Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software such as Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations is a massive software application that supports global enterprises in providing information across all the functional units of a business entity. Understanding architecture is critical in order to know how the system works. Software architecture is fundamental to answering the following questions:

• How does a software application work?
• What different components are part of the software, and how do they interact?
• Can software grow as a business grows?
• What infrastructure do we need to deploy the software?
• How can a software application be deployed and managed?

When you are planning to implement Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations in your organization, it is imperative to understand the architecture of the product and how it can fit within your organization. To get the answers to the preceding questions in relation to Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations, this chapter covers the following topics in detail:

• Understanding architecture
• Understanding application components and architecture
• Understanding deployment options
• Understanding cloud deployment and environment planning