Scribe Software Blog

NAV and AX Adapter Release Candidates Available for Download

Last week I posted to the blog that the Insight 7.0 Release Candidate was available for download, along with most adapters except for AX and NAV (see "Steelhead Release Candidate Available for Download"). As of today, release candidates for the Scribe Adapter for Dynamics NAV v1.4 and the Scribe Adapter for Dynamics AX v1.1 are available for download as well.

To access the download page for these pre-release versions of the adapters, please view the original web cast at http://blog.scribesoft.com/2010/05/get-early-access-to-insight-70-with-the-steelhead-technical-preview.html.

Integrating Dynamics NAV and Web Services

Hello, I am Evgeniy Zherebnoy, from Celenia. As an employee of Celenia my responsibilities include providing pre-sales support to Scribe Software, and consulting services to Scribe Resellers who are creating and deploying integrations with Dynamics NAV and Dynamics AX.

At a time when investments in business integration for business process optimization are increasing, web services is becoming the leading technology to solve Services Oriented Architecture challenges of the Web 2.0. In this blog we discuss how the Web service technologies can be used to integrate various business processes to Dynamics NAV using Scribe Insight.

On the technical side, integration can offer some challenges both in terms of data integrity and technology – data integrity needs to be solved by the people that fully understand the context of the business process. The technology challenge can be simplified by the use of web services – it is a simple message oriented mechanism that works across most operating systems and network protocols. Most new applications today have a web services interface or their programming language allows you to build web services.

The latest releases of Scribe Web Services Adapter and Scribe Adapter for Microsoft Dynamics NAV include a number of features:

Scribe Web Services Adapter

• Connects to SOAP based Web Services via HTTP and HTTPS protocols.
• Presents Web methods as business objects to be selected as the source or target.
• Presents parameters as fields to be used in the mapping window of the Scribe Workbench.
• Supports SOAP headers when connecting to Web methods.
• Provides the ability to design custom exception conditions when the WSDL is not specific enough.
• Enables you to designate specific Web methods to be used when "logging on" or "logging off" the Web Service.
• Allows you to include binary large objects (BLOBs) in your data set.

Scribe Adapter for Microsoft Dynamics NAV

• Encapsulates the business rules of Microsoft Dynamics NAV, replicating the logic that is applied when you add or change records using the Microsoft Dynamics NAV user interface.
• Gives ability to synchronize data from any Microsoft Dynamics NAV table.
• Supports retrieving, inserting, updating, and deleting data in Microsoft Dynamics NAV.
• Adds many-to-many associations, such as Contacts to Opportunities. Provides functionality to work with related tables as a single object, which gives more flexibility in data translation.
• Ability to use custom actions for different business processes. With Adapter you are able to execute NAV code by calling specific Codeunits.
• Supports multiple companies using NAS instance for each Dynamics NAV company.

The diagram below shows high level architecture of the Scribe Insight involving both adapters:

 

Sample Integration Scenarios

Integration foreign currency exchange rates with NAV

Currency rates are changing frequently and are becoming an important factor in many companies as more and more companies trade across borders/currencies. Having the exchange rate for a specific currency in your Dynamics NAV system up to date is possible via simple implementation as an example:

• Connect through Scribe Web Services Adapter to StrikeIron Foreign Exchange Rates Web Service using WSDL link as a source: http://ws.strikeiron.com/ForeignExchangeRate3?WSDL.

• Choose a web service method on the source side that returns current exchange rate based on the defined input parameters.

• Connect through Scribe Adapter for Dynamics NAV to Dynamics NAV database and company as a target.

• Set up target steps into the Currency Exchange Rate table (or any other Dynamics NAV table) and configure data links, lookup links, and other parameters to correctly match returned parameters of the web service with corresponding fields in target table/tables.

• Once the data translation specification (DTS) document is completed and ready to use, you can run it within the Scribe Console Integration Process behind the scene with suitable options for time based integration - run a batch on a specified schedule.

Data integration and replication from a web store into Dynamics NAV

It is common way to collect base contact/customer/order information from a web store. Such web applications can be like non Windows systems hosted on Linux based operating systems. In this case direct data integration into ERP system using web service on a source side is one of the most appropriate ways.

The basic configuration steps for source and target connections within the Scribe Web Service Adapter and the Scribe Adapter for Dynamics NAV are very similar to the steps described in the first scenario.

With possibility to build and use custom ERP Actions in the Scribe Adapter for Dynamics NAV on target, you are able to perform complicated inserts/updates in Dynamics NAV by calling related business logic.

For instance, conversion routine of Contact into Customer can be done within ERP Action. In this case an execution step with such action should be used in target configuration of the corresponding DTS. It is important to point that all target operations in Dynamics NAV are executed through NAS API, so all required business logic and fields validation can be triggered in the same way as the operation done manually within CSIDE client.

Here is an example of the out-of-the-box ERP action that can be used during conversion procedure of a Sales Quote into a Sales Order:

1. Scribe Custom Action Card in NAV
2. Target "Execute" step configuration in Scribe Workbench

More detailed information about custom action can be found in Scribe – Adapter for MS Dynamics NAV help (Working with actions section) -https://openmind.scribesoftware.com/download/AdapterForDynamicsNAVHelp

Using NAV as source application and external web site/MS Share Point web site as target

Another example in this regards is the transfer of Sales Header and Sales Lines information from NAV to post Sales Order information on a web site. This comes up with possibility to connect to NAV as a source within the Scribe Adapter for NAV and execute inserts/updates through the Scribe Web Services Adapter. In this case, pulling data from NAV database is done via C/Front interface and can be implemented as real time integration process or time based as well.

Normally, the Scribe Web Services Adapter is limited to perform only "Execute" steps on a target side, however, in the scenario of using arrays of complex types (e.g. Sales Order) as a target the Scribe Web Services Adapter provides additional objects that can be used for target steps. These target steps allow you to "Insert" complex types into the array before the Web method is called. Detailed information as for this technology with step-by-step description of the scenario, where Scribe Sample database is presented as a source can be found in Scribe – Adapter for Web Services help - https://openmind.scribesoftware.com/download/AdapterForWebServicesHelp

Have you built other Dynamics NAV and Web Services solutions for your customers? If so, feel free to share the details.

Scribe/Celenia Partnership webcast recording

Did you miss the Scribe/Celenia Partnership webcast today? You can view the recording here http://bit.ly/8pNto

New Videos on Scribe web site

We have recently posted several new videos on the Scribe web site. Using a format called vBooks our new product videos are interactive with our pre-sales presenters appearing within the videos. The videos we have posted are;

• Using Scribe Insight to Integrate Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Dynamics GP
• Using Scribe Insight to Integrate Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Dynamics NAV
• Using Scribe Insight to Integrate Microsoft Dynamics GP and Salesforce.com
• Scribe Insight Product Overview

To view any of the videos go to http://www.scribesoft.com/Videos.asp. On that page you'll also see a link to today's recorded Scribe/Celenia Partnership Executive Briefing webcast.

Scribe Celenia Partnership Webcast

Learn about the Partnership from Scribe and Celenia Executives

On July 13, 2009 Scribe and Celenia announced their strategic partnership. By combining Scribe's strength in the Dynamics CRM and Dynamics GP markets with Celenia's strength in the Dynamics NAV and Dynamics AX markets, customers can now utilize one data management platform to integrate the entire Dynamics product line with virtually any application, data source, or SAAS platform.

Discover how this strategic partnership may affect you
Please join Scribe Software and Celenia Software Executives as they present on their new strategic partnership on August 17, 2009 at 10am ET/4pm CET. This webinar will be recorded and posted on our website by 8/18.

Agenda:
Partnership Overview
Mark Prestipino – CEO and President, Scribe Software
Rex Clausager – CEO, Celenia Software

Working With Scribe and Celenia
Lynn Harrington – Director, EMEA, Scribe Software
Lou Antonucci – Director, Sales, Scribe Software

Product Roadmap
Torben Kragelund –Product Sales & Support Manager, Celenia Software
Bob Sturim – Vice President, Products, Scribe Software

Scribe – Celenia Partnership

It is not a common occurrence for competitors to partner together except in the case of an outright acquisition or merger, but that is exactly what we have done with the folks at Celenia.  The seeds for this partnership were planted almost 1 ½ years ago in, of all places, Euro Disney outside of Paris.  Celenia was a paid sponsor at the Directions EMEA event (Scribe was there as an attendee) and as part of their sponsorship was presenting their product to an audience of NAV partners.  Torben Kragelund from Celenia was presenting and, in an unsolicited act of graciousness, introduced Lynn Harrington from Scribe, telling the audience that our product was another good integration solution for NAV of which the partners should be aware. This was a real classy move from a classy organization.  Later that year at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference in Houston, TX Scribe’s CEO, Mark Prestipino, along with Lynn sought out Torben and Karina Nielsen to thank them for their generous act.  As the conversation unfolded, it became obvious that our respective offerings (and companies) in many ways were different and that each of our respective strengths were highly complementary.  

Celenia is a services and development company that has extensive domain knowledge in both the Dynamics NAV and AX products while Scribe is dedicated to a single integration platform across the Dynamics application product line (and beyond) and has achieved much success with the Dynamics CRM and GP products.  While Celenia has significant offshore development capacity and could offer extensive services for partners (neither being strengths of Scribe), Scribe has developed an extensive network of over 800 resellers across the globe.  Being a Denmark-based company, Celenia has a greater presence in Europe, while Scribe has naturally seen great success in North America.  Putting these things together led all of us to the logical conclusion that the right kind of partnership could yield a much more complete and richer offering for Dynamics partners and customers.

The conversation really started to heat up again at Convergence US in New Orleans and Directions EMEA in Barcelona.   Following those events, we got together to conduct a deep technical dive on our respective products and to sketch out a potential relationship.  We did discuss an acquisition or merger, but both companies felt that while we had significant common ground around integration for Dynamics NAV and AX, our business plans were different enough that an outright combination would not have yielded enough benefit, and would more than likely dilute our ability to achieve our respective visions.  We decided instead to create a deep, long term product partnership where we both shared greatly in the success of our product in the Dynamics NAV and AX markets.

After a few months of due diligence, spirited discussions, and respectful negotiations we finally inked our partnership on June 30^th.  The highlights of the partnership are:

•  Scribe and Celenia will consolidate their integration offerings for Dynamics NAV and AX on the Scribe Insight platform.  Scribe Insight and the related products for NAV and AX will be available exclusively through Scribe’s worldwide network of over 800 resellers
• Celenia will take over the development of the Scribe Adapter for Dynamics NAV and create a new Scribe Adapter for Dynamics AX
• Celenia will incorporate many of the unique capabilities of their CRM Connector for Dynamics NAV and AX into these new and enhanced Scribe Adapters for NAV and AX
• Celenia will enhance  the existing solution templates and develop additional solution templates and accelerators for the most common data integration scenarios
• Celenia will provide expanded services and advanced training to Scribe partners to support the demands of their Dynamics NAV and AX customers
• Existing customers of the Celenia CRM Connector for Dynamics NAV will be offered a low cost and seamless upgrade path to Scribe Insight and the Adapter for Dynamics NAV
• Scribe and Celenia will sell and support the Celenia CRM Connector for Dynamics AX until the new Adapter for Dynamics AX is available with a free upgrade path for customers to the Scribe Insight platform
• Scribe will be the front line of support for all Scribe Insight products while Celenia will provide engineering-level support for the products for NAV and AX

 Check out the pictures from our virtual contract signing with Mark Prestipino in New Hampshire, USA and Rex Clausager in Aalborg, DK.

We have a lot of work ahead of us to fully realize the potential of this partnership. I am confident that the spirit of cooperation that led to this partnership will continue and will yield great results in the months ahead. Stay tuned for upcoming announcements around our new and improved Adapters,additional (and better) templates, broader services offerings, better training solutions, etc. We ask our partners to keep us informed of how we are doing. As much as we try, we may not get everything right the first time and your honest feedback will be greatly appreciated.

For more information, please see the press release and Frequently Asked Questions  about the relationship.