Reporting
and Business Analysis in AX 4.0
Course 8628: Two days; Instructor-led
Introduction
This course develops your understanding of the reporting capabilities present within Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0. By learning the basics, this course gives you the tools and knowledge to create custom reports using all the different reporting tools and technologies available.
The course introdcues the different tools and methods for reporting in Microsoft Dynamics AX. Topics include Understanding the Reporting Continuum, Working With Standard Reports, Working with Auto-Reports, Using the Report Wizard, SQL Server Reporting Services, and OLAP/Business Analysis. This course provides a solid foundation for reporting in Microsoft Dynamics AX and enables the student to be successful in designing and authoring reports.
Audience
The class is targeted toward end users, power users, implementers, developers, and consultants who want to understand the basic reporting capability in Microsoft Dynamics AX.
At Course Completion
After completing
this course, students will be able to:
• Describe
the components that make up the Reporting Continuum in Microsoft Dynamics
AX 4.0.
• Explain
the characteristics of report requirements which help identify which tool
is most appropriate for a given report.
• Introduce
and summarize the report tools available in Microsoft Dynamics AX.
• Understand
the query concept used for reporting.
• Understand
the range selection used for determining data with queries.
• Demonstrate
sorting, and the related totaling and heading options that are used with
queries.
• Review
the print and output options available to standard reports.
• Understand
the new Print Drill Down functionality and how it works with standard
reports.
• Explain
the batch and recurrence options available.
• Explain
the purpose of auto-reports in Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0, and how to generate
them.
• Understand
how auto-reports are generated, and when they can be used.
• Describe
the functionality available with the Report Wizard.
• Demonstrate
the use of the Report Wizard.
• Differentiate
the Report Wizard from auto-reports and the Auto-report Wizard.
• Define
the components related to Dynamics AX within SSRS.
• Explain
the use of Perspectives in the Report Model.
• Understand
the AOT properties related to SSRS.
• Demonstrate
the configuration steps required to enable SSRS with Microsoft Dynamics
AX.
• Explain
the key concepts of Report Builder.
• Explain
the different types of reports that can be created by using Report Builder.
• Create
an ad hoc report by using Report Builder.
• Explain
how to deploy reports with the Report Manager.
• Explain
how to manage reports.
• Explain
how to configure report properties.
• Explain
what OLAP is and what it is used for.
• Describe
how to interact with cubes within Dynamics AX using Pivot Table technology.
• Understand
the underlying components that are required to configure and manage cubes
in Microsoft Dynamics AX.
Prerequisites
Before attending
this course, students must have:
• Microsoft
Dynamics AX Introduction
• Familiarity
with OLAP concepts
Course Outline
Chapter 1: Understanding the Reporting Continuum
The intent of this chapter is to provide an overview of the tools and technologies available in the Microsoft Dynamics AX Reporting Continuum. Additionally, the material helps identify common characteristics and attributes that may be evaluated to determine which tool is the most appropriate to a specific report.
Lessons
• Reporting
Continuum
• Standard
Reports
• Auto-Report
• Report
Wizard
• Report
Designer
• SQL
Server Reporting Services
• Business
Analysis (OLAP)
After completing
this module, students will be able to:
• Describe
the components that make up the Reporting Continuum in Microsoft Dynamics
AX 4.0
• Explain
the characteristics of reports requirements that help identify which tool
is most appropriate for a given report
• Introduce
and summarize the report tools available in Microsoft Dynamics AX
Chapter 2: Working With Standard Reports
There are over 800 reports delivered standard with Microsoft Dynamics AX. These reports come in many formats and designs and are well distributed throughout the functional modules. This chapter covers how to best take advantage of these standard reports to maximize their utility.
Lessons
• Determining
the Data Composition
• Determining
the Data Selection
• Determining
Data Sorting
• Output
Options
• Batch
Setup
• Print
Drill Down
Lab 2-1
• Define
Data Ranges
Lab 2-2
• Setup
Report with Criteria and Output Options
Lab 2-3
• Setup
Report with Criteria and Output Options
After completing
this module, students will be able to:
• Examine
the query concept used for reporting.
• Identify
the range selection used for determining data with queries.
• Demonstrate
sorting, and the related totaling and heading options used with queries.
• Review
the print and output options available to standard reports.
• Examine
the new Print Drill Down functionality and how it works with standard
reports.
• Explain
the batch and recurrence options available.
Chapter 3: Working With Auto-Reports
Auto-reports in Microsoft Dynamics AX serve as a quick and easy way of generating reports on specific data. Most screens that displays data will have an Auto-report available for that data. Users can also modify Auto-report configurations to save for later use.
Lessons
• Using
Standard Auto-Reports
• Modifying
Auto-Reports
Lab 3-1
• Creating
a Modified Auto-Report
After completing
this module, students will be able to:
• Explain
the purpose of Auto-reports in Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0
• Demonstrate
how Auto-reports are generated
• Explain
when to use Auto-reports
Chapter 4: Working With the Report Wizard
The final tool available for report generation within Microsoft Dynamics AX, outside of working directly in the AOT, is the Report Wizard. The Report Wizard has a similar look to the Auto-report Wizard. However, there are some distinguishing features that make the Report Wizard more powerful, and therefore, a good tool for report developers.
Lessons
• Using
the Report Wizard
Lab 4-1
• Using
the Report Wizard
After completing
this module, students will be able to:
• Describe
the functionality available with the Report Wizard.
• Demonstrate
the use of the Report Wizard.
• Differentiate
the Report Wizard from Auto-reports and the Auto-report Wizard.
Chapter 5: Introduction to SQL Server Reporting Services
Reporting Services in SQL Server 2005 provides additional enterprise reporting capabilities and addresses a new audience - business users who want to interact with data in an ad hoc manner and create reports. In Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0, different types of users interact with reports by using one reporting solution.
Lessons
• SQL
Server Reporting Services Architecture and Design
• Configuring
SSRS
Lab 5-1
• Create
a New Perspective
After completing
this module, students will be able to:
• Define
the components related to Microsoft Dynamics AX within SQL Server Reporting
Services (SSRS).
• Explain
the use of Perspectives in the Report Model.
• Understand
the AOT properties related to SSRS.
• Demonstrate
the configuration steps required to enable SSRS with Microsoft Dynamics
AX.
Chapter 6: Using Report Builder for Ad Hoc Reporting
Report Builder is an authoring tool that creates and designs ad hoc reports. You can create ad hoc reports without understanding database structures. Report Builder provides report templates that contain predefined data regions to build table, matrix, and chart reports. You can publish the ad hoc reports to a report server for distribution across the enterprise.
Lessons
• Table
Reports
• Matrix
Reports
• Chart
Reports
• Defining
Filters
Lab 6-1
• Create
a Table Report
Lab 6-2
• Create
a Matrix Report
Lab 6-3
• Create
a Chart Report
After completing
this module, students will be able to:
• Explain
the key concepts of Report Builder.
• Explain
the different types of reports that can be created with Report Builder.
• Create
an ad hoc report by using Report Builder.
Chapter 7: Deploying and Managing SSRS Reports
After developing a report by using SSRS development tools, users can deploy it on the report server. A deployed report becomes a managed component of the report server. The properties and associated metadata of a managed report may be used to help secure, schedule, move, rename, and link the report. These tasks may be performed with Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio or Report Manager.
Lessons
• Deploying
Reports Using Report Manager
• Configuring
Report Properties
• Rendering
and Viewing Reports
• Configuring
Security Settings
• Scheduling
Report Subscriptions and Processing
Lab 7-1
• Create
a Report Subscription
After completing
this module, students will be able to:
• Explain
how to deploy reports by using the Report Manager.
• Explain
how to manage reports.
• Explain
how to configure report properties.
Chapter 8: Working with OLAP and Business Analysis
Microsoft Dynamics AX OLAP lets the user analyze data in a multidimensional form, and can communicate it in a very powerful nature. The data is accurate, up to date, and very succinct. Traditionally, an information stakeholder compiled many reports from data that was aging all the time, and could not receive output like the Microsoft Dynamics AX Cube. Because the cube framework is static for each business information need, stakeholders can perform business health checks in seconds; previously such detail took weeks to extract. Microsoft Dynamics AX lets the user slice and dice information to suit particular needs, without altering or misrepresenting data in any way.
Lessons
• OLAP
Terms and Concepts
• OLAP
Setup and Configuration
• Working
with Pivot Tables
• Working
with Pivot Table Views
• Cube
Definition Manager
Lab 8-1
• Create
a New Pivot Table View
Lab 8-2
• Create
a New Commissions Pivot View
After completing
this module, students will be able to:
• Explain
what OLAP is and what it is used for.
• Describe
how to interact with cubes within Microsoft Dynamics AX using Pivot Table
technology.
• Understand
the underlying components that are required to configure and manage cubes
in Microsoft Dynamics AX.
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