Dynamics NAV Mobile Operations

Dynamics NAV incorporates a mobile framework where tasks can be assigned and communicated to and from field personnel. This function makes your enterprise the architect so that solutions are only broad as your capabilities. This capacity will speed up your operations and enhance your customer service and related solutions. You can synchronize and remotely access vital business information. This function allows your firm to optimize its technology investments with customizable and simple applications.

Logging Service

The Logging service is a reporting tool that logs all events from the mobile device. The Logging service consists of a Web service and a snap-in added via a MMC.

Reference Database

Mobile Server is responsible for replication of data to the device’s reference database from Microsoft dynamics. The reference database of the device contains a subset of the replicated data and is limited to the data relevant to the mobile user.

Back End Integration

Mobile Server connects to Microsoft Dynamics through a number of integration components that are installed with the product and subsequently configured at the back end.

Service

A service provides functionality that is available across the entire application. Pluggable interface based architecture makes it possible to replace common functionality in the application. An example of replaceable common functionality is bar code scanning. The Mobile Framework comes with barcode scanning functionality and suppliers. However, with services it is easy for Microsoft partners to add new bar code scanning functionality and suppliers that can be made available across the entire application.

Document Service

The Document Service is a Web Service that handles requests such as placing an order sent from the mobile client to Microsoft Dynamics. These requests are stored in XML documents and matched by the back end server fro further processing. The Document Service features tailor – made integrations with Microsoft Dynamics AX and Microsoft Dynamics NAV where the management interface resides inside the products. The Document Service also features a general “dispatcher” functionality that can be used to e.g. call Microsoft Dynamics AX and Microsoft Dynamics NAV web services or integrate with legacy systems (or both at the same time). With the dispatcher functionality we supply a MMC snap-in for easy setup and administration of the documents, users and queue.

Mobile Framework

The Mobile Framework Is integrated into Visual Studio 2008 and enables developers to quickly create task-based mobile applications using the .NET Compact Framework. The application consists of a number of tasklets. A tasklet represents a typical task for a mobile user and can be reused in any mobile application built using the Mobile Framework. Tasklets are run on the Role Pad, a Windows Mobile 5.0/6.0 or 6.1 application.

Tasklet User Interface

Tasklets have a User Interface (UI) to display information on the mobile device screen. The Mobile Framework provides a template that contains the standard Windows Mobile layout, including the navigation bar and soft key menu. This enables the tasklet developer to just focus on the contents and layout specifics to the tasklet. The Mobile Framework also provides controls to help create new UI. It is easy to configure RoleTailored views and provide users with customized tasklets and data. This feature makes it easy to deliver business data and processes tailored to the needs of user or groups within the company and let users attend to their daily work tasks.

Tasklet Orchestration

The flow and interaction of tasklets I handled through orchestration. Orchestration determines how users navigate through the application on the mobile device. Orchestration is done using only XML. No additional tasklet coding is required. Orchestration specifies the input to the output from the tasklet; modifying the tasklet flow only requires modification of the orchestration. This allows for wide reuse of the tasklets in other work flows within the same application or even across applications.

Data Handling

Tasklets can be programmed to perform various actions for handling data. A tasklet can extract data from a Microsoft SQL Server database, accept input from one tasklet, and output data to another tasklet. A request document represents a transaction (such as the creation of a sales order_ that can be interpreted and processed at the back end server. Using XML helps ensure that the correct business logic is applied at the server without having to replicate the business logic on the mobile device. A request document is created using a combination of orchestration and tasklets. The orchestration defines the request document for a group of tasklets and the tasklets provide the request document with contents. When a user navigates on a device, each tasklet outputs data that is serialized into a block of XML. The individual blocks of XML are combined into a single request document that is sent to the back end server for processing.

Deployment Service

The Deployment service is a key element for the administrator to distribute and update the mobile applications to the mobile device users. The Deployment service consists of a Web service and a snap-in added via the Microsoft management Console.