Creating a Secure Multi-Student Training Environment for Dynamics AX on a Shoestring Budget

One project that I have been working on recently is how to set up a simple training environment for Dynamics AX that multiple students are able to connect to at the same time, without stepping on each other’s toes, or even knowing that the other students are there. The other day I was able to devise a possible solution and I thought that I would share it with everybody just in case you all were wanting to set up your own shoestring budget bare bones configuration training environments.

How To Do It…

Step 1: To start off I created a new training partition within Dynamics AX and then created a number of test companies that you could assign to each of the students. In this example I thought that the Forbes The 25 Largest Fictional Companies would be a good place to start.

Step 2: I created accounts for the students to log in with through Active Directory. I separated the users out by the Company that they are going to be assigned to just to make them easier to track. Paul Atreides is the Muad’Dib that should be in charge of the Spice on Arrakis.

Step 3: Now we want to set up the user within Dynamics AX but before we do that we want him to be able to manage his company, and only his company. The best way to do this is through the Security profiles, but there is no profile that has access to all of the functions that we need. So start off by creating a new security profile called Company Administrator and then add in the other security roles to create one master security role that we can assign to the user – you will see how we use this in a second.

Step 4: Now we can import in all of the student users into Dynamics AX. When you do this, give them the Company Administrator role to limit what they have access to.

Step 5: Now we just need to click on the Assign Organizations button within the User’s Roles and assign the one company that the user has access to.

How It Works

Now when the user logs into Dynamics AX then they will only be able to view their one company that they have the rights to.

Because of the security role that they have been assigned they will also not be able to access any of the security information that will allow them to undo their security settings.

As the teacher though you will be able to have access to all of the companies and will be able to review all of the data that is being set up and possibly tweak some of the companies if you like.

How cool is that!

About The Author

Murray Fife is a Microsoft Dynamics AX MVP, Author of over 20 books on Microsoft Dynamics AX, and Solution Architect at I.B.I.S. Inc. with over 20 years of experience in the software industry. Like most people in his industry he has worked in many different roles during his career, including as a developer, an implementation consultant, and a trainer which gives him a great understanding of the requirements for both customers and partners. He is a regular contributor to the Dynamics AX community and in addition to hosting presentations for I.B.I.S. presents regularly for the AXUG and MS Dynamics World, has spoken at Microsoft Convergence and AXUG Summit conferences. If that was not enough, he works closely with Microsoft evaluating with their beta products and also is a Council Member on the Microsoft Dynamics Academic Alliance trying to help educate the new generation of consultants on Dynamics AX.