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Official Dynamics AX 2012 R2 Content (update) - Where is it, and how can you find out about updates?

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Hi everyone,

Margo Crandall from the documentation team here. We've recently posted more content to support Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2, so we wanted to update this blog post as well. We've announced the sections of content that have been updated on the AXSupport blog, so refer there for specific details. This blog post has been updated to include:

  • A list of the languages that we are shipping Help for in R2.
  • Information about our new Inside Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 book
  • An updated list of resource pages

If you'd like a printable overview of where our help is, and how it is organized, take a look at the Help and Resources Datasheet for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.

This blog post still explains the different types of documentation for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, where you can find our content, what we’re working on now, what we’ve changed from previous versions, and how you can communicate with us.

/Margo

 

Where can you find our content?

Content for Application users - Application user content includes information on configuring modules, performing tasks within a module, product-wide features, and productivity tools.

  • The most up-to-date content for users is on TechNet, in the Application Users section.
    Some content is only available on TechNet, such as the Report Catalog.
  • The same content, current for the released version of the product, is available from within the client at Help > Application user Help.
  • From within the client, you can also use the web search page (WebSearchAX) that is available from Help > Application user Help on the web.
  • Context-sensitive help is also available for forms in the client and in Enterprise Portal.

The Application User Help can also be customized for your organization by your partners, or internally, by adding topics to the Help server. For more information, see the Help server topic on TechNet.

Content for System administrators - System administrator content includes information on deployment, patching, and upgrade, managing different types of servers, and security.

Content for Developers- Developer content includes information on using the IDE and debugging tools, Visual Studio integration, User experience guidelines, and reference content for X++ and APIs.

WebSearchAX

Although the web search page (WebSearchAX) is called from within Microsoft Dynamics AX, it is a website that you can bookmark and use externally. It enables you to search for content by user role, product version, module, and topic type. You can also include blogs, community, code samples and white papers in the search results.

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Installable Help updates and localizations

Installable Help updates and localizations for the application user help are available. These updates include translated core feature content, and regional content translated into the appropriate language or languages.

Help updates are available in the following languages:

Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Czech, Danish, Dutch (Netherlands), Dutch (Belgium), English (Australia), English (Canada), English (India), English (Ireland), English (Malaysia), English (New Zealand), English (Singapore), English (South Africa), English (UK), English (US), Estonian, Finnish, French (France), French (Canada), French (Belgium), French (Switzerland), German (Germany), German (Austria), German (Switzerland), Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Italian (Switzerland), Japanese, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Spanish (international), Spanish (Mexico), Swedish, Thai

All application user Help that has been released to TechNet in English since we first released Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 is also included in the Help update that ships with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2.

Inside Microsoft Dynamics AX (book) 

We've published Inside Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, with Microsoft Press. The book provides developers with holistic, in-depth information about developing for Microsoft Dynamics AX in a single place.

The following graphic shows where our in-product content resources can be found:

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What content can you find on the Community site?

Community.dynamics.com hosts blogs, forums and videos. We have also recently added resource pages that provide information to help you resolve top customer issues. Current resource pages include:

To keep up with newly-released and updated resource pages, on the Community site you can subscribe to the RSS feed for the Resource Page blog.

The following graphic describes the content that you can find on our public sites.

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What content can you find on PartnerSource and CustomerSource?

PartnerSource and CustomerSource host licensing information, KB articles, hotfixes and updates, and allow you to submit support requests. PartnerSource also provides partner-specific content. From PartnerSource and CustomerSource you can also search for links to content on TechNet, MSDN, and the Download Center.

To find hotfixes and updates on CustomerSource, start from the following pages:

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What content can you find on InformationSource?

InformationSource is a site that provides services that enable customers and partners to deliver predictable implementations of Microsoft Dynamics AX. It provides resources to enable you to analyze, design, configure and customize Microsoft Dynamics AX by following best practices determined by the Microsoft Dynamics AX solution architecture team.

For customers and partners, the site provides supported services that can be used to improve implementations, such as the Application Analysis Tool, Intelligent Data Migration Framework, Security Upgrade Advisor, and Code Upgrade Service.

The site also provides access to core concepts about application architecture and implementation strategies, in the form of the following content types:

  • Datasheets Two page documents that describe a feature. Intended for pre-sales conversations.
  • Elevator pitch PowerPoint slides Slide decks that describe a core concept or feature.
  • White papers Core concept and design insight papers describe features and decisions that were made as the features were designed.
  • Videos How-to videos that demonstrate how to perform a task.

For partners, the site provides answers to commonly asked questions from Requests for Proposals (RFPs) in the Q&A search.

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How is the Help for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 different from the Help for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009?

Our goals for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 were to provide customization opportunities for end user help, to improve discoverability by providing all of our help content on Microsoft’s web properties, and to make content available more frequently. Following this strategy, we have eliminated most compiled help (.chm) files from the product.

Customizable Application Help

The Help server provides a client/server approach to help delivery by storing the help files on a central server, so that they don’t need to be installed on all client desktops like .chm files.

The Help server enables you to:

  • Publish an HTML file to a web server when you want to add or change a topic.
  • Deploy and manage Help from a centralized location.
  • Apply Help updates that are provided by Microsoft without deleting your customized topics.

Improved Discoverability

  • Developer Help is exclusively on MSDN.
  • System administrator Help, except for form Help, is exclusively on TechNet.
  • Application user Help is both on TechNet and in the product.

More Frequent Updates

  • Additions and updates to content on MSDN and TechNet are made regularly.
  • Microsoft ships Help updates that you can install on your Help server as part of Cumulative Updates, and the Feature Pack.

Who is the documentation team?

We are a group of nearly 40 writers and editors, located on the Microsoft Bellevue, Fargo, and Copenhagen campuses. Our team is passionate about providing the right documentation for customers and partners who are implementing, customizing, developing applications for, or using Microsoft Dynamics AX. We are part of the research and development team.

What is the documentation team working on now?

We've finished most the content that we plan to complete for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, and the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2 release and are shifting to focus on developing content for other upcoming releases. In the content update posts on AX Support, you'll be seeing far fewer new topics, and a larger percentage of updated topics. The new content is available through search on TechNet and MSDN, or you can find the lists of the updated topics (tagged as Content) on the AXSupport blog. The new and updated application user Help topics are also included in Help updates that shipped in the R2 Release.

What do we need from you?

Feedback! We really need to know what you like, and what you don’t. Ratings are nice, but comments really help us improve.

The location of the feedback links on TechNet and MSDN vary by which view you have set in your preferences.

  • In Classic view, the default for TechNet, you can provide feedback on any topic by clicking the Feedback control at the top right of the page:

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  • In Lightweight view, the default for MSDN, the feedback link is at the bottom of the page, next to the copyright statement:

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  • In ScriptFree view, the feedback link is back at the upper right.

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You can also always email us at adocs@microsoft.com—let us know if something is missing, or doesn’t meet your needs.

Where can you hear from us?

We’re starting to be more visible on social media, beginning with posting here. Approximately 10 times a year, we’ll also be posting notes about which content we’ve recently published and updated on the AX Support blog.

You can also follow us on twitter (AXContent for the team, or MSMargoc for me personally), and we’re also active on LinkedIn groups.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    June 05, 2012
    Great Resource! Thanks If it helps, from a selling Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 perspective, Renown have written about the top 10 reasons to choose Microsoft Dynamics AX. you can find it at; www.renown.com.au/.../Why_Choose_Microsoft_Dynamics_AX.aspx Hope it’s of interest. Michael

  • Anonymous
    July 17, 2012
    Where can I find the documentation on all the modules and functionalities within Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012?

  • Anonymous
    July 18, 2012
    Hi Santosh, application user documentation for the modules is on TechNet, here: technet.microsoft.com/.../hh242087, including how to configure each module. If you are interested in developer documentation, it is not organized around modules--instead it is organized around the functionality that you are trying to customize. The developer documentation is here: msdn.microsoft.com/.../hh881815

  • Anonymous
    August 01, 2012
    We provide Microsoft Dynamics CRM training for free at online and offline please visit our site one and conform yours time also If anyone is looking for effective Microsoft Dynamics CRM training in Hyderabad, they will have lots of options. It is because of the huge competition in the market, regarding training institutes. It will become difficult for any student to select the best institute among them. But one has to do extensive research before joining any institute. www.arrowsoltraining.com/microsoft-dynamics-crm <a href="www.arrowsoltraining.com/.../">Microsoft Dynamics CRM online training</a>

  • Anonymous
    June 24, 2013
    Where may I find video tutorials for MS Dynamics AX?

  • Anonymous
    October 16, 2013
    when using WebSerachAX few or no results are usually returned.  You need to provide a guide describing either how to use the tool or what type of document the search should be used for.