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Azure ExpressRoute V Front Door with Setup:

Azure ExpressRoute allows you to create private connections between your on-premises networks and the Microsoft cloud, bypassing the public internet. This results in better performance, reliability, and security.

  1. Plan and Design:
  • Determine the bandwidth requirement for your connection.
  • Choose a connectivity provider and location.
  • Plan your network, including IP addressing and routing.
  1. Set Up:
  • Create an Azure ExpressRoute circuit. This can be done in the Azure portal by navigating to the ‘ExpressRoute circuits’ tab and adding a new circuit.
  • Configure your network, including the required IP addresses, routes, and VLANs.
  1. Connect:
  • Establish a connection to your ExpressRoute circuit. This usually involves configuring your connectivity provider’s edge routers and your on-premises network equipment.
  • Configure BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) sessions to exchange routing information with Microsoft.
  1. Verify:
  • Check that the connections are up and the BGP sessions are established.
  • Test the connection by sending traffic to and from your Azure virtual networks.

Azure Front Door Setup: Azure Front Door is a global, scalable entry-point that uses the Microsoft global network to aggregate, accelerate, and secure the delivery of your web applications.

  1. Create a Front Door:
  • Go to the Azure portal, navigate to ‘Create a resource’ > ‘Networking’ > ‘See all’ > ‘Front Door’.
  • On the ‘Basics’ tab, enter a name for your Front Door, select the resource group, and the resource group location.
  1. Configure Frontend Hosts:
  • In the ‘Frontend hosts’ tab, add a new frontend host by entering a name and enabling or disabling session affinity and Web Application Firewall (WAF).
  1. Configure Backend Pools:
  • In the ‘Backend pools’ tab, add a new backend pool by entering a name, and then add backends to the pool, specifying the backend host, HTTP port, and HTTPS port.
  1. Configure Routing Rules:
  • In the ‘Routing rules’ tab, add a new routing rule by entering a name, selecting the frontend host, and specifying the accepted protocol, pattern to match, and forwarding details.
  1. Configure Health Probes:
  • In the ‘Health probes’ tab, add a new health probe by entering a name, and specifying the protocol, path, and interval.
  1. Configure Load Balancing:
  • In the ‘Load balancing’ tab, add a new load balancing setting by entering a name, and specifying the sample size, successful samples required, and additional latency.
  1. Review and Create:
  • Review your configuration and then create the Front Door.
  1. Configure your application:
  • Update your application to use the Front Door URL.

Differences and Benefits:

Azure ExpressRoute:

  • Creates a private, dedicated connection between your on-premises network and the Azure cloud.
  • Bypasses the public internet, resulting in better performance, reliability, and security.
  • Suitable for scenarios where data privacy and low-latency are critical.

Azure Front Door:

  • Provides a global, scalable entry-point for the delivery of your web applications.
  • Uses the Microsoft global network to aggregate, accelerate, and secure the delivery of your applications.
  • Suitable for scenarios where global reach, application acceleration, and security are critical.

Note: Azure Front Door and Azure ExpressRoute serve different purposes and can be used together to provide secure, high-performance access to your applications and data.

Dynamics 365: Laying the Groundwork for a Successful Implementation

A foundational guide to understanding the prerequisites and initial steps for a smooth Dynamics 365 deployment.


Laying the groundwork for a successful Dynamics 365 implementation is a multifaceted process. Here’s an extensive how-to guide for each phase, along with suggestions for planning, resourcing, and costing:

1. Define Business Requirements:

How-to:

  • Conduct workshops with key stakeholders to understand business processes, pain points, and desired outcomes.
  • Document detailed requirements for each department or function.
  • Prioritize requirements based on business impact and feasibility.

Planning:

  • Schedule workshops over 2-4 weeks, depending on the organization’s size.
  • Prepare a list of questions and topics to cover in advance.

Resourcing:

  • Business Analysts to gather and document requirements.
  • Department heads or process owners to provide insights.

Costing:

  • Hourly rates for Business Analysts.
  • Potential costs for workshop facilities or tools.

2. Choose the Deployment Model:

How-to:

  • Evaluate the pros and cons of cloud, on-premises, and hybrid models.
  • Consider factors like scalability, maintenance, cost, and security.
  • Make a decision based on business needs and IT infrastructure.

Planning:

  • Allocate 1-2 weeks for evaluation and decision-making.

Resourcing:

  • IT consultants or experts to provide insights on deployment models.
  • Decision-makers in the organization.

Costing:

  • Consultation fees.
  • Cost comparisons between deployment models (e.g., server costs for on-premises vs. subscription costs for cloud).

3. Data Migration:

How-to:

  • Identify data sources and assess data quality.
  • Cleanse and transform data as needed.
  • Use migration tools or services to move data to Dynamics 365.

Planning:

  • Depending on data volume and complexity, allocate 2-8 weeks.

Resourcing:

  • Data migration specialists.
  • Database administrators.

Costing:

  • Migration tool licenses.
  • Specialist hourly rates.

4. Customizations and Integrations:

How-to:

  • Identify gaps between out-of-the-box Dynamics 365 features and business requirements.
  • Develop custom solutions or integrations using tools like PowerApps, Flow, or custom code.
  • Test customizations thoroughly.

Planning:

  • Allocate 4-12 weeks, depending on the extent of customizations.

Resourcing:

  • Dynamics 365 developers.
  • Integration specialists.

Costing:

  • Developer hourly rates.
  • Licensing or subscription costs for integration platforms or tools.

5. Testing:

How-to:

  • Develop test cases based on business requirements.
  • Conduct various testing phases (unit, integration, UAT).
  • Document and resolve any issues.

Planning:

  • Allocate 3-6 weeks for comprehensive testing.

Resourcing:

  • QA testers.
  • End-users for UAT.

Costing:

  • Tester hourly rates.
  • Potential software or tools for bug tracking and test management.

6. Training:

How-to:

  • Develop training materials tailored to different user roles.
  • Conduct training sessions, workshops, or webinars.
  • Provide post-training support and resources.

Planning:

  • Allocate 2-4 weeks for training activities.

Resourcing:

  • Training specialists.
  • Subject matter experts.

Costing:

  • Development of training materials.
  • Training venue or platform costs.

7. Go Live and Support:

How-to:

  • Choose a go-live date, preferably during a low-activity period.
  • Provide immediate support post-launch to address issues.
  • Monitor system performance and user feedback.

Planning:

  • Allocate 1-2 weeks for the go-live phase and initial support.

Resourcing:

  • IT support team.
  • Dynamics 365 consultants for troubleshooting.

Costing:

  • Support team salaries or hourly rates.
  • Potential overtime costs.

8. Continuous Improvement:

How-to:

  • Gather feedback from users regularly.
  • Implement updates or improvements based on feedback.
  • Review and optimize system performance.

Planning:

  • Ongoing, with periodic reviews every 3-6 months.

Resourcing:

  • IT team for system maintenance.
  • Business Analysts for ongoing requirement gathering.

Costing:

  • Maintenance costs.
  • Potential costs for additional customizations or integrations.

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