February 20, 2010 in Blog by Amer

Microsoft Dynamics AX Projects & Production Modules Training in Riyadh

Microsoft Dynamics AX University is conducting training session in Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC) at AlYamama University in Riyadh.

In March 2010, there will be two training weeks on Projects and Production modules of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009. The schedule is as follows:

 General Information:

• Time: 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM
• This training is for Microsoft Partners only.
• Price is 500 USD for each course for Microsoft Partners only.
• Attendance certificates will be issued.
• Course materials will be distributed.
• Light lunch will be served.
• Registration will be treated as CONFIRMED only if you receive confirmation email from Microsoft.
• Confirmation will be first come first serve basis as seats are limited.
• No attendance is allowed into the room without prior registration & confirmations.
• Make sure you associate your windows id to a Microsoft Partner on the MPN.

For registration, please use the provided link, If for any reason, you were unable to register online, please send and email with the attendee details (Full name, Company Name, Mobile and Email) to i-emadb@microsoft.com.

February 10, 2010 in Blog by Amer

Workflow Configuration Error: “401 Unauthorized”

When you install Dynamics AX Workflow, you might install it on a different machine that the AOS, like a web server for example. In this case, you have to install the following on the workflow server to get your workflow works:

1. IIS
2. .NET Business Connector
3. Create a new website on IIS (do not use the same of WSS or EP websites, it is recommended not to use an existing website even)
4. Workflow

Before going into step number “4”, you have to configure the “System service accounts” in: Dynamics AX –> Administration –> Setup –> Secuity. Fill these fields like the following:

• Busienss Connector Proxy: create a domain account and assign it here, this user doesn’t have to be a Dynamics AX user.
• Workflow System Account: Select a user like the Administrator  from the drop down list
• Workflow Execution Account: like the previous step

Now you should be able to go through the step “4”, and install the Workflow component.

After installation, go to Dynamics AX –> Administration –> Setup –>Workflow insfrastructure configuration wizard. If you are getting an error after installing Dynamics AX Workflow: “401 Unauthorized”, then insure that you go through the following:

1. AOS Service is running under an active domain user (domainusername)
2. Workflow website and workflow application pool are having the same .NET Business Connector user name Identity (and of course, this should be an active domain user)
3. You added the workflow website (http://servername:portnumber/DynamicsAXWorkflow50 for example) to the trusted sites in Internet Options of AOS server
4. Run the following on the Workflow server:

• �
  • Start a command prompt.
  • Locate and then change to the directory that contains the Adsutil.vbs file. By default, this directory is C:InetpubAdminscripts.
  • Type the following command, and then press ENTER:

cscript adsutil.vbs set w3svc/NTAuthenticationProviders “NTLM”

• �
  • To verify that the NtAuthenticationProviders metabase property is set to NTLM, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

cscript adsutil.vbs get w3svc/NTAuthenticationProviders

The following text should be returned:

NTAuthenticationProviders       : (STRING) "NTLM"

By this, workflow infrastructure configuration wizard should work fine now.

February 6, 2010 in Blog by Amer

ParticipantProvider in Dynamics AX 2009 Workflow Approval

Workflow in Dynamics AX 2009 is interesting technical part of this lovely product. When you try to develop/create a new workflow in Dynamics AX you might get confused of the so many menu items and classes that you create, and sometime you don’t even know what these classes’ handlers and menu items are used for. That’s why when I first learned how to create workflow in Dynamics AX one year ago; I created a pretty easy-to-use wizard that creates for you a workflow with all the necessary objects like Workflow Template, approval, category, classes and menu items. Furthermore, this wizard enables the workflow on the selected form and its main table.

One of the important classes that you need to set at the approval process is the participant provider. The goal of this property is for the workflow to decide who will be the participant user for this step of workflow. To do that, you have to extend WorkflowParticipantProvider class and overwrite the methods: getParticipantTokens that fills the list of options in the Role Based section of and resolve that will decide the exact user based on some X++ and the selected option in Role Based list.

Dynamics AX 2009 Workflow - Assignment - Role based

By default, Dynamics AX 2009 comes with three participants:

1. WorkflowUserGroupParticipantProvider:

• List all configured User Groups in the system and assigns the workflow step to all users in the selected group

1. ProjWorkflowParticipantProvider:

• This is for Purchase Requisition workflow. List some tokens like Project Manager, Project Controller, Project Sales and others and assigns the workflow step to the assigned person of the Purchase Requisition project.

1. TrvWorkflowProjParticipantProvider:

• This is for Expense Management workflow. List tokens like Project Manager, Project Controller, and Project Sales and assigns the workflow step to the assigned person of the expense project.

Workflow Approval Properties

So simply, when you need to specify participants based in your criteria, you need to do exactly the same of those classes, by overwriting getParticipantTokens and resolve.

February 2, 2010 in Blog by Amer

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Development Cookbook sample in PDF

I had the opportunity to review the new Dynamics AX books that were published by PACKT publishing. Currently I’m reviewing them and I will update you once I finish. Till that time, I’m putting here the second chapter of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Development Cookbook.

Enjoy !