navteam, Author at Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog

RDLC Report Performance Enhancements in Dynamics 365 Business Central

Eva Dupont and navteam — Wed, 15 May 2019 17:00:11 +0000

Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics NAV use SQL Server Report Viewer control libraries to render our reports.

The history of RDLC reporting

The RDLC report template gets compiled into a small assembly and then in the runtime, that assembly is used to parse the data set and hereby generate a PDF or EMF pictures for printing.

Inside reports, you can embed Visual Basic .NET code to do some advanced handling, for example. Depending on the code’s security asks, the report is either rendered in the server’s AppDomain or in another secure AppDomain that is generated by Report Viewer.

Running in the Report Viewer-generated AppDomain requires a lot of marshaling in between the two AppDomains, which results in much longer rendering times on reports, which means performance issues. For that reason, we only wanted to run the reports in the Report Viewer AppDomain when it was really needed.

IMPORTANT: If you ran the reports in the server’s AppDomain, there would be a slight memory leak, because each of the created assemblies would never get unloaded in the server AppDomain. However, if the same was done in the isolated AppDomain, we would be able to get rid of the assemblies, by unloading the secure AppDomain. At the time, we decided that the trade-off between performance gain over the small leak was acceptable.

Just before we launched Dynamics NAV 2013 R2, we changed the .NET runtime to version 4.0. In .NET Framework 4.0, Code Access Security (CAS) was deprecated because it was way too complicated. Anyway, if you allowed another assembly to load in your process, it was better to trust them up front or isolate them completely. However, Report Viewer continued to use the CAS policy. With the deprecation, all renderings were deferred to the Report Viewer-generated AppDomain and therefore running slowly with performance issues.

Over time, we realized that we could start the process with a CLR legacy switch:

  <NetFx40_LegacySecurityPolicy enabled="true" />

For more information, see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/framework/configure-apps/file-schema/runtime/netfx40-legacysecuritypolicy-element.

This would enable us to achieve the old behavior, although with various consequences to the CLR process. As an example, we would not be able to use the Dynamic Language Runtime (DLR) and enable assemblies in non-homogenous AppDomains.

There have been several blogs written on this over the years (thanks to Duilio Tacconi from Microsoft Support) to help our community design their reports for performance:

That was a description of the past. Now let’s look at how things work today.

Reporting in Dynamics 365 Business Central

Dynamics 365 Business Central online runs in Windows Azure. We have a new development environment, and we are using a lot of great features in our product, developed and released by many great teams inside and outside of Microsoft. One of the new features is used for communication between tiers, (SignalR).

Business Central uses SignalR to communicate with the language service in Visual Studio Code, which is our new development environment, and the backend endpoint in the server. SignalR uses DLR in its implementation, so we turned off the legacy switch described above to do the communication in the development environment. This meant that rendering reports locally on a development machine would be much slower (e.g. REPORT.SAVEASPDF, REPORT.SAVEAS, etc.).

Time was ripe for a rewrite of the server–rendered reports. In the Business Central October’18 update 4 (February 2019), this was all completely rewritten.

Instead of running rendering in the server’s standard AppDomain, we create a specific Report AppDomain where we can control exactly how marshal the data. In the end, we specify two marshaling operations:

One for the RDLC stream
One for the data stream

This means that we can now control the loading and unloading of the AppDomain and thereby control the performance of trusted reports. At the same time, we can unload the dynamic assemblies that are generated by the rendering, while still the DLR features are still supported.

The Report AppDomain, by default, recycles on every 1000 renderings, which helps avoid piling up too much memory.

This effectively means that if you build RDLC reports, we recommend that you stop using the legacy switch, because it will only revert the server to the behavior that we had in previous releases with slight and controlled memory leaks as consequence.

How to configure the reporting environment

To control how you would like to run your rendering, a set of switches has been introduced. Let’s go through them with a description of what they do together. Most of these switches are internal only, meaning there should be no need to mess with them, but for backwards compatibility reasons, they are still offered.

To use the legacy switch

  <NetFx40_LegacySecurityPolicy enabled="true" />

This switch sets if you want to run in the server’s AppDomain. If you enable the switch, all the new Report AppDomain isolation logic is disregarded. If you set the switch to false or remove it from the config files, the new logic kicks in and you will have fast reports rendered in the Report AppDomain.

To run completely isolated on all renderings

  <add key="LegacyReportAppDomainIsolation" value="true" />

If you add this switch to the CustomSettings.config on the server, you will be able to render reports in the high-security AppDomain, but you will have to set NetFx40_LegacySecurityPolicy to false or remove it completely. This will make all reports run slower.

This switch is not available in the management UI.

To control when to recycle the AppDomain

  <add key="ReportAppDomainRecycleCount" value="1000" />

If you add this switch to the CustomSettings.config on the server and have enabled the new Report AppDomain, you will then be able to influence when the server will try to unload the Report AppDomain. I would not recommend changing this switch, which is why it is declared as internal.

This switch is not available in the management UI.

To control that custom RDLC layouts are trusted

  <add key="ReportAppDomainIsolation" value="true" />

Specifies if application domain isolation is used for rendering custom RDLC layouts. Since custom reports are created by end-users in the client, they can contain some inline Visual Basic .NET code. For that reason, we would enforce secure AppDomain isolation to avoid any security risks from rendering custom RDLC layouts. However, it can considerably increase the time it takes to render reports.

Disabling application domain isolation (ReportAppDomainIsolation” value=” false ” /> ) can improve the rendering time but might have a negative impact on security and reliability.

To be secure by default, we recommend that you leave this setting at the default value of true and change it only if you are running an on-premises installation where you can fully trust any custom report layout uploaded by end users.

This does not apply to changes done through C/SIDE customization or AL extensions.

NOTE: The name of the switch will change in next major version because the name is not precise enough and we want to avoid confusion.

The new switch will be <add key=“IsolateCustomReportLayoutsToSecureAppDomain“ value=“true“ />

Author:

Torben Wind Meyhoff – Dynamics 365 Business Central Server Architect

The post RDLC Report Performance Enhancements in Dynamics 365 Business Central appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Exchange Server and Dynamics NAV

navteam — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 07:44:50 +0000

Exchange Server 2019 was released in October 2018 with many new and interesting capabilities. For further information, please take a look at the What’s New information.

Over the last few months, the Dynamics SMB team has been testing compatibility with this new version of Exchange Server, and we are now proud to announce that the following Dynamics NAV versions are compatible with Exchange Server 2019:

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018
Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017
Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016
Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015

Get an overview of the support matrix for Dynamics NAV in the Dynamics NAV 2018 system requirements and the Dynamics NAV 2017 system requirements. We are not able to update the system requirements for Dynamics NAV 2016 and Dynamics NAV 2015, but they are similar to the system requirements for Dynamics NAV 2017 in terms of integration with Exchange.

The post Exchange Server and Dynamics NAV appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Cumulative Update 53 for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015 has been released

navteam — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 14:28:18 +0000

Cumulative Update 53 includes all application and platform hotfixes and regulatory features that have been released for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015.

The cumulative update is intended mainly for solutions that are experiencing the problems described in the Knowledge Base article linked to below. However, you are advised to always keep your solution updated with the latest cumulative update. If you are in doubt about whether this cumulative update addresses your specific problem, or if you want to confirm whether any special compatibility, installation, or download issues are associated with this cumulative update, support professionals in Customer Support Services are ready to help you. For more information, see http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/.

The cumulative update includes hotfixes that apply to all countries and hotfixes specific to the following local versions:

Where to find Cumulative Update 53

You can download the cumulative update from KB 4492600– Cumulative Update 53 for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015.

Or you can download the cumulative update from the Microsoft Download Center.

Warning

Before you install a cumulative update in a production environment, take the following precautions:

Test the cumulative update in a non-production environment.
Make a backup of the system or computer where the cumulative update is to be installed.

Additional Information

For information about how to install the cumulative update, see How to Install a Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015 Cumulative Update.

For a list of all cumulative updates for this version, see Released Cumulative Updates for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015.

The post Cumulative Update 53 for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015 has been released appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Cumulative Update 41 for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 has been released

navteam — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 10:20:11 +0000

Cumulative Update 41 includes all application and platform hotfixes and regulatory features that have been released for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016. The cumulative update is intended mainly for solutions that are experiencing the problems described in the Knowledge Base article linked to below. However, you are advised to always keep your solution updated with the latest cumulative update. If you are in doubt about whether this cumulative update addresses your specific problem, or if you want to confirm whether any special compatibility, installation, or download issues are associated with this cumulative update, support professionals in Customer Support Services are ready to help you. For more information, see http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/. The cumulative update includes hotfixes that apply to all countries and hotfixes specific to the following local versions:

Where to find Cumulative Update 41

You can see changes included in this cumulative update from KB4492599 – Cumulative Update 41 for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016.
You can press one of the countries in list above for a direct download or you can download the cumulative update from the Microsoft Download Center. Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 is also available from containers. Containers are a way to wrap up an application into its own isolated box, you can pull the cumulative update containers from the Docker Hub.

To learn more about other Cumulative Updates already released for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 please see KB 3108728.

Warning Before you install a cumulative update in a production environment, take the following precautions:

Test the cumulative update in a non-production environment.
Make a backup of the system or computer where the cumulative update is to be installed.

Additional Information For information about how to install the cumulative update, see How to Install a Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 Cumulative Update. Note that if you upgrade to this cumulative update from a version older than Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 Cumulative Update 6, you must run the development environment with elevated rights (run as administrator).

The post Cumulative Update 41 for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 has been released appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Cumulative Update 28 for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017 has been released

navteam — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 10:08:46 +0000

Cumulative Update 28 includes all application and platform hotfixes and regulatory features that have been released for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017.

The cumulative update includes hotfixes that apply to all countries and hotfixes specific to the following local versions:

Where to find Cumulative Update 28

You can download the cumulative update from KB4492598 – Cumulative Update 28 for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017.

You can press one of the countries in list above for a direct download or you can download the cumulative update from the Microsoft Download Center.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017 is also available from containers. Containers are a way to wrap up an application into its own isolated box, you can pull the cumulative update container from the Docker Hub.

To learn more about other Cumulative Updates already released for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017 please see KB 3210255.

Warning

Before you install a cumulative update in a production environment, take the following precautions:

Test the cumulative update in a non-production environment.
Make a backup of the system or computer where the cumulative update is to be installed.
This Cumulative Update can require a database upgrade.

Additional Information

For information about how to install the cumulative update, see How to Install a Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017 Cumulative Update.

The post Cumulative Update 28 for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017 has been released appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Cumulative Update 15 for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018 has been released

navteam — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 09:56:04 +0000

Cumulative Update 15 includes all application and platform hotfixes and regulatory features that have been released for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018.

The cumulative update includes hotfixes that apply to all countries and hotfixes specific to the following local versions:

Where to find Cumulative Update 15

You can download the cumulative update from KB4492597 – Cumulative Update 15 for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018.

You can press one of the countries in list above for a direct download or you can download the cumulative update from the Microsoft Download Center.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018 is also available from containers. Containers are a way to wrap up an application into its own isolated box, you can pull the cumulative update container from the Docker Hub.

To learn more about other Cumulative Updates already released for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018 please see KB 4072483.

Warning

Before you install a cumulative update in a production environment, take the following precautions:

Test the cumulative update in a non-production environment.
Make a backup of the system or computer where the cumulative update is to be installed.
This Cumulative Update can require a database upgrade.

Additional Information

For information about how to install the cumulative update, see How to Install a Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018 Cumulative Update.

AL Development for Dynamics 365 Business Central

For information about how to develop extensions for Dynamics 365 Business Central see AL Development for Dynamics 365 Business Central

The post Cumulative Update 15 for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018 has been released appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Windows Server 2019 and Dynamics NAV

navteam — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 14:00:17 +0000

Windows Server 2019 was released in October 2018 with many new and interesting capabilities. For further information, please take a look at the What’s New information at this location: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started-19/whats-new-19.

Over the last few months, the Dynamics SMB team has been testing compatibility with this new version of Windows Server, and we are now proud to announce that the following Dynamics NAV versions are compatible with Windows Server 2019:

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018
Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017
Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016
Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015

The post Windows Server 2019 and Dynamics NAV appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Cumulative Update 14 for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018 has been released

navteam — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 13:16:31 +0000

Cumulative Update 14 includes all application and platform hotfixes and regulatory features that have been released for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018.

The cumulative update includes hotfixes that apply to all countries and hotfixes specific to the following local versions:

Where to find Cumulative Update 14

You can download the cumulative update from KB4487773 – Cumulative Update 14 for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018.

You can press one of the countries in list above for a direct download or you can download the cumulative update from the Microsoft Download Center.

To learn more about other Cumulative Updates already released for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018 please see KB 4072483.

Warning

Before you install a cumulative update in a production environment, take the following precautions:

Test the cumulative update in a non-production environment.
Make a backup of the system or computer where the cumulative update is to be installed.
This Cumulative Update can require a database upgrade.

Additional Information

For information about how to install the cumulative update, see How to Install a Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018 Cumulative Update.

AL Development for Dynamics 365 Business Central

For information about how to develop extensions for Dynamics 365 Business Central see AL Development for Dynamics 365 Business Central

The post Cumulative Update 14 for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018 has been released appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Cumulative Update 27 for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017 has been released

navteam — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 13:09:37 +0000

Cumulative Update 27 includes all application and platform hotfixes and regulatory features that have been released for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017.

The cumulative update includes hotfixes that apply to all countries and hotfixes specific to the following local versions:

Where to find Cumulative Update 27

You can download the cumulative update from KB4487774 – Cumulative Update 27 for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017.

You can press one of the countries in list above for a direct download or you can download the cumulative update from the Microsoft Download Center.

To learn more about other Cumulative Updates already released for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017 please see KB 3210255.

Warning

Before you install a cumulative update in a production environment, take the following precautions:

Test the cumulative update in a non-production environment.
Make a backup of the system or computer where the cumulative update is to be installed.
This Cumulative Update can require a database upgrade.

Additional Information

For information about how to install the cumulative update, see How to Install a Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017 Cumulative Update.

The post Cumulative Update 27 for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017 has been released appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Cumulative Update 40 for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 has been released

navteam — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 13:02:01 +0000

Cumulative Update 40 includes all application and platform hotfixes and regulatory features that have been released for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016. The cumulative update is intended mainly for solutions that are experiencing the problems described in the Knowledge Base article linked to below. However, you are advised to always keep your solution updated with the latest cumulative update. If you are in doubt about whether this cumulative update addresses your specific problem, or if you want to confirm whether any special compatibility, installation, or download issues are associated with this cumulative update, support professionals in Customer Support Services are ready to help you. For more information, see http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/. The cumulative update includes hotfixes that apply to all countries and hotfixes specific to the following local versions:

Where to find Cumulative Update 40

You can see changes included in this cumulative update from KB4487775 – Cumulative Update 40 for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016.
You can press one of the countries in list above for a direct download or you can download the cumulative update from the Microsoft Download Center. Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 is also available from containers. Containers are a way to wrap up an application into its own isolated box, you can pull the cumulative update containers from the Docker Hub.

To learn more about other Cumulative Updates already released for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 please see KB 3108728.

Warning Before you install a cumulative update in a production environment, take the following precautions:

Test the cumulative update in a non-production environment.
Make a backup of the system or computer where the cumulative update is to be installed.

The post Cumulative Update 40 for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 has been released appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.