ISV vertical configuration using Rapid Start Services

In an effort to push data to custom developed functionality (could be an ISV solution) in AX 2012 through rapid start services, I found rapid start really useful and extensible. In order to prove the concept, I used a sample scenario where a health care customer needs to fill in the data into Patients table through rapid start. I created couple of relevant objects in AOT as seen below:

In Rapid Start, I imported the metadata from my current AX instance using the Administer page. In the Design area, created a new functional area in rapid start with a question group and one question of type "Table" in it. As I had to load the Patients data into PatientTable, I used the Table type question that gave me the option to generate a template. Next I published the functional area.

In order to use the functional area, I had to create a template. So created a template named "Patients" and associate the functional area with it. Once this is done, created a new project in Configure area of rapid start as shown below:

Next step was to fill in the base information for my LE as shown below:

After that I was presented with the question that was created earlier for Patients data. On this page, I downloaded the template, filled it with necessary data and uploaded it.

Now the project was 100% complete and the configuration was ready to be loaded into target AX deployment. See the log results below.

For cross verification, below is what I got in the AX Patients form as expected :)

 

Unpublish standard template or functional area in rapid start services for AX 2012

I recently come across a situation where I had to modify the default data given with Account Categories template in Rapid Start Services. Even with the administrative rights for the user, I was not able to unpublish the template or functional area (GL in this case). I then came to realize that MS has not given permissions to update the contents of default (hidden) templates like account categories. One can unpublish his own custom template of functional area but not the ones that come as default and for which there is no question present in the question group.