February 2016 release notes

The Microsoft Dynamics Lifecycle Services team is happy to announce the immediate availability of the February release of Lifecycle Services.

NEW FEATURES 

Dynamics AX project workspace

With this release, customers signing up for the new Dynamics AX by using CSP or VL, will get the new implementation project workspace.

This implementation project workspace is created when a customer signs up for Dynamics AX offer and provides the following:

  • Every customer gets One implementation project workspace which is automatically created during signup.
  • Based on the offer selected by the customer, features in this project workspace will be enabled.
  • Environments included in the offer will be deployed and managed by Microsoft.
  • The Action center will help guide you through the required actions that must be completed.
  • A new methodology experience includes locked tasks as you progress through the implementation.
  • A more complete trail specifying who completed each methodology phase and tasks.
  • Milestones that can be used to track critical project dates.

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Partners creating projects

As a partner, you can now create 2 types of project:

  1. Prospective presales: Use this project workspace to work with new Dynamics AX prospects to help them understand the business processes available in Dynamics AX and evaluate their subscription needs.
  2. Migrate, create solutions, and learn Dynamics AX: You can use this option to create a Dynamics AX 2012 project workspace, a project for upgrading from Dynamics AX 2012 to the new AX, to learn the new Dynamics AX, or to create LCS solutions.

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Subscription estimator

Use can use the subscription estimator to evaluate your subscription needs for the new Dynamics AX. To use the Subscription estimator,  download the Usage profile Excel workbook and complete the following sheets:

  • Deployment details
  • Instance Characteristics
  • Retail & Commerce

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After you have completed the worksheets, enter the data from the summary sheet into the Subscription estimator as shown below by clicking on + New estimate.

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You must also make one estimate the Active estimate. Please make sure the estimate you mark as Active is same as the offer you bought through the VL or CSP channel.

New Online service agreement

With this release of LCS, the LCS online service agreement has been updated. You can find the latest online service agreement here. You need to accept the new online service agreement to continue using LCS.

Issue search

Issue search will now show a download button for new Dynamics AX online issues.  The hotfix package is directly available for download from the Issue search page. You no longer need to navigate through the Update tile to obtain the hotfix package.

Business process modeler (BPM)

You can now rename a BPM library. To edit a library name or its description:

  1. Right-click the library and then click Edit.
  2. Enter the new library name and description and then click OK.

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New business process library for new Dynamics AX

We have shipped 2 new BPM libraries for the new Dynamics AX.

  1. The Getting started library is for key Dynamics AX trial getting started scenarios.
  2. The New APQC unified library is the new cross industry library.

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45+ solutions are now available for the new Dynamics AX

45+ industry-specific Dynamics AX ISV solutions are available on Azure Marketplace and consumable through LCS. You can browse these solutions here. Dynamics AX customers and prospects can now discover these solutions in Azure marketplace and request the ISV’s for a trial of these solutions.

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New deployment experience:

Deployment services for Microsoft Dynamics AX are now available for both Partner functions and Customer Subscription offers.

The new Dynamics AX SQL Azure deployments can now have encryption at rest,

Premium storage support is enabled for all Dynamics AX demo VMs.

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