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Transcript of “The role of a solution architect is to solve a problem by defining a system that can be...
Solution ArchitectureEffective Solution Architecture planning taking into consideration system architecture (Functional & Technical) in order to maximize the success.
Lachlan Cash | Arijit BasuMicrosoft Dynamics AX R&D Solution Architect Team Microsoft Corporation
CSAX47
“The role of a solution architect is to solve a problem by defining a system that can be implemented using technology. Good architects define systems by applying abstract knowledge and proven methods to a set of technologies with the goal of creating an extendible and maintainable solution.”
The Architecture Journal, Journal 15www.ArchitectureJournal.net
Domain Knowledge / Ability to conceptualize Technical Knowledge/ Ability to apply patterns
PROBLEM DEFINITION SOLUTION DEVELOPMENT
Role of an AX Solution ArchitectConceptual
izeDesign &
planDevelop, Integrate
Test, test & test Deploy, Monitor & Maintain
Dashboards and Business Reporting
Data
H/W & Topology
Integrations, Customizations, Performance, Scalability Customization Interfaces
Configuration
Review
Monitor, Diagnose, Resolve
Deployment
Scale up & out Deployment
Enhance Upgrade
Key Activities
Strategic alignment & direction
Solution scope Solution stack Core AX Modules Industry models ISV Solutions Stack product
choices Architecture
blueprint
E2E Scenarios Performance
Security Quality
Automate
Issues
User experience Workflows &
Business Process maps
Data model Identity/Access Messages &
Services Performance Modeling tools Interfaces Design patterns Test patterns Management
Reuse existing assets ALM & Deployment
management Code quality &
metrics to reduce risk regarding upgrade & performance
Usage of AX & Stack best practices
Automated tooling & testing
Extensibility, scalability & reusability
Test driven development, detailed test plan
E2E testing Security,
performance and load testing
Track, triage and resolve
Quality first
Seamless deployment and rollout plan
Continuous monitoring of AX and stack products
Usage monitoring for H/W scale up and out
Pro active and NOT reactive
E2E Solution
Architecture perspectives
Business perspective• The high-level objectives
and goals.• The business processes
carried out.• Major organizational
structures.
Application perspective• Services that support the
business processes.• Cross Organization
functionality• Interaction and
interdependencies
Information perspective• Standard data models.• Data management policies.• Descriptions of the patterns
of information production and consumption
Technology perspective• Desktop and server
hardware.• Operating systems.• Network connectivity
components.• Technology options
Four general Solution Architecture perspectives that are important and are commonly used are :
Let’s walk through an example…
User requirement “Kevin wants to implement a new loyalty management feature at Contoso. Eligible customers can apply for a loyalty card and associate that card during a purchase which would accumulate loyalty points on each transaction. Customers can view their points and later redeem them.”
Simon the solution architect is called in to design the feature.
Designing the technical solution A.User Experience – Forms, Reports.
UX design.
B.Workflows & Business process–
Processes, policies, approvals.
C.Data – Data volume, data model,
queries
D.Identity/Access – Authentication ,
security, compliance, audit.
E.Messages & services – Integrations
& messaging
F. Performance – Data volume, data
model, indexes, searches,
integrations, batching
G.Patterns – Existing code, data and
application patterns.
A A
B B
C
D
E
F
F
F
F
F
G
EG
G
Development design1. Deployment
choices
2. Version control3. Build
management4. Testing5. Code quality &
reviews6. Exit criteria7. Issue logging8. Performance
Model & layer choices
Data Layer
Data Modeling Components
Business Layer
Business Workflow (WF) Business EntitiesBusiness Components
Services Layer
Service Interfaces
Presentation Layer
Client UI Components Browser UI Components
Cross layers
Security
Operations
Communication
Reporting Components
• Table inheritance• Date effectivity• Queries
• Indexes & table types• Table properties metadata• Relationships and associations
• WF providers• WF Queues• Automated tasks• Line Level WF
• Calculation logic• Business Op Framework• Reusability• Business events
• Unit of Work• Loyalty entities• Axd entities
• Document Services• Custom Services• Attributes
• Transformations & value lookups• Deployment ports (AOS, IIS)• Logging & traceability
• Form templates• Form controls• Form BP checker• Interaction classes• Low code , Business Logic
• Interaction classes• Proxies• EP Web control templates• Performance considerations
• RDP classes & queries• MVC pattern• User interaction, batch• Analysis & cubes
• Roles• Duties • Privileges• Entry points• SOD, Compliance• Trusted
intermediaries & proxy users
• Transaction monitoring
• SLA’s• Locking, Blocking• Transaction
monitoring• Long running
transactions
• Message formats• Message payload• Interop• Protocols (Net.TCP,
ws HTTP etc.)• Guaranteed delivery• Sync vs. Async
New feature & framework uptake
Simon’s approach
DEMO
How Simon used design patterns & practices to conceptually abstract the problem into the architecture components and use the simple, powerful, agile platform & framework to solve the requirement.
• Finance, Accounts Receivables,
Sales & Marketing, Customer
Service, ISV Add on
• Cross company transactions
• Multi channel high volume
integration with external/internal
entities
• Security, policies & audit• SOA design approach
• Multi device application (future)
• Multiple methods, protocols for
connecting to the data
Incorporating the architecture perspective
Business Application
Information
Technology
• Membership & Loyalty
management for retail customers
• Ability to earn, redeem and view
balance points across Contoso
store locations
• Rewards & tier calculation process
• Multi country, company & currency
uptake• High volume data transactions
• Real time enquiry by multiple
entities
• Customers, Sales agents, Sales
Managers, Customer service,
Finance, Audit
• Customer PII data, inactive data
• Analysis & BI (spending patterns,
pricing etc.)
Architecture perspective
Did we question the requirements?“Kevin wants to implement a new loyalty management feature at Contoso. Eligible customers can apply for a loyalty card and associate that card during a purchase which would accumulate loyalty points on each transaction. Customers can view their points and later redeem them.”
Organization
Can the points be used anywhere in the world?
Are the points accepted by third parties?
Financials
Did we talk with the accounting team to understand the accounting treatment for points.
Purchasing
Do we purchase products from partners that customers can redeem their points on.
Sales
The points will only have value if someone can do something with them.
How are the points used ? Do they give a discount,
Marketing
Did we capture the right marketing authority when the customer sign up for the points
Without clear requirements
Implementation
• We select the wrong functionality
• No budget for an ISV that we need.
• Select and ISV that we might not need.
• Wrong choice on structure data
• Can’t decide which system master’s data
Customization
• Don’t meet users expectations
• Can’t set the right expectation
• We do work that is not necessary.
• We take on work that we can’t estimate completion
• We make the wrong build vs buy decision
Functional Design Considerations
Data Storage
Organizational Structure
Business Process Design
Financial Structure
Reporting and
Business Intelligence
Supply Chain
Structure
User Experience
Data storage
Legal EntityIE
Legal EntityFR
Legal EntityUK
Legal Entity US
Global Address
Book (People/Organizatio
n)
COA, Calendars
, Currency, Product
Other Master
Data ……
Administrative Data,
(Users, security…
…)
Organizational Structure
Organization Hierarchy
Legal Entity Operating Unit Team
Business Unit DepartmentCost Center Value
Stream
Organization Role(s)
Data security
Configuration vs. customization
Business policies
Multi-hierarchies for complex organizations
Supply Chain Structure
Contoso
GroupContoso US
Contoso Brazil
Contoso France
Contoso Spain
Contoso South Africa
Contoso Mexico
Contoso Russia
Contoso
Group
Contoso US
Contoso West
New YorkBranch
Los Angeles Branch
Seattle Plant
Las Vegas RegionalDistribution Center
Contoso East
Atlanta RegionalDistribution Center
Financial and geographic view
Contoso MexicoDistribution Center
Financials and Supply Chain Structure
Legal Entity US
Global Address
Book (People/Organizatio
n)
COA, Calendars
, Currency, Product
Other Master
Data ……
Administrative Data,
(Users, security…
…)
Customer
Vendor
Sales Order
Invoice
Purchase Order
Released Products
Sites
Warehouse
Shipments
Receipts
Financial Structure – Chart of Accounts
Ledger
Calendars Currencies
Rate Types
Exchange Rates Main AccountsDimensions
Chart of Accounts
Account Structures
Reporting and Business Intelligence
Access and delivery
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server
Reports Role centers MS Excel PowerPivo
tScorecard
s Plans
BI platform
Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft Dynamics AX Other database sources
Other general data sources
Application layer and user tools
Microsoft OfficeMicrosoft Dynamics AX
Top tips from the Session Use the available resources to understand & implement the technical architecture
of Dynamics AX 2012
Reuse existing application design & coding patterns
Build/Develop for tomorrow. Consider growth, scale, maintainability and upgrade.
Use ALM tools/features to plan, track and manage the implementation
Include testing and performance as parallel tracks to the main implementation phase.
InformationSource
MSDN TechNet
Partnersource
AAT
InformationSource
AX Design Patterns
MS P&P
Code Analysis Tool
TFS VS 2010
SCOM & IDMF
Diag FX
Upgrade Assistant
VS 2010 Test Manager
AX Benchmarks
MSDN AAT AX Trace Parser
Conceptualize
Design & plan
Develop, Integrate
Test, test & test Deploy, Monitor & Maintain
RapidStart RapidStartRapidStart SA Resources
What is Available & Where Can I Find it?Microsoft Dynamics InformationSource : http://informationsource.dynamics.com
Microsoft Dynamics ERP RapidStart Services : https://www.rapidstart.dynamics.com
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 for Developers : http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa496079.aspx
Microsoft Dynamics AX architecture [AX 2012] : http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd309612.aspx
Sure Step Online : https://mbs2.microsoft.com/Surestep/default.aspx
The Microsoft Dynamics AX product team blog : http://blogs.msdn.com/b/dax/
The Performance team blog : http://blogs.msdn.com/baxperf
The Dynamics AX Sustained Engineering team blog : http://blogs.technet.com/b/dynamicsaxse/
Microsoft patterns & practices : http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/practices/bb190332
Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) : http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-us/strategies/alm
Visual Studio Test Professional Overview : http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/
AX 2012 Certifications : https://mbs.microsoft.com/customersource/training/certifications/professional/MBS_Axapta_prep.htmAX 2012 Learning Plan :https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/training/learningplans/MSDAX2012ProductBasedLeaPlan.htm
Dynamics AX Feedback ProgramsProgram Goals
Continuous Feedback throughout development/early deployment lifecycle
Reference Customers
GO Live TAP • Validate Product
Features/Readiness through actual customer deployments before Release
Private Beta TAP• Validate Product
Features/Readiness through customer testing/feedback BEFORE Release
Get Involved!Email:
[email protected] by the Dynamics AX
Booth and learn more
Customer/Partner Council
Dynamics AX Product Development Cycle Post Release Cycle
Go Live TAP
Private Beta TAP
Rapid Deployment
Program
Rapid Deployment Program• Early measure of Shipped Product Quality
leveraging rapid customer deployments!• Validate Training/Documentation/Support
Customer/Partner Council• Individuals willing to provide feedback on
Dynamics AX Product Direction and feature designs
© 2012 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries.The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to
be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.