System Overview

  • Dynamic Budgets is a 30Mb .Net connected client application.
  • Typically the application is installed to a single share folder, and users launch the application from shortcuts placed on their desktops.
  • Alternatively many customers will use Citrix, Terminal Server, or TSPlus to run the application from a virtual desktop or as a remote published app.
  • The client communicates directly with SQL server (there is no middleware application server).
  • No data warehousing – GP financials are kept in GP and queried as needed, in real-time.
  • The budgeting database is typically installed on the same server as the GP company databases but also supports SQL linked server for installation on a secondary SQL server.

     Requirements

  • Client and installation utility require .Net 4.5.
  • Database size is expected to be about 150MB per budget round for an organization of less than 1,000 departments.
  • Application supports Active Directory for single sign-on like experience.
  • Unlimited application users / does not require GP end user licensing.
  • Dual authentication process – end user will login to the app, and the app will perform an authentication handshake with the SQL server. The application authentication with SQL server is typically set to a single service level account but can optionally be set to individual SQL logins (windows or SQL server authentication).

 

Installation Overview

     SQL installation (5-10 mins)

  1. Run server configuration utility from the SQL server to create the DynamicBudgets database.
  2. Create a service level account
    [dynbud] for the application authentication with SQL server.
  3. Grant [dynbud] access to the databases.
  4. db_datareader  (Dynamics and GP Company databases).
  5. db_owner (Dynamic Budgets).
  6. Grant db_datareader to (DynamicBudgets, and GP Company databases) for business owners (windows authentication SQL server logins) if they wish to work with refreshable excel reports.

     Client Application Placement (5 mins)

  1. Store DynamicBudgets-App folder from the network share folder, Citrix server, or Terminal server.
  2. Grant Read/Execute access to [DynamicBudgets-App].
  3. Grant  Read/Write access to [DynamicBudgets-App/SearchProfiles].

     Application Configuration (60-90 mins)

  1. Launch and configure client application.
  2. Configure company(s) chart of accounts.
  3. Specify LDAP connection string.
  4. Create security access for trial users.
  5. Create test budget and/or forecasts.
  6. Link to GP financials.
  7. Deploy sample custom report templates.
  8. Test financial reporting and drill down to GP transaction details.
    (note that multiple companies can be configured simultaneously. We do not need to work in serial)
  9. Schedule walk-through with the business owner.

 

Simple Backout Procedure (if necessary)

  1. Delete the DynamicBudgets-App folder from the network share folder, Citrix server or Terminal server.
  2. Delete the SQL database [DynamicBudgets].
  3. Delete the SQL user [dynbud].