Technical concept of how Fachhochschule Dortmund use Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 in large classes with focus on development.

Transcription

1 Technical concept of how Fachhochschule use Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 in large classes with focus on development. Prof. Dr. Martin Hesseler (Germany) Copenhagen (Denmark), 28. October 2013 Folie 1

2 Agenda Department of Informatics (actual degree programs and enroled students) NAV in the curriculum (ERP-modules, NAV-training and new MDSCP) Requirements for the use of NAV 2013 (technical and organizational) Solving approach (idea and problems) Final concept (how we use NAV 2013) Technical realization (PowerShell scripts and web service) Practical experiences (first tests and critical conclusion) Questions? (discussion and contact data) Folie 2

3 Department of Informatics (1) Degree Programs (enroled students) Bachelor Programs: IT- and Software-Systems (21, start 2013) Informatics (839) Information Technology (112) Medical Informatics (282) Software Technology (119 dual) Web & Media Informatics (158 W3L = online) Business Informatics (521 (FH) (combined) + 23 (W3L) total = 822) Folie 3

4 Department of Informatics (2) Master Programs: Informatics (108) Medical Informatics (28) Business Informatics (81 (FH) (combined) total = 213) Total figures > enroled students (increasing) about 140 new students each year in Business Informatics only 10% female but 15% international students 41 professors (25% female). largest informatics department in NRW Folie 4

5 NAV in the curriculum ERP-modules in business informatics Basic studies (1.-3. semester) All studies (4.-6. semester) general ERP basics ERP development ERP specialization Folie 5

6 Example: Module 391 ERP 1 Content of the module (2 lec. + 2 ex.) + e-learning-course Definitions, classification and historical development Advantages and disadvantages of standard software Market demand and industry solutions Selection process and consequences Requirements for project management Process model and implementation phases Installation and configuration Setting up clients Fundamentals of company-specific adjustments (C/SIDE) Operational use Maintenance and administration Career prospects 80% based on Microsoft Dynamics NAV Folie 6

7 Additional qualification Special NAV-training (regular Microsoft courses) Not part of the regular curriculum, 2 weeks only offered in the semester break More than 30 applicants each year, but max. 20 participants Einführung in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 (80100) Introduction to C/SIDE in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 (80042) Goal: Costs: New: Earn the official Microsoft exam Development 1 (MB7-840) (prometric test center) 100% financed by cooperating NAV-partners (GOB Software & Systeme) Member of the MDSCP since September 2013 Folie 7

8 Requirements for NAV 2013 Technical 3 tier architecture with Microsoft SQL DB Acceptable response time Flexible workplace (in the lab / at home) Access via windows and developer client Organizational Easy to administrate ( as little effort as possible ) Easy to use ( no further logins ) Individual project results ( no copy/paste solutions ) Folie 8

9 Solving approach Idea One big central DB (like SAP) Generic case studies / projects (object-ids) Problems License restrictions (limited amount of new objects) Limited workbench management (free accessible objects) Cleverness of students (copy/paste ;-) Folie 9

10 Final concept / technical realization Concept for the use of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 (in large classes) Individual databases for each student (= 200 DBs) Uniform case studies and development projects Regular student license Technical realization (developed by Marcus Görtz) One master database (demo data with actual valid student license) PowerShell scripts for DB and system administration Web Page and service for student registration Batch files for client start and login process Terminal server solution for access from home Folie 10

11 Technical details (1) Preparation (1) (before the beginning of each semester) Update demo data and student license in master DB (lecturer) Create 200 new individually named DBs based on the master DB (autom. 15 min.) update copy lecturer PowerShell script Folie 11

12 Technical details (2) Preparation (2) (before the beginning of first semester) Rule to calculate port IDs for each instance (in total 800 ports) Setting up 200 NAV server instances (automatical by script, one-off) examples: NAV instance assingned SQL DB used port Ids NAV70_001 NAV70_001 (DB + log) Management services = 9015 Client services = 9016 SOAP services = 9017 OData services = 9018 NAV70_002 NAV70_002 (DB + log) Management services = 9025 Client services = 9026 SOAP services = 9027 OData services = 9028 Folie 12

13 Technical details (3) Registration of user (beginning of each semester) Students have to register for ERP course on sepcial web site Web formular assignes student account with next free NAV instance no. Relationship user account instance no. is stored in DB registration next free instance no. student relation student account + instance no. Folie 13

14 Technical details (4) Setting up users (on 2 places after registration is completed) 1. User set up in SQL DB via PowerShell script (for developer client access) student account + instance no. PowerShell script 2. User set up in NAV server via PowerShell script and Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server Console (for windows client access) Folie 14

15 Technical details (5) Login procedure (windows client) (during semester) Start RTC.bat file Program reads instance DB (1) and creates new config file with this data Save config file (DynNAVClientSettings.config) in its own directory (2) RTC.bat file starts windows client with parameter: directory of config file (3) Windows client reads info (inst. no. + ports) out of config file (4) and connects with NAV server (5) 1 3 copy 5 NAV RTC.bat 4 config file DB Folie 15

16 Technical details (6) Login procedure (developer client) (during semester) Start DEV.bat file Program reads instance DB (1) DEV.bat file starts developer client (2) with parameters: a) IP of DB server b) DB name c) student account Developer client and connects with DB (3) DB DEV.bat Folie 16

17 Technical details (7) System infrastructure (in figures) 1 Windows domain (VM) with 64 GB RAM 200 NAV server (.exe processes) 1 Microsoft SQL server with 200 databases (NAV70_001 NAV70_200) each DB 250 MB + redologfile 500 MB in total only 150 GB disk space 50 terminal server licenses Folie 17

18 Practical experiences First test (last semester) Optional ERP course ( 25 concurrent user) Permanently assigned workplaces in ERP lab Reduced script support No external login ( home office ) Critical conclusion Acceptable response time PowerShell scripts will be improved Automatic Windows authentification requires separate DB No problems, almost no manual administration effort (and no copied projects ;-) NAV 2013 is getting more complex but is still easy to use and administrate Folie 18

19 Discussion and contact data Questions? Please contact: Martin Hesseler or Marcus Görtz (Professor for ERP-Systems) (Manager of the ERP-lab) Mail: Mail: Fachhochschule, FB Informatik Emil-Figge-Str (Germany) Folie 19

20 Thank you for your attention. Folie 20