Chapter 1 Architecture

Chapter 1: Architecture

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CHAPTER 1: ARCHITECTURE Objectives

The objectives are:

• Review the Microsoft Dynamics® NAV 5.0 Architecture • Understand the Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 Architecture • Install Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 three-tier architecture on

three computers

Introduction Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 is built on a three-tier architecture model. This differs significantly from the two-tier architecture of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 introduces a new layer in the architecture. This additional layer, or tier, is designed to host and execute all the business logic. In the two-tier architecture of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0, the business logic resides at the client layer.

It improves security to execute the business logic on another layer that does not provide an interface, or access point, to the user. Scalability is also improved in the three-tier architecture.

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Installation and Configuration in Microsoft Dynamics® NAV 2009

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Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 Architecture Two-tier architecture models are used in the true Client/Server Distributed Data solution. In two-tier architectures, the data and data manipulation layers reside on the server, whereas the application logic, presentation logic, and presentation layers reside on the client.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 is designed according to the two-tier architecture model. It puts the application logic (Business Logic) and presentation logic/layers (User Interface) on the client computer.

The two-tier architecture also puts the data and data manipulation layers (DML) on the server in the native database and SQL Server configurations.

FIGURE 1.1 THE MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 5.0 ARCHITECTURE



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The Client Tier

The C/Side Client is located on the client tier. It consists of an administration component for administrators and Microsoft Dynamics NAV 4.0/5.0 super users and client access for the C/Side client user.

Additionally, the client tier has specific connections for data transfer to the server tier and the database management component. These connections consist of the client, security approved access to the database components on the server tier, and administration access to the database management

The Server Tier

The server tier consists of the database management system and the native database for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 4.0/5.0 or the Microsoft® SQL Server®

database.

The existing application server or Navision Application Server (NAS) is an integration point to the Microsoft Dynamics NAV 4.0/5.0 application. Therefore it enables connection to Microsoft® BizTalk Server®, for example. The Navision Application Server represents an effort to achieve three-tier architecture benefits. However, it is limited to only one process at a time. Therefore, multiple Navision Application Servers are needed for many production environments.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 Architecture The three-tier architecture is used in the Client/Server Distributed Data and Application system. With this architecture, in which the data and data manipulation layers are put on their own servers, the application logic is put on its own server, and the presentation and presentation logic are put on the client computer.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 is designed according to the three-tier architecture model.

• This version puts the presentation logic/ layers (User Interface) on the client computer.

• It puts the Business logic on another layer available in the three-tier architecture called the service tier.

• It puts the data and data manipulation layers (DML) on the database server tier.

The Microsoft Dynmics NAV 2009, three -tier architecture and the classic two-tier architecture are not mutually exclusive. The Classic client remains an essential component for developing and administering Dynamics NAV applications. (For example, you must use the Classic client to upload your Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 license file.)



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But once administrators or Microsoft Certified Partners roll out an implementation to a customer, end-users only see and use the RoleTailored client, which interacts with the other RoleTailored components.

The three-tier architecture is multithreaded so that it can handle more than one process at a time. This architecture overcomes the intrinsic limitations of the two-tier architecture.

• The first tier of the architecture is the client. • The second tier is the multithreaded middle tier. This is the service

tier that is based on Web services. • The third tier is where the SQL Server database resides.

FIGURE 1.2 THE MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 ARCHITECTURE



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The Client Tier consists of the following components:

• The Microsoft Business Framework (MBF) is located on the client tier. The Client is built on Microsoft Windows Forms (Winforms) technology for smart client applications.

• Microsoft Windows Forms is the set of classes in the .NET Framework that enables the rapid development of powerful smart client applications. This logical form is a device independent representation of forms/UI parts and Web parts.

• The User Interface (UI) in the client determines the User Experience (UX) for the user. Content is delivered to the client from the data binder layer in MBF. It will be possible for end-users to customize their user experience.

• The Data Binder consists of the data binding layer which transports data, data state, and notifications about data from the underlying business logic to forms and controls in the display target client. It also has reverse functionality and transports input data, data state and notifications from the client to the underlying business logic.

• The Form Builder requests reading metadata for a form and building a logical form with data-binding, controls and behavior. The logical form provides the functionality that is shared by all display targets: data-binding, input-validation, navigation and possible business logic.

• UX Controls are necessary because the MBF client will not deliver all the Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 controls. Therefore, native controls, or managed win forms controls, are wrapped in a thin abstraction. This is the physical control.

The Service Tier

The Service Tier consists of five main components:

• The Microsoft Dynamics NAV Service • The Application Code • The metadata provider • Business Web services • Navision Class Library (NCL)

Briefly, the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Service functions as a hub that handles requests coming from the new clients through Web services. The Web service is hosted by Internet Information Services (IIS). This is responsible for authentication (security) and thread management (performance).



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As soon as a request is received and validated, it is passed on to the relevant component, metadata provider, application, or reporting service for execution. When execution is complete, the executing component sends a response to the calling client.

• The Microsoft Dynamics NAV Service represents the started state of the system and provides an interface between the application and the clients. The service exposes its functionality as methods on a Web service hosted by IIS. Within the Web service framework, IIS handles authentication and thread management. Tracing and logging of starts is also performed by the NAV Service.

• The Business Web Services Components provide a platform by which developers can use the existing NAV development environment to build and customize Web services based on standard definitions such as SOAP and Windows Services Enhancements (WSE). Business Web Services functionality includes use of all related business logic that accompanies such operations on such objects. This includes but is not limited to field validation, and assignment of Identification (ID's) from number series and other code associated with the entry and manipulation of data in Navision, such as data modify triggers like OnCreate, OnModify and OnDelete.



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Three-Tiers on Three-Computers Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 introduces a three-tier RoleTailored architecture that improves the security, scalability, and flexibility of Microsoft Dynamics NAV. In this lesson the installation of the new architecture in a production environment on three computers is discussed.

This table is an example of what each computer will host in the three tier architecture:

Computer Description

DYNNAV-SQL-SERVER

• Server computer hosting SQL Server. • This is the database tier. • This computer runs Microsoft Windows

Server 2003 or 2008.

DYNNAV-SERVER • Server computer hosting Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server.

• This is the server tier. • This computer runs Microsoft Windows

Server 2003 or 2008.

DYNNAV-CLIENT • Client computer running the RoleTailored client.

• This is the client tier. • This computer runs Microsoft Windows

Vista.

The key characteristic of this lesson is that the components are all on separate computers. In a real production environment, you might have several SQL Server computers, several Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server computers, and several RoleTailored client computers. As long as you do not install multiple Microsoft Dynamics NAV components together on a single computer, the procedures and issues presented in this lesson apply.

After completing this lesson, you will have a functioning three-tier installation on three computers. The install uses the CRONUS International Ltd. demo database.

This walkthrough illustrates the following tasks:

• Installing the Microsoft Dynamics NAV database components. • Configuring Microsoft SQL Server for Microsoft Dynamics NAV. • Installing Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server. • Installing Microsoft Dynamics NAV RoleTailored client. • Configuring delegation



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Database Components

After you have installed SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2005 SP2, the next step is to install the Microsoft Dynamics NAV database components and the CRONUS International Ltd. demo database.

Follow these steps to install the Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 Database Components and demo database:

1. Insert the Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 DVD into the DVD drive of DYNNAV-SQL-SERVER, your database computer. The Startup screen opens and presents a set of options in the Prepare, Install, and Join the community sections.

2. Under Install, click Microsoft Dynamics NAV. 3. On the Welcome screen, click Next. 4. To accept the license terms, click I accept. 5. On the Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 Installer page, click

Choose an installation option. 6. On the Choose an installation option page, click Database

Components. The demo database is included as part of this option. 7. On the Specify parameters page, click Install. 8. After the installation is complete, click Close to exit Setup.

Configuring SQL

NOTE: The extended stored procedure is automatically installed for 32-bit SQL Server installations. You do not need to manually configure it.

Follow these steps to configure the Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 stored procedure for 64 bit installations:

1. Copy xp_ndo_x64.dll from the Sql_esp\x64 folder on the DVD to the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Database folder on your server computer. In a default installation, this location is C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Dynamics NAV\60\Database.

2. Open SQL Server Management Studio by clicking Start, clicking All Programs, pointing to SQL Server, and then clicking SQL Server Management Studio.



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3. In the Connect to Server pane, in the Server type box, fill in the following fields:

Field Action

Server Type Select Database Engine.

Server name Select DYNNAV-SERVER (the database server computer)

Authentication Select Windows Authentication.

4. Click Connect. 5. In the left pane, click Databases, click System Databases, click

master, click Programmability, and then click Extended Stored Procedures.

6. Update the xp_ndo_enumusergroups extended stored procedure with the 64-bit DLL.

7. In the Extended Stored Procedures tab, right-click xp_ndo_enumusergroups, and on the shortcut menu, choose Properties.

8. In the Select a Page pane, click General. In the DLL property, provide the location of the 64-bit DLL that you previously copied, such as C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Dynamics NAV\60\Database.

9. In the Select a Page pane, click Permissions. 10. In the Users or roles section, click Add to open the Select Users or

Roles window. 11. Click Browse, select [public], and click OK. Click OK to close the

Select Users or Roles window. 12. In the Users or roles section, click public. In the Explicit

permissions for public section, select the Grant check box for the Execute permission.

13. Repeat the preceding steps for the xp_ndo_enumuserids extended stored procedure.

When using the 64-bit version of SQL Server 2005, you must configure it to be accessed by the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server tier. The trace flag must be set before Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server can connect to the SQL database. You must restart the SQL Server service after you complete this procedure.

Follow these steps to set the Trace Flag on 64 bit version of SQL Server:

1. Open SQL Server Configuration Manger by clicking Start, clicking All Programs, pointing to SQL Server, pointing to Configuration Tools, and then clicking SQL Server Configuration Manager.

2. In the left pane, click SQL Server 2005 Services.



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3. In the right pane, right-click SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER), and on the shortcut menu, click Properties.

4. In the Properties window, click the Advanced tab. 5. Click the Startup Parameters property, and open the drop-down

list. 6. Type ;-T4616 at the end of the line in the drop-down list and click

OK. 7. In the right pane, right-click SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER), and

on the shortcut menu, click Restart.

The next step in completing the installation of the three-tier architecture is to install the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server service to the second server computer, DYNNAV-SERVER. This is a different server computer from the one where you installed SQL Server and the Microsoft Dynamics NAV database components.

To install Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server

1. Insert the Microsoft Dynamics NAV DVD into the DVD drive of DYNNAV-SERVER.

2. Under Install, click Microsoft Dynamics NAV. 3. On the Welcome screen, click Next. 4. To accept the license terms, click I accept. 5. On the Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 Installer page, click

Choose an installation option. 6. On the Choose an installation option page, click Server. 7. On the Specify parameters page, click Server to open the

Installation Parameters pane. 8. In the SQL Server field, type the name of the SQL Server

computer—DYNNAV-SQL-SERVER. 9. In the SQL Database field, type Demo Database NAV (6-0). 10. This identifies the CRONUS International Ltd. demo database. 11. Click Apply to save the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server settings. 12. Click Install to begin installing software. 13. After the installation is complete, click Close to exit.

The third and final tier is the client tier. The first task is to install the RoleTailored client to a workstation computer.

Follow these steps to install the Role Tailored Client:

1. Insert the Microsoft Dynamics NAV DVD into the DVD drive of DYNNAV-CLIENT, your Microsoft Dynamics NAV client computer.

2. Under Install, click Microsoft Dynamics NAV.



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3. On the Welcome page, click Next. 4. On the Microsoft Software License Terms page, review the

software license, and then click I accept. 5. On the Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 Installer page, click

Choose an installation option. 6. On the Choose an installation option page, click Client to install

the RoleTailored client. 7. On the Specify Parameters page, click RoleTailored client to

configure the component. 8. On the Installation Parameters pane, type the name of the

Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server computer, DYNNAV-SERVER, in the Server Name field.

9. Click Apply to begin installing software. 10. Click Install on the Specify parameters page. 11. After installation is complete, click Close to exit.

The procedures in this section are necessary only when the logon for Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server is a domain user account, instead of the Network Service account.

In this case, the RoleTailored client must have a way of identifying the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server service's domain account. To accomplish this, the client must get a Kerberos ticket for the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server service. The Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server service can then allow the client to use its credentials while interacting with a SQL Server database. This extension of credentials by proxy is known as delegation.

NOTE: If you were installing Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server and SQL Server on the same computer, but using a domain user account to log in to both, all of the following steps would still be necessary except Delegating Access to the SQL Server Service.

It is a good practice to create a dedicated domain user account for the NAV Service. This action requires a domain administrator.

After you create the user, right-click it in the tree view and choose Raise Domain Functional Level. From the drop-down, click Windows Server 2003 (if it is not already at this level).

The next step is to create a Service Principal Name (SPN) for the new domain user account. This will enable you to configure the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server service to delegate access to the SQL Server service, on behalf of the RoleTailored client.



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Follow these steps to create a Service Principal Name

On any server computer in the domain, download the Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 32-bit Support Tools.

Create the SPN by running the setspn utility. The required syntax is:

Copy Code

setspn –A ServerName_InstanceName/FullyQualifiedDomainNameOfServer:Port Domain \User

1. Using DYNNAV-SERVER (the server that runs Microsoft

Dynamics NAV Server in this walkthrough) and DynamicsNAV (the default instance name for Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server), the full command should look like this

Copy Code Setspn -A DYNNAV-SERVER_DynamicsNAV/DYNNAV-SERVER.yourDomain.yourCompany.com:7046 yourdomain\yourUser

Summary The new three-tier multithreaded architecture model of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 provides process benefits beyond the two-tier architecture model's capability.

Understanding the Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 architecture enables IT professionals, system implementers and developers to install and customize Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009



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Test Your Knowledge 1. The following are benefits of a three-tier architecture

( ) It can accommodate up to 20 users. ( ) The business rules are located on the client tier. ( ) Business logic rules and execution are isolated from the client. ( ) Process logic is positioned at the client tier for optimal access by the end

user.

2. What is the purpose of the External Component in the NAV 4.0 and 5.0 two-tier architecture?

( ) It represents another application that integrates by means of the Navision Application Server.

( ) It represents remote access to the NAV 4.0 and 5.0 systems. ( ) It provides three-tier functionality to the two-teir architecture. ( ) Is of no real use.

3. The purpose of the Data Binder component in the NAV 2009 three-tier architecture does the following: (Select all that apply.)

( ) Determines the user experience for the end-user. ( ) Saves input data, data state and data notifications only on the client ( ) Sends data, and data state, and notifications from the business logic tot the

client and vice - versa ( ) Builds a logical form with data-binding, controls and behavior.



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Quick Interaction: Lessons Learned Take a moment and write down three key points you have learned from this chapter:

1.

2.

3.



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Solutions Test Your Knowledge

1. The following are benefits of a three-tier architecture

( ) It can accommodate up to 20 users. ( ) The business rules are located on the client tier. (•) Business logic rules and execution are isolated from the client. ( ) Process logic is positioned at the client tier for optimal access by the end

user.

2. What is the purpose of the External Component in the NAV 4.0 and 5.0 two-tier architecture?

(•) It represents another application that integrates by means of the Navision Application Server.

( ) It represents remote access to the NAV 4.0 and 5.0 systems. ( ) It provides three-tier functionality to the two-teir architecture. ( ) Is of no real use.

3. The purpose of the Data Binder component in the NAV 2009 three-tier architecture does the following: (Select all that apply.)

( ) Determines the user experience for the end-user. ( ) Saves input data, data state and data notifications only on the client (√) Sends data, and data state, and notifications from the business logic tot

the client and vice - versa ( ) Builds a logical form with data-binding, controls and behavior.



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Documents

Chapter 1 Architecture