Microsoft’s Dynamics Nav Web Services & Windows Authentication
In this blog, I talk about authenticating users via Ms
Dynamics Nav web services. Using this technique, it is now possible to build a
complete web application by reusing the already existing Navision functions,
and eliminating the use of SQL statements in your web application. This has
great security implications and other advantages on your web applications, just
to mention a few;
·
Total elimination for loopholes exploited by
hackers to gain access to your web application and hence database. This is
usually achieved through SQL injection and cross site scripting.
·
There is no need for storage of secondary
passwords and subsequent management of the same. This is so as your web
application inherits the strong password policies defined in the DNS structure
of an organization. The users do not have to memorize different passwords, as
they are only required to remember their windows username and password. This is
very similar to the use of Open ID technique, where users get to log into your
web application via their social networks usernames and passwords, eg facebook,
yahoo, gmail, tweeter, etc.
·
The development time used in programming your
web application is greatly reduced, and this has always been every developers
worry, meeting deadlines in good time.
·
Support/maintenance has never been easy than
before, as the functionality can now be greatly separated from the design. This
means that the developer automatically has two sets of support personnel to
assist him/her whenever he is unavailable. The first set maintains the
functionality, which is done via Ms Dynamics nav, while the other set maintains
the web application design. More so, these 2 sets of developers do not have to
know what the other is doing.
·
Consistency in design for both the web
applications and Dynamics Nav. This can be demonstrated through generation of
reports from Navision and only displaying the end product (eg PDF report) to
the web application user
·
Error handling and reporting has been greatly
improved, as the web application reports errors generated from Navision, and
not the web application. This means that the end user will be viewing error
messages similar to the ones they are accustomed to in Navision.
·
Reduced time in user training. This is so as the
web application designer concentrates more
on matching the design patterns in
Navision, and not the functionality in Navision. There has always been “RESISTANCE
TO CHANGE” from the end users. Hence, end users are bound to embrace the web
application, as it resembles what they are already accustomed to, ie user interface similar to
Navision
JUST BUT A TIP OF THE ICEBERG, on what Microsoft Dynamics
Nav is capable of doing to both the end users and the 2 sets of developers.
LIFE MADE EASY. To developers, Ogolla Fredrick is a freelance consultant on emerging
IT Technologies. He can be contacted
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