Why Upgrade Microsoft

Dynamics AX 2012 to
Microsoft Dynamics 365

September 21, 2017

Introductions
• Jen Wisemore – Business Development Manager
– 19 years working with Dynamics AX/D365 (implementation and
sales)
• Joel Leichty – Director of Product Management
– 15 years working with Dynamics AX/D365, both as an end-user
and consultant
– Microsoft MVP since 2013
• Paramesh Rajan – Program Director, Partner & ISV Services
– 18 years working with GP/AX/D365, in development, delivery, and
sales
Agenda
• Webinar Series on Upgrades (1 of 3 webinars)
• Availability of tools and code for upgrade work
• Why Upgrade?
– Cloud + Cloud Services
– UI Changes
– Code Management
– BI Platform
– Functional Improvements
UPGRADE WEBINAR SERIES
SAGlobal Upgrade Webinar Series
• Why Upgrade Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 to Microsoft
Dynamics 365
– Today
• Estimate your Microsoft Dynamics 365 Upgrade Cost
– Next Thursday, September 28, 12:30 Eastern
• Upgrade Best Practices
– Early October
UPGRADE AVAILABILITY
Upgrade Availability
• Code upgrade tool is released and stable
– Access via LCS (Lifecycle Services)
• Database upgrade process is in preview
– Yammer group
– Classes/deployable package in application suite of latest D365FO
release
Code Upgrade Tool in LCS
Why Upgrade?

CLOUD + CLOUD SERVICES

Cloud Deployments
• Microsoft deploys the server topology needed for D365FO
• Microsoft manages code deployments and environment
upgrades for Production environment
Cloud Services
• New services available when in the cloud
– Microsoft Flow (super user workflows and notifications)
– Logic Apps (cloud enterprise integrations)
– Power Apps (rapidly develop and deploy business applications)
– Common Data Service (enterprise common data storage)
– Cortana Intelligence Suite (machine learning)
– Azure (data warehousing and cubes)
Microsoft Flow
Microsoft Flow
Microsoft Flow D365 Template Examples
Logic Apps
Why Upgrade?

UI CHANGES
Browser Accessible
• No more Terminal servers or Citrix to access application
• Accessible on any device with a web browser
• Ongoing platform upgrades for browser compatibility
• Smartphone mobile application with customizable
experiences
Death of Enterprise Portal
• One set of UI design tools
• Complicated Role center deployments are gone, replaced by
more efficient task based Workspaces
• Forms are modern HTML5 designed forms that feel like the
“Rich Client” in the browser
• Cross-platform support (PC, Mac, tablet, etc.)
Task Guides
• Create business process recordings seamlessly
• Auto generate application verification tests
• Add validations
• Add annotations to your recordings to provided guided user
experience
• Update task recordings to your BPMs in LCS
• Add dev validations where necessary
UI DEMO
Why Upgrade?

CODE MANAGEMENT
Extensibility
• Customize the application using Extension framework
• Extend functionality or customize without overlayering
• Eliminate intrusive customizations (must change mindset)
• Support “modern apps” continuous upgrade model
• Reduce cost of upgrade by avoiding metadata conflicts
• Improve quality of implementation
• Protect your IP
• http://advantedge.saglobal.com/events/extension-in-
dynamics-365-operations-webinar.html
AX 2012 vs D365 Code Organization

AX 2012 Dynamics 365 for Operations

• Customer Model (Extensions,
Customer Package
New objects)

• ISV Model (Extensions, New

ISV Package objects)
• Customer Model • Customer Overlayer Model
All AX 2012 Code • ISV Model
• Application Model Application Suite, • Application Suite Model
Other Functional • ISV Overlayer Model
Packages • Customer Overlayer Model

Application
Platform, • Application Model
Foundation • No Overlayering Allowed
Packages
Roadmap and Predictable Releases
• Better roadmap visibility from Microsoft
– https://roadmap.dynamics.com/
• Somewhat predicable upgrade cadence
– Twice yearly application platform releases (spring and fall, kind of…)
– Monthly platform releases
• Feedback mechanism through Ideas site
– https://ideas.dynamics.com/
Roadmap Website
Future Upgradeability
• Extensibility, Predictable release schedules, and Roadmap
helps companies keep D365FO more current

• Extensibility – Lowers the cost of upgrading customizations

• Predictable release schedules – ISVs can more effectively plan
around upgrading their solutions quickly after a release
• Roadmap – Companies have visibility to future desired
features, and can plan upgrade cycles accordingly
Why Upgrade?

BI
Shift in Technology

• D365FO
– Visual Studio
– X++ Development
– Data Entity Store
– Azure

• AX 2012
– SQL Server Tools
• SQL Server Integration Services
• SQL Server Analysis Services
– Analysis Services Cube
D365FO Production Databases and
Related Reports
Replicated
Database
Azure
(Read Only)

Microsoft Azure Firewall

SSRS Reporting
Reports Database
Transactional (BYODB)
Database

PowerBI.com
Entity Store Reports
Business
Power BI Documents
Embedded
Built-in Data Warehouse Tools
• Data Management Framework
– Data Entities
• Make data accessible outside in PowerBI.com or other third party reporting
tools
– Dimensions/Aggregate Measures
– Entity Store
• Ability to bring Aggregate Measurement / Data Entity Store Data into a
Microsoft managed Azure SQL Server
Data Management Workspace
Power BI
• Embedded directly in workspaces
– Ready to use content packs
• PowerBI.com also available after extracting data from
D365FO
Power BI Content Packs
FUNCTIONAL IMPROVEMENTS
Functional Improvements
• 4 application releases to-date
– Microsoft Dynamics (7.0, February 2016)
– Microsoft Dynamics (7.0.1, May 2016)
– Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Operations (1611 or 7.1,
November 2016)
– Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance & Operations, Enterprise Edition
(7.2, July 2017)
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/unified-
operations/dev-itpro/get-started/whats-new-changed
• SAGlobal What’s New July Release Webinar:
– http://advantedge.saglobal.com/events/dynamics-365-for-finance-and-
operations-enterprise-edition-whats-changed.html
ADVANTEDGE
Need help?
• SAGlobal is an approved “Microsoft Development Center”
• We can assist in creating, upgrading, and maintaining your ISV, partner, or customer solution
• Contact Jen Wisemore for more details (JenW@SAGlobal.com | +1 425.444.0945)

Solution Feature
Design Development

LCS Solution Code

/ AppSource Upgrades
Curation

End-User
BI &
Services
Reporting

Testing Application
Lifecycle
Management
Data Documentation
Management