Differences between different versions of AX (AX 4.0, AX 2009 and AX 2012)

Overview

S.No.	AX 4.0		AX 2009		AX 2012		Implementation Process in AX 2012
1	Normal Menu		Normal Menu		Jewel Menu
2	Normal Navigation Pane		Normal Navigation Pane		Redesigned Navigation Pane which can be personalised by the users and also users can access more modules with one click		Can be personalized by users through the View button in the command bar
3	Status Bar		Status Bar		Status Bar can be personalised by each user(Tools > Options)		It is controlled by using the Status Bar Style Property within the form design
4			List Page When the form template is set to ListPage, the form cannot have code that is running on the client		Shared List Page MetaData This is displayed in both the client and the Enterprise Portal
5			No Action Pane Strip		New Action Pane Strip control provides an action pane similar to Windows Explorer Bar.		This can be enabled by setting the ActionPane.style to Strip.
6			No Fact Boxes		Fact Boxes provides info related to the record displayed by the host form or List Page. InfoParts, FormParts, CueParts
7			No Preview Panes		Preview Pane displays more info abt the selected record in a list page.		Add a PartReference node to the Forms.Part node of the List Page. Set the PartLocation property of the PartReference to PreviewPane
8			No Fast Tabs		Fast Tab: New vertical presentation style where lots of data can be displayed in a highly accessible way. 1. More than one tab page can be displayed at a time 2. Display of summary fields without being expanded.		1. Set Tab.Style property to Fast Tabs 2. Summary fields can be specified by setting the FastTabSummary property on a control within the tab page, or ideally by adding a field to the AutoSummary group on a table so that the field is made into a summary field when it is positioned in a Fast Tab page.
9			No Document View		Document view is introduced into client forms to provide developers and users the ability to have a read-only representation of data that reduces the risk of accidental changes.		Developers can permanently set the mode for a control or a control container by using the ViewEditMode property at design time.
10			Gray box-shaped row labels		The gray box-shaped row labels were displayed on the left side of each grid row are now replaced by Grid Check Boxes		Grid.RowLabels and Grid.Multi Select properties are used to control these elements.
11			Preview - a tooltip was displayed that provided the user a one- or two-field preview of that record.		Enhanced Previews - more visible, available on any grid, also as specified by developers		1.Foreign key/any control: Set the Control.PreviewPartRefproperty to point to a Part (InfoPart or FormPart). 2.Table Foreign key: Table.PreviewPartRef property to point to a Part.
12			No Segmented Entry Control		Segmented entry control simplifies the task of entering complex account and dimension combinations.
13			ActiveX control: ability to extend the user interface		Managed Control Host: Support for external controls is extended by adding support for both .NET managed controls and WPF controls		AOT > New Form > Right click Design > New Control > ManagedHost.
14			Forms used to save as a whole object		Now they save at child element levels, like Tables and Classes. This reduces metadata conflicts when merging solutions into a single layer.
15			Controls and menu items cannot use metadata properties		Controls and menu items can use metadata properties to automatically disable or hide based on country/region context.
16			Not support		Forms support exporting changes from a single layer such as Tables and Classes.
17			Not present		The CueGroup and InfoPart model concepts use granular metadata and layer export such as classes and tables.
18			The Filter-by-Grid, Filter-by-Field, Field-by-Value, Filter-by- Selection, and Advanced Filter dialog boxes support filtering on outer joined fields by using the ON clause.		The Filter-by-Grid, Filter-by-Field, Field-by-Value, Filter-by-Selection, and Advanced Filterdialog boxes support filtering on outer joined fields by using the WHERE clause instead of the ONclause.
19			Help System		A new Help system is used to supply Help documentation for the application and development workspaces. No compilation, rebuilding, or AOT deployments are necessary to add Help documentation		New help content can be added by adding property formatted HTML files to the help server.
20			Users could only export data out of Microsoft Dynamics AX.		Microsoft Office Add-Ins: Both export and import data. Advantages are: 1. Lightweight reporting 2. Editing data in Excel 3. Improved Export to Excel for Remote Desktop Services 4. Import data using Excel 5. Templates and documents
21			No Work Items		Work Items: provides an alternative assignment and management model for task elements in workflows.		1. Create a queue for a specific document type. 2. Assign the queue to a queue group. 3. Add users to the queue. 4. Activate the queue. 5. Create a workflow and add a task element. 6. Set up the assignment to a specific queue. Then, when a record of that document type is submitted to workflow, a work item will be created and assigned to the queue.
22			Document Handling		Improved Document handlingincludes support for URLs and a document file web service. Also ease the document handling process for companies that are geographically dispersed and that want to maintain their paper-based documents in one location.		A URL can be attached to a transaction and a workflow definition can be configured to route paper-based document files for review. • A new document file web service is added that can be used to retrieve document file metadata and route the data to the appropriate parties by using workflow. • Document data can be entered, and the document file can be attached to the new transaction. This creates an audit trail for the original document.
23			Alerts - particular to a single legal entity		Alert rules are created at the company level if the data is associated with a company.		Alerts number sequence setup is included in Organization administration > Setup > Application parameters.
24	No Global Address Book		Company specific Global Address Book(Common Repository). Addresses are still stored in the entity tables, it was synchronized to the global address book tables		Global Address Book defined for global data. They are defined one time for the system and not one time for each company.
	a.	Address Transition: all the data associated to an entity's address was stored in the entity table.	a.	Address Transition: the address info was still stored in the entity tables, it was synchronized to the global address book tables.	a.	Address Transition: the transition is complete by removing the synchronization and duplicate fields from the entity tables. Address data is stored in the common address book tables.
	b.	Data Normalization: the address was usually stored on the header and each line for each transaction.	b.	Data Normalization: the address was usually stored on the header and each line for each transaction.	b.	Data Normalization: address duplication is reduced by storing the address one time and having each transaction or journal table reference the address record.
	c.	No Address Defaulting	c.	No Address Defaulting	c.	Address Defaulting: users can select which address should be used as the default for a transaction.
	d.	No Global Address Book Import	d.	No Global Address Book Import	d.	Global Address Book Import: As addresses are normalised, if data with an address is imported, both the address and data tables need to be updated.So, it has problems when it is loading nested and related tables. To resolve this, AIF document services are updated to correctly import to the global address book. The Microsoft Dynamics AX add-in for Excel is added to simplify calling the AIF document service.

MorphX

S.No.	AX 4.0	AX 2009	AX 2012	Implementation Process in AX 2012
1	The setup program installs deployment files, such as the Application Object Data (AOD) and Application Label Data (ALD) files on a file share.	The setup program installs deployment files, such as the Application Object Data (AOD) and Application Label Data (ALD) files on a file share.	The AOD & ALD files are now stored in the model store and alternate Model Store. Model store is stored in the SQL database.
2	AX stores the metadata in the application files called AOD files on a file share. AOS reads the application files to etrieve the necessary objects at run time. The AOS retrieves the metadata from the AOD files.	AX stores the metadata in the application files called AOD files on a file share. AOS reads the application files to etrieve the necessary objects at run time. The AOS retrieves the metadata from the AOD files.	SQL Server-based Model Store: The AOD files are replaced by a SQL Server database named the model store. The AOS retrieves the metadata from the model store instead of AOD files.
3	AOD files are stored in Application directory	AOD files are stored in Application directory	Model Files are stored in SQL database.
4			Models can be exported, installed, or uninstalled from the model store. Models are identified by a name and a publisher, and have a set of properties that can be changed, including a version number.
5	.aod is the extension for application files	.aod is the extension for application files	.axmodel is the extension for Model
6	Management of AOD:	Management of AOD:	Management of Models: 1. AXUtil.exe command-line utility is used to create, export, import, uninstall, and list installed models. 2. Programmatically: Developers can use the DLL(axutilib.dll) to create custom interfaces to manage models. 3. PowerShell cmdlets used to create scripts to perform actions repeatedly along with create,export etc.	1.Go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt. 2.Enter the following command to go to the appropriate directory. Cd "c:\Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics AX\60\Server\MicrosoftDynamicsAX\Bin". 3.Open the administrative utility axutil.exe. 4.Enter the command axutil.exe /? and then click Enter. 5.Review the various commands and parameters that are used by each cmd.
7	AOD Files are used for storing the elements.	AOD Files are used for storing the elements.	AOD files are no longer used and are replaced by the model store. So AOD files from earlier versions are loaded into the new model store.	During version upgrade or on the Tools menu by clicking Tools > Code upgrade > Import AOD File.
8			The current model can be set at the command line (AxUtil.exe), or by selecting the startup model in the User Option. To set the startup model in User Options select Tools > Options > Development > Startup model.
9			Displaying Model Tags: The AOT supports displaying which model a particular element belongs to, in addition to the familiar layer tags	Tools > Options > Development > AOT > Application object model.
10			Moving Model Elements: Any element created in the current layer can easily be moved to another model in the same layer. Right-clicking the element and then selecting Move to model.
11	Workspace: The application workspace and development workspace are combined	Workspace: The application workspace and development workspace are combined	Workspace: The application workspace and development workspace are separated. The developer workspace contains all the tools and features a developer needs for creating and customizing an application. Saved changes in the Development Workspace are always synchronized with the Application Workspace within the same client instance.
12	Normal X++ Editor	Normal X++ Editor	X++ Editor based on hosting a Visual Studio 2010 Editor Framework control.
13	Normal X++ classes and methods are used for development	Normal X++ classes and methods are used for development	X++ classes and methods can now be decorated with metadata in the form of attribute classes. An attribute class is any non-abstract class that inherits from the SysAttribute class. Detailed metadata is assigned through the constructor of the attribute class.
14	The system administrator had to manually copy label files from one environment to another.	The system administrator had to manually copy label files from one environment to another.	The label files are installed as part of the model file. Developers can view and import label (ALD) files in the Labels node in the AOT.
15	Application Hierarchy Tree	Application Hierarchy Tree	Type Hierarchy Browser: It enables browsing type hierarchies in the application model, including table inheritance. It also provides a view of members across the hierarchy. The view provides navigation to edit the method members.
16	No Type Hierarchy Context	No Type Hierarchy Context	Type Hierarchy Context provides contextual hierarchy information about types. It can be docked in the developer workspace. When you select a node in the AOT, it shows the parents from the object to the built-in kernel base types. You can navigate to the Type Hierarchy Browser for any of the nodes in the context hierarchy.
17	Reverse engineering is a feature that is used by partners to easily retrieve detailed information about the structures and relationships of the Microsoft Dynamics AX business logic and data model.	Reverse engineering is a feature that is used by partners to easily retrieve detailed information about the structures and relationships of the Microsoft Dynamics AX business logic and data model.	Reverse engineering tool is improved to support table inheritance and automatically includes parent elements in the generated models. The Reverse Engineering tool lets you visualize data and object models generated from projects in Microsoft Dynamics AX. These models are created as Microsoft Visio documents.	Right-click a project and select Add-ins > Reverse Engineer.

Data Access

S.No.	AX 4.0	AX 2009	AX 2012	Implementation Process in AX 2012
1			Relational Modeling:  1. Data normalization 2. Support date effectiveness 3. Support relationship defined at the table level instead of at EDT.
2	Able to define relations at EDT and Table levels.	Able to define relations at EDT and Table levels.	The ability to define relations on EDTs is removed
3	No Table Inheritance	No Table Inheritance	Table Inheritance: Just as an X++ class can inherit from another class, a table can inherit from another table. A table that inherits from the base table is called a derived table. the terms parent table and child table are used to describe foreign key relationships, not inheritance
4	No Surrogate Key	No Surrogate Key	A surrogate key is a system generated value that acts as the primary key of a table. This value is typically used instead of a set of fields called the natural key which would typically act as the primary key of a table. Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 uses RecId as the surrogate key.
5	The client supports lookup controls where the form’s table contains alternate foreign keys. Because the natural foreign key is contained on the form’s table, no additional query joins are needed to obtain an end-user understandable value.	The client supports lookup controls where the form’s table contains alternate foreign keys. Because the natural foreign key is contained on the form’s table, no additional query joins are needed to obtain an end-user understandable value.	New and refactored tables will be using the RecId surrogate key as their primary key, replacing the keys that contain user understandable values.
6	No Date Effectiveness	No Date Effectiveness	Date effectiveness is an ability of the application to associate valid from and to dates with the application artifacts. Eg: an agreement valid date ranges. Also it provides the functionality to create forms that manage editing of past, current and future records.
7	No Unit Of Work	No Unit Of Work	Unit of Work enables the developer to group tables so they are treated as one single transaction. It allows the developer to have one single trip to the Application Object Server (AOS) to change multiple records. The Unit Of Work feature supports client form ONE-TO-ONErelationship joins. The Unit Of Work feature supports the X++ ONE-TO-ONE relationship and ONE-TO-MANY relationship joins.
8	Data Access Framework: The records in the Temporary Table are stored in the db.	Data Access Framework: The records in the Temporary Table are stored in the db.	Data Access Framework: TempDB Temporary Tables is now a drop-down menu with several options. The enum value TempDB is the new type of temporary table that is hosted in the underlying Microsoft SQL Server database. The enum value InMemory is the legacy type of temporary table that is hosted in the client.
9	When changing the configuration key to disable a table, the table is dropped from the SQL database, deleting all data in the table.	When changing the configuration key to disable a table, the table is dropped from the SQL database, deleting all data in the table.	When the configuration key for a table that is listed in the AOT is disabled, the corresponding table in the underlying database management system is not dropped.
10	No Expression Operators for Inheritance	No Expression Operators for Inheritance	Expression Operators for Inheritance(is & as): is operator is used to test whether an object is, either directly or by inheritance, of a given type. The asoperator is similar to the is operator, the difference is the return value: •IS returns a Boolean •AS returns NULL or the designated value as the designated type
11	No QueryFilter	No QueryFilter	The new QueryFilter class can be used to filter the result set from an outer join. The QueryFilter class produces different results than the QueryBuildRange class in outer joins. The results are different because the QueryFilter class filters later in the internal query process and helps prevent rows with null values from appearing in the result set.
12	No Full Text Index	No Full Text Index	Full-text functionality that enables AX to search business data over a large volume of text data or documents. These can be automatically updated at the same time that the data is changed in the associated tables.	In the AOT, the ChangeTracking property of a full-text index can be set to either Auto or Manual. Indexes with the Auto property are updated automatically by the SQL Server as data is changed in associated tables. Indexes with the Manual property must be manually updated at a specified interval. The ChangeTracking property defaults to Auto for a new full-text index. Use the ChangeTracking property for optimum response time and throughput for the Microsoft Dynamics AX application.
13	No Computed Columns in Views	No Computed Columns in Views	A computed column is the output of a computation that inputs a regular column.
14	16 byte object ID	16 byte object ID	The 16 byte object ID is upgraded to 32 bytes. This change exponentially increases the number of object IDs.
15	No Eventing	No Eventing	Eventing lets the user use a publisher and subscriber model when manifesting changes occurring in the X++ application. Events can be modeled in metadata or be used as a programming construct and can be handled in either X++ code or in managed code.

Services & Application Integration

No.	AX 4.0	AX 2009	AX 2012	Implementation Process in AX 2012
1	Services are Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) based services that clients can use to interact with and retrieve system information.	Services are Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) based services that clients can use to interact with and retrieve system information.	Three service types are supported: •Document services •Custom services •System services
2	Services are managed at an individual service level.	Services are managed at an individual service level.	Service group is a collection of services that are frequently consumed and managed together. All services in a service group are published in a single Web Services Definition Language (WSDL). You only have to add a reference to a single WSDL to gain access to the service proxies of all the services in that service group. Service groups activate type sharing for types that are common across various services in a service group.	Service must be added to a service group to make the service available for client consumption. Individual services cannot be published by themselves. A developer can create a service group in the AOT. When creating service groups, developers can use the AutoDeploy property to decide whether a service group is deployed and activated when it is created. You must manually deploy and activate service groups that are not automatically activated by developers.
3	The concept of integration portsconsists of the concept AIF endpoints and related configuration forms	The concept of integration ports consists of the concept AIF endpoints and related configuration forms	An integration port is either an inbound port or an outbound port. External applications consume an inbound port. An outbound port is a destination for XML messages originating from the Microsoft Dynamics AX system. Both inbound and outbound ports can be either basic or enhanced.
4	A basic port can be an inbound or an outbound port. A basic port is an integration port that is exposed at a specific Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) endpoint on the AOS host. When developers create an automatically deployed service group in the AOT, a basic inbound port is created and associated with the service group being deployed. Some basic ports, such as the basic ports that are used for system services, are always deployed and enabled by default.	A basic port can be an inbound or an outbound port. A basic port is an integration port that is exposed at a specific Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) endpoint on the AOS host. When developers create an automatically deployed service group in the AOT, a basic inbound port is created and associated with the service group being deployed. Some basic ports, such as the basic ports that are used for system services, are always deployed and enabled by default.	An enhanced inbound or outbound port is an integration port. With this type of port, you can group and administer multiple services as a single unit. •Associate multiple services with the enhanced integration port. •Restrict service and data contracts. This is achieved by applying service operation and operation parameter constraints. •Have extensible pre- and post-processing of the service requests and service responses. •Host services on the AOS and IIS.
5	AIF doesn't support the import and export of data in non-XML formats.	AIF doesn't support the import and export of data in non-XML formats.	AIF now supports the import and export of data in non-XML formats. This means that you can import a file that is not XML
6		The troubleshooting and logging of the AIF is performed at the service operation level.	Services and the AIF troubleshooting and logging is performed at the integration port level.
7	The proprietary Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ) and BizTalk Server adapters are used in the architecture.	The proprietary Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ) and BizTalk Server adapters are used in the architecture.	It provides expanded support for WCFbeyond the basic HTTP and HTTPS bindings.
8	No WCF Service	No WCF Service	The AOS is the WCF service host for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 services. The AOS-hosted services are available to users and applications across the intranet. To consume services over the Internet, you must host services on Internet Information Services (IIS). All the Microsoft Dynamics AX services hosted by the AOS are contained in a single Web Services Definition Language (WSDL) file. This is also known as the root WSDL. When adding a reference to a service from Visual Studio, use the single WSDL.
9	No Microsoft Dynamics AX SOAP Headers	No Microsoft Dynamics AX SOAP Headers	Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) headers are extended. SOAP headers can be added when calling a service to pass data into the service.
10	Microsoft Dynamics AX supports the use of .NET and X++ types as data contracts for service operation input and return parameters. Complex data types can be passed without having to explicitly implement XML serialization and deserialization from them.	Microsoft Dynamics AX supports the use of .NET and X++ types as data contracts for service operation input and return parameters. Complex data types can be passed without having to explicitly implement XML serialization and deserialization from them.	The data contract serialization and deserialization is now handled by Windows Communication Foundation (WCF). X++ provides support for data contract functionality through the DataContractAttribute and DataMemberAttributeattributes. Any .NET type that is serializable by WCF can be used as a parameter or return type by a service in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012. By default, WCF uses the DataContractSerializer to serialize and deserialized data.
11	The RunBase framework is used	The RunBase framework is used	Business Operation Framework instead of RunBase framework is used because it provides a clean separation between the data contract, user interface and the service operation. BOF you can execute business operations synchronously or asynchronously. A business operation is a service operation exposed from the AOS. BOF provides various methods for invoking business operations from Microsoft Dynamics AX facilities, such as menu items and the batch framework.
12	Client applications can access services through the .NET Business connector.	Client applications can access services through the .NET Business connector.	Client applications can now access services through the WCF runtime without using the .NET Business connector.
13	An intranet deployment requires IIS.	An intranet deployment requires IIS.	An intranet deployment does not require IIS because services are now hosted on the AOS by default.
14	No WSDL concept	No WSDL concept	All the services references are placed in a single web services description language (WSDL) file. The single WSDL lets developers reuse types when consuming Microsoft Dynamics AX services.
15	Large message import is limited to 10MB.	Large message import is limited to 10MB.	Support for large messages import (10 MB limit removed)
16	Normal Error Handling	Normal Error Handling	Support for flexible error handling on large imports such as rollback and halt

EP Framework

S.No.	AX 4.0	AX 2009	AX2012
1	Manual compiling of x++ classes is required.	Manual compiling of x++ classes is required.	Enhanced initial setup and installation that no longer requires manually compiling X++ classes.
2			Ability to deploy changes in Enterprise Portal to a web server using the AxUpdatePortal utility or PowerShell commands.
3			Ability to deploy changes from the Application Object Tree (AOT) on a 32-bit client to a 64-bit Windows Server.
4			Automatic upgrade from Enterprise Portal on Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 to Microsoft SharePoint Foundation or Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010.
5			Ability to manage remote Enterprise Portal deployments from a Microsoft Dynamics AX client.
6			Enterprise Portal automatically allows and denies access to data and to web pages, based on settings in the Microsoft Dynamics AX role and task security framework. The administrators must configure Microsoft Dynamics AX security roles and tasks before users can view Enterprise Portal pages.
7			User Authentication: Administrators can configure Enterprise Portal vendor sites to authenticate users based on their Microsoft Live ID. By using this external authentication, administrators do not have to manage external users in their Active Directory configuration.
8			List Pages are the primary locations in Microsoft Dynamics AX to view lists of records, find specific records, access record details, perform actions on records, and move to other forms related to those records. Because of their importance, List Pages are improved to let the user quickly find the correct information, to perform complex actions directly from a List Page, and to help developers build high-quality List Pages.
9			Filter Capabilities : List Pages are designed to help users find the correct information easily by providing improved filter capabilities. Users can save and reuse filters. Users can use List Pages to preview important and related information through Fact Boxes, the Preview pane, and Cues. Using the Advanced filter option, Enterprise Portal users can save list items to a cue on their Role Center page.
10			Data Sharing and Analysis: In Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, the AXHierarchicalGridView is improved so that you can move tasks using a drag-and-drop operation, indent or negative indent tasks, and select multiple rows at one time. You can also export data from grids into Microsoft Excel®, change the data, and then import the data back into Microsoft Dynamics AX.
11			Quick Path, also known as Drop Dialog functionality, is added to the Action Pane so that you can perform a larger number of actions directly from the List Page instead of having to move to other forms and dialog boxes to provide parameters to those actions. In addition, Info Part Actions, and Hyperlinks on the grid help you take actions more quickly.
12	List pages for the client and list page for Enterprise Portal should be created separately.	List pages for the client and list page for Enterprise Portal should be created separately.	A list build for the Microsoft Dynamics AX client, and then select to deploy that same list to Enterprise Portal which decreases the development time and improves consistency between the client and Enterprise Portal.
13			The Employee services site in Enterprise Portal is improved to help the user view all available tasks in one place. Related tasks are grouped under a task heading. When you click the heading for a task group, a new activity site or list page opens where you can quickly and easily complete tasks.
14			It include Enterprise Search and the SharePoint Foundation 2010 Business Connectivity Services. The Business Connectivity Services provides an easy way to integrate Microsoft Dynamics AX business data with Enterprise Portal to provide solutions for end-users without writing any code.

Security

S.No.	AX 4.0	AX2009	AX 2012	Implementation Process in AX 2012
1	The authorization is performed primarily on the client.	The authorization is performed primarily on the client.	The Table Permissions Framework (TPF) is extended so that it can also work on fields. This improvement shifts the security load to the server, regardless of the type of client that is used to access the data.
2	User authentication is based on Active Directory.	User authentication is based on Active Directory.	Users can be authenticated by using identity providers other than Active Directory. This means external users will no longer require domain accounts to access Microsoft Dynamics AX. Instead, you can use Forms-based Authentication stores or work with external partners using Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS).
3			A hierarchy of security concepts to simplify the creation and administration of security.
4			Security roles, Process cycles, and Duties are the primary security concepts used by an administrator to control security. Security roles represent a behavior or group of duties for a job function. They include a defined set of application access privileges and users are assigned to one or more security roles. Process cycles organize duties and access privileges according to high level processing. For example: Revenue cycle. Duties are a responsibility to perform one or more tasks or services for a job. In the security model a duty is a set of application access privileges required for a user to perform specific tasks. Duties are designed according to a specific business objective.
5			Privileges, Entry points, and Permissions are primarily used by a developer to control security in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012. Privileges group together related Microsoft Dynamics AX artifacts from a security perspective. For example: Menu items for forms and related Fact Boxes. Permissions group together Microsoft Dynamics AX base objects and permissions that are required for them. Entry points link to Permissions. For example: Form permissions, Report permissions.
6	No Role-based Security	No Role-based Security	Role-based Security makes application security easier to manage by providing the following benefits: •Application security aligned with your business •Reusable permissions •Compliance, auditing, and reports •Default and sample security settings
7	Administrators created their own user groups and manually assigned users to those groups.	Administrators created their own user groups and manually assigned users to those groups.	Security is role-based, and by default, many security roles are provided. Using role-based security, users are assigned to roles, based on their responsibilities in the organization and their participation in business processes. Instead of identifying and granting access to application elements, the administrator assigns duties.
8	User groups could not span multiple companies.	User groups could not span multiple companies.	Reusable Permissions: A single set of roles applies across all companies and organizations. The administrator no longer has to create and maintain separate user groups for each company. Even though roles themselves are not specific to a company or organization, the administrator can still specify a company or organization context for a particular user in a role.
9	Auditing for compliance is a manual task for administrators. There are no built-in features to help prevent fraud and guarantee compliance.	Auditing for compliance is a manual task for administrators. There are no built-in features to help prevent fraud and guarantee compliance.	Setup a segregation of duties rules to make sure a user does not have access to conflicting duties. For example, a rule can be set up specifying one person should not be granted access to both create and release a purchase order. In another example, a rule specifies one person cannot both acknowledge the receipt of goods and pay the vendor. Because administrators and auditors can more easily obtain information about each user's permissions, they can also easily determine whether adjustments to security must be made.
10	No security settings are provided. Administrators created their own user groups and granted those groups access to application elements.	No security settings are provided. Administrators created their own user groups and granted those groups access to application elements.	Default and Sample Security Settings: Permissions for all application elements are grouped into default privileges and duties. The default security roles have application access. By default, data restrictions are not applied.
11			Extensible Data Security Framework The Extensible Data Security Framework lets an administrator create data security policies that determine what data a user can access. This provides a state where the security is automatically enforced based on business data. The data security setup is performed in two steps: 1.Developers identify the tables that need to be secured and create a policy based on specific data security requirements. 2.The IT system administrators decide which policies to enable or disable.

Workflow

S.No.	AX 4.0	AX 2009	AX 2012
1		•Forward only, sequential workflows •Only interactive elements (tasks and approvals) •Support for sub-workflows	Expand workflow capabilities by providing broader applicability•Introduce branching •Introduce automated tasks •Introduce line-item workflow support •Introduce parallelism
2		Business user configures workflows using a Microsoft Dynamics AX client form	Improve the workflow editing experience and usability •Introduce a graphical workflow editor •Support for “drag-and-drop” of workflow elements •Familiar property editing experience
3		•Separate workflow component have to be installed •Requires IIS and .NET Business Connector •Requires additional security setup	Simplify workflow deployment and installation •Host the .NET Workflow runtime in AOS •Separate installation no longer required
4		Workflow server components need to be installed on a web server running Internet Information Services (IIS).	Workflow server components are now automatically installed when installing the Microsoft Dynamics AX AOS. This new deployment significantly simplifies the administrative effort required to set up the workflow infrastructure.
5			Workflow history and the status of an active or completed workflow and its elements that includes data about new workflow features, such as advanced flow-controls, automated tasks, line item workflow, and work item queues can be viewed. This data either in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client or the Enterprise Portal for Microsoft Dynamics AX can also be viewed
6			Includes a new workflow online analytical processing (OLAP) cube, and performance analysis reports built on this cube. These tools can help determine whether a workflow is adding efficiency to your business processes, and provide a means of comparing an automated workflow to the manual processes it replaced. The new performance analysis reports focus on showing how much work was done by using the workflow and how much time that it took to perform the business tasks that comprise the workflow. Using these reports can help you modify your workflows and optimize their performance.
7			The Workflow Editor is a graphical interface that is used to model Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 workflows by arranging workflow elements similarly to how a business process is graphically modeled using Microsoft Visio. Add, delete, and reposition workflow elements that represent the tasks and approvals that comprise the workflow can be done. Also add flow-control elements, such as manual and automated decisions, automated tasks, parallel activities, and sub-workflows. These improvements can be used to create complex workflows that closely model the business processes that an organization wants to automate.
8		No Flow-Control Elements	Several new elements were added to help you design workflows. These elements will help create workflows that have alternate branches or branches that run at the same time. These elements include the following: •Conditional decision: A point at which a workflow divides into two branches. The system will decide which branch to use by evaluating the submitted document to determine whether it meets a specified condition. •Manual decision: A point at which a workflow divides into two branches. A user must take an action, and the action taken will determine which branch is used to process the submitted document. •Parallel activity: A workflow element that includes two or more branches that run at the same time.
9		No advanced workflow controls	Workflow for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 supports advanced workflow flow controls. They include starting and ending elements, manual and conditional decisions, parallel activity and parallel branches, automated tasks, and sequence flows. Business users can now author workflows that correspond more closely to real life business processes using graphical elements that help them to better visualize the process flow.
10		No Automated Task	An automated task is a type of workflow element that does not involve human interaction. For example, an automated task can perform a credit check, run a report, or update a record. The purpose of an automated task is to execute business logic as part of a workflow that is implemented to automate a business process.
11		Assigning a workflow task to a user, role, or organizational hierarchy can be done	Assigning a workflow task to a work item queue. A work item queue is a list of workflow tasks that must be completed. Users can be determined to assign to a queue. Any user assigned to a queue can complete any of the tasks in the queue.
12		No Line-Item Workflows	Workflows for line items on a document can be implemented. By providing support for line-item workflows, workflow now supports more business process scenarios. For example, you might define a workflow for timesheets where each line item on the timesheet is approved by a specific project manager. A line-item workflow is configured and instantiated for different types of line item records that are related to a header. A header-line workflow can be configured to pause until other workflows are run on any number of line records.
13		No Line-Item Workflow in the AOT	Line-Item Workflow in the AOT: line-item workflows can be enabled for a workflow type inside the AOT so that business users can author a workflow in the Workflow Editor that includes line-item workflows

  

Analytics

S.No.	AX 4.0	AX 2009	AX 2012	Implementation Process
1			Two New Cubes:  •The Environmental Sustainability cube provides data that can help you track your organization's energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, which your organization can use to be more proactive in its approach to environmental issues. •The Workflow cube provides data that can help you track the history and current status of business processes in your organization, which you can use to identify processes that have become inefficient and help your business run more smoothly.
2			Financial cubes have been updated for compatibility with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 features. This includes support for new budget and ledger transaction tables, unlimited financial dimensions, changes to fiscal calendars, and Microsoft Dynamics AX perspectives.
3		When you disable license or configuration keys, associated columns were removed from tables in the online transaction processing (OLTP) database. As a result: •Cubes could not be processed because they could not access the columns they were designed to retrieve data from. •Errors were displayed in reports and Role Center Web parts that used cubes as a data source.	The OLTP database has a fixed schema. This means that when you disable license or configuration keys, associated columns are not removed from tables in the OLTP database. Instead, data is removed from those columns. As a result: •Cubes can be processed successfully. •Errors might be displayed in reports and Role Center Web parts that use cubes as a data source. You will need to modify these reports and Web parts so that they no longer try to retrieve data from a column or field that contains no data.
4			Date Dimension and the Gregorian Calendar: the properties of the Gregorian calendar can be defined by using the Calendar builder form in your Microsoft Dynamics AX client.	To access the Calendar Builder click Organization administration > Common > Calendars > Gregorian calendars.
5		View Support in Perspectives: custom query definitions were required to perform the following tasks: •Join tables with complex join conditions. •Reduce the scope of tables. •Create measures or dimension attributes using calculated fields.	The Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 online analytical processing (OLAP) framework supports Microsoft Dynamics AX views in perspectives. The user is able to drag-and-drop Microsoft Dynamics AX views into perspective nodes in the Application Object Tree (AOT) and set the Analysis properties. You can generate an Analysis Services project from a perspective that contains Microsoft Dynamics AX views in addition to tables.

Reporting

S.No.	AX 4.0	AX 2009	AX 2012
1			The SQL Server Reporting Services architecture in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 has been modified to follow a Model-View-Controller (MVC) design pattern variation. This architecture allows many different client types to call Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Reporting Services reports including: Microsoft Dynamics AX clients, Enterprise Portal, and Batch Job. This also means that Reporting Services can be replaced by a different application for rendering reports.
2			Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 reports require SQL Server 2008.
3		Installation and Deployment: Install the reporting extensions when running the Setup wizard.	Installation and Deployment: the Setup wizard is changed. It no longer includes an option for installing the reporting extensions.
4		Auto-report wizard to create customized, ad hoc reports. These reports were based on the X++ reporting framework.	Auto-report wizard to create customized, ad hoc reports that are based on the SQL Server Reporting Services framework. To start the Auto-report wizard, click the Print icon on a form.
5		Deploy a report in each specific language.	Deploy the report, and that version will automatically reflect all supported languages.
6			All X++ reports are now migrated to SQL Server Reporting Services. This platform provides users better looking reports, more export formats, and a more capable report designer.
7		X++ framework is used to modify the queries used to retrieve data for reports.	The Reporting Services framework is updated and uses the same functionality. This means filtering and sorting the data on Reporting Services reports can be done.
8			Batch Support: SQL Server Reporting Services reports in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 can now be integrated with the Microsoft Dynamics AX batch framework. This allows to: •Schedule a long-running report to be printed during off-peak hours. •Schedule a report to be printed on a recurring-basis.
9			Report Web Parts:  The Web Part used to display reports in Role Centers and other Enterprise Portal pages is updated. This Web Part is renamed from Microsoft Dynamics Report Server Report to Microsoft Dynamics AX Report. The Web Part has also been updated to improve usability. It is now easier to: •Add the Web Part to a page. •elect a report to display in the Web Part. •Select parameters to filter the data displayed on the report.
10		Cross-reference system to view the relationships between objects.	The Cross-reference tool is now updated to work for reports. Like any other object in the AOT, you can right-click Report > Add-ins > Cross-reference tool > Using, and the data source will be displayed. You can also select a data source, such as a query in the AOT, and select Used By, and it will list the report or the reports that use it.