass, right-click classDeclaration, and then click View Code.
  4. In code editor, enter the following code in the class declaration to define the class.

X++

[

SRSReportQueryAttribute (querystr(Cust)),

SRSReportParameterAttribute(classstr(SrsRDPContractSample))

]

public class SrsRdpSampleClass extends SRSReportDataProviderBase

{

TmpCustTableSample tmpCust;

}

Defining a Data Contract Class

An RDP class must have a data contract if the report has one or more report parameters. This example defines three report parameters for account number, account statement, and whether to include tax. When you print the report, you can specify which data to print based on the report parameters. For example, you can specify to only print transactions for account number 4000.

A data contract is an X++ class with getters, setters, and the DataMemberAttribute attribute. The data contract defines the parameters that the report uses.

To define a data contract class

  1. In the AOT, right-click the Classes node, and then select New Class.
  2. Right-click the new class, click Rename, and then enter SrsRDPContractSample.
  3. Expand SrsRDPContractSample, right-click classDeclaration, and then click View Code.
  4. In code editor, enter the following code in the class declaration to define the class.

X++

[DataContractAttribute]

public class SrsRDPContractSample

{

AccountNum accountNum;

CustAccountStatement accountStmt;

boolean inclTax;

}

A data contract class has methods with the DataMemberAttribute attribute. The name that follows this attribute is the parameter name that displays in Visual Studio when you bind a report data set to the RDP class. In this section, add a method for each of the report parameters and name them parmAccountNum, parmAccountStmt, and parmInclTax.

To define data contract methods

  1. Right-click SrsRDPContractSample, point to New, and then click Method.
  2. Edit the method so that it contains the following code.

X++

[DataMemberAttribute("AccountNum")]

public AccountNum parmAccountNum(AccountNum _accountNum = accountNum)

{

accountNum = _accountNum;

return accountNum;

}

  1. Right-click SrsRDPContractSample, point to New, and then click Method.
  2. Edit the method so that it contains the following code.

X++

[DataMemberAttribute("CustAccountStatement")]

public CustAccountStatement parmAccountStmt(CustAccountStatement _accountStmt = accountStmt)

{

accountStmt = _accountStmt;

return accountStmt;

}

  1. Right-click SrsRDPContractSample, point to New, and then click Method.
  2. Edit the method so that it contains the following code.

X++

[DataMemberAttribute("InclTax")]

public boolean parmInclTax(boolean _inclTax = inclTax)

{

inclTax = _inclTax;

return inclTax;

}

Defining a Method to Return Data to Reporting Services

A method to return the processed data in the temporary table to Reporting Services is needed. In this section, add a method named getTmpCustTable and attach the SRSReportDataSetAttribute attribute to indicate the dataset for the report.

To define a method to return the data to Reporting Services

  1. Right-click SrsRdpSampleClass, point to New, and then click Method.
  2. Edit the method so that it contains the following code.

X++

[SRSReportDataSetAttribute("TmpCust")]

public TmpCustTableSample getTmpCustTable()

{

select * from tmpCust;

return tmpCust;

}

Adding Business Logic for the Report

The business logic for this example prompts the end user for parameter values, processes business logic to generate data in a table, and then returns the table to render in the report.

The report business logic is provided in the processReport method. This method is called by Reporting Services at runtime. The following example illustrates how the processReport method computes data and populates the data table that is returned to Reporting Services. In this section, override the processReport method to provide business logic for your report.

To add business logic for the report

  1. Right-click SrsRdpSampleClass, point to Override method, and then click processReport.
  2. Edit the method so that it contains the following code.

X++

public void processReport()

{

AccountNum accountNumber;

CustAccountStatement custAcctStmt;

boolean boolInclTax;

Query query;

QueryRun queryRun;

QueryBuildDataSource queryBuildDataSource;

QueryBuildRange queryBuildRange;

CustTable queryCustTable;

SrsRdpContractSample dataContract;

// Get the query from the runtime using a dynamic query.

// This base class method reads the query specified in the SRSReportQueryAttribute attribute.

query = this.parmQuery();

// Get the parameters passed from runtime.

// The base class methods read the SRSReportParameterAttribute attribute.

dataContract = this.parmDataContract();

accountNumber = dataContract.parmAccountNum();

custAcctStmt = dataContract.parmAccountStmt();

boolInclTax = dataContract.parmInclTax();

// Add parameters to the query.

queryBuildDataSource = query.dataSourceTable(tablenum(CustTable));

if(accountNumber)

{

queryBuildRange = queryBuildDataSource.findRange(fieldnum(CustTable, AccountNum));

if (!queryBuildRange)

{

queryBuildRange = queryBuildDataSource.addRange(fieldnum(CustTable, AccountNum));

}

// If an account number has not been set, then use the parameter value to set it.

if(!queryBuildRange.value())

queryBuildRange.value(accountNumber);

}

if(custAcctStmt)

{

queryBuildRange = queryBuildDataSource.findRange(fieldnum(CustTable, AccountStatement));

if (!queryBuildRange)

{

queryBuildRange = queryBuildDataSource.addRange(fieldnum(CustTable, AccountStatement));

}

// If an account statement has not been set, then use the parameter value to set it.

if(!queryBuildRange.value())

queryBuildRange.value(int2str(custAcctStmt));

}

if(boolInclTax)

{

queryBuildRange = queryBuildDataSource.findRange(fieldnum(CustTable, InclTax));

if (!queryBuildRange)

{

queryBuildRange = queryBuildDataSource.addRange(fieldnum(CustTable, InclTax));

}

// If flag to include tax has not been set, then use the parameter value to set it.

if(!queryBuildRange.value())

queryBuildRange.value(int2str(boolInclTax));

}

// Run the query with modified ranges.

queryRun = new QueryRun(query);

ttsbegin;

while(queryRun.next())

{

tmpCust.clear();

queryCustTable = queryRun.get(tablenum(CustTable));

        tmpCust.AccountNum = queryCustTable.AccountNum;

        tmpCust.CustName = queryCustTable.name();

        tmpCust.LogisticsAddressing = queryCustTable.address();

        tmpCust.CustGroupId = queryCustTable.CustGroup;

        tmpCust.Phone = queryCustTable.phone();

        tmpCust.CustInvoiceAccount = queryCustTable.InvoiceAccount;

        tmpCust.CustAccountStatement = queryCustTable.AccountStatement;

        tmpCust.InclTax = queryCustTable.InclTax;

        tmpCust.insert();

}

ttscommit;

}

Creating a Reporting Project

Next, create a reporting project in Microsoft Visual Studio. When you create a reporting project, you use the Report Model to create a Reporting Services report.

To create a reporting project

  1. Open Microsoft Visual Studio.
  2. On the File menu, point to New, and then click Project. The New Project dialog box displays.
  3. In the Installed Templates pane, click Microsoft Dynamics AX. In the Templates pane, click Report Model.
  4. In the Name box, type SampleRDPReport, and in the Location box, type a location.
  5. Click OK.

A reporting project contains a report model where you can add a report to the model.

Binding a Report to a Report Data Provider Class

Now that you have created a reporting project, you are ready to define an auto design report that displays data from the Cust query. The following procedure explains how to create an auto design report that uses the RDP class as the data source.

To create an auto design report

  1. In Solution Explorer, right-click the ReportModel node, point to Add and then click Report.
  2. In Model Editor, right-click the Report1 node, and then click Rename.
  3. Type CustomerReport as the name.
  4. Right-click the Datasets node, and then click Add Dataset.
  5. In the Properties window, specify the following values.

Property

Value

Data Source

Dynamics AX

Data Source Type

Report Data Provider

Default Layout

Table

Dynamic Filters

True

clip_image001[1]Note

This setting is for dynamic parameters on the report. Setting the property to True allows you to filter the report by setting a range on any fields from the data source table.

Name

Customer

Query

Click the ellipsis button (…). A dialog box displays where you can select an RDP class that is defined in the AOT and identify the fields that you want to use. Select the SrsRDPSampleClass class and click Next. In the Select Fields dialog box, keep all the checkboxes selected, and click OK.

clip_image001[2]Note

Based on what you select, the Query property value is updated. In this case, the query is SELECT * FROM SrsRDPSampleClass.TmpCust.

  1. In Model Editor, select the Customer node and drag it onto the Designs node. An auto design named AutoDesign1 is created for the report.

clip_image001[3]Note

If you expand the Parameters node you see the parameters that you defined in the data contract class. When you define nested data contract parameters, they are listed under the Parameters node also.

Select the SrsRDPSampleClass_DynamicParameter parameter. In the Properties window, the AOT Query property is set to the query specified in the parmQuery method in the RDP class.

  1. Select AutoDesign1 and then click the Preview button.
  2. Enter a value for Account number and Account statement that returns data and then click the Report tab to preview the report.

clip_image001[4]Note

You can use * to display all of the account numbers on the report. Account statement is an enumeration and there is no wild card value for enumerations. Check your sample data to determine a valid enumeration value for Account statement.

The Select button displays because you set the Dynamic Filters property to True on the dataset. You have the option to click the Select button to specify a range to filter the report and limit the data that displays on the report.

The next steps are to add layout and style templates, deploy, and add the report to a menu item so you can see it in Microsoft Dynamics AX.

Description of the main processing steps that are performed by the Inventory Close and the Inventory Recalculation in Dynamics AX

When you run the Inventory Close routine or the Inventory Recalculation routine in Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft Dynamics AX performs a sequence of steps in their processing.

Steps that are performed by the Inventory Close routine
When you run the Close routine, Microsoft Dynamics AX performs the following steps:
  1. Check whether any Recalculations were run after the date that you choose for your Close. Microsoft Dynamics AX will cancel any of those later Recalculations before the Close can start.
  2. Put all the items that are to be processed into a queue. These items are stored in the InventCostList table.
    Note While a Close or Recalculation is processing, you can click Calculation/Calculation List from the Close & adjustment form to view the data in the InventCostList table. This shows which items are still to be processed by the Close or Recalculation process.
  3. Process each item from that queue sequentially. Microsoft Dynamics AX performs the following for each item:
    1. Settle individual receipts and issues against one another for the item according to the Inventory Model Group such as FIFO, Weighted Average.
      • Make any required cost adjustments to the issue that was settled based on the cost of the receipt(s) against which the issue was settled.
      • Update the inventory transactions to show the settlement and cost adjustment data.
      • Write the settlement data into the Inventory Settlement table. The data will include records that show explicitly which Receipt(s) were settled to each Issue in addition to any cost adjustment that is made to the Issue that is settled.
    2. As soon as all possible transactions are processed for that item, Microsoft Dynamics AX looks for any transactions that are fully settled, and then update those transactions to "Closed." For more information, see the "What fields show that an inventory transaction is closed" section.
  4. As soon as all the items are processed, the settlement records that were created are read and sorted by General Ledger Account. Then, Microsoft Dynamics AX summarizes all the cost adjustments that were made, and a General Ledger Journal is created and posted.
  5. If you select the Run recalculation after closing check box in the Close dialog box, a Recalculation will be run for all items up to today's date.
Steps that are performed by the Inventory Recalculation routine
The Inventory Recalculation routine does a similar job to the Inventory Close routine. However, there are a few differences. When you run the Recalculation routine, Microsoft Dynamics AX performs the following steps:
  1. Check whether any Recalculations were run after the date that you choose to run your Recalculation up to. Microsoft Dynamics AX will cancel any of those later Recalculations found before your Recalculation routine can start.
    Notes
    • In the Select dialog box, you can select item(s) for which you want to run the Recalculation, unlike the Close routine that always processes all items.
    • While a Recalculation or Close is processing, you can click Calculation/Calculation List from the Close & adjustment form to view the data in the InventCostList table. This shows which items are still to be processed by that Close or Recalculation.
  2. Put all the items that are to be processed into a queue, and then store the queue in the InventCostList table.
  3. Process each item from that queue sequentially. Microsoft Dynamics AX performs the following for each item:
    • Make a "virtual" settlement between individual receipts and issues for the item according to the Inventory Model Group such as FIFO, Weighted Average. This is a "virtual" settlement because it is occurs in the Recalculation’s calculations. However, the detailed settlement data that shows the explicit matching of each issue to the various receipts is not stored in the InventSettlement table. The only data that is stored is the cost adjustment that is made to the issue.
      • Make any required cost adjustments to the issue that was settled based on the cost of the receipt(s) against which the issue was settled.
      • Write a single settlement record for any cost adjustment that is made for that Issue into the Inventory Settlement table.
  4. As soon as all the items are processed, the cost adjustment settlement records that were created are read, sorted by General Ledger Account, and summarized and posted in a General Ledger Journal.
What fields show that an inventory transaction is closed
To show that an inventory transaction is "closed", Microsoft Dynamics AX performs the following:
  1. When the Inventory Close routine has fully settled the Quantity and Financial Cost of a specific inventory transaction, Microsoft Dynamics AX updates the individual inventory transaction to show that the transaction is "closed."
  2. For a transaction to be closed, it must meet the following criteria:
    • The "Quantity" must match the "Quantity Settled."
    • The sum of "Cost Amount Posted" plus "Cost Amount Adjustment" must match the "Cost Amount Settled."
  3. When those conditions are met, then the Close program will do the following:
    • Set the field "Value Open" from "Yes" to "No."
    • Store the date of the close in the field "Date Closed."
    This means that the individual inventory transaction is "closed."

How to: Create a Workflow Task AX 2012

A Microsoft Dynamics AX workflow task is a single unit of work that must be performed. A workflow may contain one or more tasks.

The following procedure describes how to create a new workflow task in the AOT.

To create a workflow task

  1. In the AOT, expand the Workflow node.
  2. Right-click the Tasks node, and then click Add-Ins > Task wizard. The Workflow wizard is displayed. This wizard will help you create a new workflow task.
  3. Click Next.
  4. Set the following values for the wizard.

Value

Description

Name

The name that will be used for the workflow task.

Workflow document

The class that defines the workflow document for which you are creating a task.

clip_image001Note

This setting must match the Document property setting used in the workflow type for the task.

Document preview field group

The initial set of fields displayed in the unified work list. Select a field group from the root table specified in the Workflow document that you selected. The Workflow document value must be set before you can select a field group.

Document menu item

Choose the menu item that points to the main form that displays the document for which you are creating a workflow task.

Document web menu item

Choose the web menu item that points to the Enterprise Portal page that displays the document for which you are creating a workflow task.

  1. Specify which types of menu items you want to create. You can create menu items for the Microsoft Dynamics AX client, web menu items for Enterprise Portal, or items for both.
  2. Click Next.
  3. Define the task outcomes. For each outcome that you want to support, supply a Name for the outcome. The name cannot contain spaces. Specify the Type for the outcome. Choose one of the following types:
    • Complete - Completes the workflow task and continues the workflow forward.
    • Return - Returns the task to the originator for changes and then resubmission back to workflow.
    • RequestChange - Sends the task to a specified user for changes and then resubmission back to workflow.
    • Deny - Completes the task as denied and continues the workflow forward.

Click Add.

Note

Each task must have one outcome of type Complete.

  1. After you have finished defining the outcomes, click Next. A list of all of the resources that will be created for the workflow task is displayed.
  2. Click Finish to create the resources. The wizard will create classes, menu items, web menu items, the task, and a project that contains all of the items.
  3. A dialog box will be displayed that indicates the status. Click OK. The project that contains the workflow type resources is displayed.

After a workflow task is created, you can add the workflow task to the Supported Elements node of a workflow type.

How to: Create a Workflow Document Class [AX 2012]

Microsoft Dynamics AX table fields are defined in a query to create workflow conditions. A limitation of a Microsoft Dynamics AX query is that you cannot define calculated fields in the query itself. It is a common scenario to use calculated fields to determine the behavior of a workflow. For example, a dynamic sales total of all records in a table can be used as a workflow condition to determine whether the step should be used. To overcome this query limitation, you must use a workflow document class.

The workflow document class that you create defines table fields for conditions in two ways: the Application Object Tree (AOT) query and parameter methods. The getQueryName method of the WorkflowDocument Class must be overridden to return the name of the query. You can optionally add calculated fields by adding parameter methods with a specific signature on the class.

Before you begin these procedures, you must create a query that specifies the data that will be accessed.

The following procedures show how to create a workflow document class including a parameter method for a calculated field.

NoteNote

If you used the Workflow Wizard to create the workflow type, the workflow document class will have already been created by the wizard.

To create a workflow document class
  1. In the AOT, expand the Classes node.

  2. Right-click the Classes node, and then select New Class. A class group displays under the Classes node.

  3. Right-click the new class, click Rename, and then enter a name for the workflow document class.

  4. Expand the new class, select classDeclaration, right-click the class declaration, and then click Edit.

  5. Enter the following code in the class declaration.

    X++

  6.  

    class <MyWorkflowDocumentClassName> extends WorkflowDocument
    {
    }


  7. Close the Editor window and click Yes to save changes.



  8. Right-click the new class, point to Override Method, and then click getQueryName. A method node named getQueryName displays under the workflow document class node and the Editor window opens.

    NoteNote

    Be sure to select getQueryName as the method to override. The WorkflowDocument.getQuery Method is used only internally to retrieve the actual query based on the string returned by theWorkflowDocument.getQueryName Method.



  9. In the Editor window, enter the following code for the query method.

    X++

    QueryName getQueryName()
    {
    return querystr(<MyWorkflowDocumentQueryName>);
    }

After you create the workflow document class, you can bind it to the workflow type. For more information, see How to: Associate a Workflow Document Class with a Workflow Type.

To add a calculated field to the workflow document class, it must:



  • Be named parm <name>.



  • Define the parameters CompanyId, TableId, and RecId.



  • Return an extended data type that will be included in the list of fields for defining conditions or notification messages. The label for the EDT must uniquely identify the value.


To add a calculated field to the workflow document class



  1. In the workflow document class that you want to add a calculated field to, right-click the class, and then click New Method. A new method node displays under the Classes node.



  2. Right-click the new method node, and then click Edit. Enter code that uses the format shown in the following code example.


The following code example shows how to add a calculated field to determine the total credit amount for a journal.

X++

public TotalJournalCreditAmount parmTotalJournalCreditAmount(CompanyId _companyId, TableId _tableId, RecId _recId)
{
// The calculateAmounts method contains business and validation logic
this.calculateAmounts(_companyId, _tableId, _recId);

return totalJournalCreditAmount;
}

How to: Create a Workflow Category [AX 2012]

When you create a workflow type in Microsoft Dynamics AX, it must be assigned to a workflow category. The workflow category determines whether a workflow type is available in a specific module. If an appropriate workflow category does not already exist, you must create one.

For example, a workflow type for a customer invoice should not be available in the Master planning module. To make the workflow type available only in the Customer module, create a workflow category with the Customer module selected.

The following procedure describes how to create a new workflow category.

To create a workflow category

  1. In the AOT, expand the Workflow node.
  2. Right-click the Workflow Categories node, and then click New Workflow Category. A new workflow category group displays under the Workflow Categories node.
  3. Right-click the new workflow category and then click Properties.
  4. In the Properties sheet, set the following properties as required.

Property

Value

Name

The name that is used to reference the workflow category.

Label

The label used for the workflow category in the user interface.

Help Text

The description of the workflow category displayed in the configuration user interface.

Module

The module that the workflow will be available in. The default is Ledger.

After a workflow category is created, you can bind the workflow type to the new category. Typically, this is performed by the Workflow Wizard. The following procedure describes how to manually bind a workflow type to a workflow category.

To bind a workflow type to a workflow category

  1. In the AOT, expand the Workflow node, and then expand the Workflow Types node.
  2. Right-click the workflow type that you want to bind a workflow category to, and then select Properties.
  3. In the Properties sheet, set the Category property to the workflow category created in the previous procedure.

How to: Create a New Module with Workflow [AX 2012]

In Microsoft Dynamics AX, modules are enabled for workflow. However, in some cases, you will need to create a new module that contains workflow. In each module that contains workflow, a Workflows list menu item must be added to the Setup pane. The following procedures are described in this topic:

  • Creating a new module enumeration.
  • Creating a display menu item for the Workflows list.
  • Creating a menu for the new module.
  • How to display the new menu in the client.

To Add a Module to the ModuleAxapta Base Enum

  1. In the Application Object Tree (AOT), expand the Data Dictionary node, expand Base Enums, right-click ModuleAxapta, and then click New Element. A new enumeration displays under the ModuleAxaptanode.
  2. Right-click the new enumeration, and then click Properties.
  3. In the Properties sheet, select the Label property, and then enter the label of the new module.

To Create a Display Menu Item for the Workflows List

  1. In the AOT, expand the Menu Items node.
  2. Right-click the Display node, and then click New Menu Item. A new menu item displays under the Display node.
  3. Right-click the new display menu item, and then click Properties.
  4. In the Properties sheet, set the following properties.

Property

Value

Name

Set to WorkflowConfigurations<xxx> where <xxx> is replaced by a reference to the name of the new module. For example, you could set this value to WorkflowConfigurationsRecruit for a new module named Recruiting.

Label

Set text or a label that represents the text for the workflows list in the client.

ObjectType

Set to Form.

Object

Set to WorkflowTableListPage.

EnumTypeParameter

Set to ModuleAxapta.

EnumParameter

Set to the enum created in the preceding procedure.

  1. In the AOT, right-click the new display menu item, and then click Save.

After the new module enum and display menu item are created, you can add them to the Menus node.

To Create a Menu for a New Module

  1. In the AOT, right-click the Menus node, and then click New Menu. A new menu displays under the Menus node.
  2. Right-click the new menu, and then click Properties.
  3. In the Properties sheet, set the following properties.

Property

Value

Name

Set to a label or name of the new module.

Label

Set to a label that represents the text to display for the new menu in the client.

  1. In the AOT, right-click the new menu, point to New, and then click New Submenu. A submenu node displays under menu node created in the previous step.
  2. Right-click the new submenu node, and then click Properties.
  3. In the Properties sheet, set the following properties.

Property

Value

Name

Set to Setup or another label that represents the text for the Setup pane in the client.

Label

Set to Setup or another label that represents the text for the Setup pane in the client.

NormalImage

Set to 3478. This will display a gears icon for the setup pane.

ImageLocation

Set to EmbeddedResource.

  1. In the AOT, right-click the Setup node created in the previous step, point to New, and then click New Menu item. A new menu item displays under the Setup node.
  2. Right-click the new menu item, and then click Properties.
  3. In the Properties sheet, set the MenuItemName property to the display menu item created in the previous procedure.
  4. In the AOT, right-click the new menu item, and then click Save.

After the menu for the new module is created, you must add a reference to the menu in the MainMenu node to display the menu in the client.

To Add a Menu to the Client

  1. In the AOT, expand the Menus node, right click MainMenus, point to New, and then click Menu reference. The Select: Menus window is displayed.
  2. In the Select: Menus window, select the new module menu that you created in the previous procedure, and drag the menu to the MainMenu node in the AOT.
  3. In the AOT, right-click the MainMenu node, and then click Save.