Using Dynamics Business Connector

7/30/2019 Using Dynamics Business Connector

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Using Dynamics 'AX .NET Business Connector' to access

Dynamics AX 4.0 from .NET world

So, this is a really interesting integration aspect between AX and .NET apps. We want to access AX

business logic (or data, transactions, etc.) from the .NET world. :-)

Requirements

Before starting to develop anything, we need to install several required components:

In my case, Ive got a single development machine where I have installed everything. I mean:

- SQL Server 2005

- Dynamics AX 4.0

- AX .NET Business Connector

- Visual Studio 2005 (for .NET development)

- We could also install Windows SharePoint Services and the AX Enterprise Portal. It also uses

.NET Business Connector for accessing AX, but in this case, we are just talking about .NET and

AX. Ill maybe post about AX Enterprise Portal and Windows SharePoint Services in another

posting.

So!, the AX .NET Business Connectorallows accessing Microsoft Dynamics AX from our own .NET

applications as though they were a native Microsoft Dynamics AX client. So any .NET app or even

ASP.NET web-app could access AX business components using this connector. For instance, as Ialready said, the AX Enterprise Portal (based on Windows SharePoint Services and .NET) uses .NET

Business Connector to access AX business logic.

BTW, internally, all these integration technologies interact with Dynamics AX through Application Object

Server (AOS), which is kind of the Business Components Application Tier within AX architecture itself.

AX .NET Business Connector installation and configuration

Before installing Business Connector, the following must be available in the domain:

- A core Microsoft Dynamics AX installation. This installation can be completed at the same time as theBusiness Connector installation, or it can be done prior to this installation.

- Active Directory configured in native mode.

By default, it uses Windows authentication security (AD), so it can be also integrated with AX Enterprise

Portal (based on Windows SharePoint Services, which also uses Windows security). This security

authentication type is important to have it into account when accessing from our own .NET apps.


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We also need a Windows domain account to act as the Business Connector Proxy. So we need to

configure the Business Connector if our application requires "act-on-behalf-of" functionality for external

users or users that are at times unable to connect to our application.

So, for instance, I created an account within Windows Active Directory, called MyDomain\bcproxy.

That account is going to be my proxy account.

Remember to assign a password to the user, select the Password does not expire option and select the

No interactive logon rights option.

(Optional) Adding the proxy account to the IIS local Windows group.

For Web applications, we must add the Business Connector proxy account to the IIS local Windows

group. If you are using Windows SharePoint Services, you must also add the account to the Windows

SharePoint local Windows group.

1. Open the Computer Management application (Start > Administrative Tools > Computer Management).

2. Expand the Groups folder under Local Users and Groups.

3. Add the Business Connector proxy account to the following groups:

- IIS_WPG (IIS Worker Process Group)

- STS_WPG (STS Worker Process Group), if running Windows SharePoint Services

(Optional) Configure the IIS application pool

For Web applications, you must associate the Business Connector proxy account to the appropriateapplication pool identity.

Installation of .NET Business Connector setup-app.

So now we are ready to install .NET Business Connector from normal AX setup.exe DVD, but we have

to select that we want to install it. ;-)

The setups steps and quite normal, almost just the next, next stuff.

Configure the Business Connector Proxy User

The last step is to configure the Business Connector Proxy User within AX configuration:

1. Start Microsoft Dynamics AX (Start > All Programs > Microsoft Dynamics > Microsoft

Dynamics AX 4.0 Client).

2. Open the Business Connector Proxy dialog box: Administration > Setup > Security > Business

Connector Proxy.


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3. In the Alias box, enter the alias. In the Network domain box, enter the domain of the user

and then close the dialog box.

Implementing a sample AX class to consume it

So now were starting one of the fun tasks!!

We are going to implement a basic X++ class with a simple method. Just for testing.

So, within Dynamics AX client, open the AOT (Application Objects Tree):

Then, lets create a new simple class, like the following:

So, Ive created a very simple method called Salute(), which accepts a single string parameter

(a name) and then it responds with a salutation. It is very simple, just a testing method for

accessing AX from .NET world.. Here is the Salute() method code:


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X++ Code:

client server public static str Salute(str name)

{

str salute = "Cheers " + name + "! from AX!";

;

return salute;

}

Great!, very simple!. An if you are used to C# or C++, X++ it is quite similar!.

So now, we could test this method calling it from an AX JOB. But, were directly to execute it

calling it from .NET (developing with Visual Studio 2005) through the AX .NET Business

Connector.

Ok, Ive created a simple WinForms application project called NetBcWinFormsTest. Take into

account that this is just for testing. If it were a real application (.NET WinForms client as

presentation layer), may be well use a Web-Service or WCF-Service in between (for remote

calls).

So, here we can see VS.2005 with our simple WinForms proyect, and a single Windows form

with a button:


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So now, we have to add a reference to the AX .NET Business Connector.NET assembly, which

is the Microsoft.Dynamics.BusinessConnectorNet.dll.

We have to add it using the Add ReferenceBrowse option, selecting the physical .dll situated

on:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics AX\40\Client\Bin\Microsoft.Dynamics.BusinessConnectorNet.dll

Ok, now we are ready for programming some C# code (or VB.Net code, of course).

Lets double click on our simple button, and add the following code:


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A using sentence (just like a shortcut for our C# code):

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.ComponentModel;

using System.Data;using System.Drawing;

using System.Text;

using System.Windows.Forms;

using Bcn = Microsoft.Dynamics.BusinessConnectorNet;

namespace NetBcWinFormsTest

{

public partial class Form1 : Form

{

public Form1()

{

InitializeComponent();

}

private void btnAccessAX_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

{

// Create a BCN object

Bcn.Axapta axp;

axp = new Bcn.Axapta();

try{

// In this case theres no need for credentials, it is taken from Winforms

execution

// because this is just a sample testing application.

// but if it were an ASP.NET app, we should provide specific credentials.

axp.Logon(null, null, null, null);

}

catch (Exception excepn)

{

MessageBox.Show(excepn.ToString());

return;

}

//Calling the X++ static Method!!.

string salutation;

salutation = (string)axp.CallStaticClassMethod(

"CdltllDemoBcnClass", // The class name.

"Salute", // method's name.


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"CESAR"); // Parameters.

MessageBox.Show(salutation);

axp.Logoff();

//

}}

}

Take a look to the selected code and read all the C# comments within that code.

Note that we are instancing a standard BCN object using the class

(Microsoft.Dynamics.BusinessConnectorNet.Axapta), and then, when calling the

CallStaticClassMethod() method, we have to provide all the X++ class and method

information.

So!, the resulting execution in our .NET App is the following:

Not a very impressive graphics interface, but we are getting that result from within Dynamics

AX business logic!!.

Next step is getting real data from AX tables and AX business classes.

Getting AX real Data (Updated - November 28th 2007)

So, now, we're going to add a new functionality to our little .NET program. In this case, we are

going to invoke AX classes to get real AX data. For instance, we're going to get data about

Vendors.


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Then, we add another simple button to our .NET form, and also a DataGridViewwhere we'll

show that data. It would look like the following:

Then, we add the following code to be triggered from our second button:

A using sentence (just like a shortcut for our C# code):

private void btnAxDataAccess_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

{

// .NET Business Connector objects

Bcn.Axapta ax;

Bcn.AxaptaRecord axRecord;

// Name of table to query.

String strTable = "VendTable";

// VendTable field names for calls to AxRecord.get_field

String strVendAccountNumField = "AccountNum";

String strVendNameField = "Name";
http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/cesardelatorre/WindowsLiveWriter/UsingDynamicsAX.NETBusinessConn.NETworld_E2A1/image_4.png


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// Output variables for calls to AxRecord.get_Field

Object vendAccNum, vendName;

// String used to query table.

String strQuery = "select * from %1";

//Sample including WHERE clause

//strQuery = "select * from %1 where %1.vendGroup == ' my_search_criteria_here '";

try

{

// Log on to Microsoft Dynamics AX.

ax = new Bcn.Axapta();

ax.Logon(null, null, null, null);

// Create an AxaptaRecord object for the VendTable.

axRecord = ax.CreateAxaptaRecord(strTable);

// Execute the query on the table.

axRecord.ExecuteStmt(strQuery);

// DataTable creation

DataTable dt = CreateVendorDataTable();

DataRow row;

// Loop through the set of retrieved records.

while (axRecord.Found)

{

// Retrieve the record data for the

// specified fields.


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vendName = axRecord.get_Field(strVendNameField);

vendAccNum = axRecord.get_Field(strVendAccountNumField);

row = dt.NewRow();

row["Name"] = vendName.ToString();

row["AccNum"] = vendAccNum.ToString();

dt.Rows.Add(row);

// Advance to the next row.

axRecord.Next();

}

// Dispose of the AxaptaRecord object.

axRecord.Dispose();

// Log off from Microsoft Dynamics AX.

ax.Logoff();

//Data-Binding with our GRID

dataGridView1.DataSource = dt;

}

catch (Exception ex)

{

// Console.WriteLine("Error encountered: {0}", e.Message);

// Take other error action as needed.

}

}

// Create an ADO.NET DataTable on the fly


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public DataTable CreateVendorDataTable()

{

DataTable dt = new DataTable();

dt = new DataTable();

DataColumn vendorNameColumn;

vendorNameColumn = new DataColumn("Name");

vendorNameColumn.DataType = Type.GetType("System.String");

dt.Columns.Add(vendorNameColumn);

DataColumn vendorAccNumColumn;

vendorAccNumColumn = new DataColumn("AccNum");

vendorAccNumColumn.DataType = Type.GetType("System.String");

dt.Columns.Add(vendorAccNumColumn);

return dt;

}

So, what we are doing is using the AxaptaRecord class to select and get all the records from AX

data. Keep in mind one important thing. Unlike ADO.NET, which is connectionless oriented,

AX data access classes are connection-oriented. I mean, once you have selected what you want,

you have to loop over it in a connected environment. In this case, what I am doing is looping

through all the records and creating an ADO.NET DataTable 'on the fly' (could be within a

DataSet). After having a DataTable orDataSet we could return it to any other .NET assembly

or, as in this case, we just make a DataBindingwith ourGridView, so we show all the records.

Or course, in a real Application and depending of data volume, we should filter data based on

kind of 'data pages' or 'data windows', so we won't fill a single DataTable with all the AX table

data.

So, if we execute it, we'll get all that AX data!.


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Magic between .NET and Dynamics AX?. :-)

Published Friday, July 06, 2007 12:57 PM bycesardl5

Filed under:Dynamics development,Dynamics AX Development,AX .NET Business

Connectornochange

Comments

#re: Using Dynamics 'AX .NET Business Connector' to access Dynamics AX 4.0 from

.NET world

Tuesday, March 04, 2008 12:44 PM byRajesh Biswas

The above concept applied in VB.Net.

It is possible to apply it in ASP.Net?

If yes then how? Can you provide a sample?
http://blogs.msdn.com/user/Profile.aspx?UserID=81746http://blogs.msdn.com/user/Profile.aspx?UserID=81746http://blogs.msdn.com/user/Profile.aspx?UserID=81746http://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/tags/Dynamics+development/default.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/tags/Dynamics+development/default.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/tags/Dynamics+development/default.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/tags/Dynamics+AX+Development/default.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/tags/Dynamics+AX+Development/default.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/tags/Dynamics+AX+Development/default.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/tags/AX+.NET+Business+Connector/default.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/tags/AX+.NET+Business+Connector/default.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/tags/AX+.NET+Business+Connector/default.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/2007/07/06/accessing-dynamics-ax-4-0-from-net-using-the-dynamics-ax-net-business-connector.aspx#8030964http://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/2007/07/06/accessing-dynamics-ax-4-0-from-net-using-the-dynamics-ax-net-business-connector.aspx#8030964http://blogs.msdn.com/user/Profile.aspx?UserID=125814http://blogs.msdn.com/user/Profile.aspx?UserID=125814http://blogs.msdn.com/user/Profile.aspx?UserID=125814http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/cesardelatorre/WindowsLiveWriter/UsingDynamicsAX.NETBusinessConn.NETworld_E2A1/image_6.pnghttp://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/cesardelatorre/WindowsLiveWriter/UsingDynamicsAX.NETBusinessConn.NETworld_E2A1/image_6.pnghttp://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/cesardelatorre/WindowsLiveWriter/UsingDynamicsAX.NETBusinessConn.NETworld_E2A1/image_6.pnghttp://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/cesardelatorre/WindowsLiveWriter/UsingDynamicsAX.NETBusinessConn.NETworld_E2A1/image_6.pnghttp://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/cesardelatorre/WindowsLiveWriter/UsingDynamicsAX.NETBusinessConn.NETworld_E2A1/image_6.pnghttp://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/cesardelatorre/WindowsLiveWriter/UsingDynamicsAX.NETBusinessConn.NETworld_E2A1/image_6.pnghttp://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/cesardelatorre/WindowsLiveWriter/UsingDynamicsAX.NETBusinessConn.NETworld_E2A1/image_6.pnghttp://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/cesardelatorre/WindowsLiveWriter/UsingDynamicsAX.NETBusinessConn.NETworld_E2A1/image_6.pnghttp://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/cesardelatorre/WindowsLiveWriter/UsingDynamicsAX.NETBusinessConn.NETworld_E2A1/image_6.pnghttp://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/cesardelatorre/WindowsLiveWriter/UsingDynamicsAX.NETBusinessConn.NETworld_E2A1/image_6.pnghttp://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/cesardelatorre/WindowsLiveWriter/UsingDynamicsAX.NETBusinessConn.NETworld_E2A1/image_6.pnghttp://blogs.msdn.com/user/Profile.aspx?UserID=125814http://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/2007/07/06/accessing-dynamics-ax-4-0-from-net-using-the-dynamics-ax-net-business-connector.aspx#8030964http://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/tags/AX+.NET+Business+Connector/default.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/tags/AX+.NET+Business+Connector/default.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/tags/Dynamics+AX+Development/default.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/tags/Dynamics+development/default.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/user/Profile.aspx?UserID=81746


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#re: Using Dynamics 'AX .NET Business Connector' to access Dynamics AX 4.0 from

.NET world

Thursday, March 13, 2008 5:55 PM bycesardl

Yes, of course it is possible. The only change in ASP.NET is regarding Authentication. Youhave to specify explicit credentials. The rest working with .NET BC, it is the same. :-)

#The .Net Business Connector (BC.Net) and the IIS

Thursday, July 24, 2008 5:03 AM byFlorian's weblog

The BC.Net is designed to be a client application in a non multithreading context. This is whythe assembly

Sample ||

Axapta DynAx = null;

server = AxServer;

try

{

DynAx = new Microsoft.Dynamics.BusinessConnectorNet.Axapta();

System.Net.NetworkCredential nc = new System.Net.NetworkCredential("addagarla",

"MyPassword");

DynAx.LogonAs(Environment.UserName, "Mydomain", nc, "",

"en-us", server, "");

}

http://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/2007/07/06/accessing-dynamics-ax-4-0-from-net-using-the-dynamics-ax-net-business-connector.aspx#8187932http://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/2007/07/06/accessing-dynamics-ax-4-0-from-net-using-the-dynamics-ax-net-business-connector.aspx#8187932http://blogs.msdn.com/user/Profile.aspx?UserID=81746http://blogs.msdn.com/user/Profile.aspx?UserID=81746http://blogs.msdn.com/user/Profile.aspx?UserID=81746http://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/2007/07/06/accessing-dynamics-ax-4-0-from-net-using-the-dynamics-ax-net-business-connector.aspx#8769018http://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/2007/07/06/accessing-dynamics-ax-4-0-from-net-using-the-dynamics-ax-net-business-connector.aspx#8769018http://blogs.msdn.com/floditt/archive/2008/07/24/the-net-business-connector-bc-net-and-the-iis.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/floditt/archive/2008/07/24/the-net-business-connector-bc-net-and-the-iis.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/floditt/archive/2008/07/24/the-net-business-connector-bc-net-and-the-iis.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/floditt/archive/2008/07/24/the-net-business-connector-bc-net-and-the-iis.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/2007/07/06/accessing-dynamics-ax-4-0-from-net-using-the-dynamics-ax-net-business-connector.aspx#8769018http://blogs.msdn.com/user/Profile.aspx?UserID=81746http://blogs.msdn.com/cesardelatorre/archive/2007/07/06/accessing-dynamics-ax-4-0-from-net-using-the-dynamics-ax-net-business-connector.aspx#8187932


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{

System.Diagnostics.Trace.Write(ex.StackTrace);

if (DynAx != null)

DynAx.Logoff();

}

public static void ConnectAx(string server)

{

Axapta DynAx = null;

server = AxServer;

try

{

DynAx = new Microsoft.Dynamics.BusinessConnectorNet.Axapta();

System.Net.NetworkCredential nc = new System.Net.NetworkCredential("addagarla", "MyPassword");

DynAx.LogonAs(Environment.UserName, "Mydomain", nc, "",

"en-us", server, "");

}


{

System.Diagnostics.Trace.Write(ex.StackTrace);

if (DynAx != null)

DynAx.Logoff();

}


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}

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