The terms behind the systems, in plain English.
Clear, definition-first explanations of the software, AI, database and Dynamics 365 concepts that come up when building business systems — written to be genuinely useful, not jargon for jargon's sake.
Dynamics 365
X++
X++ is the object-oriented programming language used to customize and extend Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations.
Read definitionChain of Command (CoC)
Chain of Command is a D365 F&O extension pattern that wraps standard methods so you can add logic without breaking the upgrade path.
Read definitionData Management Framework (DMF)
The Data Management Framework is the D365 F&O toolset for importing, exporting and migrating data using data entities and data packages.
Read definitionElectronic Reporting (ER)
Electronic Reporting is a configurable D365 F&O engine for producing documents and regulatory formats without code.
Read definitionCopilot sidecar (D365)
The Copilot sidecar is the chat pane that opens beside a Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations page, giving users a natural-language assistant in context.
Read definitionAI & automation
RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation)
RAG is a technique that grounds an AI model's answers in your own documents, so it responds from real, retrievable facts instead of guessing.
Read definitionAI agent
An AI agent is software that uses an AI model to take actions toward a goal — answering, qualifying, booking or updating systems — not just generating text.
Read definitionWorkflow automation
Workflow automation connects your apps so repetitive, multi-step tasks run themselves — moving data and triggering actions without manual effort.
Read definitionMicrosoft Copilot Studio
Microsoft Copilot Studio is a low-code platform for building, managing and publishing AI agents that answer questions, use your business data and take actions.
Read definitionAutonomous agent
An autonomous agent is an AI agent that acts without being prompted — an event fires, and it decides what to do and does it within the guardrails you set.
Read definitionAgentic AI
Agentic AI describes AI systems that pursue goals by taking actions in real systems — planning, using tools and adapting — rather than only generating text.
Read definitionModel Context Protocol (MCP)
MCP is an open standard that connects AI agents to data systems and business logic through a common interface, instead of bespoke APIs for every integration.
Read definitionGenerative orchestration
Generative orchestration is an AI planning layer that interprets a request, breaks it into steps, and chooses which tools and knowledge to use to fulfil it.
Read definitionDatabases
Query optimization
Query optimization is the process of making database queries run faster — through indexing, rewriting queries and analyzing execution plans.
Read definitionHigh availability (HA)
High availability is database and system design that keeps services running with minimal downtime, using replication, clustering and automatic failover.
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