Tuesday, March 27, 2012

NAV 2009 RTC Client Randomly Failed to Connect

This morning I had one strange issue while trying to connect my RTC client to data base.
Immediately after starting RTC client I got this error:

Type: System.AccessViolationException

After trying to give access rights to Microsoft.Dynamics.Nav.Client.exe, and giving extra admin rights to current user nothing did the trick. Then I started thinking that maybe there is problem on Service tier. Now it was time to change setup of services. I noticed that some of services are running under "Local Account", and some under "Network account". This was obligatory because I have more than one NAV Services. Since "Network account" gives so much trouble and is really delicate to maintain i decided to change every one service to run under local administrator account. After I changed this setting and restarted services everything went through.

Monday, March 26, 2012

NAV 2009 Platform Overview

Here are few links that You might find userful while working with NAV 2009 or troubleshooting:

Released Platform Hotfixes for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Dynamics World Support

I'm proud to say that portal Dynamics World has published my article about Dynamics NAV.

You can read blog directly on MSDynamicsWorld site.

Monday, March 5, 2012

SQL Server Configuration Recommendations

There is very interesting Blog post on Microsoft Dynamics NAV Team Blog about recommendations for SQL Server Setup.

Michael De Voe has written one document which consists of pointers for setting up SQL 2005 or SQL 2008 for Dynamics NAV.

Here's short list of recomendations:

  • Max Server Memory,
  • Auto-Create Statistics,
  • Auto-Update Statistics,
  • Auto-Grow,
  • Database Compatibility Level,
  • Trace Flag 4136,
  • Trace Flag 4119,
  • Data files for TempDB,
  • Disk Alignment,
  • Read Committed Snapshot Isolation (RCSI),
  • Max Degree of Parallelism,
  • Dynamics NAV Default Isolation Level,
  • Dynamics NAV "Lock Timeout",
  • Dynamics NAV "Always Rowlock",
  • Maintenance Jobs,
  • Instant File Initialization,
  • Optimize for Ad Hoc Workloads,
  • Page Verify,
  • Lock Pages in Memory.
Here are links to:
Dynamics NAV Team Blog
Michael's SQL recomendations

SQL 2010 Login Error

Today I tried to test Dynamics NAV 2009 client on new SQL 2010 R0.

Installation went without problems, user creation also went without problem, and then I started classic client with task to create data base. Now problems started.

On my server I had two types of data base users: domain user (Windows authentication) and data base user.

Thing that bothered me was that I could log in with windows account but couldn't log in with database account.

After I verified all of SQL Server parameters, user permissions, and data base properties I found what was "wrong": SQL 2010 has new security feature that doesn't allow logging of accounts that have blank passwords.

Even thou your account has blank password with ALTER LOGIN function and even thou query returns Command(s) completed successfully You still won't be able to log in.

After setting passwords to my database account I was able to log in to SQL server and create/restore databases.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Supporting Web-Site

It's finally done!.

I had some questions about files (Dynamics and PMP) so I decided to put online site that will support this blog and vice versa.

I've published Google Site on adress: Filip's Site.

Like Blog You can comment and share data / links and etc. Also please comment and please put Your proposals on site (topics, files, links ets.)

Saturday, February 25, 2012

My way to PMP certificate

Probably all of You know what are projects, their importance and PMP certificate.
My first contact with PMI and PMP was during my first Project Manager experience and ever since I started thinking how to obtain this certificate. It is currently considered most valuable certificate in whole world, but it is also one of most difficult one to obtain. Many of my friends and colleagues tried to pass it and failed. Naturally this brought something like a really big fear of "PMP exam" - even thou I still didn't know what is this exam really about..

After talking to many people tutoring for this exam, and few of them who passed it I decided to give it a try.

Here is my path for PMP preparation - what materials I used, what test examples and books I read.

PMP Preparation seminar


PMP preparation seminar. This is obligatory because You'll gain needed 30 PDU points to access PMP exam and You'll get insight to what PMP is all about. My advice is to listen to prep seminar in Your native language or any language You're most comfortable in and try to get involved in lectures and discussions as much as you can. Don't go to one of those fast seminars that last from 1 to 3 days because You won't learn "anything". The way I see it this short seminars are best to repeat what You have learned and NOT to learn something new. You need time to think through what You have heared and learned. Also try to implement what You have learned on prep seminars in Your everyday life and business life. Also, keep all materials from Your PMP prep course - they will probably came in handy to You as much they did to me when I was learning through Rita PMP prep book.

Rita Mulcahy PMP Prep Book 


I'd like to say that this book is also obligatory, even thou You can find all sorts of PMP Exam Prep (I've also red one of them) books on Amazon or other Internet sites. Why Rita? Everyone will tell You that Rita is book that You need to read, learn and that it will be enough to pass this exam. NOT! ¨Maybe because I've used Rita 6 on current exam, but I don't thik so. Rita (the one which I read and learned) has few sections written wrong, and also some sections aren't covered in enough detail to pass exam. Remember that if You plan to use Rita (or any other book) You'll have to do extra reading. If you decide to go with Rita (like I did) read it WHOLE, try to answer all test prep questions (I did it in 3rd pass of book) and remember to learn Rita's process chart (it will help you answer 50% of questions on exam). Also read last chapter (don't skip) where Rita in 2-3 pages writes about what to do to pass exam. If You're wondering how many times I read Rita - 4 times :).

PMP Exam Examples


This is, by far,  most useful learning tool. After I learned (at least i thought I've learned it) Rita, all of formulas and methods I started those exams. Of course I didn't know answers to all of questions, but 50% of them. Then Google is Your best friend :). I started google-ing through exam questions terms, questions, formulas. After a while I managed to learn few thing and narrowed my gap in knowledge. I've tried 3 test simulations - about 630 questions.

Own Notes and Handbooks


Wrote my own PMP exam prep notes and handbook. While I was reading Rita, looking for answers to unknowns of test PMP exams I was writing it all in my little notebook. Also Rita stresses out that inputs and outputs of each Project phase, knowledge area and PM process aren't so important to remember if You know Rita Process Chart. Well that just isn't so. I've had 30 questions about inputs and outputs which even waren't in Rita's Prep Book. This is important for exam. Only source for that data I could think of was PMBOK - but I hadn't time. So I decided to google-it. After some effort I found what I was looking for and I will share it with all of You through my Blog :)
Here are my notes that could help you prepare for exam, and helped me to learn faster: My PMP Notes

Get Rested Before Exam


Remember to get good night sleep before exam because You have little time to review Your answers so You'll need Your concentration!
    If you try to go through my steps, I'm sure that You'll pass it from first try like me :)

    Good luck!

    Friday, February 24, 2012

    Zoom Functionality In RTC 2009 R2


    Zoom is very handy function that all of NAV users, in very short time, learned what it and use it daily. In classic client Zoom function is started by pressing F8 button or using Tools menu function Zoom.
    RTC client also has built in Zoom functionality but it's slightly different than old Zoom function.

    Starting Zoom

    You can start Zoom function by pressing Ctrl+Alt+F1 key kombination on current page or use standard windows function „Help > About“


     You can start Zoom function by pressing Ctrl+Alt+F1 key kombination on current page or use standard windows function „Help > About“

    Zoom Data

    After starting function RTC Zoom page will appear with more dana than old Zoom:
    • Page Information – information about page type, page mode, source table and current record.
    • Table fields – old Zoom data
    • Source Expressions
    • FlowFilter Fields – All flowFilter Fields on current form with applied filters

    Sunday, February 19, 2012

    Access NAV Server Through Multiple Different Domains

    Accessing NAV Server Through Multiple Different Domains tends to be wery frustrating! Have you ever encountered situation where You needed to connect NAV RTC client from one domain to NAV Server which is on other domain? Well, I did. And I must say that this is kind'a BIG problem with international companies who have strong security policy.

    Well, luckily Microsoft has server and infrastructure issues that came great in solving this problem.

    When thinking about how to solve this problem main thing that came to my attention is how to transfer permissions from one domain to another with same users, and at the end how will those users authenticate to NAV server with Windows authentication. I must say that I was really surprised when I found out that windows recognizes users between domains as same users if they have same user name and password.

    For start, lets assume that You have created users on NAV server which is in different organizational unit and different domain.

    Active Directory Setup

    Create users on Server in Active Directory with appropriate rights and in appropriate organizational unit.
    When creating users remember that newly created users must have:
    • Same username as users on NAV Server
    • Same password users set up on NAV Server
    When You’ve created user, just click Finish to apply newly created user.

    To check if Your user is created as it should check your Organizational unit to see if Your new user is positioned in that Organizational unit.

    SQL Server Setup

    Create New login with Windows authentication. This user must be with same user name as the one on NAV server, but with domain where is SQL server.

    Don't forget to Map user on appropirate NAV Database.

    VIEW SERVER STATE on SQL ERROR

    Now, users are created and theoretically they should be able to connect to SQL server – but not.
    If You try to connect to database (and You have created users in NAV), You'll get View Server State Error.

    Next thing is to set up Database properties and grant View Server State Permission to all users that need to connect to Your NAV Database.
    To set up users edit Database Permissions on SQL Server Properties.


    In upper part of Form You need to find user who You'll give that permission to. After You have found it You need to Grant Explicit permission to View Server State parameter in lower part of form.

    Confirm setup with OK button and You're set.

    Create Users in NAV

    Following standard procedure in NAV create users with Windows Logins and with appropriate permissions.


    When created, don’t forget to Synchronize them.


    This principle is best used in companies who want to use NAV RTC client in their business, otherwise You can direct users to connect through Database logins.

    Wednesday, February 15, 2012

    Critical Chain Method

    This method is a technique that modifies the project schedule to account for limited resources by adding duration buffers that are non-work schedule activities to maintain focus on the planned activity durations.

    Critical chain is completed after determining critical path by entering resource availability and the resulting schedule produces a resource-constrained critical path, which is usually altered from the original. Critical chain focuses on managing remaining buffer durations against the remaining durations of task chains

    Critical chain is a Schedule development technique that modifies project schedule to account for limited resources.