Microsoft Dynamics 365 CE on AWS: A Flexible, Cost-Optimized Solution

For organizations with stringent compliance requirements, the standard Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (CE) SaaS offering can create challenges with data residency, legacy system integration, and inflexible licensing costs. This solution provides the power of Dynamics 365 with the control and security of your own environment.

The HCLTech Dynamics 365 CE on AWS solution provides a reference architecture based on industry best practices, successfully implemented for clients in the banking and financial‑services sector.

Key Benefits and Features:

• Helps Enable Data Sovereignty and Compliance

o Deploy Dynamics 365 in supported AWS Regions to help meet strict on‑shore data residency mandates. o Designed to keep sensitive customer data entirely within your own Virtual Private Cloud (VPC). o Integrate seamlessly with on-premises systems via AWS Site-to-Site VPN and Active Directory.

• Designed to Reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

o This solution is designed to lower TCO compared to on-premises and SaaS models, a claim that can be validated by an AWS Optimization and Licensing Assessment (OLA). o Utilize EC2 Auto Scaling and right-sized instances to help you pay only for the compute you need. o Helps eliminate SQL Server Enterprise licensing costs for high availability.

• Designed for High Availability & Security

o Achieve high availability with a multi-AZ architecture that supports automatic failover. o Leverage SQL Server Standard FCI on Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP to help reduce database costs without sacrificing resilience. o Implement defense-in-depth security with isolated Web/App/DB subnets, network segmentation, end-to-end TLS encryption, and encryption at rest for all data.

• Automated & Observable Infrastructure

o Provision your entire environment consistently and rapidly using AWS CloudFormation (Infrastructure as Code). o Automate patching and management tasks with AWS Systems Manager. o Gain deep visibility with pre-configured Amazon CloudWatch dashboards and alerts.

Our Proven Methodology

Our engagement follows a simple three-step process to ensure success:

1. Assessment: We analyze your existing landscape, compliance needs, and TCO goals.

2. Solution Design: We tailor the reference architecture to your specific requirements.

3. Validation & Deployment: We deploy a proof-of-concept and accelerate your path to a production‑ready environment.

Solution Scope, Prerequisites, and Responsibilities

• Scope of Offering: This professional services offering includes the assessment, solution design, and deployment of a proof-of-concept for the Dynamics 365 CE environment on AWS. The engagement delivers a tailored reference architecture and assistance in moving toward a production environment.

• Prerequisites: The customer is expected to have the appropriate Microsoft Dynamics 365 CE licenses and an established AWS account and landing zone.

• Shared Responsibility Model:

• HCLTech: Delivers the professional services outlined in the assessment, design, and deployment phases of this engagement. Optional managed‑services support is available under a separate contract.

• Customer: Procures valid Microsoft Dynamics 365 CE licenses, manages their AWS account and access, and is responsible for ongoing operation and maintenance of the deployed solution. Customers may bring their own Windows Server and SQL Server licenses (BYOL) if eligible or use AWS license‑included options.

• AWS: Provides and maintains the underlying cloud infrastructure in line with the AWS Shared Responsibility Model. See AWS documentation for more details.