Microsoft Dynamics®

AX 2009

Configuring Enterprise Portal

and Role Centers with SQL

Server Reporting

White Paper

This document contains checklists and information to help administrators set up and configure Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

Enterprise Portal and Role Centers with Microsoft SQL Server® Reporting Services® and Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services®.

Date: December 2008

2 CONFIGURING ENTERPRISE PORTAL AND ROLE CENTERS WITH SQL SERVER REPORTING

Table of Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................ 3

Before you begin ......................................................................................... 3

Server configuration ................................................................................... 3

Set up and configure SQL Server Reporting Services .................................. 3

Set up and configure SQL Server Analysis Services ..................................... 4

Set up and configure Enterprise Portal and Role Centers ............................ 5

Deploy Role Centers .................................................................................... 5

About setting up and configuring Kerberos authentication ......................... 5

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CONFIGURING ENTERPRISE PORTAL AND ROLE CENTERS WITH SQL SERVER REPORTING

Introduction

Microsoft Dynamics AX provides a set of Web modules giving you access to Microsoft Dynamics AX data and allowing you to participate in business processes by using Web-based Microsoft Dynamics AX forms. These Web modules are collectively called Enterprise Portal. Enterprise Portal is built on Microsoft Windows® SharePoint® Services or Microsoft Office® SharePoint Server.

Microsoft Dynamics AX administrators can configure Enterprise Portal to display a role-tailored home

page called a Role Center. Role Centers provide overviews of information that pertains to users’ job functions in the business or organization, including work lists, activities, common links, and key business intelligence information, such as Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services reports or Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services reports.

Before users can view SQL Server reports in Role Center pages, the administrator must perform a variety of setup and configuration tasks. This document provides checklists to help administrators understand which setup and configuration tasks need to be completed and where to view the

procedures that describe how to complete each task.

Before you begin

Download the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Installation Guide. This white paper references procedures contained in that guide.

Server configuration

You can set up and configure the following applications on a single server or multiple servers, depending on the needs of your business or organization. If you install SQL Reporting Services, SQL Analysis Services, and Enterprise Portal on a single server, you do not have to configure Kerberos authentication. (Kerberos authentication is discussed in the final section of this paper.) Regardless of the server configuration you choose, we recommend that you set up and configure SQL Server

Reporting Services and/or SQL Server Analysis Services before you set up and configure the

Enterprise Portal Web server.

Set up and configure SQL Server Reporting Services

This checklist can help you set up and configure SQL Server Reporting Services so that users can view

Reporting Services reports in Enterprise Portal Role Center pages.

Procedure Where to locate procedure information

Install prerequisites on the report

server

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Installation Guide > Install required components > Reporting extensions

Configure Reporting Services Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Installation Guide > Install required components > Reporting extensions

Update the Reporting Services

configuration file Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Installation Guide > Install required components > Reporting extensions

Install the reporting extensions Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Installation Guide > Install required components > Reporting extensions

Deploy reports Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Installation Guide > Install required components > Reporting extensions

Register your Reporting Services

server Help icon in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client > System and Application Setup > Business intelligence and reporting setup > SQL Server Reporting Services reports

4 CONFIGURING ENTERPRISE PORTAL AND ROLE CENTERS WITH SQL SERVER REPORTING

Procedure Where to locate procedure information

Specify the default Reporting

Services server

Help icon in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client > System and Application Setup > Business intelligence and reporting setup > SQL Server Reporting Services reports

Create report perspectives Help icon in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client > System and Application Setup > Business intelligence and reporting setup > SQL Server Reporting Services reports

Generate and publish report models Help icon in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client > System and Application Setup > Business intelligence and reporting setup > SQL Server Reporting Services reports

Configure security settings for

reports

Help icon in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client > System and Application Setup > Business intelligence and reporting setup > SQL Server Reporting Services reports

Set up and configure SQL Server Analysis Services

This checklist can help you set up and configure SQL Server Analysis Services so that users can view

Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) reports in Enterprise Portal Role Center pages.

Procedure Where to locate procedure information

Install prerequisites on the OLAP

server

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Installation Guide > Install required components > Analysis extensions

Install Analysis Management

Objects on client computers

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Installation Guide > Install required components > Analysis extensions

Install the analysis extensions Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Installation Guide > Install required components > Analysis extensions

Configure Analysis Services Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Installation Guide > Install required components > Analysis extensions

Configure the default cubes See the Configuring the Default OLAP Cubes whitepaper

Update cubes with exchange rate

information

Help icon in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client > System and Application Setup > Business intelligence and reporting setup > SQL Server Analysis Services cubes

Process cubes Help icon in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client > System and Application Setup > Business intelligence and reporting setup > SQL Server Analysis Services cubes

Configure proactive caching to

refresh cube data

Help icon in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client > System and Application Setup > Business intelligence and reporting setup > SQL Server Analysis Services cubes

Configure security settings for

cubes

Help icon in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client > System and Application Setup > Business intelligence and reporting setup > SQL Server Analysis Services cubes

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CONFIGURING ENTERPRISE PORTAL AND ROLE CENTERS WITH SQL SERVER REPORTING

Set up and configure Enterprise Portal and Role Centers

This checklist can help you set up and configure Enterprise Portal and Role Centers.

Procedure Where to locate procedure information

Install prerequisites for Enterprise

Portal and Role Centers Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Installation Guide > Install required components > Enterprise Portal and Role Centers

Install Enterprise Portal and Role

Centers on Windows SharePoint Services

or

Install Enterprise Portal and Role

Centers on Office SharePoint Server

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Installation Guide > Install required components > Enterprise Portal and Role Centers

Configure Enterprise Portal Help icon in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client > Enterprise Portal Administration

Configure Enterprise Portal security Help icon in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client > Enterprise Portal Administration

Add the Enterprise Portal Web site

to the list of Trusted Sites in Microsoft Internet Explorer on all Enterprise

Portal client computers

Internet Explorer > Tools > Internet Options > Security

Deploy ODC files Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Installation Guide > Install required components > Enterprise Portal and Role Centers

Deploy Role Centers

This checklist can help you deploy Role Centers.

Procedure Where to locate procedure information

Deploy Role Centers Help icon in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client > System and Application Setup > System Setup > Setting up and maintaining Role Centers

Manage user profiles for Role

Centers

Help icon in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client > System and Application Setup > System Setup > Setting up and maintaining Role Centers

Manage Role Center Web Parts Help icon in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client > System and Application Setup > System Setup > Setting up and maintaining Role Centers

About setting up and configuring Kerberos authentication

Kerberos is a network authentication protocol. The Kerberos protocol forces a client and server to

verify each other's identity. Kerberos authentication must be used in Microsoft Dynamics AX environments where Enterprise Portal is installed on a server other than the server running Reporting

Services and/or Analysis Services. For more information about setting up and configuring Kerberos authentication, see the Configure Kerberos Authentication with Microsoft Dynamics AX Enterprise Portal white paper. This white paper is available on PartnerSource and on the Using Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Web site.

6 CONFIGURING ENTERPRISE PORTAL AND ROLE CENTERS WITH SQL SERVER REPORTING

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