Post on 24-May-2019
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Microsoft Dynamics AXDeployment Architecture & Sizing Considerations in AX 4.0 – An Overview
Arijit BasuMVP Mi f D i AXMVP – Microsoft Dynamics AX
Housekeeping TipsHousekeeping Tips
•Please mute your mobile phones
•Please note down your questions for the Q & A Session
AgendaAgendaIntroduction to Topology & Sizing
Planning for the Solution
AX Deployment Options
Common Topologies
Sizing Guidelines for AX AOS & SQL DBSizing Guidelines for AX AOS & SQL DB
Remote Access (TS)
Disaster Recovery Planning
Question & Answers
Introduction Planning for the Solution AX Deployment Options Sizing Guidelines Remote Access (TS) DRP Q&A
Introduction
A System Topology shows links that are defined between physical
resources from which the business system resources are created.
•Understanding Business Requirements
Id tif i B i R•Identifying Business Resources
•Identifying relationships between these business resources
•Linking Business Resources to System Resourcesg y
•Coming up with the Overall map
•Sizing each component of the picture
Deployment Options & Sizing are situation /Client specific and are tailor made , not for a product,but for the entire solution. The successful operation of any implemented solution depends on these 2f f p f y p pcritical factors. Hence it is imperative that proper planning & analysis is undertaken to arrive at theoptimal topology & sizing which depends on a number of factors. Doing this will ensure smoothoperation, longevity of the solution and last but not the least, user satisfaction.
Planning for the SolutionIntroduction Planning for the Solution AX Deployment Options Sizing Guidelines Remote Access (TS) DRP Q&A
Data Gathering guidelines
•Number Of Sites •Solution Scope •Solution Complexity•Solution Complexity •Solution Footprint •Concurrency•Availability•Integration
Total # of Microsoft Dynamics™ AX concurrent users (initial): Total # of Microsoft Dynamics™ AX concurrent users (planned):
Total # of Enterprise Portal concurrent users (initial): Total # of Enterprise Portal concurrent users (planned):
Total # Sales Order Lines per hour(initial): Total # Sales Order Lines per hour (planned):
Total # Purchase Order Lines per hour (initial): Total # Purchase Order Lines per hour (planned):
Total # Accounts Payables Lines per hour (initial): Total # Accounts Payables Lines per hour (planned):
Total # Accounts Receivables Lines per hour (initial): Total # Accounts Receivables Lines per hour (planned):
Total # Production Order Lines per hour (initial): Total # Production Order Lines per hour (planned):
Total # CRM Order Lines per hour (initial): Total # CRM Order Lines per hour (planned):
Total # GL Journal Entry Lines per hour (initial): Total # GL Journal Entry Lines per hour (planned):
The detailed AX Data Gathering tool can be downloaded from MSPP site or contact local MS representativeThe detailed AX Data Gathering tool can be downloaded from MSPP site , or contact local MS representative. Contact TPAG MBSProsv@microsoft.comAlso refer to Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 3.1 [Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit Solution Accelerator]
Planning for the SolutionIntroduction Planning for the Solution AX Deployment Options Sizing Guidelines Remote Access (TS) DRP Q&A
•Volume of Data•Transactions VolumeG h R
•Network•Connectivity & L
•Geographical Scope•Process ComplexityBI
•Geographical Spread•Concurrent Users (Client)
Topology & Sizing – Requirement Gathering during Pre Proposal & Analysis Phase
•Growth Rate•Criticality of Data
Latency•Operating system• Legacy Applications
•BI •Solution to be implemented•Integration•Availability
(Client)•Concurrent users (Web)
•Remote Access•Growth Rate of users
Data & Transaction Volume
Existing Infrastructure
Availability
Business Requirements Concurrency
Takeaway Takeaway Takeaway Takeaway
•Database Layout•DB Sizing•Backup Plan•Clustering•Performance
•Connectivity•Topology•Accessibility•Role Combination•Resourcing
•Number of Sites•Modules & Workload•Solution Footprint•Integration
•Datacenter Location•Load balancing•Clustering•Mode of Access•Performance
Tuning•Resourcing •Integration
•DR Plan•Mode of Access•Scalability Plan
•One Size does not fit all….
•Proper Planning and Analysis is the key ingredient for a successful solution…
•Plan keeping the bigger scenario in mind…p g gg
•Each engagement has unique requirements which must be clearly understood to
propose the solution…
AX Deployment Options•Right Box
Introduction Planning for the Solution AX Deployment Options Sizing Guidelines Remote Access (TS) DRP Q&A
•Right Box•Right Size•Right Place•Right QuantityRight Quantity
Common TopologiesSimple Topology – Single Computer 2‐Computer 3‐Computer Installation
Introduction Planning for the Solution AX Deployment Options Sizing Guidelines Remote Access (TS) DRP Q&A
Simple Topology – Single Computer, 2‐Computer,3‐Computer InstallationNot recommended for Production Instances
2‐Computer Topology‐Common for Dev / Test Environment
1‐Computer Topology‐Common for Trial Purpose
3‐Computer Topology‐Common for Dev / Test / Training
‐No EP/SSRS/SSASp
‐No EP/SSRS/SSASg
Environment‐No EP/SSRS/SSAS
Common TopologiesIndicative Topology (w/o EP)
Introduction Planning for the Solution AX Deployment Options Sizing Guidelines Remote Access (TS) DRP Q&A
Indicative Topology (w/o EP)
High Availability
AOS Cluster with Dedicated Load Balancer
Separate Server for Application file (May be clubbed into a single AOS)
SQL Server Cluster
Common TopologiesIndicative Topology (with EP)
Introduction Planning for the Solution AX Deployment Options Sizing Guidelines Remote Access (TS) DRP Q&A
Indicative Topology (with EP)
High Availability
AOS Cluster with Dedicated Load Balancer for Rich Clients
Separate Server for Application file (May be clubbed into a single AOS)
IIS Server Cluster
Separate AOS Cluster (No dedicated LB) for EP
SQL Server Cluster
Common TopologiesEnterprise Portal – External Access
Introduction Planning for the Solution AX Deployment Options Sizing Guidelines Remote Access (TS) DRP Q&A
Enterprise Portal – External Access
•Understand Customer requirements…
•Identify both external & internal factors which may impact a deployment…
•Identify the optimal and NOT the cheapest option…y p p p
•Understand the future growth of the client business …
Sizing Guidelines ‐ DatabaseIntroduction Planning for the Solution AX Deployment Options Sizing Guidelines Remote Access (TS) DRP Q&A
Analysis:
Data Volume – The Volume of data for AX and
growth rate will play an important role while
Transaction Volume &
Loadgrowth rate will play an important role while
sizing the DB Server.
Transaction Volume & Load – The Transaction
volume (periodic) as well as the load on the DB
Related Applications
& DR
Data Volume
Load
volume (periodic) as well as the load on the DB
in specific tables need to be considered for sizing
& Layout
Related Applications – If DB Server also hosts
& DR
pp
other databases like MOSS/WSS, PPS then each
of these individual applications must be
considered for sizing
•Hardware Requirement•Database layout
•Memory•Configurationg
DR – Redundancy options like SQL Clustering,
Log Shipping.
Hardware – Existing hardware & network
g•Redundancy
resources
Sizing Guidelines ‐ DatabaseDB Tuning Tips
Introduction Planning for the Solution AX Deployment Options Sizing Guidelines Remote Access (TS) DRP Q&A
DB Tuning Tips
Database Layout
•Data and Log files on Separate Arrays (Log and Data to not share Spindles)• The number of disks is far more important than the total storage size of the disks. Example: One big physical disk may hold all the data, but the I/O will be shared reducing R/W speed
•Write Cache Enabled for Controllers attached to Log•Caching for Controllers on Disk Arrays attached to Data Files
Tuning TempDB
•Size to 10 to 15% of Database Size•Have it split among as many files as CPUsHave it split among as many files as CPUs• Set it to Auto grow but monitor and avoid growth by initializing
Additional Tuning Considerations
E bl SQL S L k P i M•Enable SQL Server to Lock Pages in Memory•Enable Windows Fast File Initialization (if you ever grow files during runtime)
Sizing Guidelines ‐ DatabaseDB Tuning Tips
Introduction Planning for the Solution AX Deployment Options Sizing Guidelines Remote Access (TS) DRP Q&A
DB Tuning Tips
pacity • Data and Log on
Separate Disks• Well Laid Out Temp DB Po
wer • Homogeneous
Processors• Maximum Memory for SQL uning • Indexing for
Performance• Clustered Indices
i
I/O Cap DB
• Optimized Read Write Cache
• Optimal I/O Controllers es
sing
P for SQL
SQL Tu • Continuous
Monitoring
Controllers
Proce
http://blogs.msdn.com/axperf/
Sizing Guidelines ‐ AOSIntroduction Planning for the Solution AX Deployment Options Sizing Guidelines Remote Access (TS) DRP Q&A
A 2 Processor box supports around 125 Users [Ballpark Figure and is NOT fixed], However this changes based on
NOT recommended in a live environment.
•Code Complexity, •Usage,
AX Transaction volume.
Data Load
Processor Utilization
The Ratio of AOS:EP(IIS) Servers should be maintained in a 1:1 Ratio forThe Ratio of AOS:EP(IIS) Servers should be maintained in a 1:1 Ratio for Scaling out.
Explore Clustering Options (Dedicated LB / No LB) based on concurrency & usage.
Limitation is that when you restart the service/ Box , you must do this again. Also if the AOS Service runs under local/system/network Account, you cannot do
Explore options for having dedicated AOS’s for EP & Rich Clients.this. Only available for AD accounts.
Sizing Guidelines ‐ AOSClustering
Introduction Planning for the Solution AX Deployment Options Sizing Guidelines Remote Access (TS) DRP Q&A
ClusteringThe options for a load balancing topology include: •Add AOS instances to a cluster and run the cluster without a load balancer.• Add AOS instances to a cluster and configure one or more AOS instances to be a load balancer.
Restrict maximum users to a specific AOS
Load Balancer No Load Balancer
AOS – Deployment & Tuning OptionsIntroduction Planning for the Solution AX Deployment Options Sizing Guidelines Remote Access (TS) DRP Q&A
•Topology having AOS Deployment in both modes –
Dedicated LB & without Dedicated LB,
L k i f h i AOS Cl f EP &•Look at options for having separate AOS Clusters for EP &
Rich users based on concurrency, load, availability,
•For large EP concurrency, scale out EP Servers and AOS in a
1 1 ti1:1 ratio,
•Tune each AOS Servers for performance
•In case of failure, put AOS in Maintenance Mode (Drain
Out Users) before taking it out of the clusterOut Users) before taking it out of the cluster,
•Monitor AOS Servers with tools like SCOM
AOS Scale Out
AOS – Tuning TipsImportant Tips
Introduction Planning for the Solution AX Deployment Options Sizing Guidelines Remote Access (TS) DRP Q&A
Important Tips
Never Tick in Live Environment Do NOT tick them in Live Environment
AX – Other ComponentsSizing guidelines for other components
Introduction Planning for the Solution AX Deployment Options Sizing Guidelines Remote Access (TS) DRP Q&A
Sizing guidelines for other components
AX Reporting Services (SSRS)Ad hoc reporting can consume resources such as memory and CPU on the databasethe database. It is advisable to host the Report DB on a separate DBThe computer running reporting server must be inside the internal domain and not Internet‐facing.
( )AX OLAP (SSAS)Create Different Analysis Databases for each AX Company
AIF .NET Business Connector
•Understand system requirements for each component in the solution map…
•Clearly identify the various inputs like load, concurrency which impact sizing …
•Tune each component of the solution accordingly…p g y
Remote Access – Terminal ServerIntroduction Planning for the Solution AX Deployment Options Sizing Guidelines Remote Access (TS) DRP Q&A
Traffic
AOS ClientAvailable bandwidth
In presence of suitable bandwidth, Microsoft Dynamics AX clients will not load the network just because the user is interacting with the application, hence in LAN the performance is greatly improved. {Generally speaking latency below 50ms is fairly
The Quest for Bandwidth
T
Terminal server client
{Generally speaking latency below 50ms is fairly acceptable (Note: MS recommend less than 5ms and a 100mbsp line)}However in case of high latency, TS is a recommended option because :
E i T M i i
Time
Easier To MaintainEats less Bandwidth
However , keep in mind the following when using TS:Resource Sharing (Printers, Scanners)Impact of related programs – MS Office, Timep p g ,Outlook
TS Sizing:Estimating User Load ‐ The amount of RAM and CPU that Terminal Server users consume depends AX features that they use, how often they use AX , and how much work they accomplish in any unit of time.y y y p yApplication Considerations ‐ Other than AX, if related applications are executed, consider their memory requirements alsoUsing the Capacity Planning Tools ‐ Roboserver and RoboclientLoad Distribution – In case of large concurrency optimize by clustering
Refer to TechNet/ MSDN for TS Sizing guidelines (Microsoft & Fujitsu)
Remote Access – TS ClientTerminal Server Scaling options
Introduction Planning for the Solution AX Deployment Options Sizing Guidelines Remote Access (TS) DRP Q&A
Scale‐up denotes the use of increasingly larger server systems
With scale‐up, the performance of a terminal server is increased by
Terminal Server Scaling options
using high‐performance hardware, that is, computing performance
and main memory in particular. The maximum size of a server system
places a limit on this scaling process.
Scale‐out denotes the use of many smaller systems that share the work
The scale‐out scenario pursues a different track to that of scale‐up. Instead
of sizing a server on an increasingly large scale, scale‐out combines a
f Th lk i l f fgreat many servers to form a group. The talk is also of server farms.
•Always try & use AX Client where suitable connectivity exists…
•Refer to TS Sizing guidelines when going for TS access…
DR PlanningIntroduction Planning for the Solution AX Deployment Options Sizing Guidelines Remote Access (TS) DRP Q&A
MethodologyMethodology
Illustrative Example
Determining critical business functions allows us to prioritize recovery strategies for the processes that will deliver the most value to the business
Core Business Functions
Business Impact
Business Processes &Sub-Processes
Most CriticalProcesses
100 percent of processes - “Useful Many”
20 percent of processes - “Critical Few”y
The 80 / 20 Rule - Based on industry experience, typically 20% of the processes or sub-processes cover 80% of The 80 / 20 Rule - Based on industry experience, typically 20% of the processes or sub-processes cover 80% of y p , yp y p pthe most critical business functions.
y p , yp y p pthe most critical business functions.
DR PlanningBusiness Impact Analysis B P i
Introduction Planning for the Solution AX Deployment Options Sizing Guidelines Remote Access (TS) DRP Q&A
Business Impact Analysis•Gather data about core functions at the prescribed locations•Gather information on key dependencies, equipment, systems, applications, vital records, telecommunications, third party providers and resources•Identify key risks and possible impacts
Best Practices
Review BCP Plan on a regular basis
Frequently monitor system health
S t l t f l i i l
Recovery Strategy Development•Consolidate and finalize recovery requirements•Review and assess current strategiesV lid t t t t i d/ d dditi l t t i
Setup alerts for early warning signals
Trash & Restore ‐ Test your backup and
recovery procedures thoroughly before a
real failure occurs. •Validate current strategies and/or recommend additional recovery strategies•Explore work around procedures•Develop Road Map for Implementation
Plan , Develop & Document
Perform regular database, transaction
log, and file system backups to minimize
the amount of lost data.
Regularly update communication planPlan , Develop & Document•Conduct work sessions with process managers and subject matter experts•Draft tactical procedures•Assemble detailed data supporting recovery requirements•Provide project management support for implementation of recommendations•Perform vendor evaluation if required
Regularly update communication plan
Regularly update the System ‘Runbook’
Plan for the loss of each Microsoft
Dynamics AX component in the solution•Perform vendor evaluation if required
Testing & Implementation•Schedule walk‐through tests•Prepare test objectives and scenarios•Conduct structured walk through for all critical plans
Maintain system logs regarding SP
updates, HF Applied etc
•Conduct structured walk‐through for all critical plans•Conduct a simulated disaster and plan enactment if requested•Incorporate changes uncovered during walk‐through and finalize BCPs•Develop/facilitate Training and Maintenance processes
•Its better to be safe than to be sorry…
•Have a BCP in place…
•Regularly test backups of data…g y p
•Follow the 80:20 rule while designing a DRP
Q ti & AQ ti & AQuestion & AnswersQuestion & Answers
Arijit Basuarijitbasu@hotmail.comarijit.basu@in.pwc.com