Lasernet FO Connector 6.16 New Features and Fixes

Lasernet Connector for Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations

Release version: 6.16

Release date: 8th October 2021

Introduction

This page describes the new features, fixes, and enhancements in Lasernet FO Connector 6.16.

Click to view the Lasernet FO Connector 6.16 Release Notes.

New Features, Fixes, and Enhancements - Lasernet FO Connector 6.16

Focus:

• Performance

• Performance when using OData (data from Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement)

• Usability and user experience

This is provided through the following major enhancements in Lasernet FO Connector 6.16:

• Option to limit use of memory

• Minimizing record size for the report definition

• Performance improvement in relation to OData requests

• Improved Task recording when using Test & Performance Suite

• Better option to measure report execution with Test & Performance Suite

• New HTML editor/designer

Performance/Option to limit use of memory (Cache/memory)

Lasernet FO Connector 6.16 includes an option to disable the saving of records in memory (cache of the records).

The previous version of Lasernet FO Connector always saved records in memory.

The advantage of saving records in memory is information/fields are retrieved faster if needing to re-use information (tables/fields).

The disadvantage is the consumption of memory, which could be reduced by disabling the cache.

It takes time (not a lot) to save record(s) in memory, and, in some scenarios, it is possible to improve performance by disabling cache – especially if a low number of fields are re-used, such as when most of the information (tables/fields) is added through the Query wizard.

Reusing fields is an example when adding fields within the structure/elements or when reusing information for file naming.

Manually added information is highlighted in yellow within the elements:

The best practice is to add as much as possible through the Query wizard and avoid as many yellow elements as possible.

Yellow elements could end up harming the performance of the report and the overall performance.

Adding as much as possible through the Query wizard would also ensure a minimum of roundtrips to the database, which is especially important when having higher latency and/or low bandwidth.

Some tests are needed to identify the best/optimal performance settings of the cache.

The option to disable cache is located at the report level – Lasernet > Common > Reports.

Cache control

• Default (Defined within the Lasernet parameters)

• Use cache - Save record(s) in memory both when running report(s) in batch and through UI

• Disable cache - Never save record(s) in memory.

• Disable cache in batch

When running the report(s) from the UI, record(s) are saved in memory, but not when running through a batch task.

The module Test & Performance Suite is a great tool for identifying the best settings in relation to performance, as it contains the option for logging the following information:

• Average execution time for report

• Average execution time for report - Including time for the batch-task

• Memory usage (%) for report

• CPU usage (%) for report

Test & Performance Suite can execute 10/100/1000 reports within a batch task and identify the best settings.

Disabling cache in the batch is useful when lowering memory usage when running batch tasks, such as when posting and printing invoices.

Performance/Limit size of report definition

The record containing the report definition/structure is optimized to a minimum size.

Implemented by moving the Stylesheets (Transformation Stylesheet, Sorting Sylesheet) into a new table as the sizes of the Stylesheets can often become quite sizeable.

Having Stylesheets within a separate table ensures they are only loaded when needed.

Stylesheets are moved from an existing table to a new one when the record containing the report definition is updated (Table=LACReport), such as when saving, importing, or modifying a report.

Existing table containing the report definition:

Tablename: LACReport

New table containing the Stylesheets, to which the Stylesheets are moved:

TableName: LACReportStyleSheets

SortStyleSheet

TransformStyleSheet

It is possible to move Stylesheets back from LACReportStyleSheets into LACReport by adding the following to the URL.

Remember to use the right legal entity/company, such as &cmp=USMF, in the following:

https://<server>/?mi=SysClassRunner&prt=initial&cls=LACReportStyleSheetMover&cmp=USMF

This would move the Stylesheets for all reports from the table LACReportStyleSheets back to the table LACReport.

Approach to identify best performance settings by using T&P

The module Test & Performance suite is a separate module and requires an additional license key to get activated.

It is possible to obtain a demo license for trial purposes.

The following approach is required for all reports as each report could have a different structure and behavior.

Most important for reports that are critical in relation to performance, such as the Packing Slips.

A similar approach is used for reports with a long execution time, high memory usage, and/or high CPU consumption.

Run x-number of reports by using the following approach, such as 10/100/1000 reports.

1. Start by enabling Cache for the Report – Lasernet > Common > Reports.

2. Run a number of reports – 10/100/1000 reports.

a. Open Batch print schedule (Top picking), which is located in Lasernet > Test & performance suite > Performance > Batch print schedule (Top picking).

b. Start by selecting the required report before entering the destination, then enter a dummy destination such as Fax: 1234.

c. Enable Run in batch and set the Number of tasks/threads (4/8).

d. Enable Log per report, Log CPU, and Log memory usage and set Log performance on every ’x’ report to 1.

Open review form would ensure the Form containing the logging information automatically is open.

It is possible to open the same Form from Lasernet > Test & Performance suite > Performance > Batch print review.

e. Check the logging in relation to Execution time, Memory Usage %, CPU Usage % in the Form Batch print review.

d. Disable the cache at the report level.

3. Repeat Step 2 and re-run x number of reports – 10/100/1000 reports.

4. Check the logging and compare it with the previous logging in which the cache was enabled (step 2d).

It is also possible to use the Tracking/Performance indicators to identify the best settings for a report.

It is important to run the same report multiple times, as it caches the report definition and Query the first time it is executed.

Lasernet > Setup > Parameters > Performance

Example of processing report that contains yellow elements:

New HTML Editor/designer

In Lasernet FO Connector 6.16, the new HTML editor control, introduced as a preview feature in standard Dynamics 365 FO, can be activated.

It is still possible to select and use the Legacy HTML editor or Plain text.

The options are available in Lasernet > Setup > Parameters > Email.

The following would stop in previous versions of Lasernet FO Connector:

Improvement of batch testing

The Batch print review now includes additional information regarding execution time, which is useful when tracking bottlenecks in relation to execution time, performance, and memory/CPU usage.

Time per report (without batch overhead) contains the average execution time without any overhead caused by the batch/batch task.

Bear in mind that the value for Time per report (without batch overhead) could be higher compared to Time per report (ms) in case ”multi-threading” is used (multi-tasks/threads).

Example of using 4 tasks/threads:

223772@LAC365FO - Memory issue when using LAC365FO within an MS self-service environment

In previous versions, records were always saved (cached) in memory when executing a Query.

Lasernet FO Connector 6.16 contains a new option for enabling and disabling the cache.

231387@LAC365FO – Issues with Report identification (PU43)

In previous versions, Report identification did not always display the proper values when using Edit.

Report identification is optimized in Lasernet FO Connector 6.16.

231718@LAC365FO – CE Class Report with more than 255 characters in Range - Multi-select in CE

232113@LAC365FO – Requirement for multi-selection of many records in D365CE

In previous versions, the multi-selection of records in CE had a limitation of 254 characters when the range was parsed to Lasernet FO Connector.

This limit is extended to 2 KB of characters.

231860@LAC365FO – Aggregate Sum does not return any value when the report run in Latvian language

In previous versions, using an Aggregation such as a Sum did not return any values when overwriting the Language/Report Language.

This is fixed in Lasernet FO Connector 6.16.

233906@LAC365FO – Error: The data source is not embedded within a (parent) data source

In previous versions, the following error could occur when running a report having an expression for which fields were found within a Query having multiple sub-queries:

Error

The data source is not embedded within a (parent) data source.

This is fixed in Lasernet FO Connector 6.16.

Multiple sub-queries:

234366@LAC365FO – Sub-query issue

Lasernet FO Connector contains some useful options for grouping and summarizing records.

This is extremely useful when creating statistic reports or when working with retail, as it provides the option to summarize and group data across multiple tables.

Performance is also better when using a Group by Query as only fields added within the Query wizard are fetched from the database.

Removing a table within Group by Query could cause the following error when selecting next in the Wizard:

Error

Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

This is fixed in Lasernet FO Connector 6.16.

234376@LAC365FO – LAC 6.14 Calculation element Expression datatype string decimals deleted

When calculating using the Type String in Lasernet FO Connector, the system would always return two decimals.

Lasernet FO Connector 6 behaves differently as it removes the decimals.

However, it is possible to set the number of decimals for a string field by adjusting the Type from String to Real and entering the number of decimals.

Then, adjust the type back to String. This will make the system respect the number of decimals set for Real.

Element for which two decimals are required:

Example of worse performance:

235291@LAC365FO – Not all fields are taken into account when loading from another report

Lasernet FO Connector contains a powerful option to add fields from a record method.

A record method returns a record where the wanted fields are selected.

Using a record method could, in some scenarios, avoid having to add additional tables.

In previous versions, aloading fields from another report did not load fields which was added from a record method, such as when adding fields from deliveryAddress() from the table SalesTable.

236711@LAC365FO – Bug - Alert Links import not importing

In previous versions, Alert links were not properly imported from an export.

This is fixed in Lasernet FO Connector 6.16.

238116@LAC365FO – Handle damaged reports when importing backup

In previous versions, importing reports into an environment that did not include all tables caused the following error:

Error

Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

Import failed

Such as when importing the Query for the WaveLabel feature into an older version of Dynamics 365 FO that did not include the WaveLabel as a feature. (Query/report: LACWHSWaveLabels)

238493@LAC365FO – Query wizard - Statement is created with OR instead of AND

In previous versions, using a field from another branch for a relation could cause issues with the selected records, and a warning would be displayed.

The warning was only displayed when a Query was modified.

Lasernet FO Connector 6.16 displayed a warning when navigating the Query wizard and when validating the report.

SalesLine is related to data source CustConfirmTrans in a different branch. This may lead to a situation where only the last record of CustConfirmTrans will be used to build the relation.

241806@LAC365FO – T&P - Background print and Force rerun option

In previous versions, the option Force rerun was shown when using Background print (part of Test and Performance Suite) even though the value for Allow forced rerun was empty.

Allow forced rerun is not specified for the report:

Selecting the Background print (batch):

The system provided the option to select Force rerun even though it should not.

This is fixed in Lasernet FO Connector 6.16.

The option for Background print (part of Test and Performance Suite) is activated within the Form links at the report level: Lasernet > Reports > Form links.

259300@LAC365FO – Additional field containing 'time per report (ms)' without time used for the batch/batch-task (overhead)

A new field Time per report (without batch overhead) is added to the Batch print review form.

The value for the field contains the execution time for the reports without time used for the batch/batch task.

Useful for tracking and when making performance improvements.

236779@LAC365FO – UX tests – Issue: Test replay fails in "Print destination settings"

In previous versions of the Test and Performance Suite, it was not always possible to make a playback if the recording included a report/report destination.

This is fixed in Lasernet FO Connector 6.16.

Update of the Query wizard

The Query wizard in Lasernet FO Connector 6.16 has been updated: the symbols à , +, and ß were displayed at the bottom of the Form and not between the available/selected tables/fields.

It is also now possible to extend the width of the available tables and fields.

Adjustment to the scripts/LAC functions

The && symbols have been added to the XML:

setRecognizedForm() has been removed

The script setRecognizedForm() has been removed in the Exit Modifiers within the module.

Script ‘’ setRecognizedForm() has been removed

The functions setRecognizedForm() and getNotRecognizedData() have been from the Lasernet FO Connector functions.