Microsoft Dynamics GP "12" Web Client Architecture - Part 1

This is article 1 of 3 from the series Microsoft Dynamics GP "12" Web Client Architecture. Some images and content reproduced with express permission from Microsoft Business Solutions, a division of Microsoft Corporation.

---

In past weeks I mentioned expanding a bit more on the Web Client to be introduced with codename GP "12".

Web Client Overview

The Web Client is the full GP application delivered through the Web. The key pieces to be delivered will be the core application components, ISV dictionaries, and in-house customizations - Dexterity customizations. At the core of the web client is the UI update which will feature new homepage tiles, ribbons and tabs. Microsoft expects that UI performance will rival that of Terminal Server or better.

Client/Server Architecture Transition

Historically, the Microsoft Dynamics GP application has followed a 2-tier client/server architecture, which divides the application functions into two distinct, but very interrelated components: the database server and the client application.

The database server, which relies on Microsoft SQL Server, hosts the system and company data, along with extended business logic that allows it to process some of the heavier operations that would be extremely time consuming to perform at the client, for example, transaction posting business logic.

In turn, the Microsoft Dynamics GP client application, built on Microsoft Dexterity, has always performed the functions of delivering the user interface, providing data entry validation, and rendering reports - ok, so it does a bit more at times, but in context these are the key functions.

Transition from current Client/Server architecture to the Web Client architecture

A Microsoft Dexterity application is divided into two distinct elements: 1) a Runtime Engine that deals with the technology aspects of the application environment, like communicating to the operating system and establishing and managing the connection to the databases, and 2) a dictionary which hosts all the core application components and business logic, such as the forms, reports, and the sanScript code that makes the entire user interface and reports do something in response to user commands and input.

This architecture has been time tested and has served its purpose even after numerous technology changes over the years. In fact, application users have seen no disruption to the application functionality due to technology changes. The same could be said for changes in functionality- see Microsoft Dynamics GP Architectural Foundation Series with Tim Brookins for a primer on GP's architecture.

The Web Client, built on Microsoft Silverlight delivers a set of components and services oriented toward the UI and user interaction, including user input, lightweight UI controls for use in Web applications (some other Silverlight features that probably won't be a part of the Web Client include media playback, digital rights management, data binding, and presentation features, including vector graphics, text, animation, and images). Also Silverlight includes the Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML) for specifying layout which is heavily used by the Web Client.

The Silverlight Web Client application uses a subset of the .NET Framework that contains components and libraries, including data integration, extensible Windows controls, networking, base class libraries, garbage collection, and the common language runtime (CLR). The development language of choice, of course, is C#.

Some parts of the .NET Framework for Silverlight are deployed with the Web Client application. These "Silverlight Libraries" are assemblies not included in the Silverlight runtime and are instead shipped in the Silverlight SDK. The Silverlight Libraries used by the Web Client, are packaged up with the application and downloaded to the browser from the Server. These include new UI controls, XLINQ, Syndication (RSS/Atom), XML serialization, and the dynamic language runtime (DLR). Perhaps, not all these elements will make it to the initial release of the Web Client, but will gradually make their way in the future.

For more on Silverlight architecture click here.

Tomorrow, I will cover in more detail some of the changes required in the current architecture (from a technology stand point) to be able to serve up the Silverlight UI.

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/