QuickFix: How to check component of a deployable package

Wondered how to check the components of a deployable package on LCS? 

If you are not sure about a deployable package component and what models/packages it may contain, you can get these details on LCS where it might store on AssetLibrary without even downloading and extracting. 

Try this: Navigate to LCS > Your project> Asset Library > Software deployable package and select a package for which you want to get more details, scroll right and you will see the option "Show component details", click on this and it will show you all the Packages it contains. 

If you scroll further down in the right pane area, you will get more details about the package like its compatibility with earlier versions, package ID, build, version, publisher, etc. 

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How to enable maintenance mode

Hi Folks,

Now when most of the project management stuff needs to handle via LCS for D365FO project implementation. In each cloud-hosted environment, we use to have the option to enable maintenance mode for an environment. But for DevTest/Demo environments we don’t have that option on LCS. So, here are some steps to enable maintenance mode,

1. Open SQL server management studio (SSMS) in the dev box.

2. Go to AXDB and use the below queries as per your requirement,

a. To check current state

select Value from sqlsystemvariables a where a.PARM = 'configurationmode'

b. To enable maintenance mode

update sqlsystemvariables set VALUE = 1 where PARM = 'configurationmode'

c.  Now you need to restart word wide web service. Sometimes it doesn't work and you need to just restart this service for more than once.

d. Once you done with your activities run below query to disable maintenance mode

update sqlsystemvariables set VALUE = 0 where PARM = 'configurationmode'

3. Whenever you made a change to it.

Cheers!!!

Harry

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This post is referenced from MS Docs.

[Solved] Capture screenshots toggle doesn't appear on Task recorder

Hi Folks,

The Task records are slightly different in D365FO than earlier versions. If you are not getting the 'Capture screenshots' toggle on task recorder window on your environment try below steps,

1. Download FMLab folder from Github, https://github.com/Microsoft/FMLab
2. Unzip it and there must be a folder named 'TaskRecorderScreenshot'.
3. Now go to google chrome and go to More tool > Extensions
4. Click on 'load unpacked' and select  'TaskRecorderScreenshot' folder from the downloaded FMLab folder.
5. Once done, make sure its enabled on chrome extension.

Restart the chrome and check you must get the 'Capture screenshots' toggle on task recorder window.

Cheers!!!
-Harry
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General Electronic Reporting (GER) configuration Import in new environment

Hi Folks,
Generic Electronic Reporting (GER) aka Electronic Reporting (ER) is a great tool to configure document formats for both incoming and outgoing electronic documents in accordance with the legal requirements of various countries/regions. The ER engine lets business users use GER without the help of a developer OR any change in code, as users configure the document formats instead of code development. The user can create different types of documents like JSON, PDF, EXCEL, WORD, XML, and TEXT to support different system requirements. For more details on GER refer to MS documentation here.

Now let's see how to move GER configuration from dev to another environment. Once you complete all your change in the respective model or format, change the status to complete with some meaningful description. Post that system will create one more version with a draft.


Now you can change the status of a completed version to Shared. If you are facing any error, double-check if the configuration repositories are configured properly with LCS. Once you shared a version it will be available on LCS to import in any other environment. You can see them in your LCS project. Log in into https://lcs.dynamics.com/v2/



Now in the new environment, make sure you configured repositories properly for both operation and LCS. Select LCS and click Open.


In the next screen post-LCS connection authorization you must see all customized reporting configuration that is shared over LCS. Select your desired configuration, select the right version, and Import it.
That's it…..  The configuration is successfully imported into your current machine and ready to use. If you are importing a format, make sure the respective data model already exists in your environment. If it's not there you should import the data model as well.

Cheers…
Harry

Import Data Packages through LCS

Hi Folks,

In my last post, we discussed how to create default data packages through the Asset library. LCS is really a good tool to manage your Dynamics project. Today we will discuss one more tool Configuration and Data manager.

Demo 1:
In the first demo, we will see how to import a single data package.

Step 1. Login in LCS. Select your project.
Step 2. Got to configuration and Data management tool. Below is the landing page

here 1. Menu tile, to perform operations
2. Available list of data packages
3. Package details and version
4. List of entities in selected package (its blank here cause of my environment. )

Step 3. Select a package from the grid ( section 2) and click on apply (section 1). The system will ask for destination environment,


Step 4: Once you select a destination environment, now you have to select the company (legal entity) where you want to import this data package.

Select the company and hit the Apply button.

Step 5: Now you go back to your environment and navigate to Data management workspace. You can see a new project created under Data management to import this data package. You can also track the job from the same screen.

Demo 2:
The above demo applicable for single data package import. You can also select multiple data packages and import them in both Concurrently and sequentially.  Let's see how…

Step 1: Select multiple data projects (all package must belong logically same module/group)


Step 2: Click on Apply button and select the first option – ‘Apply concurrently’. On next screen give a tag name.
Step 3: Repeat step 3 to 5 from Demo 1.

If you select the other option ‘Apply sequentially’, the immediate next screen will ask for a sequence of data packages,


However, the system will give you default sequence based on name and entity contained. You can update the sequence of each package manually as well.


Once you set the sequence, rest steps are the same as the previous import.

I personally found this tool really helpful when a developer really need some test/setup data while development and they can not go back and forth to get dummy data. If the functional team have data in templates/Packages simple you can apply them to any dev/test box.

Try it and share your feedback.

Cheers
Harry…

Report a production outage through Lifecycle Services

Hi Folks,

As we all aware LCS is a mandate now for any D365FO project with a lot of new changes/update in place. Things are slightly different now for the PROD environment where you don't have any access to servers for PROD all PROD servers are maintained by directly Microsoft.

Here is an update and I believe its an awaited update from most of our customer. Now you can report an outage for production environment straight from LCS, check below post for details;

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/lcs/2017/12/18/report-production-outage-through-lcs/


Enjoy...
-Harry

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How to enable ARM for D365 deployment

Hi Folks,

Many of us trying to deploy the new D365 environment using LCS and Azure, but due to ARM configuration we face below issue, 

Issue: Lifecycle Services can't connect to the Azure subscription using Azure Resource Manager. Click the Microsoft Azure Settings button and edit the selected Connector to provide the required permissions to ERP applications in your Azure subscription. If the issue persists, please contact support with this Id: da1c591d-7360-413c-b370-b51ec1ddef2b

Here are some good links on how we can fix this issue once for all, 

1. https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/axsupport/2016/11/09/deal-with-dynamics-deployment-services-wsfed-enabled/

2. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/operations/dev-itpro/deployment/arm-onboarding

3. https://community.dynamics.com/ax/f/33/t/209278

Hope this will help.

Thanks

Harry

Send Message to all Online users [Dynamics 365 FO]

Hi Guys,

In D365 where we manage most of the things using LCS, if there is any Planned/Unplanned activity need to perform on server and down time require.

In such case, you need to send a message to all online used for that particular environment. To do that simply follow below steps,

Step 1: Login into your LCS account. 

Step 2: Under Environment section > select your environment. > Click on maintain option > Select Message online users.

Step 3: Here you will have two options

i.                    Broadcast a new message for downtime: Post a new message

ii.                 Cancel message: To cancel any previous posted message.

Step 4: Select Broadcast a new message for downtime, you have to provide message start date time and when this operation will begin OR massage valid to date time. click on Post button and click when asking for confirmation.

Step 5: When a user will login into environment he/she must get this message

Step 6: Now if in case you have to postpone or cancel this activity, choose second option i.e. Cancel message, system will ask which message you want to cancel as there can be multiple messages.

Let’s try to cancel first message that we created in last step. In the right corner, you will found a delete icon, click on that icon and hit yes when ask for confirmation. You will see now only two messages are active here

Now when user will login in next time he/she will not any notification from system.

Enjoy…

-Harry.

How to deploy Dynamics AX instance on Azure through LifeCycle Service (LCS)- Part II

Hi All,

In my previous post we discussed how to configure your Azure account with LCS services and how upload LifecycleServicesDeployment certification on Azure portal.
In this post i will show you how to deploy the AX using LCS on Azure.
Step: 1 Login into your LCS account, select the project you want to deploy. Go to environment and click on ‘+’ symbol



In next screen you need to choose topology to deply.
DEMO: for demo purpose
DEVTEST: For development or testing
Here we will use DEMO topology, click on DEMO
‘'

On next screen you need to choose Product version. Click on “Demo AX 2012 R3 CU8”


On the next screen give a name for this instance. (You can select a different size). Click on next.


It will ask for a confirmation for deployment. Click on deploy.
Now LCS will deploy the environment on Azure, this may take some time to complete this step.



Now on right side tile click on VM Name “DEMO####”


It will download a RDC file. Save this file and open with user name and Password.


Your Cloud VM is ready for use.
- Harry

How to deploy Dynamics AX instance on Azure through LifeCycle Service (LCS)- Part I

 
Hi All,
In this post I will demonstrate how to configure your Azure account  with LCS(LifeCycle services) project to deploy the AX on Azure cloud.
In second part of this post I will share how to actual deploy the AX on Azure.
Here is quick steps to setup/configuration your Azure with LifeCycle services
Step 1: Login you LCS services
Step 2: Create a new project or you can use any existing project as well. Here in this tutorial I will take an example with new instance creation.

Click on + button and fill the details and click on create.

After create a new project below screen will come which shows, your project created successfully.

Step 2: Now click on Microsoft Azure setting under environments
'
To proceed further you need you Azure subscription id. To find your subscription id Login into your Azure management portal.  Scroll down click on setting and copy from here

Paste this Subscription id in below field

Step: 3 Download management certification (file name : LifecycleServicesDeployment.cer)
This certificate will enable Lifecycle Services to communicate with Azure on your behalf. Download this management certificate to your local computer. Then, upload the management certificate to the Azure management portal (Settings > Management Certificates).
To  upload this certification Login into your Azure management portal.  Scroll down click on setting click on Management Certificate than click on “Upload Management certification”

Upload the “LifecycleServicesDeployment.cer” file here.
Step :4 Now on LCS window click on next and select Azure region and click on “Connect”.
'
So here we completed the setup of LCS with Azure.
In my next post i will share how to deploy the AX on windows Azure environment. How to host AX on cloud.
- Harry

Microsoft Dynamics LifeCycle Services (LCS)

Microsoft Dynamics LifeCycle Services (LCS)

What is LCS?

Microsoft Dynamics Lifecycle Services provides a cloud-based collaborative workspace that customers and their partners can use to manage Microsoft Dynamics AX projects from pre-sales to implementation and operations. Based on the phase of your project and the industry you are working in, the site provides checklists and tools that help you manage the project. It also provides a dashboard so that you have a single place to get up-to-date project information.

Lifecycle Services is available to customers and partners as part of their support plans.

Ø  A cloud-based collaborative workspace.

Ø  Designed to manage and optimize customer implementations, powered by Azure cloud.

Ø  Customers and their partners can use to manage Microsoft Dynamics AX projects from pre-sales to implementation and operations.

Ø  Based on the phase of your project and the industry you are working in, the site provides checklists and tools that help you manage the project.

Ø  Provides a dashboard so that you have a single place to get up-to-date project information.

 Which industries LCS supports?

Lifecycle Services provides support for the following industries. The checklists and business processes that are available by default vary depending on the industry that is selected.

·         Public section

·         Retail

·         Manufacturing

·         Distribution

·         Services

·         Other

Available tools in LCS to manage DAX projects?

Ø  Business process modeler

Ø  Customization analysis

Ø  Upgrade analysis

Ø  Rapid Start service

Ø  RFP (Requests for Proposals) responses

Ø  Usage profiler

Ø  License Sizing estimator

Ø  System diagnostic service

Ø  Issue search

In coming post I will discuss each and every tool in details and also look more deeply about LCS and its functionality and all.

That’s all for now, please share your feedback and comments. It will really help to improve this blog.

-Harry