Today we will learn on how to share data across multiple companies using AX Virtual Company concept
Virtual Company:
Dynamics Ax stores data as per company in tables. But there might be occasions when you want to share data across companies, like country, state, and zip codes data. This sharing of data is achieved by creating a virtual company and storing data in this virtual company. Normal companies are then configured to read/write data from this virtual company. The only purpose of virtual company is to share data across companies, you cannot log into this virtual company.
Before seeing how to do virtual company setup, I would like you to show another trick that can be used to share data across Ax. There is a property on Ax tables called "SaveDataPerCompany", you can use this property to save data globally in Ax. To share data set this property to "No".
Dynamics Ax stores data as per company in tables. But there might be occasions when you want to share data across companies, like country, state, and zip codes data. This sharing of data is achieved by creating a virtual company and storing data in this virtual company. Normal companies are then configured to read/write data from this virtual company. The only purpose of virtual company is to share data across companies, you cannot log into this virtual company.
Before seeing how to do virtual company setup, I would like you to show another trick that can be used to share data across Ax. There is a property on Ax tables called "SaveDataPerCompany", you can use this property to save data globally in Ax. To share data set this property to "No".
Note: This data is
shared by all the companies in Ax. This option will delete DataAreaId field and default (DataAreaId, RecId) index from the
table. If you want more control on shared data, like which companies can share
and which cannot then use virtual company.
Virtual Company setup:
Virtual Company setup:
Step 1: Create Table Collection
Decide which tables
you want to share and create a table collection for
these functionally related tables.
For e.g: Create a new table which
you want to share like TEC_VirtualCompany
To create a table
collection, go to AOT\Data
Dictionary\Table Collections and on right click select "New Table Collection", then
just drag your required tables in this collection.
Step
2: Create Virtual Company, configure/attach normal companies and table
collection
Create a virtual
company that will hold the shared data for normal companies.
Note: Before doing the below steps, make sure you are the Ax administrator and the only user online.
Note: Before doing the below steps, make sure you are the Ax administrator and the only user online.
1.
Go
to Administration -- Setup -- Virtual Company accounts, and create a
virtual company.
2.
Decide
which companies needs to share data and attach those normal companies with this
virtual company.
3. Attach the table collection with this virtual company.
Your Ax client will
re-start and you are done with setting up the virtual company account.
Now, when you have virtual company in place, all new data will be saved in this virtual company. Only companies attached to the virtual company can use this shared data. All other companies which are not attached will work normally, these companies will continue to read/write data as per company bases.
Test:
1. Company which is added in Virtual Collection.
2. Company which is not added in Virtual Collection.
SQL level changes: DATAAREAID will be the virtual
company name we created.
How to move
existing data to virtual company?
When you setup a new virtual company, Ax does not move data automatically from normal company to virtual company. This is done by system administrator manually.
There are many ways to do this data move, but I will discuss only two approaches here.
Ax Import / Export:
This is standard Ax approach.
When you setup a new virtual company, Ax does not move data automatically from normal company to virtual company. This is done by system administrator manually.
There are many ways to do this data move, but I will discuss only two approaches here.
Ax Import / Export:
This is standard Ax approach.
1.
Manually
export existing normal company data from Ax.
2.
Remove
duplicate records from this exported data set.
3.
Delete
exported data from normal companies.
4.
Import
the exported data back in Ax, while logged into one of the participating
companies.
5.
Create
records deleted in point 2 again in Ax using your logic. How you want to handle
duplicate? For example, if you have customer 'Rah' in more than one normal company,
what you want to do with this?
Direct SQL:
Use this approach if you have good knowledge about SQL queries and Ax table structures/relationships. Below are few points that will help you understand what to do and how to do.
Use this approach if you have good knowledge about SQL queries and Ax table structures/relationships. Below are few points that will help you understand what to do and how to do.
- All Ax tables store data as
per company unless otherwise specified. For this, Ax uses a special
field called DataAreaId. In case of virtual company, it does not matter
from which normal company you log-in, it is always the virtual company id
which is stored in DataAreaId field of shared tables.
- Ax also assigns a unique
64bit number to each record in table. For this, Ax uses a special
field called RecId. This RecId is unique in the table and is
generated by Ax when you insert a new record in Ax. It is not related to
DataAreaId / Company.
- For unique records between
all participating normal companies, update the DataAreaId to the virtual
company id.
- For duplicate records,
create them again in Ax using some Ax job or Ax
import/export technique.
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