What is the best practice for creating and working on layers?

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Posted on by Jccrawford

I'm trying to find documentation on this but cannot find it anywhere. I have heard that it is best practice not to work in the USR layer, and that everything should be created on the ISV layer. Is anyone able to advise what each layer contains and on which layer it is best practice to work from?

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nmaenpaa 101,160 Moderator on at

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Layers don't have as similar impact in D365 compared to AX2012, since you can't overlayer Microsoft's code anymore.

Anyway, it's good to understand basics of the layers.

ISV layer is intended for ISVs = Independent Software Vendors. If you develop solutions that you sell to customers, then this is the layer that you should use.

VAR is for Value Added Reseller = a partner that sells some small solutions that are used in their own projects.

If you develop customizations for one customer, you should use CUS (Customer) or USR (User) layer.

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Jccrawford 10 on at

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Thanks Nikolaos - If layers do not matter any more, then what is the point of layers? I mean, what is the point of having an ISV layer vs a VAR layer? And then, what is the difference between CUS and USR?

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André Arnaud de Cal... 300,911 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Hi Jccraford,

Have a look at the official documentation from Microsoft: docs.microsoft.com/.../layers

I do have a slight different opinion on the comments from Nikoloas.

ISV is used if you want to have the solution available on AppSource and sell products to your own customers, but also via a partner channel.

VAR is for partners creating specific solutions for customers.

CUS is the layer used by the customer to create his own modifications for the organization.

USR was specified for user requirements.

If you read the documentation, then the layers do have a priority. Even when every customization is an extension, then there are still situations where partners and ISV solutions can extend the same object. A higher layer would have still higher priority in execution.

Also when two ISV products use the same inventory dimension out of the 10 additional, then it can be changed in a higher layer by a partner as part of the implementation.

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nmaenpaa 101,160 Moderator on at

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Andre provided good information about the areas where layers still do matter.

Also "if layers don't matter any more, then what is the point of layers?" - there's not necessarily a point in existence of every technical detail in D365 (or many other products in the world). The product has evolved from it's earlier versions. Everyone who upgrades their code from AX2012 to D365 still needs to work with layers. And actually you can still technically use overlayering in your developments, but not with Microsoft code.

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Joris dG 17,775 on at

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Don't rely on layers. Do one model per package, that's it. There is no plan at this point, but other than upgrades I don't see us keeping layers in the product for eternity.

Also, because of the way model IDs have gone crazy, the layers don't properly order anymore anyway. Don't use them, there is absolutely no good reason other than creating more work for yourself (merging/cleanup) and using a virtually deprecated feature.

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