Friday, October 15, 2010

EP 64 bit machine deployment


(1)    If you are using  64 bit machine for EP, make sure getSharepointTemplatePath method of SysEPDeployment class in AOT has the below code . This is needed so that whenever you save user controls in VS, that will automatically be deployed to the EP server.

public static str getSharepointTemplatePath()
{
    xSession session = new xSession();
    int pointerSize = 0;
;
    pointerSize = System.IntPtr::get_Size();
    if (session.clientKind() != ClientType::Client && pointerSize != 4)
        return SysEPDeployment::getSharepointTemplatePathDotNet();

    return SysEPDeployment::getSharepointTemplatePathWin32();
}


If you are making change to user controls in Visual studio, then there are no additional steps to have these changes propagated to the EP Server. Whenever you make changes on already existing user control in VS, it will automatically copy it to the SharePoint folder location. If you are creating new user control, when you add it to AOT by the right click menu and save the control in VS, it will automatically copy it to the SharePoint location.
(3)    If you are making changes to Tables/EDTs/Enums/Data Sets/Classes, then you need to click the “Refresh AOD” link available to the administrators in the EP home site quick launch. This will clear the metadata cache. You can also do an “iisreset” if needed
(4)    If you are making change to proxy file/static files/resources, then you need to deploy them. User AxUpdatePortal utility http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd261467.aspx (Manage Deployment Option does not work in 64 bit machines,so you have to use AXUpdatePortal)

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Missing AX EP web project in Visual Studio 2008

So you have installed the Enterprise Portal Development tools add in for Visual Studio 2008. Everything works for you, but other users are complaining that they can’t see the AX web project template: 

Here's what you need to do:

1 - Verify the installation of VS2008
The EP dev tools setup installs EP project, control templates and Visual studio Add-In for VS 2008. Remember that EP dev tools must be installed on the same machine as Enterprise Portal

The Web Site project template (AxWebProject.zip is installed in My Documents folder under:
Visual Studio 2008\Templates\ProjectTemplates\Visual Web Developer\CSharp

Page and control templates AxWebpartPage.zip and AxWebUserControl.zip under:
Visual Studio 2008 \Templates\ItemTemplates\Visual Web Developer\CSharp

The Add-in is installed in
Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics AX\50\EnterprisePortalTools 
and is added to the VS  Add-in files path and enabled.


You can check this in VS Tools->Options->Add-in you should see

  
 In VS Tools -> Add-In Manager  Dynamics AX Enterprise Portal Tools must be enabled.


To check if everything is installed correctly, when you create a new Web Site Project in VS 2008 C#, you should see Dynamics AX Web project template. 



If a user can see Microsoft Dynamics Ax Web Project template it’s because in his/her profile on system the template is available. In general the template is located on a windows 2003 server at
C:\Documents and Settings\[user id ]\My Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Templates\ProjectTemplates\Visual Web Developer\CSharp\ AxWebProject.zip 

To make Microsoft Dynamics Ax Web Project template available for other users copy the Templates folder from the user who can see template and paste it to other users’ profile.

It assumed that your templates are available in the default located as mentioned in above path 

·         Go to C:\Documents and Settings\[user id ]\My Documents\Visual Studio 2008
·         Copy Templates folder
·         Open the other users’ profile and go to C:\Documents and Settings\[user id ]\My Documents\Visual Studio 2008\
·         Paste the Templates folder. If system says to overwrite it click on yes option. 

Then, you may need to refresh Visual Studios cache of templates after copying them:
·         Open the Visual Studio command prompt (Start \ Programs \ Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 \ Visual Studio Tools \ Visual Studio 2008 Command Prompt) and type devenv /installvstemplates.

If you still don't see the template, remember that you need to select C# as your project programming language before it shows up.
  
If you can see the template but can't connect to the AX AOS from Visual Studio check the following:

·         Check that .NET Business Connector has been correctly installed and that the configuration points to the correct AOS instance.
Check that the user you run Visual Studio with, has login and proper development permissions in AX.
·         Check that the "Dynamics AX Enterprise Portal Tools" Add-in is correctly installed in Visual Studio. Open Visual Studio / Tools / Add-in Manager to verify that Add-in is correctly installed and configured. If you can't see it, you must reinstall the EP Development Tools.