Using Power Platform Data Integrator to integrate F&O Delivery Address Location with CE Account

In this article, we will see how to Integrate D365 F&O Customer Delivery Address Location with D365 CE  Account via Power Platform's Data Integrator. This is going to be a one-way integration from F&O to CE, but you can expand the solution to be bi-directional.

Here is the recording of this Demo:

Low-Code options within the MS ecosystem for the Integration layer:

1. Dual-Write
2. Power Platform Data Integrator (approach used in this Demo)
3. Data Events through Virtual Entity and Power Automate

Limitation in Dual-Write based on my trial:

In F&O Location is Global data and in CE Account is Business Unit specific, this case seems to be not a fit for the Dual-Write framework.  

On trying to save the table map in Dual-Write, this is the error message I received:

Project validation failed. [DIPV1002] ST5CustDeliveryAddressEntity or AX is a cross-company entity that doesn't have primary company field set and accounts of CRM is a company-specific entity with primaryCompanyField set to msdyn_company.cdm_companycode. Please make sure the entities are both cross-company or company-specific entities.

Looks like it is a pre-requisite in Dula-Write, that either both the entities need to be Global or Legal entity specific.

So, I moved on to Power Platform's Data Integrator approach.

Power Platform's Data Integrator approach:

Environments Set-up:

• I have setup Contoso demo data in F&O 
• I have setup CE Dataverse to be blank data.
• Create USMF BU in Dataverse manually (or go through Dual-Write setup which would create this for you).
• Manually Created a new Customer "San-1" in F&O

        

• Manually Created a new account "San-1" in CE

            

Security in Dataverse:

In Power Platform, make sure in each Business Unit the default Team has System Admin role. Integration layer uses the default Team of the BU in context.

At the minimum, do this for root BU and USMF BU

F&O Custom Data Entity:

In F&O, I created a custom Data Entity ST5CustDeliveryAddressEntity to expose Customer Delivery Addresses:

Data sources used:

• LogisticsPostalAddress
• LogisticsLocation
• DirPartyLocation
• CustTable

At the minimum, we would expose the following fields:

• LocationId (from LogisticsLocation)
• Description (from LogisticsLocation)
• AccountNum (from CustTable)

Key: LocationId, ValidFrom

Range: On DirPartyLocation.IsRoleDelivery set to true

Verify the data exposed by OData API, it should render only Customer Delivery Address Locations:

https://<FO instance name>.axcloud.dynamics.com/data/ST5CustDeliveryAddresses

Now Add new Delivery Address with name "Chicago Del-3" on the Customer San-1

Verify that Delivery Address with name "Chicago Del-3" shows up in the OData API output:

https://<FO instance name>.axcloud.dynamics.com/data/ST5CustDeliveryAddresses?$filter=AccountNum%20eq%20%27San-1%27

Data Integrator Project in Power Platform Admin Portal:

In Power Platform Admin Portal -> Data Integration:

• Create a new Connection Set, to establish a connection between F&O instance and CE instance
• Here we would select the Organization to be USMF
• Create a new Project (name could be FO to CE OOB)
• Associate the Connection set created earlier
• Select the template to be "Fin and Ops to Sales"
• Select Organization to be USMF

• Click the Project created -> Add Task -> 
• Task Name: FO Delivery Address to CE Account
• F&O Table: ST5CustDeliveryAddressEntity 
• CE Table: Accounts
• Org: USMF
• Click the Task to add field mappings as per below screenshot

            

•     Click Filter icon on Source, add following filter:  ((ACCOUNTNO eq "San-1"))

               This way integration fetches only Delivery Addresses related to San-1 customer, to keep the demo simple. You could also use "Advanced query and filtering" feature, which is more like Power Query.

• Save the Task and Run the Project manually

            

• Go to Execution History Tab, the run instance would be in status running. 
• After couple of mins the status would change to Completed

        
        

   

Now go CE All Accounts page, we would see the new Account with name "Chicago Del-3"

Hope this blog comes in handy for the community. 

In the later series, I may try to come up with a similar demo using Data Events (via Virtual Entity) approach.

References:

Data Integrator: Integrate data into Microsoft Dataverse - Power Platform | Microsoft Learn

Catch exact error message from AX AIF service

when interacting with AX AIF services to catch the exact Error message this is what you would do in your C# Catch block


catch(FaultException<AifFault> ex)
            {
                InfologMessage[] infoLogList = ex.Detail.InfologMessageList;
                foreach (var info in infoLogList)
                {
                    Console.WriteLine(info.Message);
                }

                proxy.Abort();
                Console.ReadLine();
            }

Using Customer AIF Service in AX 2012

In this post i would be demonstrating how to use out of box Customer Service (CustCustomerService) for the following operations:

1. Read a Customer
2. Create a Customer
3. Update a Customer
4. Delete a Customer
5. Find Customers
6. FindKeys for Customers

CustService is the alias name i used in my code to refer Customer Service;

using CustService = ConsumeAXServices.CustomerServiceRef;

Here is the C# method to Read a Customer:

public  CustService.AxdCustomer  CustomerRead(ref CustService.EntityKey[] entityKeyList, string accNum =  "US-003" , Boolean halt = true)
        {
            CustService.CustomerServiceClient proxy = null;
            CustService.AxdCustomer custDoc = null;
            CustService.CallContext callContext = null;

            try
            {
                custDoc = new CustService.AxdCustomer();                

                CustService.EntityKey[] custKeyList = new CustService.EntityKey[1];
                CustService.EntityKey custKey = new CustService.EntityKey();
                custKey.KeyData = new CustService.KeyField[1];

                CustService.KeyField custAccountNum = new CustService.KeyField();
                custAccountNum.Field = "AccountNum";
                custAccountNum.Value = accNum;

                custKey.KeyData[0] = custAccountNum;
                custKeyList[0] = custKey;

                callContext = new CustService.CallContext() { Company = "usmf" };
                proxy = new CustService.CustomerServiceClient();             

                custDoc = proxy.read(callContext, custKeyList);
                Console.WriteLine("Cust Num - " + custDoc.CustTable[0].AccountNum);
                Console.WriteLine("Cust CreditStatus - " + custDoc.CustTable[0].CreditRating);
                
                if (halt)
                    Console.ReadLine();

                entityKeyList = custKeyList;
                
            }

            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Error - " + ex.Message);
                proxy.Abort();
                Console.ReadLine();

            }
            finally
            {
                if (proxy != null)
                {
                    proxy.Close();
                    proxy = null;
                }
            }

            return custDoc;
        }

Here is the C# method to Create a Customer:

public void CreateCustomer(string accNum = "SanCus003", string custName = "Santosh Cust 003")
        {
            CustService.CustomerServiceClient proxy = null;
            CustService.AxdCustomer custDoc;
            CustService.CallContext callContext = null;
            CustService.AxdEntity_CustTable custTable = null;
            CustService.AxdEntity_DirParty_DirOrganization dirPartyOrg = null;
            CustService.AxdEntity_OrganizationName orgName = null;           


            try 
            {
                custDoc = new CustService.AxdCustomer();

                custTable = new CustService.AxdEntity_CustTable() { AccountNum = accNum, CustGroup = "20" };
                
                dirPartyOrg = new CustService.AxdEntity_DirParty_DirOrganization() { NumberOfEmployees = 11, NumberOfEmployeesSpecified = true };
                orgName = new CustService.AxdEntity_OrganizationName { Name = custName };
                dirPartyOrg.OrganizationName = new CustService.AxdEntity_OrganizationName[] { orgName };


                custDoc.CustTable = new CustService.AxdEntity_CustTable[] { custTable};
                custTable.DirParty = new CustService.AxdEntity_DirParty_DirPartyTable[] { dirPartyOrg };

                callContext = new CustService.CallContext() { Company = "usmf" };
                proxy = new CustService.CustomerServiceClient();
                var entityKeyList =  proxy.create(callContext, custDoc);

                var keyField = entityKeyList.FirstOrDefault().KeyData.FirstOrDefault();
                Console.WriteLine("Key Field - " + keyField.Field + "Key Value - " + keyField.Value);
                Console.ReadLine();

            }

// removed Catch and finally block to save the space

Here is the C# method to Update a Customer:

public void UpdateCustomer(string accNum = "SanCus002", string CustName = "Santosh Cust 002 - Update3")

        {

            CustService.CustomerServiceClient proxy = null;

            CustService.AxdCustomer custDoc = null;

            CustService.CallContext callContext = null;

            CustService.AxdEntity_CustTable custTable = null;

            CustService.AxdEntity_DirParty_DirOrganization dirPartyOrg = null;

            CustService.AxdEntity_OrganizationName orgName = null;

            CustService.EntityKey[] entityKeyList = null; 

            try

            {

               custDoc = this.CustomerRead(ref entityKeyList, accNum, false);

               custTable = custDoc.CustTable[0];

               custTable.CreditMax = 10000;

               custTable.action = CustService.AxdEnum_AxdEntityAction.update;

               custTable.actionSpecified = true;               

                

               dirPartyOrg = custDoc.CustTable[0].DirParty[0] as CustService.AxdEntity_DirParty_DirOrganization;                               

               dirPartyOrg.NumberOfEmployees = 12;

               dirPartyOrg.NumberOfEmployeesSpecified = true;

               dirPartyOrg.action = CustService.AxdEnum_AxdEntityAction.update;

               dirPartyOrg.actionSpecified = true;                         

               

               orgName =  dirPartyOrg.OrganizationName[0];

               orgName.updateMode = CustService.AxdEnum_ValidTimeStateUpdate.Correction;

               orgName.updateModeSpecified = true;

               orgName.Name = CustName;

               orgName.action = CustService.AxdEnum_AxdEntityAction.update;

               orgName.actionSpecified = true;

                

               callContext = new CustService.CallContext() { Company = "usmf" };

               proxy = new CustService.CustomerServiceClient();

               proxy.update(callContext, entityKeyList, custDoc);

                

               Console.WriteLine("Customer Update Success");

               Console.ReadLine();

            }

// removed Catch and finally block to save the space

Here is the C# method to Delete a Customer (customer shouldn't have any transactions assoicated):

public void DeleteCustomer(string accNum = "US-003")

        {

            CustService.CustomerServiceClient proxy = null;

            CustService.CallContext callContext = null;

            

            try

            {

                CustService.EntityKey[] custKeyList = new CustService.EntityKey[1];

                CustService.EntityKey custKey = new CustService.EntityKey();

                custKey.KeyData = new CustService.KeyField[1];

                CustService.KeyField custAccountNum = new CustService.KeyField();

                custAccountNum.Field = "AccountNum";

                custAccountNum.Value = accNum;

                custKey.KeyData[0] = custAccountNum;

                custKeyList[0] = custKey;

                callContext = new CustService.CallContext() { Company = "usmf" };

                proxy = new CustService.CustomerServiceClient();

                proxy.delete(callContext, custKeyList);

                Console.WriteLine("Customer Delete Success - " + accNum);

                Console.ReadLine();

            }

// removed Catch and finally block to save the space

     

Here is the C# method to Find Customers based on a Criteria

        public void FindCustomers(string custGrp = "10")
        {
            CustService.CustomerServiceClient proxy = null;
            CustService.CallContext callContext = null;
            CustService.QueryCriteria qc = null;
            CustService.AxdCustomer custDoc = null;
            CustService.AxdEntity_CustTable[] custTableList = null;

            try 
            {
                CustService.CriteriaElement criteria = new CustService.CriteriaElement() 
                                                    { DataSourceName = "CustTable", FieldName = "CustGroup", Value1 = custGrp };

                CustService.CriteriaElement[] criteriaList = new CustService.CriteriaElement[] { criteria };
                qc = new CustService.QueryCriteria();
                qc.CriteriaElement = criteriaList;

                callContext = new CustService.CallContext() { Company = "usmf" };
                proxy = new CustService.CustomerServiceClient();
                custDoc = proxy.find(callContext, qc);

                custTableList = custDoc.CustTable;
                foreach (var custTable in custTableList)
                {
                    Console.WriteLine("Customer - {0} , Group - {1}" , custTable.Name, custTable.CustGroup);                    
                }

                Console.ReadLine();                
            }
// removed Catch and finally block to save the space

Here is the C# method to FindKeys of Customers based on a Criteria:

        public void FindKeysCustomer(string custGrp = "10")
        {
            CustService.CustomerServiceClient proxy = null;
            CustService.CallContext callContext = null;
            CustService.QueryCriteria qc = null;
            CustService.EntityKey[] custKeyList = null;            

            try
            {
                CustService.CriteriaElement criteria = new CustService.CriteriaElement() { DataSourceName = "CustTable", FieldName = "CustGroup", Value1 = custGrp };

                CustService.CriteriaElement[] criteriaList = new CustService.CriteriaElement[] { criteria };
                qc = new CustService.QueryCriteria();
                qc.CriteriaElement = criteriaList;

                callContext = new CustService.CallContext() { Company = "usmf" };
                proxy = new CustService.CustomerServiceClient();
                custKeyList  = proxy.findKeys(callContext, qc);

                foreach (var custKey in custKeyList)
                {
                    CustService.KeyField keyField = custKey.KeyData.FirstOrDefault();
                    Console.WriteLine("Key Field - {0} , Key Value - {1}", keyField.Field, keyField.Value);                    
                }

                Console.ReadLine();

            }

// removed Catch and finally block to save the space

AX 7 Tips

Tip1: How to run a Runnable class directly from Web browser:
syntax: https://<aosUrl>/?mi=SysClassRunner&cls=<RunnableClassName>

Ex:
https://usnconeboxax1aos.cloud.onebox.dynamics.com/?mi=SysClassRunner&cls=WipRunClass1

an FYI...Runnable is just a regular class with Main method (main method is the starting point)



Tip2: AX dlls needed in a C# Project:

Tip3: Not able to break into X++ code or C# code, then here is your solution:
You may need to manually load the debug Info files(.dll, .pdb, .netModule)  through the VS -> Debug -> Modules window -> Search for C# namespace or X++ class name) -> Load Symbols

Tip4:   you can manually attach the VS debugger to worker process : VS -> Debug -> Process -> W3Wp.exe . In the case of AX 2012 you would attach the VS debugger to "AX32Serv.exe" process to debug anything that always runs in CLR, Example: Services.

(Also you don't need to set an aot element as "Start Up Object" in VS every time, you just need to know how run your object directly from the web browser)

AX 2012 known issues

Error1:

Team Foundation services are not available from server

you may get this error  for multiple reasons and one of the reason could be that your TFS may have multiple Project Collections and your AX Team Project is not in the Default Project collection.

Solution:  make sure to include TFS Project Collection name in the TFS URL : 

http://tfs:8080/tfs/<ProjectCollectionName>

Where is Tile Button control in AX 7

Tile Button control is part of  "Application Foundation" Model. This means unless your project has a reference to this model you wouldn't be able to add this Tile button control on any form.

If you need to refer more models in your project then go through Update Model Parameters (Dynamics AX Menu)  wizard and select the models you need.

Item Service in AX 2012- This document does not support the AxEcoResProductIdentifier class or AxEcoResProductCategory class

In AX 2012's Item service as part of creating an Item/Product through AIF Service if you try to populate entities EcoResProductIdentifier, EcoResProductCategory you may receive these errors:

This document does not support the AxEcoResProductIdentifier class
or
This document does not support the AxEcoResProductCategory class

You may very well receive these errors after going through the AIF wizard and regenerating the Item Service (InventTable and EcoResProduct), the reason being wizard doesn't generate some code related to all the Tables involved in the AxdQuery.

To fix this, I had to add following code in class -> AxdEcoResProduct-> prepareForSave()

       case classNum(AXEcoResProductIdentifier):
            axecoResProductIdentifier   = _axdStack.top() as AxEcoResProductIdentifier;
            axEcoResProduct             = axecoResProductIdentifier.parentAxBC() as AxEcoResProduct;
            axecoResProductIdentifier.parmProduct(axEcoResProduct.parmRecId());
            return true;       
        
        case classNum(AxEcoResProductCategory):
            axEcoResProductCategory     = _axdStack.top() as AxEcoResProductCategory;
            axEcoResProduct             = axEcoResProductCategory.parentAxBC() as AxEcoResProduct;
            axEcoResProductCategory.parmProduct(axEcoResProduct.parmRecId());
            return true;       

Ofcourse I had declare the corresponding variables.
Happy Daxing.....