Microsoft 2012 R3, R2, Feature Pack, Dynamics AX Installation Guide

Exchange: Synch Service (Retail

Store Connect)

Note:

In AX 2012 R3, deploy this component only if you need to support previous versions of Retail

POS while you upgrade (N-1).

Real-time Service is an integrated service that provides real-time communication between

Microsoft Dynamics AX and individual point of sale (POS) devices.

Exchange: Real-time Service

(Retail Transaction Service)

Async Server is part of the asynchronous system that shares data between the

Microsoft Dynamics AX database and channel databases. Async Server is installed at headquarters and communicates with the

Microsoft Dynamics AX database.

Exchange: Async Server

Note:

Async Server is available only in AX

2012 R3.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Component

Commerce Data Exchange: Async

Client

Description More information

Async Client is part of the asynchronous system that shares data between the

Microsoft Dynamics AX database and channel databases. Async Client is installed at the channel and communicates with the channel database.

Install the Retail Channel

Exchange: Async Client

Note:

Async Client is available only in AX

2012 R3.

Retail Channel Configuration Utility

(Retail Store Database Utility)

The Retail Channel Configuration Utility is used configure Retail databases and database connections.

Retail Server Retail Server provides services and business logic for Modern POS (point of sale) clients.

Configuration Utility (Retail

Store Database Utility)

Install Retail Server

Retail hardware station

Note:

Retail Server is available only in AX

2012 R3.

Retail Hardware Station provides services for

Modern POS (point of sale) clients and peripherals such as printers, cash drawers, or payment devices that enable these devices to communicate with Retail Server.

Install Retail Hardware Station

Retail Online Channel

Note:

Hardware station is available only in

AX 2012 R3.

Retail Online Channel includes components that are needed to provision an online sales channel using SharePoint. This component allows you to integrate data from Microsoft

Dynamics AX into the SharePoint site.

Note:

Retail Online Channel is available only in AX 2012 R3 and AX 2012 R2.

Install a Microsoft Dynamics AX

Retail online store (ecommerce)

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Component

Retail mass deployment toolkit

Retail SDK

Retail essentials

Description

The Retail mass deployment toolkit enables you to use System Center Configuration

Manager (SCCM) to deploy retail components.

More information

Install retail mass deployment toolkit

Note:

Retail mass deployment toolkit is available only in AX 2012 R3.

The Retail Software Development Kit (SDK) includes sample code and templates that can be used to customize Retail for Microsoft

Dynamics AX.

Install Retail SDK (Retail POS

Plug-ins)

Retail essentials is a retail-centric configuration option for Microsoft Dynamics

AX. Retail essentials provides a simplified, streamlined user experience that is optimized for organizations that use only the retail management functions of Microsoft

Dynamics AX.

Install Retail Essentials at headquarters

Install Retail Essentials at the store or at the point of sale

Connector for Microsoft Dynamics

Connector can be used to integrate data between Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics AX.

For example, you can integrate Microsoft Dynamics AX customers with Microsoft Dynamics CRM accounts. This gives you access to up-to-date customer and account information in both systems.

Note:

Connector is available through the Microsoft Dynamics AX Setup wizard in AX 2012 R3 and cumulative update 7 for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.

For more information about how to install Connector, see

Install Connector for Microsoft Dynamics

RapidStart Connector

The Rapid Start Connector for Microsoft Dynamics AX enables RapidStart Services for Microsoft Dynamics

ERP to communicate with an on-premises Microsoft Dynamics AX implementation.

Note:

The RapidStart Connector is available through the Microsoft Dynamics AX Setup wizard in AX

2012 R3, AX 2012 R2, and Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Feature Pack.

For more information about how to install RapidStart Connector, see

Install the RapidStart Connector

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

VSS writer

The Volume Shadow Copy Service writer for Microsoft Dynamics AX, (AX VSS writer) can be used with

Microsoft System Center 2012 Data Protection Manager (DPM) to protect Microsoft Dynamics AX data and servers. The AX VSS writer coordinates backup and restore operations.

Note:

The AX VSS writer is available through the Microsoft Dynamics AX Setup wizard in AX 2012 R3 and cumulative update 7 for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2.

For more information about how to install the VSS writer, see

Install the VSS writer for Microsoft Dynamics

AX

Warehouse Mobile Devices Portal

Warehouse Mobile Devices Portal enables users to complete tasks on mobile devices in the warehouse facility. It includes a website that can be accessed by mobile devices. Warehouse Mobile Devices Portal communicates with AOS by using Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) services.

Note:

The Warehouse Mobile Devices Portal is available through the Microsoft Dynamics AX Setup wizard only in AX 2012 R3.

For more information about how to install the Warehouse Mobile Devices Portal, see

Install Warehouse

Mobile Devices Portal

Data Import/Export Framework

The Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Data Import/Export Framework is an extension that helps you export data and import it into Microsoft Dynamics AX. Examples of the data that you can import include master data, open stock, and balances.

Note:

The Data Import/Export Framework is available through the Microsoft Dynamics AX Setup wizard only in AX 2012 R3.

For more information about how to install the Data Import/Export Framework, see

Install the Data import/export framework (DIXF, DMF)

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Installation types

Two types of installation are available from the Setup wizard: Custom installation and Single-computer

installation.

Custom installation

Select Custom installation to install specific Microsoft Dynamics AX components on multiple computers.

Use this type of installation in a production environment.

Single-computer installation

Select Single-computer installation to install a complete Microsoft Dynamics AX system on one computer. Setup uses default settings to configure all components, and new Microsoft Dynamics AX databases are created. User names and passwords are the only input that is required.

If you want to connect to an existing database or specify other custom settings, you must perform a custom installation.

Important:

Do not perform a single-computer installation in a production environment. Use this type of installation only for development and testing.

A single-computer installation includes the following components:



Databases



Application Object Server (AOS)

 Enterprise Portal



Help server

 Reporting Services extensions



Analysis Services configuration



Client



Office add-ins

 Remote Desktop Services integration



Debugger

 Visual Studio Tools



Trace Parser

 .NET Business Connector



Management utilities

For information about how to install a Microsoft Dynamics AX system on a single computer, see

Perform a single-computer installation

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Before you begin

The topics in this section provide the procedures that you must complete before you start to install

Microsoft Dynamics AX. The following topics are included:



Pre-installation checklist



Create service accounts



Create a shared directory for installation



Include cumulative updates and hotfixes in a new installation (slipstreaming)



Verify that you have the required permissions for installation



Check prerequisites

Pre-installation checklist

Before you install Microsoft Dynamics AX, you must plan the implementation and complete the preinstallation tasks that are listed in the following table.

Task

1. Plan the deployment of Microsoft Dynamics AX.

More information

Implementation Planning Guide

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=163797) (PDF download)

2. Look for updated installation documentation for

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 on the web.

3. Review the system requirements.

Installation Guide

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=163796) (PDF download)

System requirements on the Web

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=165377) (PDF download)

Important:

If you plan to upgrade the operating system, you must perform the upgrade before you install Microsoft Dynamics AX. If you upgrade the operating system after Microsoft Dynamics

AX has been installed, you may experience problems. For example, instances of

Application Object Server (AOS) may not start, or registry entries may be deleted.

4. Create service accounts that Windows services can run as. For example, you must create accounts to run

Microsoft Dynamics AX services and Microsoft SQL

Server services.

Create service accounts

5. Copy the DVD contents to a shared directory.

Create a shared directory for installation

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Task

6. Obtain product updates, and copy them to the installation directory for Microsoft Dynamics AX.

7. Make sure that your domain account has the appropriate permissions to perform the installation.

8. Verify that prerequisites have been met.

More information

Include cumulative updates and hotfixes in a new installation (slipstreaming)

Verify that you have the required permissions for installation

Check prerequisites

Create service accounts

An implementation of Microsoft Dynamics AX requires many services to run. Set up accounts to run the services. Each account that you set up must have the following characteristics:

 Unless otherwise noted, it must be a dedicated account. A dedicated account is used only for a specific service.



It must have a password that does not expire.

 It must have minimal access to network resources.



It must be able to log on as a service.

If you are using Windows Server 2008 R2 or a later version of Windows Server, you can use managed service accounts. For more information, see the

Service Accounts Step-by-Step Guide

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=214033) on TechNet.

Note:

If an account must be a Microsoft Dynamics AX user, it cannot be a managed service account.

The accounts in this topic must be configured in order to install the components of Microsoft Dynamics

AX. For information about additional service accounts that are used when you configure Microsoft

Dynamics AX, see

Configure system accounts

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/56e3522e-38a8-41bab95e-3ad3c7d53178(AX.60).aspx).

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Create accounts for Microsoft Dynamics AX services

Create the accounts in the following table to run Microsoft Dynamics AX services.

Account

Application Object Server

(AOS) service account

Business Connector proxy account

Description Configuration procedure

The account that the Microsoft Dynamics AX

Object Server Windows service runs as. This account is used to communicate with the database server.

Consider the following points when you select an account:



We strongly recommend that you use a domain account or a managed service account in a production environment. Use the Network

Service account only in development and testing environments.

 If you plan to use a managed service account, you must first create that account as described in the Service Accounts Step-by-Step guide

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=254376).



If Microsoft SQL Server and the AOS are on different computers, you must use a domain account or a managed service account.



If you plan to install any Microsoft Dynamics AX components on a domain controller, you must use a domain account.



If you plan to use Message Queuing, which is also known as MSMQ, for document exchange with web services on Internet Information

Services (IIS), and you want to send signed messages, you must use a domain account.

However, if you want to send unsigned messages by using web services on IIS, the AOS can run under the Network Service account.

Enter this account when you run the Setup wizard to install an AOS instance. For

more information, see Install an AOS instance .

The account that the .NET Business Connector runs as. This account is used to connect to the AOS on behalf of a Microsoft Dynamics AX user, but without granting that user excessive privileges in the system.

Enter this account when you run the Setup wizard or select this account in the System

service accounts form.

Note:

This account must not be a Microsoft

Dynamics AX user.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Account

Search crawler account

Management Reporter integration user account

(optional)

Management Reporter service account (optional)

Synchronization service account (optional)

Connector integration user account (optional)

Description Configuration procedure

The account that Enterprise Search runs as. This account is used by the Microsoft SharePoint Indexing

Service to crawl Microsoft Dynamics AX data. This account must be assigned to the Search crawler security role in Microsoft Dynamics AX. We recommend that you configure this account so that it has no local logon rights.

Enter this account when you run the Setup wizard to install Enterprise Search. For

more information, see Install

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Enterprise Search .

Use the Assign users to

roles form to assign this account to the Search

crawler security role.

The account that is used to run integrations between

Management Reporter and Microsoft Dynamics AX.

This account must have read permission and view change tracking permission on the Microsoft

Dynamics AX transaction database and model database.

Setup will add the account as a user in Microsoft

Dynamics AX, and will assign the user to the System

administrator security role.

The account that the Management Reporter

Windows service runs as.

We recommend that you use the AOS service account to run the Management Reporter service.

Enter this account when you run the Setup wizard to install Management Reporter.

For more information, see

Install Management Reporter server components .

The account that the Microsoft Project Server synchronization service runs as. We recommend that you configure this account so that it has no local logon rights.

The account that is used to connect to Microsoft

Dynamics AX.

Setup will add the account as a user in Microsoft

Dynamics AX, and will assign the user to the System

administrator security role.

Enter this account when you run the Setup wizard to install Management Reporter.

For more information, see

Install Management Reporter server components .

Select this account in the

System service accounts form.

For more information, see

Install the synchronization service for Microsoft Project

Server .

Enter this account when you run the Setup wizard to install Connector. For more

Connector for Microsoft

Dynamics .

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Account

Connector service account

(optional)

RapidStart Connector account (optional)

VSS writer account

(optional)

Application pool identity for

Warehouse Mobile Devices

Portal (optional)

Description

The account that is used to run integrations with

Microsoft Dynamics AX.

This account is also used to send notification emails.

If the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server that you use to send notifications requires authentication to submit emails, you must give this service account permission to authenticate and submit emails.

The account that the RapidStart Connector Windows service runs as.

Configuration procedure

Enter this account when you run the Setup wizard to install Connector. For more

information, see Install the

Connector for Microsoft

Dynamics .

The account that is used to run the application pool for the web application for Warehouse Mobile

Devices Portal.

You must install an instance of Warehouse Mobile

Devices Portal for each company in Microsoft

Dynamics AX. Create a separate service account for each instance.

Service accounts must be assigned to the

Warehouse mobile device user security role in

Microsoft Dynamics AX. The default company for the user must be the legal entity in which the warehouse operates. The language that you select for the user is the default language for the portal.

Enter this account when you run the Setup wizard to install the RapidStart

Connector. For more

RapidStart Connector .

Use the Assign users to

roles form to assign this account to the System

administrator security role.

The account that the VSS writer Windows service runs as.

This account must be a local administrator, and must have read/write access to the location where temporary backups are stored.

Enter this account when you run the Setup wizard to install the VSS writer. For

more information, see Install the VSS writer for Microsoft

Dynamics AX .

Enter this account when you run the Setup wizard to install Warehouse Mobile

Devices Portal. For more

information, see Install the

Warehouse Mobile Devices

Portal .

Use the Assign users to

roles form to assign this account to the Warehouse

mobile device user security role. Use the Options form to set the default company and language for the user.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Account

Data Import/Export

Framework (DIXF) service account

Description Configuration procedure

The account that is used for the Data Import/Export

Framework service.

The account must have dbdatareader and

dbdatawriter access to the business and model store databases, as well as administrator rights to Microsoft

Dynamics AX.

We recommend that you use the AOS service account.

Enter this account when you run the Setup wizard to install the Data Import/Export

Framework service. For more

Data import/export framework (DIXF, DMF) .

Create accounts for Retail services

Create the accounts in the following table to run the services that are used in Retail.

Account

Application pool identity for

Commerce Data Exchange:

Real-time Service

Description

The account that is used to run the application pool for the web application for Real-time

Service.

Note:

In Microsoft Dynamics

AX 2012 Feature Pack,

Commerce Data

Exchange: Real-time

Service is called Retail

Transaction Service.

Service account for Commerce

Data Exchange: Async Client

Note:

In Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

Feature Pack, Real-time Service is a

Windows service, and this account is used as the service account.

Configuration procedure

Enter this account when you run the Setup wizard to install Realtime Service. For more

Commerce Data Exchange: Realtime Service (Retail Transaction

Service) .

Use the Assign users to roles form to assign this account to the BusinessConnector Role.

Application pool identity for

Commerce Data Exchange:

Async Server

The account that the Async Client Windows service runs as. The account is not required to be a domain account. It can be a member of a workgroup on the local computer.

The account that is used to run the application pool for the web application for Async Server.

Enter this account when you run the Setup wizard to install Async

Client. For more information, see

see Install Commerce Data

Exchange: Async Client .

Enter this account when you run the Setup wizard to install Async

Server. For more information,

Exchange: Async Server .

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Account Description Configuration procedure

Service accounts for Commerce

Data Exchange: Synch Service

Note:

In Microsoft Dynamics

AX 2012 Feature Pack,

Commerce Data

Exchange: Synch

Service is called Retail

Store Connect.

The accounts that the Synch Service Windows service runs as. These accounts are used to communicate with the database server.

Consider the following points when you select an account:

 Guest or temporary user accounts are not supported.



The service user account on head-office instances of Synch Service must be a

Microsoft Dynamics AX user.

 If you are installing a forwarder instance of

Synch Service at headquarters, the service user account can be any valid domain account.



If you are installing an instance of Synch

Service for a channel, you can use a valid local user account on the computer where the instance runs.



The account must be a member of the

db_datareader and db_datawriter database roles in the message database.



This account must be created on POS computers where offline databases are located.

Enter this account when you run the Setup wizard to install Synch

Service. For more information,

see Install Commerce Data

Exchange: Synch Service (Retail

Store Connect) .

Application pool identity for

Retail Server

Application pool identity for

Retail hardware station

Service account for Offline Sync

Service

The account that is used to run the application pool for the web application for Retail Server.

The account is not required to be a domain account. It can be a member of a workgroup on the local computer.

Enter this account when you run the Setup wizard to install Retail

Server. For more information,

see Install Retail Server .

The account that is used as the identity of the application pool for Retail hardware station.

The account is not required to be a domain account. It can be a member of a workgroup on the local computer.

Enter this account when you run the Setup wizard to install Retail hardware station. For more

information, see Install Retail

Hardware Station .

The account that the Offline Sync Service

Windows service runs as.

Add this account to the

RetailUsers local group.

Use the Services control panel to manually set this account as the identity for the Offline Sync

Service.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Account

Retail online store service accounts

Description Configuration procedure



Product catalog app pool user: The account that is used as the identity of the application pool for the Retail online store product catalog web site. This account must be a member of the SharePoint Farm

Administrators group so that it can edit properties in the root web site.



Store front app pool user: The account that is used as the identity of the application pool for the Retail online store site. This account must be a member of the

SharePoint Farm Administrators group so that it can edit properties in the root web site.

 STS app pool user: The account that is used to run the application pool for the

Security Token Service. This account must be a member of the SharePoint Farm

Administrators group so that it can edit properties in the root web site. This account is specified when you install

SharePoint.



Retail job user: The account that is used to run the SharePoint Timer Service. This account is specified when you install

SharePoint.

Enter these accounts when you run the Setup wizard to install the Retail online store or when you install the store by using

Windows PowerShell. For more

information, see Install a

Microsoft Dynamics AX Retail online store (e-commerce) .

Create accounts for SQL Server services

Create the accounts in the following table to run SQL Server services.

Account Description

SQL Server Database Engine account

The account that the SQL Server

(MSSQLSERVER) Windows service runs as.

Configuration procedure

Select this account when you install the Database Engine.

For more information, see the SQL Server documentation.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Account

Microsoft SQL Server

Reporting Services account

Microsoft SQL Server

Analysis Services account

Description

The account that the SQL Server Reporting Services

(MSSQLSERVER) Windows service runs as.

The account that the SQL Server Analysis Services

(MSSQLSERVER) Windows service runs as.

Configuration procedure

When you install Reporting

Services, specify that you want the Reporting

Services Windows service to run as the .NET Business

Connector account.

Select this account when you install Analysis Services.

Important:

The account that you select must have read access to the online transaction processing (OLTP) database for

Microsoft Dynamics

AX.

Create a shared directory for installation

Before you install Microsoft Dynamics AX and subsequent cumulative updates, we recommend that you create a shared directory on a file server. Then copy the contents of the Microsoft Dynamics AX DVD and the updates to this network location. Perform all installations from this network location instead of the

DVD.

By giving users a shared network location from which to install Microsoft Dynamics AX, you can make sure that the same version of the software is installed on all computers.

Additionally, the installation program may later require access to files from the location where Setup was run. For example, the installation program may require access to the files when you upgrade, when you modify the installation, or when you uninstall a component or update. If Setup was run from a network location, the installation program can retrieve the files silently from the network. However, if Setup was run from a DVD, the user is prompted to insert the DVD when files are required.

Before you install Microsoft Dynamics AX, follow these steps to create a shared directory for the contents of the DVD.

1. Create a directory that is named DynamicsAX6.

2. Share the DynamicsAX6 directory:



Give the Administrator group full control, or owner access.

 Give the Everyone group read access.

As a security best practice, we recommend that you prevent users from making changes to this directory. Only read access is required to perform an installation from the directory.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

3. Copy the contents of the Microsoft Dynamics AX DVD to the DynamicsAX6 directory.

4. Copy the installation files for cumulative updates and hotfixes to the directory. For more information

about how to include updates, see

Include cumulative updates and hotfixes in a new installation

(slipstreaming)

Include cumulative updates and hotfixes in a new installation (slipstreaming)

If you are installing Microsoft Dynamics AX components for the first time, and cumulative updates, binary hotfixes, or service packs for Microsoft Dynamics AX are available, you can incorporate the updates into the installation by using a process that is known as slipstreaming. When updates are slipstreamed, Setup automatically detects and applies them. In this way, the time that is required to install the whole Microsoft

Dynamics AX solution is reduced.

Note:

Components that were previously installed are not updated during a later slipstream installation.

For example, an instance of Application Object Server (AOS) is installed on a server. Later, you add updates to the installation source, and you also install another Microsoft Dynamics AX component on the same server. In this scenario, the existing AOS instance is not updated.

You can slipstream the following kinds of updates:



Cumulative updates



Binary hotfixes



Help content updates

 Service packs

Application (database) hotfixes cannot be included in the slipstreaming process. They must be installed by using AxUpdate.exe.

The Updates folder

Before you install Microsoft Dynamics AX, you copy the DVD to a network location. This lets you modify the installation media to create a slipstream installation. Incorporate updates into the installation process by copying files to the Updates folder in the shared network location.

Note:

For more information about how to install Microsoft Dynamics AX from a shared network folder,

see

Create a shared directory for installation

In the Updates folder, create a subfolder for each update package that you download. We recommend that you use the Knowledge Base article numbers of the updates as the names of the subfolders. For example, for the update that is associated with Knowledge Base article number 123456, create a subfolder that is named KB123456.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Extract each update into the appropriate subfolder. The following illustration shows an example of the recommended folder structure:

Any time that you apply a cumulative update package or a binary hotfix to your environment, we strongly recommend that you add the installation package to the Updates folder. This practice ensures that you can deploy new servers, clients, and other components of the correct version quickly. You should also make a copy of the updated installation media per your system recovery strategy.

The slipstreaming process

The following is a high-level overview of the slipstreaming process:

1. To find cumulative updates:



For AX 2012 R3, go to Microsoft Dynamics Lifecycle Services, and after selecting a project, click

Updates. In the Updates to include with new installations section, select the slipstreamable update package that you want, and download it.



For AX 2012 R2 or earlier, visit the hotfix pages for

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

(https://mbs.microsoft.com/customersource/downloads/hotfixes/ax2012hotfixes.htm) or

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2

(https://mbs.microsoft.com/customersource/support/downloads/hotfixes/ax2012r2hotfixes.htm) on the CustomerSource web site. Logon is required.

2. Create a shared network location from which to install Microsoft Dynamics AX.

3. In the Updates folder, create a subfolder for each update package that you download. Then extract each update into the appropriate subfolder.

4. Run Setup and select the components that you want to install. Setup detects and installs the updates.

Follow the usual installation procedures to install Microsoft Dynamics AX components. For detailed installation instructions for each Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 component, see the procedures later in this document.

To install updates for Help content, you must select the Help Server component, and then select the updated content sets on the Language and content selection page.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Verify that you have the required permissions for installation

Before you begin the installation of Microsoft Dynamics AX, work with a system administrator to make sure that the account that you log on with at each server has appropriate permissions. The permissions in the following table are recommended based on the principle of least privilege.

In all cases, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer where you are installing a component. The following table lists the permissions that are required in addition to administrator access on the local computer.

Component

Databases

Application Object Server (AOS)

Additional permissions that are required to install the component



Membership in the dbcreator server role in Microsoft SQL Server

 Membership in the securityadmin server role in SQL Server



Membership in the db_accessadmin database role in SQL Server for the Microsoft Dynamics AX database

If you install the databases remotely from a computer other than the database server, you must log on to the remote computer by using an account that is an administrator on the SQL Server computer. Setup requires access to SQL Server services.

Membership in the sysadmin role on the instance of SQL Server that you want to connect to

Enterprise Portal for Microsoft Dynamics AX



Membership in the System administrator role in Microsoft

Dynamics AX

 Membership in the Administrators group in Windows on the

Web server



Membership in the Farm Administrators group in Microsoft

SharePoint 2010 products

 Membership in the dbcreator role on the instance of SQL Server that is used for SharePoint 2010 products



Membership in the WSS_Content_Application_Pools database role in the SharePoint_Config database

Enterprise Search

Help server



Membership in the System administrator role in Microsoft

Dynamics AX

 Membership in the Administrator group in Microsoft SharePoint

Services



Membership in the dbcreator role on the instance of SQL Server that is used for Microsoft SharePoint Services

Membership in the System administrator role in Microsoft Dynamics

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Component

Management Reporter (server components)



Membership in the sysadmin role on the instance of SQL Server that you want to connect to.



To finish the initial configuration of Management Reporter, membership is required in the Administrator role in

Management Reporter.

Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services extensions

Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services configuration

Additional permissions that are required to install the component

Membership in the System administrator role in Microsoft Dynamics



Membership in the System administrator role in Microsoft

Dynamics AX

 Membership in the SQL Server securityadmin server role



Membership in the SQL Server db_owner database role for the

Microsoft Dynamics AX database

Client

Microsoft Office add-ins

None

Remote Desktop Services integration

Report Designer for Management Reporter

(client component)

Debugger

Visual Studio Tools

Trace Parser

Web services on Internet Information

Services (IIS)

.NET Business Connector

Synchronization proxy

Synchronization service

Management utilities

Retail Headquarters

Retail POS

Commerce Data Exchange: Synch Service

(Retail Store Connect)

None

Membership in the System administrator role in Microsoft Dynamics

None

 Membership in the dbowner database role in the SQL Server database for Microsoft Project Server



Membership in the System administrator role in Microsoft

Dynamics AX

Membership in the System administrator role in Microsoft Dynamics

None

To install Synch Service, no additional permissions are required. To configure Synch Service, membership is required in the sysadmin role on the instance of SQL Server that you want to connect to.

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Microsoft Dynamics AX

Component

Commerce Data Exchange: Real-time

Service (Retail Transaction Service)

Commerce Data Exchange: Async Server

Commerce Data Exchange: Async Client

Retail Channel Configuration Utility (Retail

Store Database Utility)

Retail SDK (Retail POS Plug-ins)

Retail Online Channel

Retail Server

Retail mass deployment toolkit

Modern POS

Retail channel database

Retail hardware station

RapidStart Connector

Warehouse Mobile Devices Portal

Data Import/Export Framework

VSS writer

Connector for Microsoft Dynamics

Additional permissions that are required to install the component

None

To install Async Server, no additional permissions are required. To configure Async Server, membership is required in the sysadmin role on the instance of SQL Server that you want to connect to.

To install Async Client, no additional permissions are required. To configure Async Client, membership is required in the sysadmin role on the instance of SQL Server that you want to connect to.

To install the utility, no additional permissions are required. To configure databases, membership is required in the sysadmin role on the instance of SQL Server that you want to connect to.

None



Membership in the dbdatareader and dbdatawriter roles on the instance of SQL Server that you want to connect to

 Membership in the System administrator role in Microsoft

Dynamics AX

Membership in the Administrators group on the computer where

Microsoft System Center 2012 Data Protection Manager (DPM) is installed



Permission to query for entries in Active Directory



Membership in the SQL Server dbcreator server role



Membership in the SQL Server securityadmin server role



Membership in the sysadmin database role on the SQL Server instance that hosts the Microsoft Dynamics Integration (MSDI) database

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Check prerequisites

Run the prerequisite validation utility for Microsoft Dynamics AX to determine whether a computer meets the requirements to install a Microsoft Dynamics AX component. You can run the utility before you install any components in your environment. If requirements are not met, the utility helps you install or configure most prerequisites. Additionally, you can view or print a report that shows the results of the prerequisite validation.

Prerequisite validation is also built into Setup. Therefore, the same prerequisites are validated when you install a component by using the Setup wizard.

Note:

The prerequisite validation utility validates the software prerequisites that Microsoft Dynamics AX depends on. However, the utility does not verify whether Microsoft Dynamics AX components that are also required are installed or configured. For example, the utility verifies whether a supported version of Windows is installed, but does not verify whether an Application Object

Server (AOS) is running in the environment. Prerequisite Microsoft Dynamics AX components are validated when you run Setup.

To review the hardware and software requirements for Microsoft Dynamics AX, see the

system requirements

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=165377).

Use the following procedure to run the prerequisite validation utility.

1. Start Microsoft Dynamics AX Setup.

2. Under Prepare, click Validate system requirements.

Note:

To avoid errors, run only one instance of the utility at a time.

3. The Prerequisite validation page is displayed. Select the components that you plan to install on the local computer, and then click Next.

4. The Prerequisite validation results page is displayed. Each prerequisite is assigned one of the following statuses.

Status

Success

Description

The local computer meets the prerequisite.

Error The local computer does not meet the prerequisite. You cannot install the component until this prerequisite is installed or configured.

Warning The local computer does not meet the prerequisite, but you can still install the Microsoft

Dynamics AX component.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

For more information about a prerequisite, click its status. For information about all the prerequisites that were validated, click View report to display the Microsoft Dynamics AX Prerequisite check

report. Both options provide a description of the prerequisite, the validation status, and recommendations for resolving any problems.

5. Resolve prerequisite issues. For many errors and warnings, the prerequisite validation utility can attempt to resolve the issue for you.



If a link is available in the Download column, click it to download and install the missing prerequisite. Internet access is required to download some prerequisites that are not included on the installation media. In some cases, the download starts immediately when you click the link. In other cases, a download page is displayed when you click the link.

Note:

If network or computer security prevents a prerequisite from being downloaded from the utility, you must download the prerequisite by using another method. Click the Error link on the prerequisite validation page to obtain the download URL.

 If a check box is available in the Configure column, select it, and then click the Configure button to resolve the issue.

Some prerequisites depend on other prerequisites. In these cases, the prerequisites must be installed or configured in a specific order. For example, the Windows Search Service must be installed before it can be started.

6. After you have resolved prerequisite issues, click Revalidate to run the prerequisite validation again.

7. When you have finished validating prerequisites, click Close.

Important:

Prerequisite software that is installed or configured by the prerequisite validation utility may not include the latest updates. We strongly recommend that you run Windows Update to identify and install the latest updates before you continue with the installation of Microsoft Dynamics AX.

Install the databases

These topics describe how to configure Microsoft SQL Server and install the Microsoft Dynamics AX databases. The following topics are included:



Configure SQL Server and storage settings



Install the Microsoft Dynamics AX databases

Configure SQL Server and storage settings

This topic provides information about how to configure Microsoft SQL Server to support the business and model store databases for Microsoft Dynamics AX. To achieve optimal Microsoft Dynamics AX performance, you must correctly configure the database infrastructure.

This topic does not describe how to configure the infrastructure for reporting and analytics databases. For information about those features, see

Reporting in Microsoft Dynamics AX

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/6728b08f-6618-4719-a333-ec7f5bec25c2(AX.60).aspx) and

Analytics in Microsoft Dynamics AX

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/8f284ccb-628f-4e84-b82c-

3e0c032ad80f(AX.60).aspx).

This information is designed for Microsoft Dynamics AX administrators and Microsoft SQL Server database administrators who are responsible for administration of the Microsoft Dynamics AX application.

To benefit from this topic, you must have knowledge in the following areas:

 Windows Server administration.



SQL Server administration. Specific areas of knowledge include advanced configuration options, memory management, performance management, and troubleshooting.

 Microsoft Dynamics AX system administration.

Minimal SQL Server infrastructure

The configuration of Windows Server and SQL Server greatly affects the performance of the Microsoft

Dynamics AX business database. This section provides detailed recommendations for the configuration of

Windows Server and SQL Server.

The configuration recommendations are based on the following assumptions:



You are following the documented best practices for Windows Server and SQL Server.

 You are using a dedicated server that runs SQL Server 2008 R2.



You are using a single instance of SQL Server that is dedicated to running the Microsoft Dynamics AX production databases.

We recommend that you store your test and development databases on a separate server from the production databases.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Configuring Windows Server

Verify that SQL Server is configured to run as a background service in Windows.

1. In Windows Server 2008 R2, in Control Panel, click System and Security, and then click System.

In Windows Server 2008, in Control Panel, double-click System.

2. Click Advanced system settings.

3. On the Advanced tab, under Performance, click Settings.

4. On the Advanced tab, under Processor scheduling, select Background services, and then click OK.

Configuring the server that runs SQL Server

In addition to the documented best practices for SQL Server, we recommend the following configuration settings for the SQL Server service.

 Run the SQL Server service under an Active Directory domain account that has the minimum necessary privileges. For more information, see

SQL Server 2008 Security Overview for Database

Administrators

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=213202).



Confirm that the account for the SQL Server service has been granted the Lock pages in memory privilege. We recommend this setting, because it significantly affects whether other processes affect

SQL Server. For instructions, see

How to: Enable the Lock Pages in Memory Option (Windows)

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=213203). For more information, see the following Web pages:



The

Microsoft Customer Service and Support (CSS) SQL Server Engineers blog

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=213204)



Knowledge base article 981483,

How to reduce paging of buffer pool memory in the 64-bit version of SQL Server

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=213205)



Slava Oks's WebLog

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=213207)



Configure the account for the SQL Server service for instant file initialization. Instant file initialization is only available if the account for the SQL Server service, MSSQLSERVER, has been granted the

SE_MANAGE_VOLUME_NAME right. Members of the Windows Administrator group have this right and can grant it to other users by adding them to the Perform Volume Maintenance Tasks security policy. For more information, see

Database file initialization

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=213208).

 Enable the TCP/IP network protocol. Depending on the edition of SQL Server that you use, this protocol may be automatically installed during installation. For instructions, see

How to: Enable or

Disable a Server Network Protocol (SQL Server Configuration Manager)

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=213210).



Disable hyperthreading. This step must be performed in the BIOS settings of the server. For instructions, see the hardware documentation for your server.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Configuring the instance of SQL Server

In addition to the documented best practices for SQL Server, we recommend the following storage settings for the instance of SQL Server.

Configuring max degree of parallelism

The max degree of parallelism option is a setting that affects the entire instance of SQL Server.

Microsoft Dynamics AX workloads generally perform better when intra-query parallelism is disabled.

However, the upgrade process benefits from parallelism, as do activities that are used exclusively for batch jobs or maintenance. Use the following settings when the system performs maintenance activities or an upgrade:



Before an upgrade to a new release of Microsoft Dynamics AX, or before a large number of maintenance or batch activities, set max degree of parallelism to the smallest of the following values:

 8



The number of physical processor cores



The number of physical processor cores per non-uniform memory access (NUMA) node



When the Microsoft Dynamics AX database is used in a production environment, set max degree of

parallelism to 1.

Use the following statements to set the value of max degree of parallelism.

Examine the output from the second sp_configure 'max degree of parallelism' statement, and confirm that the value has been changed. In the following query, the first sp_configure 'max degree of parallelism' statement sets the value of max degree of parallelism to 1. The second sp_configure 'max degree of parallelism' statement returns a value of 1.

EXEC sp_configure 'show advanced options', 1;

RECONFIGURE;

EXEC sp_configure 'max degree of parallelism', 1;

RECONFIGURE;

EXEC sp_configure;

For more information, see

max degree of parallelism Option

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=213211). For general guidelines, see Knowledge base article

329204,

General guidelines to use to configure the MAXDOP option

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=213212). For tips from the SQL Server team, visit the SQL Server

Relational Engine team's blog,

SQL Server Engine Tips

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=213213).

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Configuring max server memory

SQL Server dynamically acquires and frees memory as required. Typically, an administrator does not have to specify how much memory is allocated to SQL Server. However, the max server memory option can be useful in some environments. Make sure that sufficient memory is available for the operation of

Windows Server. For more information, see

Monitoring available memory

, later in this topic.

If you find that the dynamic allocation of memory adversely affects the operation of Windows Server, adjust the value of max server memory based on the available random access memory (RAM). For more information, see

Effects of min and max server memory

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=213214).

Monitoring available memory

Make sure that sufficient memory is available for the operation of Windows Server. For example, make sure that you run a dedicated instance of SQL Server on a server that has at least 4 gigabytes (GB) of memory. If the available memory for the server drops below 500 megabytes (MB) for extended periods, the performance of the server may degrade.

Use the Memory: Available Mbytes performance counter for the Windows Server operating system to determine whether the available memory drops below 500 MB for extended periods. If the available memory drops below 500 MB frequently or for extended periods, we recommend that you reduce the

max server memory setting for SQL Server or increase the physical memory of the server.

Detailed guidance about memory management is beyond the scope of this topic. For more information about how to monitor memory and troubleshoot performance issues, see the Windows Server and SQL

Server documentation.

Allocating storage for tempdb

We recommend that you determine the total size of the data files and transaction log files that are required for the tempdb database, and that you set a specific value. Do not use automatic growth, or autogrow, setting for space management. Instead, use autogrow as a safety mechanism, so that tempdb can grow if tempdb files use the space that was originally allocated to them. Follow this process to determine the number and placement of data files.



Determine the number of processors that are available to SQL Server. Unless you are using an affinity mask, this number is same as the total number of processors that you see on the Performance tab of

Windows Task Manager. When hyperthreading is not enabled, each processor corresponds to a processor core. Affinity masks and processor cores are beyond the scope of this topic. For more information, see the Windows Server and SQL Server documentation.



Based on performance testing of the OLTP workload for Microsoft Dynamics AX, we recommend that you maintain one tempdb data file per processor. For more information, see the performance benchmark reports on

PartnerSource

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=143994) or

CustomerSource

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=213216).



Isolate tempdb on dedicated storage, if you can. We recommend that you move the primary data file and log file for tempdb to high-speed storage, if high-speed storage is available. The Microsoft

Dynamics AX database runs in read committed snapshot isolation (RCSI) mode. In RCSI mode, row versions are stored in tempdb. By creating multiple files for tempdb data, even if these files reside on the same storage device, you can improve the performance of tempdb operations.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX



Determine the size of the tempdb data files and log files. You must create one primary data file and one log file. Determine how many additional, secondary data files you require for the tempdb data.

For best results, create data files of equal size. The total number of data files must equal the total number of processor cores. The aggregate size of the primary data file and all other data files must equal the total data size that you determined for the tempdb database.

For more information, see

Optimizing tempdb performance

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=213217).



Resize the primary data file and log file for tempdb. Move the primary data file and log file to dedicated storage, if dedicated storage is available. The primary tempdb data file cannot be moved while the instance of SQL Server is running. To complete the move, you must use an ALTER DATABASE statement and restart the instance of SQL Server. For more information, see

ALTER DATABASE

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=213218).

Note:

The data files and transaction log files for tempdb can reside on the same storage device.

 If space is available on the drive where tempdb files are allocated, do not configure the autogrow property for data files and log files as a percentage. Instead, configure the autogrow property as a specific number of megabytes. If you can, configure the data files and log files to grow by 100 to 500

MB, depending on the available space. Monitor the data files, and when they grow, adjust the original allocation to prevent automatic growth later. If the autogrow property is configured in megabytes instead of as a percentage, the allocation of space is more predictable, and the chance of extremely small or large growth increments is reduced.



Monitor the tempdb data files and log files to make sure that they are all sized correctly, and that all data files are of equal size. Use SQL Server Management Studio or a transact-SQL query to view the database properties. Verify that all the data files are of equal size, and that they have the same size as the value that you originally provided. If one or more files have grown, adjust the initial size of all files.

Configuring the Microsoft Dynamics AX business database

We recommend the following settings for the Microsoft Dynamics AX business database. You can use SQL

Server Management Studio or the appropriate ALTER DATABASE statement to configure these settings.

For more information, see

ALTER DATABASE

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=213218).



Set COMPATIBILITY_LEVEL to 110 for SQL Server 2012, or to 100 for SQL Server 2008 or SQL Server

2008 R2.

 Set READ_COMMITTED_SNAPSHOT to on. Performance testing has shown that Microsoft Dynamics

AX performs better when the READ_COMMITTED_SNAPSHOT isolation option is set to on. You must use an ALTER DATABASE statement to set this option. This option cannot be set by using SQL Server

Management Studio.

Run the following query, where <database name> is the name of the Microsoft Dynamics AX database. There can be no other active connections in the database when you run this query.

ALTER DATABASE <database name>

SET READ_COMMITTED_SNAPSHOT ON;

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Query the sys.databases catalog view, and verify that the Microsoft Dynamics AX database contains a value of 1 in the is_read_committed_snapshot_on column. For more information, see the following

Web pages:



sys.databases

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=213219)



Choosing Row Versioning-based Isolation Levels

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=213220)

 Set AUTO_CREATE_STATISTICS and AUTO_UPDATE_STATISTICS to on. Set

AUTO_UPDATE_STATISTICS_ASYNC to off. Performance testing has shown that Microsoft

Dynamics AX performs better when the options have these settings.



Make sure that the AUTO_SHRINK option is set to off. When database files are automatically shrunk, performance of the database degrades. We recommend that the database administrator manually shrink the database files on a predefined schedule. For more information, see

Turn

AUTO_SHRINK OFF!

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=213221) on the SQL Server Storage

Engine Team's blog.

Important:

All Microsoft Dynamics AX databases must use the same SQL collation. These databases include the business database, model store database, Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services database, and Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services database.

Plan database storage

Designing a data storage solution involves multiple interrelated aspects. We recommend that you follow this process when you must complete this task.

1. Characterize the input/output (I/O) load of the application. The I/O characteristics depend on your business requirements, and on the Microsoft Dynamics AX modules and components that you deploy.

To determine your I/O characteristics, answer the following questions:

 What is the read ratio versus write ratio of the application?



What is the typical I/O volume, or I/O per second (IOPs)?

 How much of the I/O is sequential, and how much is random?

2. Determine the availability and performance requirements for the database system.

3. Determine the hardware that is required to support the analysis that you performed made in steps 1 and 2.

4. Configure SQL Server to take advantage of the hardware that you determined in step 3.

5. Track the performance as the workload changes.

Step-by-step guidance about database architecture and storage is beyond the scope of this topic. For more detailed recommendations from the SQL Server team, see

Microsoft SQL Server Storage Top 10 Best

Practices

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=213199) and

Physical Database Storage Design

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=213201).

Configuring physical storage

This section provides general recommendations for physical storage. Determine the applicability of these recommendations to your environment. Some storage area network (SAN) vendors may have alternative recommendations that take precedence. Recommendations are listed in order of priority.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX



Many factors contribute to optimal I/O performance for a disk. By default, Windows Server 2008 aligns partitions. When you upgrade to Windows Server 2008, preexisting partitions are not automatically aligned and must be manually rebuilt to guarantee optimal performance. Therefore, until you rebuild the migrated partitions, alignment of disk partitions remains a relevant technology.

Check existing disks on the server, and be aware of the differences in the analysis of basic partitions and dynamic volumes. Rebuild the partitions, if you can, and appropriate and create all new partitions based on guidance from the SAN vendor. If the vendor does not provide recommendations, follow the best practices for SQL Server. See

Disk Partition Alignment Best Practices for SQL Server

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=213222).

The partition offset value must be a multiple of the stripe size. In other words, the expression,

partition offset / stripe size, must resolve to an integer value.

 Create the tempdb database files, data files for the Microsoft Dynamics AX database, and

Microsoft Dynamics AX log files on disk arrays of type RAID 1, RAID 0 + 1, or RAID 10. We recommend RAID 10 for these files. Do not use RAID 5.



Store the data files for the Microsoft Dynamics AX database on separate physical stores from the transaction log files.

 Store the tempdb data files on a separate physical store from the data files and log files for the

Microsoft Dynamics AX database.



Store other database files on separate physical stores from the data files and log files for tempdb and the Microsoft Dynamics AX database.

Summary

To help achieve optimal Microsoft Dynamics AX performance, you must correctly plan and configure and the settings for SQL Server and storage. Additionally, you may have to adjust the database configuration periodically.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Install the Microsoft Dynamics AX databases

This topic describes how to install the Microsoft Dynamics AX databases and model files.

There are three database components: the Microsoft Dynamics AX transaction database, the model store, and the baseline model store. The Application Object Server (AOS) connects to the Microsoft Dynamics

AX database to process transactions. The AOS connects to the model store to display forms and reports.

The baseline model store is used to upgrade X++ code to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, and to analyze application updates before they are applied.

In Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 and Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2, the model store and the transaction data are stored in separate databases. In earlier versions of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, the model store and transaction data are stored in a single database.

Note:

If you are upgrading databases between AX 2012, AX 2012 Feature Pack, AX 2012 R2, and AX

2012 R3, you should review

Scenario: Perform in-place upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

R2 or AX 2012 R3

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/eb8193f4-0318-427f-bcc9-

2919f47afb8f(AX.60).aspx).

Model files contain metadata information about application objects and are stored in the model store. For more information about model files, see

Models, Layers, and the Model Store

(http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/cc7eb6ff-a5de-4a7e-a758-af783ce0ace0(AX.60).aspx).

Warning:

If you plan to enable database mirroring in Microsoft SQL Server, you must enable it after you install the Microsoft Dynamics AX database and AOS. If you enable database mirroring before you install Microsoft Dynamics AX components, warnings are generated when the AOS is installed.

Before you install the Microsoft Dynamics AX databases

Verify that the following steps are completed before you install the Microsoft Dynamics AX databases.



Configure SQL Server. For more information, see

Configure SQL Server and storage settings



On the computer where you plan to install the databases, run the prerequisite validation utility to verify that system requirements have been met. For information about how to run the prerequisite

Make sure that the appropriate firewall ports are open. For more information, see

Check prerequisites

For more information about the hardware and software requirements for Microsoft Dynamics AX, see the

system requirements

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=165377).



Make sure that you have the required permissions to install the database. For more information, see

Verify that you have the required permissions for installation



Firewall settings for

Microsoft Dynamics AX components

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Default models

The default models that are available in Setup vary based on the release of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 that you are installing.

Default models in AX 2012 R3 and Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2

If you are installing AX 2012 R3 or AX 2012 R2, the following models are available in Setup by default.

Model

Foundation

Foundation Upgrade

Foundation Labels

Description

The base Microsoft Dynamics AX model, which contains the application framework, the core application, extensions for industries, and localizations for countries/regions. This model is required.

The model that is used to upgrade from Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 or

Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0.

Application labels for the foundation model. This model includes labels for the following languages:



Arabic (Saudi Arabia)

 Chinese (China)



Czech (Czech Republic)

 Danish (Denmark)



Dutch (Belgium and The

Netherlands)

 English (Australia, Canada, India,

Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand,

Singapore, South Africa, United

Kingdom, and United States)



Estonian (Estonia)

 Finnish (Finland)



French (Belgium, Canada, France, and Switzerland)

 German (Austria, Germany, and

Switzerland)



Hungarian (Hungary)

 Icelandic (Iceland)



Italian (Italy and Switzerland)

 Japanese (Japan)



Latvian (Latvia)

 Lithuanian (Lithuania)



Norwegian Bokmal (Norway)

 Polish (Poland)



Portuguese (Brazil)

 Russian (Russia)



Spanish (Mexico and Spain)

 Swedish (Sweden)



Thai (Thailand)

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Default models in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Feature Pack

If you are installing AX 2012 Feature Pack, the following models are available in Setup by default.

Model

Foundation

Update for Foundation

Foundation Upgrade

Update for Foundation Upgrade

Foundation Labels

Foundation Labels II

Description

The base Microsoft Dynamics AX model, which contains the application framework and the application foundation. This model also contains functionality for the discrete manufacturing industry. This model is required.

Cumulative update for the Foundation model. If you selected to install the Foundation model, this model is installed automatically.

The model that is used to upgrade from Microsoft Dynamics AX

2009 or Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0.

Cumulative update for the Foundation Upgrade model. If you selected to install the Foundation Upgrade model, this model is installed automatically.

Application labels for the foundation model. This model includes labels for the following languages:

 Danish (Denmark)



Dutch (Belgium and The Netherlands)

 English (Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, Malaysia, New

Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, United Kingdom, and

United States)



French (Belgium, Canada, France, and Switzerland)

 German (Austria, Germany, and Switzerland)



Italian (Italy and Switzerland)

 Spanish (Mexico and Spain)

Application labels for the foundation model. These labels are for languages that were released after Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 was made generally available. This model includes labels for the following languages:

 Arabic (Saudi Arabia)



Finnish (Finland)



Icelandic (Iceland)



Norwegian Bokmal (Norway)

 Swedish (Sweden)



Thai (Thailand)

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Model

SYP labels

Extensions

Extensions Upgrade

Description

Cumulative update of labels that were added by software updates in the SYP layer.

Microsoft Dynamics AX extensions for the following industries:



Process Manufacturing - Process manufacturing production and logistics for Microsoft Dynamics AX. Allows you to manage production, inventory, and costs in a processcontrolled environment, such as in the food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries.

 Public Sector - Addresses the special controls, rules, and regulations of Public Sector organizations.



Project Management – Allows you to invoice customers for various billing scenarios, such as billing per unit of delivery and billing when a milestone is completed. You can also create customer and vendor retentions, and manage workers on projects.

 Retail - Provides mid-market and large retailers a complete head office and point of sale (POS) solution.

Important:

This model is required when you install AX 2012

Feature Pack. If the model includes functionality that you do not plan to use, turn off the appropriate license codes and configuration keys. Do not uninstall this model to remove unwanted functionality. Uninstalling models that are released by Microsoft will put the system in an unsupported state. If you have uninstalled this model, you must reinstall it using the instructions found in How to: Export and Import a Model

(http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/c2449a03-7574-

4b9d-8518-9005b560209f(AX.60).aspx).

The model that is used to upgrade Process Manufacturing,

Public Sector, Project Management, or Retail from Microsoft

Dynamics AX 2009 or Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Default models in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

If you are installing the original release of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, the following models are available in Setup by default.

Model

Foundation

Foundation Upgrade

Foundation Labels

Process Manufacturing

Process Manufacturing Upgrade

Public Sector

Project Management

Description

The model that is used to upgrade from Microsoft Dynamics AX

2009 or Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0.

Application labels for the foundation model. This model includes labels for the following languages:

 Danish (Denmark)



Dutch (Belgium and The Netherlands)

 English (Australia, Canada, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand,

Singapore, South Africa, United Kingdom, and United

States)



French (Belgium, Canada, France, and Switzerland)

 German (Austria, Germany, and Switzerland)



Italian (Italy and Switzerland)

 Spanish (Mexico and Spain)

The model that contains features for Process manufacturing production and logistics for Microsoft Dynamics AX. You can use these features to manage production, inventory, and costs in a process-controlled environment, such as in the food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries.

The model that is used to upgrade Process manufacturing production and logistics from Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 or

Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0.

The Public Sector model for Microsoft Dynamics AX. This model addresses the special controls, rules, and regulations of Public

Sector organizations.

The model that contains additional project-related features for

Microsoft Dynamics AX. You can use these features to invoice customers for various billing scenarios, such as billing per unit of delivery and billing when a milestone is completed. You can also use these features to create customer and vendor retentions, and to manage workers on projects.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Model

Project Management Upgrade

Description

The model that is used to upgrade Project Management from

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 or Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0.

Include additional model files in the installation (optional)

When you install the databases, you must identify any additional model files that are required for your environment.

During installation, Setup displays models from the CD\Models\ folder and all its subfolders. To import additional layers or customizations, you can add other model files to this folder.

Follow these steps to include additional models in the installation:

1. Browse to the directory where the files from the Microsoft Dynamics AX DVD are shared. For more

information, see

Create a shared directory for installation

2. Create a subfolder in the CD\Models\ folder. We recommend that you create different folders to store the models that are received from different sources. For example, create a folder for each independent software vendor (ISV) or each value-added reseller (VAR).

3. Copy the additional .axmodel files to the folders that you created.

Warning:

Do not copy your model files to the Standard folder. The Standard folder must be used only for models that are mandatory, such as the Foundation model (Foundation.axmodel).

Install the Microsoft Dynamics AX databases

Use this procedure to install the Microsoft Dynamics AX databases and model files. If you install other

Microsoft Dynamics AX components at the same time, the installation pages vary, depending on the components that you are installing.

1. Start Microsoft Dynamics AX Setup. Under Install, select Microsoft Dynamics AX components.

2. Advance through the first wizard pages.

3. If the Setup Support files have not yet been installed on the computer, the Select a file location page is displayed. The Setup Support files are required for installation. Enter a file location or accept the default location, and then click Next. On the Ready to install page, click Install.

4. If you’re installing AX 2012 R3, on the Select an installation option page, click Microsoft Dynamics

AX, and then click Next.

5. On the Select installation type page, click Custom installation, and then click Next.

6. On the Select components page, select Databases, and then click Next.

7. On the Prerequisite validation results page, resolve any errors. For more information about how to

Check prerequisites

8. On the Select databases page, select whether you want to create new databases by using Setup, or whether you want to configure existing databases. If you are upgrading, you should select to configure existing databases.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

9. If you want Setup to create the databases, on the Create new databases page, in the Server name list, select the name of the computer that runs SQL Server. Provide database names or accept the default database names. By default, the transaction database is named MicrosoftDynamicsAX. The baseline database is optional. By default, the baseline database is named

MicrosoftDynamicsAX_baseline.

If you created the databases manually, or if you are upgrading a database, on the Configure existing

databases page, select the name of the computer that runs SQL Server, and then select the names of the existing databases that you want to configure.

Important:

The database name must not include any spaces or any of the following characters: backslashes (\), slashes (/), periods (.), commas (,), colons (:), brackets ([ ]), parentheses (( )), or hyphens (-). For more information about characters that are allowed by SQL Server, see the

Identifiers

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=214698) topic on MSDN.

Click Next.

10. On the Select additional models page, select models in the Available Models list. Setup lists all the models that are contained in the Models folder and its subfolders. Required models are selected by default, and you cannot clear the selection.

Note:

You may have models, or .axmodel files, that are not electronically signed. The Setup program cannot verify the publisher of an unsigned model file. If you import an unsigned model file into the model store, you create a security risk. Setup displays an error message if a selected model file does not have a digital signature. Before you decide whether you want to continue or cancel the installation, carefully review the models that you have selected.

If you install models other than the Foundation models, you must complete the Compile application task when you run the initialization checklist. If you do not complete the Compile application task, you encounter errors when you run the Synchronize database task in the initialization checklist. For more information about the initialization checklist, see

Initialize Microsoft Dynamics AX

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/ba7f64a8-c5c3-4a9a-927b-21afc16f92af(AX.60).aspx).

Click Next to continue.

11. On the Prerequisite validation results page, resolve any errors. When no errors remain, click Next.

12. On the Ready to install page, click Install.

13. After the installation is completed, click Finish to close the wizard.

Create a Microsoft Dynamics AX database manually

If you want to create databases manually for Microsoft Dynamics AX, you must first create databases using Setup as a template.

1. Follow the procedure above to create business and model store databases using Setup.

2. Manually create a second business database using SQL Server Management Studio.

3. Copy all objects, users, and user permissions from the template database to the new database.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

4. Manually create a second model database using SQL Server Management Studio. It must have the same name as the new business database that you created in step 2, with _model at the end of the name.

5. Copy all objects, users, and user permissions from the template database to the new database.

6. Configure an AOS instance to connect to the new business database. Installing an AOS instance sets the appropriate rights for the AOS service account on the selected database server and creates stored procedures used for session management.

7. If you want an existing AOS instance to connect to the manually created database, you must set the appropriate rights for the AOS account. Set the following permissions in the database: a. Make the account a login on the database server. (This login already exists if you are installing on the same SQL Server computer as the first database.) b. Assign the user to the db_ddladmin, db_datareader, and db_datawriter database roles. c. Grant the user execute rights on the createserversessions and createusersessions stored procedures.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Install server and web server components

The topics in this section provide information about how to install the server and web server components for Microsoft Dynamics AX. The following topics are included:



Install an Application Object Server (AOS) instance



Install Enterprise Portal



Install Search



Install help server

Install an Application Object Server (AOS) instance

The Application Object Server (AOS) is a Windows service that controls communications among Microsoft

Dynamics AX clients, databases, and applications.

Use the following topics to install an AOS instance:



Install an AOS instance



Install multiple AOS instances

Install an AOS instance

This topic describes how to install an Application Object Server (AOS) instance for Microsoft Dynamics AX

2012.

Note:

If you are upgrading AOS instances between AX 2012, AX 2012 Feature Pack, AX 2012 R2, and AX

2012 R3you should review

Scenario: Perform in-place upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2 or AX 2012 R3

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/eb8193f4-0318-427f-bcc9-

2919f47afb8f(AX.60).aspx).

Before you install the AOS instance



On the computer where you will install the AOS instance, run the prerequisite validation utility to verify that system requirements have been met. For information about how to run the prerequisite

service on. For more information about how to set up an account for the AOS service, see

Check prerequisites

For more information about the hardware and software requirements for Microsoft Dynamics AX, see the

system requirements

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=165377).

Note:

A 64-bit computer is not required to install an AOS instance. However, if you need to complete a full Common Intermediate Language (CIL) generation, such as in a development environment, a 64-bit computer is required.



Verify that you have the appropriate permissions to install the AOS instance. For more information,

see

Verify that you have the required permissions for installation

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX



If you plan to enable database mirroring in SQL Server, you must do so after installing the Microsoft

Dynamics AX database and Application Object Server (AOS). If you enable database mirroring before installing Microsoft Dynamics AX components, the AOS instance will install with warnings.

 Select a service account for the AOS service. Before you install an AOS instance, you must determine which account you want the AOS service to run as. The AOS service can run as a domain account, as a managed service account, or as the Network Service account of the computer that you install the AOS

Create service accounts



Choose a name for the AOS instance. We recommend that you use a uniform naming convention for all aspects of the installation, such as the database name and the name of the AOS instance. Because

Microsoft Dynamics AX installations typically include one database and multiple AOS instances, make sure that the name of each AOS instance is unique but consistent with the naming convention. For example, you can use a name such as Fabrikam_DYNAX6_Live_AOS1, which includes a shortened form of your business name, the Microsoft Dynamics AX version, a code that describes the purpose of the installation, and an identifier for the AOS instance.

The instance name must not include any blank characters or any of the following characters: ampersand (&), backslash (\), slash (/), colon (:), brackets ([]), parentheses (()), angle brackets (<>), quotation marks (“”), question mark (?), exclamation point (!), asterisk (*), percent (%), caret (^), or pipe (|).



You must install an initial AOS instance and complete the Initialization checklist on that instance before you install additional AOS instances. If you install additional AOS instances before you have completed the Initialization checklist those AOS instances will not start. For more information about

how to install additional AOS instances, see

Install multiple AOS instances

Install the first or only AOS instance

Use this procedure to install a single or first instance of AOS on a server. If you are installing other

Microsoft Dynamics AX components at the same time, the installation pages vary, based on the components that you are installing.

Install an AOS instance

1. Start Microsoft Dynamics AX Setup. Under Install, select Microsoft Dynamics AX components.

2. Advance through the initial wizard pages.

4. If you’re installing AX 2012 R3, in the Select an installation option page, click Microsoft Dynamics

AX.

5. On the Select installation type page, click Custom installation, and then click Next.

6. On the Select components page, select Application Object Server (AOS), and then click Next.

7. On the Prerequisite validation results page, resolve any errors. For more information about how to

Check prerequisites

the way that is described in

8. On the Select a file location page, select the location where you want 32-bit versions of Microsoft

Dynamics AX files to be installed, and then click Next.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

9. On the Connect to the databases page, in the Server name box, type or select the name of the

Microsoft SQL Server computer. In the Database name box, select the name of the Microsoft

Dynamics AX transaction database. Optionally, select the name of the baseline database.

If you are upgrading code or data from Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 or Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009, you must select Register database for upgrade and select a baseline database. The Register

database for upgrade option is available when you install the first AOS in the computing environment. If you install more AOSs, this option is not available. You can determine whether the database was registered for upgrade by opening the Microsoft Dynamics AX client. If the database was registered for upgrade, the Data upgrade checklist is displayed when you open the client. Click

Next.

10. On the Configure an Application Object Server (AOS) instance page, assign a name to the AOS instance. Optionally, you can specify the ports that are listed in the following table.

Port

TCP/IP port

Services WSDL port

Services endpoint port

Purpose

Used by other Microsoft Dynamics AX components to communicate with AOS.

Used by external applications to access the WSDL for AOSbased Microsoft Dynamics AX Web services.

Used by external applications to access AOS-based Microsoft

Dynamics AX Web services.

Default

2712

8101

8201

11. On the Specify an AOS account page, select the Network Service account of the local computer

(recommended only for development environments), a managed service account, or a domain account for the AOS service. If you select to use a managed service account, make sure to specify the account in the format Domain\AccountName$.

Warning:

The process of manually changing the service account for an AOS is complicated and prone to error. For this reason, if you must change the service account for an AOS, we recommend that you uninstall and reinstall the AOS by using Setup.exe. For more information, see

Change the account used by AOS

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/87aaf2fa-1190-4036-9d39c1252c48da88(AX.60).aspx).

12. On the Prerequisite validation results page, resolve any errors. When no errors remain, click Next.

13. On the Ready to install page, click Install.

14. After the installation is complete, click Finish to close the wizard.

The AOS service can take several minutes to start the first time after it is installed. To determine whether the AOS service has started, click Administrative tools > Services, and review the status of the Microsoft Dynamics AX Object Server service.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Start the AOS Windows service

After you install an AOS instance, you must wait for the Microsoft Dynamics AX Object Server Windows service to start.

By default, if a Windows service takes longer than 30 seconds to start, the system displays a message informing you that the service did not respond to a start command. The AOS Windows service can take longer than 30 seconds to start, and the lack of a response in 30 seconds can cause the service to stop.

Therefore, if an AOS instance repeatedly does not start, you may want to configure the registry to give

Windows services more time, such as 120 seconds, to start before the error message is displayed.

Warning:

This section describes how to modify the registry so that the AOS Windows service has enough time to start before Windows displays an error message. Be aware that serious problems can occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. We recommend that you back up the registry before you modify it. If a problem occurs, you can restore it. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, see

Backup and recovery

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=214428).

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.

2. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:

\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control

3. Right-click Control, and then click New > DWORD (32-Bit) Value.

4. Right-click the new key, and then click Rename. Enter the name ServicePipeTimeout.

5. Right-click the key again, and then click Modify.

6. In the Value data text box, enter 120000, and then click OK. The AOS Windows service now has 120 seconds to start before the system displays an error message.

If the AOS instance does not start after you implement this registry key, use the Microsoft Dynamics AX

Server Configuration utility to verify that the AOS instance is using a unique port. Port conflicts prevent

AOS instances from starting. For more information, see

Change AOS ports

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/2ba82a8b-bde4-4813-b231-5f025ff89927(AX.60).aspx).

Run the initialization checklist

After you install and start an AOS instance, and before you complete any other tasks in Microsoft

Dynamics AX, you must run the initialization checklist. For more information, see

Initialize Microsoft

Dynamics AX

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/ba7f64a8-c5c3-4a9a-927b-21afc16f92af(AX.60).aspx).

Troubleshoot installation issues with AOS

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/e5b619c0-a99c-4841bfc4-5d78ac5e1975(AX.60).aspx)

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Install multiple AOS instances

This topic describes how to install multiple instances of Application Object Servers (AOS) for Microsoft

Dynamics AX 2012. You can install up to 99 AOS instances in your environment.

Important:

information, see

Install an AOS instance

Install an AOS instance on multiple computers

In most production environments, you install multiple AOS instances, each on a different server. You can use multiple AOS instances to support batch processing and load balancing. Install each AOS instance in

Install an AOS instance

, and make sure that you point every AOS instance to

the same database. The first user who installs an AOS instance is automatically added to Microsoft

Dynamics AX as an administrator. If subsequent AOS instances are installed by different users, you must manually add those users to the Microsoft Dynamics AX System administrator role to grant them administrative rights in Microsoft Dynamics AX.

You can use a single domain account for all instances of the AOS service, or you can specify a different account for each instance.

Install multiple AOS instances on one computer

In some testing and development scenarios, you may want to install multiple AOS instances on the same computer. For example, if you are developing code for multiple versions of Microsoft Dynamics AX, you can install different versions of AOS side by side.

Install each AOS instance in the way that is described in

Install an AOS instance

. If you install an AOS

instance on a server that already has an AOS instance, you must specify a unique port number for each instance. By default, every time that you install an additional AOS instance on a computer, the TCP/IP,

WSDL, and NET-TCP port numbers are incremented by 1. If the same port number is used for more than one AOS instance on a computer, one of the AOS instances that have conflicting port numbers does not start.

Application Object Server security and protection

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/ec82b5b9-8fa0-

4d9e-9ac2-6ffa985be9c5(AX.60).aspx)

Configure an AOS instance as a batch server

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/74687f8d-fd55-4a99bea9-835655905fb4(AX.60).aspx)

Manage an AOS configuration

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/4aab5e81-921d-4f7f-b379adffcb8febce(AX.60).aspx)

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Install Enterprise Portal

This section contains information about how to install Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Enterprise Portal. Use the following topics to help you install Enterprise Portal.



Checklists for deploying Enterprise Portal sites



Install Enterprise Portal on a single server



Deploy Enterprise Portal in a server farm



Deploy a claims-mode Enterprise Portal site



Install Enterprise Portal in a traditional perimeter network



Install Enterprise Portal Help content



Install multiple Enterprise Portals on the same server



Set up Enterprise Portal and Role Centers



Deploy Microsoft Dynamics AX Web parts to a SharePoint site

Note:

If you are upgrading Enterprise Portal between AX 2012, AX 2012 Feature Pack, AX 2012 R2, and

AX 2012 R3, you should review

Scenario: Perform in-place upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics AX

2012 R2 or AX 2012 R3

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/eb8193f4-0318-427f-bcc9-

2919f47afb8f(AX.60).aspx).

Checklists for deploying Enterprise Portal sites

The topics in this section provide checklists that can help you deploy different types of sites in Enterprise

Portal for Microsoft Dynamics AX.



Checklist: Deploy an internal Enterprise Portal site that has Role Centers



Checklist: Deploy an employee self-service portal



Checklist: Deploy an unsolicited vendor portal



Checklist: Deploy a vendor registration portal

Enterprise Portal architecture

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/967d873d-5a15-4a6c-990c-

2831938731fb(AX.60).aspx)

Overview of Enterprise Portal for Microsoft Dynamics AX

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/5c731ae4-

5882-41cc-9748-6b0e65a1664d(AX.60).aspx)

Checklist: Deploy an internal Enterprise Portal site that has Role Centers

This topic provides checklists that can help you deploy Enterprise Portal for Microsoft Dynamics AX and

Role Centers for an employee portal that is for internal use only. An employee portal for internal use only provides access to the following modules sites in Enterprise Portal. If your business or organization deploys Role Centers, users can also access their Role Center page on the Home site.



Home site/Role Center



Sales

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX



Procurement

 Employee services



Project

 Compliance



Service Management

User access to modules sites is determined by Microsoft Dynamics AX security roles. For a description of the features and reports that are available on each of these modules sites, see

Overview of Enterprise

Portal for Microsoft Dynamics AX

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/5c731ae4-5882-41cc-9748-

6b0e65a1664d(AX.60).aspx). If you want to deploy an employee self-service portal that gives employees

access to expense management, time and attendance, and other personal information, see

Checklist:

Deploy an employee self-service portal

The following table describes the tasks that you must complete to deploy Enterprise Portal and Role

Centers. After you complete the tasks in this checklist, internal users can access the employee portal in the network.

Task

Install Enterprise Portal

More information

-or-

that gives users access to Microsoft Dynamics AX module sites and Role Centers, see

Install Enterprise Portal Help content

Configure security and enable users to access the

Enterprise Portal site.

Checklist: Configure Enterprise Portal security

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/fed77384-7e0c-446f-8f17-

1fb3220a07c1(AX.60).aspx)

Configure parameters for Enterprise Portal.

Configure Enterprise Portal for Role Centers.

Specify Enterprise Portal parameters

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/cc5082d0-0c89-4553a21b-af076c9f830a(AX.60).aspx)

Checklist: Configure Role Centers

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/17abe92f-40df-4d5f-9f8d-

4842c0a1d001(AX.60).aspx)

Checklist: Deploy an employee self-service portal

This topic provides checklists that can help you deploy an employee self-service portal for Enterprise

Portal for Microsoft Dynamics AX. An employee self-service portal gives users access to expense management, time and attendance, and other personal information. For a complete description of the features and reports that are available on an employee self-service portal, see

Overview of Enterprise

Portal for Microsoft Dynamics AX

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/5c731ae4-5882-41cc-9748-

6b0e65a1664d(AX.60).aspx). If you want to deploy an employee portal that is for internal use only, and

Checklist: Deploy an internal Enterprise Portal site that has Role Centers

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

The following table describes the tasks that you must complete to deploy Enterprise Portal. After you complete the tasks in this checklist, internal users can access the employee self-service portal in the network.

Task

Install Enterprise Portal.

Install Enterprise Portal Help content

Configure security and enable users to access the

Enterprise Portal site.

Configure parameters for Enterprise Portal.

More information

-or-

Install Enterprise Portal Help content

Checklist: Configure Enterprise Portal security

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/fed77384-7e0c-446f-

8f17-1fb3220a07c1(AX.60).aspx)

Specify Enterprise Portal parameters

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/cc5082d0-0c89-4553a21b-af076c9f830a(AX.60).aspx)

Checklist: Deploy an unsolicited vendor portal

An unsolicited vendor portal enables vendor prospects to register with your company.

The following table describes tasks that you must complete to set up and configure an unsolicited vendor portal.

Task

Install Enterprise Portal.

Install Enterprise Portal Help content.

Create an Enterprise Portal public site.

Enable guest users to access the public Enterprise

Portal site.

Configure user provisioning for vendor-add requests.

More information

-or-

Install Enterprise Portal Help content

Create a public Enterprise Portal site

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/5fe392a4-5683-469ebcfe-ecfaa6e24883(AX.60).aspx)

See the section titled Grant users access to a public site in

Enable users to access Enterprise Portal

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/2adbf75e-a599-45caa849-765185bf7897(AX.60).aspx)

Key tasks: Set up vendor add requests

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/7cf92c10-76ff-4090b9d6-15b97ffa6521(AX.60).aspx)

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Task

Configure security and enable users to access the

Enterprise Portal site.

More information

Checklist: Configure Enterprise Portal security

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/fed77384-7e0c-446f-

8f17-1fb3220a07c1(AX.60).aspx)

Checklist: Deploy a vendor registration portal

This topic provides checklists that can help you deploy Enterprise Portal for Microsoft Dynamics AX for vendor access. Vendors who have registered with your business or organization can perform a variety of tasks from a vendor self-service portal. Some of the common tasks include the following:

 Update a profile



Update contacts

 View purchase orders that have not yet been invoiced



Request to be added to additional procurement categories

 Request to add users from your organization to the vendor self-service portal



Create invoices from purchase orders

For a complete description of the features and reports available on a vendor portal, see

Overview of

Enterprise Portal for Microsoft Dynamics AX

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/5c731ae4-5882-41cc-

9748-6b0e65a1664d(AX.60).aspx). For information about how to deploy an unsolicited vendor portal, see

Checklist: Deploy an unsolicited vendor portal

Checklist for a vendor portal deployment

The following table describes tasks that you must complete to deploy Enterprise Portal.

Task

Install Enterprise Portal

Install Enterprise Portal Help content

For more information…

-or-

Install Enterprise Portal Help content

Configure Enterprise Portal security. Checklist: Configure Enterprise Portal security

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/fed77384-7e0c-

446f-8f17-1fb3220a07c1(AX.60).aspx)

Configure Microsoft Dynamics AX to enable vendor user provisioning. Users are provisioned either as part of the user request process, or automatically through specific tasks in the user request workflow. User provisioning automates the creation of Microsoft Dynamics AX user accounts and user permission assignments. This ensures proper control of users and their access to the Vendor portal and simplifies the process of creating users.

Configuring Enterprise Portal for vendor requests

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/fd6b06a0-6bb7-

49f5-9717-ae40a1f7d327(AX.60).aspx)

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Task

Specify vendor roles on the External roles form.

Configure Enterprise Portal parameters

For more information…

Click System administration > Setup > Security >

External roles.

Specify Enterprise Portal parameters

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/cc5082d0-0c89-

4553-a21b-af076c9f830a(AX.60).aspx)

Next step

After you finished preparing the Enterprise Portal environment for vendor access, you must configure vendor portal pages and vendor portal workflow templates in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client. For more information, see

Configuring Enterprise Portal for vendor requests

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/fd6b06a0-6bb7-49f5-9717-ae40a1f7d327(AX.60).aspx) in the

Microsoft Dynamics AX online Help.

Install Enterprise Portal on a single server

This topic describes how to install Enterprise Portal for Microsoft Dynamics AX on a single server.

Businesses and organizations typically use a single-server deployment for development environments or testing.

For information about scale-out deployments, see

Install Enterprise Portal in a Web farm

. For information

about how to install Enterprise Portal in an environment with two domain controllers and two firewalls for

extranet deployments, see

Install Enterprise Portal in a traditional perimeter network

Before you install Enterprise Portal

Complete the following tasks before you install Enterprise Portal and Role Centers:



If you installed a non-SYS layer model file in the Microsoft Dynamics AX environment, compile

Microsoft Dynamics AX before you install Enterprise Portal. If you do not compile Microsoft Dynamics

AX, the Enterprise Portal installation might fail.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX



If you want to deploy Enterprise Portal in multiple languages, you must download and deploy

SharePoint language packs onto the web server before you install Enterprise Portal. You can download SharePoint language packs from Microsoft.com. Enterprise Portal is currently supported in the following languages:

Arabic

Chinese (Simplified)

Czech

Danish - 1030

Dutch (Netherlands)

Dutch (Belgium)

English

English (Australia)

English (Canada)

English (India)

English (Ireland)

English (Malaysia)

English (New Zealand)

English (Singapore)

English (South Africa)

English (UK)

English (US)

Estonian

Finnish

French (France)

French (Canada)

French (Belgium)

French (Switzerland)

German (Germany)

German (Austria)

German (Switzerland)

Hungarian

Icelandic

Italian

Italian (Switzerland)

Japanese

Latvian

Lithuanian

Norwegian

Polish

Portuguese (Brazilian)

Russian

Spanish (international)

Spanish (Mexico)

Swedish

Thai

To deploy Enterprise Portal in one of the languages list here, you must create a Web application in

SharePoint and specify the new language. For more information, see

Create an Enterprise Portal site

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/da9149f8-9bb8-4d95-b392-4c6954a60b5f(AX.60).aspx).



Verify that the name of the server that will host Enterprise Portal does not include an underscore, for example EPserver_1. If an Enterprise Portal server includes an underscore in the server name, lookups and web pages might display errors.



On the computer where you will install Enterprise Portal, run the prerequisite validation utility to verify that system requirements have been met. For information about how to run the prerequisite

delete the existing site collection by using Setup. For more information about permissions, see

Check prerequisites

For more information about the hardware and software requirements for Microsoft Dynamics AX, see the

system requirements

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=165377).



Verify that you have the appropriate permissions to install Enterprise Portal. If you are installing

Enterprise Portal on a server that already hosts an Enterprise Portal deployment and you want to overwrite that deployment, you must have Full Control permission in SharePoint for the existing

Enterprise Portal site collection. If you do not have Full Control permission, you will not be able to

Verify that you have the required permissions for installation



If you intend to deploy multiple Enterprise Portals on the same server and those portals will connect to different Application Object Servers, then you must update the web.config file. For more

information, see

Install multiple Enterprise Portals on the same server

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX



For Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption, you cannot install Enterprise Portal on a Web application that is already configured to use HTTP and HTTPS bindings. You must remove the HTTP binding from the site by using Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager before you install Enterprise Portal.

 If you plan to use host headers, review the SharePoint documentation about host headers and Web farms before you install Enterprise Portal.

Important:

If you attempt to install Enterprise Portal on an existing Internet Information Services (IIS) site that is already configured to use a host header, the installation fails, unless you create a

BackConnectionHostNames

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=194948) registry entry.

Pre-installation tasks

Perform the following tasks to verify that you can deploy Enterprise Portal on the Web server.

1. Verify that you can open SharePoint 2010 Central Administration on the Enterprise Portal server.

2. Verify that you have the appropriate permissions to create sites by using SharePoint 2010 Central

Administration to create a SharePoint team site.

3. Verify that you can browse the team site without prompts and resolve the URL without proxy errors or other problems.

4. If you intend to deploy or configure Enterprise Portal at a command prompt, verify that you can start the SharePoint 2010 Management Shell.

Install Enterprise Portal

This section describes how to install Enterprise Portal by using Setup. If you are installing other Microsoft

Dynamics AX components at the same time, the installation pages vary, based on the components that you are installing.

Tip:

By default, when you install SharePoint, the system creates a Web application on port 80.

Microsoft Dynamics AX Setup deploys an Enterprise Portal site on the port 80 Web application unless you specify a different Web application. If you do not intend to deploy Enterprise Portal on the default port-80 Web application, you must use SharePoint Central Administration to create a new Web application before you install Enterprise Portal. Also note, if you intend to deploy

Enterprise Portal on a Web application that is already configured to use a host header, you must use SharePoint Central Administration to create a new Web application using the host header before you install Enterprise Portal. For any new Web application, you must specify the Business

Connector proxy account as the application pool account in the Configurable list.

1. Start Microsoft Dynamics AX Setup. Under Install, select Microsoft Dynamics AX components.

2. Advance through the first wizard pages.

4. If you’re installing AX 2012 R3, in the Select an installation option page, click Microsoft Dynamics

AX.

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5. On the Select installation type page, click Custom installation, and then click Next.

6. On the Select components page, select Enterprise Portal (EP), and then click Next.

7. On the Prerequisite validation results page, resolve any errors. For more information about how to

Check prerequisites

firewall settings on an Enterprise Portal server, see

8. On the Select a file location page, select the location where you want to install 32-bit versions of

Microsoft Dynamics AX files, and then click Next.

9. On the Specify a location for configuration settings page, specify whether you want Enterprise

Portal to access configuration information from the registry on the local computer or from a shared configuration file. If you select to use a shared configuration file, you must enter the network location of the file. Click Next.

10. On the Connect to an AOS instance page, enter the name of the computer that is running the

Application Object Server (AOS) instance that you want to connect to. You can optionally specify the name of the AOS instance, the TCP/IP port number, and the WSDL port for services. Click Next.

Note:

11. On the Specify Business Connector proxy account information page, enter the password for the proxy account that is used by the .NET Business Connector. Click Next.

12. On the Configure a Web site for Enterprise Portal page, select a web site. If no web sites are available in the list, you must cancel Setup, create a web site by using SharePoint Central

Administration, and then try the installation again.

We recommend that you select the Configure for Windows SharePoint Services option. If you select this option, Setup verifies that the site is a SharePoint site. If the site is not a SharePoint site,

Setup extends the site in SharePoint. Setup also sets the application pool to run under the service account and sets the authentication method to Windows NTLM.

Important:

Note the following important information about the Create Web site option:

 Clear this option if you are installing Enterprise Portal for a public site, such as an unsolicited vendor portal. For public sites, you must create the Enterprise Portal site by using the public site template. For more information, see

Create a public Enterprise Portal site

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/5fe392a4-5683-469e-bcfe-ecfaa6e24883(AX.60).aspx).



If you are installing Enterprise Portal for a stand-alone installation select the Create Web site option to create a site at the following URL: http://ServerName/sites/DynamicsAX. Setup creates a new site that uses port 80.

Click Next.

Note:

If your business or organization purchased a developer license for Microsoft Dynamics AX, you can change the URL for the web site, title, and description before you complete the installation. Modify the EPSetupParams file in the Application Object Tree (AOT) (Web > Web

Files > Static Files > EPSetupParams).

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13. On the Prerequisite validation results page, resolve any errors. When no errors remain, click Next.

14. On the Ready to install page, click Install.

15. After the installation is complete, click Finish to close the wizard.

Next steps

Configure the firewall on the Enterprise Portal server: For information about the recommended

Firewall settings for Microsoft Dynamics AX components

Deploy Enterprise Portal in a server farm

The topics in this section provide information about how to install Enterprise Portal for Microsoft

Dynamics AX in a server farm.



Install and configure Windows AppFabric for Enterprise Portal



Install Enterprise Portal in a Web farm

Install and configure Windows AppFabric for Enterprise Portal

This topic provides sample configurations and settings for installing

Windows Server AppFabric

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=324716) with Enterprise Portal for Microsoft Dynamics AX.

AppFabric is required to run Enterprise Portal in a web farm with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2.

AppFabric is not required for single-server Enterprise Portal deployments.

Windows Server AppFabric is a set of integrated technologies that make it easier to build, scale and manage Web and composite applications that run on Internet Information Services (IIS). AppFabric extends Windows Server to provide enhanced hosting, management, and caching capabilities for Web applications and middle-tier services. Enterprise Portal uses the AppFabric distributed, in-memory caching services to improve the performance and scalability of the application.

Important:

This document includes sample settings and configurations to help you install AppFabric for

Enterprise Portal. Depending on your hardware, software, and computing environment, you might select different settings and configurations from those specified in this document.

Note:

Previous versions of Windows Server AppFabric were called Velocity Server. This document includes code blocks that make reference to “Velocity”.

Install and configure Windows Server AppFabric on a single server

Use the following procedures to install Windows Server AppFabric single server and then run the configuration wizard. To install AppFabric in a cluster, see Install Windows Server AppFabric in a cluster in this document. The installation program provides the following functionality:



Enables you to select specific features to install.

 Validates the operating system to make sure that the product is not installed in an unsupported state, and indicates which prerequisites have to be installed.



Installs AppFabric.

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

Enables you to remove specific AppFabric features or AppFabric as a whole. This makes sure that the computer can be left in a state in which the features or AppFabric can be reinstalled.

 Creates the AppFabric Caching Service. Sets the services to a startup type of manual and a status of stopped.

The AppFabric Setup program sets configuration settings in the root (server level) Web.config file, the machine.config file, and the applicationHost.config file. You can configure AppFabric either immediately after installation, or in a separate process. Installing and configuring Windows Server AppFabric on a single server requires that you:

1. Run Setup

2. Run the configuration wizard

3. Configure cache settings with PowerShell

4. Install and configure the cache client

5. Validate deployment

Each of these processes is described in this topic.

Run Setup

1. Run one of the following Setup applications on the Enterprise Portal server:

For AppFabric 1.0,

download

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=324596) and run the

WindowsServerAppFabricSetup_x64_6.1.

For AppFabric 1.1,

download

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=386334) and run the

WindowsServerAppFabricSetup_x64.

2. On the Accept License Terms page, read the license terms, and then accept the terms and then click

Next to continue, or do not accept the terms and then exit the setup wizard.

3. On the Customer Experience Improvement Program page, select Yes to participate in the

Customer Experience Improvement program, or No not to participate, and then click Next.

4. Clear the Yes, download and install critical updates option.

5. On the Feature Selection page, select Caching Services and Cache Administration, and then click

Next.

Caching Services

Cache Administration

The distributed Caching Service and related components that enable you to prepare this host as a Caching Service, turning the server into the node of a cluster. You can create a new cluster or join this host to an existing cluster by using the Caching Service.

Components that enable you to administer a cache cluster. You can select

Cache Administration as an independent component, without other features selected. In that instance, you could use administration tools to administer the Caching Service installed on a separate computer.

Note:

If prerequisite software has to be installed, the setup wizard will display the Platform

Validation page after the Feature Selection page. You must install the missing prerequisites

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manually. If all prerequisites have already been installed, the setup wizard will continue to the

Confirm Installation Selections page.

6. On the Platform Validation page, review the information and download any prerequisite software.

Click the link for a component or a configuration issue for more information. After installing components and resolving issues, click Refresh to verify that the problem has been fixed and then click Next to continue with the setup wizard.

7. The Confirm Installation Selections page will display a list of the features that were selected in the

Feature Selection page, and will be installed. It displays a list of the required Windows components and the AppFabric features that will be installed. Verify that the lists are correct, and then click Install to begin installation.

Note:

The Application Server role is required for AppFabric. This role will be included in the list of the required Windows components even if it is already installed, and the installation wizard will verify that it has been installed.

8. On the Installation Progress page, you can monitor the progress of the installation.

9. On the Installation Results page, verify that the installation has succeeded. To display a list of recommended updates that you can install, click the Recommended Updates link. To run the configuration wizard, select the Launch configuration tool check box, and then click Finish to complete the installation wizard. Click Detailed Installation report to display a log of setup events.

Run the configuration wizard

This section describes recommended settings for Windows Server AppFabric with Enterprise Portal. The following table lists settings as they appear in the Windows Server AppFabric Configuration Wizard. For more information about the options or settings in the configuration wizard, see

Configure Windows

Server AppFabric

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=324774).

Configuring Caching service parameters

Set Caching Service configuration

Caching Service configuration provider

File share (UNC server share required:

\\server\share)

New cluster

Cluster size

Click Next to view the next page of the wizard.

Suggested settings

Select this option

XML

Create a file share on the C drive of the Enterprise Portal server.

Configure permissions for the share as follows:

 Grant read access for the account under which the Enterprise

Portal application pool is running in IIS (This is also the .NET

Business Connector proxy account).



Grant read access for the application caching account.

Select this option

Select Small (1-5 computers)

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Configure AppFabric Cache Node

Node ports

Windows firewall exceptions

Suggested settings

Retain default settings

Select Windows Server AppFabric: AppFabric Caching Service

Click Finish. When prompted, click Yes.

Configure cache settings with PowerShell

The procedure in this section uses PowerShell Cmdlets to configure cache settings. For more information, about these cmdlets, see

AppFabric Caching PowerShell Cmdlts

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=324842) on MSDN.

1. Open the Caching Administration Windows PowerShell command prompt as an administrator.

2. Execute the

Use-CacheCluster

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=324847) command to set the context of your PowerShell session to a particular cache cluster.

3. Execute the

New-Cache

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=324848) command to create a new named cache. Make a note of the name you specified. You will enter this cache name in the next procedure.

4. Execute the

Grant-CacheAllowedClientAccount

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=324849) command and specify the .NET Business Connector proxy (the account that is used by the Enterprise

Portal application pool).

5. Execute the

Start-CacheCluster

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=324850) command to start the cache.

Install and configure the cache client

1. Run the WindowsServerAppFabricSetup_x64_6.1.exe file on the Enterprise Portal server.

2. On the Feature Selection page, select Cache Client and clear all other options. Click Next.

Cache Client The client libraries that enable you to use cache functionality in your applications during development or run time. You can install this component even if you are not installing the Caching Services.

3. Complete the setup wizard.

4. In Windows explorer, open the c:\inetpub\wwwroot\<Enterprise Portal web app> folder. Locate the web.config file and create a backup of this file in a different location.

5. Open the web.config file.

6. Locate the <configSections>. Add the following section tag:

<section name="dataCacheClient" type="Microsoft.ApplicationServer.Caching.DataCacheClientSection,

Microsoft.ApplicationServer.Caching.Core, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,

PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35" allowLocation="true" allowDefinition="Everywhere" />

7. Add the following AppFabric cache client tags to the web.config file after the </configSections>.

Replace “Host_server_name” with the name of the name of the server where you installed Windows

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Server AppFabric. Replace “default” with the name specified when you executed the New-Cache command.

<hosts>

</hosts>

</dataCacheClient>

<Microsoft.Dynamics>

</Microsoft.Dynamics>

Required configurations for AppFabric 1.1

If you installed AppFabric 1.1, you must choose Option 1 or Option 2 in this section and perform the procedures for that option. If you installed AppFabric 1.0, you can skip this section.

You must choose one of these options because AppFabric 1.1 DLLs are not stored in the Global Assembly

Cache (GAC). If you run Enterprise Portal in an AppFabric 1.1 environment without performing the procedures for Option 1 or Option 2, Enterprise Portal returns an error.

Option 1: Add AppFabric codeBase tags to the web.config file This option is more complex than

Option 2, but it reduces overall administration time and troubleshooting because you only have to perform the procedure one time.

Option 2: Copy AppFabric DLLs to the bin folder This option is a simple copy/paste, but if the

AppFabric DLLs are ever updated, you must repeat this procedure with the updated AppFabric DLLs.

Updated DLLs can include AppFabric hotfixes, updates, or version releases. If you do not repeat this procedure whenever AppFabric DLLs are updated, you might receive errors in Enterprise Portal.

Option 1: Add AppFabric codeBase tags to the web.config file

Use the procedures in this section to add tags to the Enterprise Portal web.config file.

1. Open the web.config file in Microsoft Visual Studio or a text editor, such as Notepad. By default, the file is located in the following directory on the Enterprise Portal server:

C:\inetpub\wwwroot\wss\VirtualDirectories\80\web.config

2. Add the codebase tag for the following AppFabric DLLs:

Microsoft.ApplicationServer.Caching.Core.dll

Microsoft.ApplicationServer.Caching.Client.dll

Microsoft.WindowsFabric.Common.dll

Microsoft.WindowsFabric.Data.Common.dll

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Important:

The href attribute for the codeBase tag must specify the location of the AppFabric DLLs. By default, the DLLs are located in the following directory: C:\Program Files\AppFabric 1.1 for

Windows Server\.

…

<codeBase version="1.0.0.0" href="C:\Program Files\AppFabric 1.1 for Windows

Server\Microsoft.ApplicationServer.Caching.Core.dll"/>

</dependentAssembly>

<codeBase version="1.0.0.0" href="C:\Program Files\AppFabric 1.1 for Windows

Server\Microsoft.ApplicationServer.Caching.Client.dll"/>

</dependentAssembly>

<codeBase version="1.0.0.0" href="C:\Program Files\AppFabric 1.1 for Windows

Server\Microsoft.WindowsFabric.Common.dll"/>

</dependentAssembly>

<codeBase version="1.0.0.0" href="C:\Program Files\AppFabric 1.1 for Windows

Server\Microsoft.WindowsFabric.Data.Common.dll"/>

</dependentAssembly>

…

</assemblyBinding>

</runtime>

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3. Search the web.config file for the following tag:

<system.web>

<trustLevel name="WSS_Medium" policyFile="C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft

Shared\Web Server Extensions\14\config\wss_mediumtrust.config" />

4. Open the directory specified in the trustLevel > policyFile section of this tag. For example: C:\Program

Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\14\config\

5. Make a copy of the wss_mediumtrust.config file in this directory. Rename the copy as wss_mediumtrust_appfabric.config.

6. Open the wss_mediumtrust_appfabric.config file.

7. Search the file for the following tag: class="FirstMatchCodeGroup"

8. Add the UnionCodeGroup section in a new <CodeGroup section beneath the “FirstMatchCodeGroup” section. Be sure to add it down to the first closing </CodeGroup> tag. The closing tag is not included in the following example:

<CodeGroup class="FirstMatchCodeGroup" version="1"

PermissionSetName="Nothing">

<IMembershipCondition class="AllMembershipCondition" version="1"

<CodeGroup class="UnionCodeGroup" version="1"

PermissionSetName="FullTrust">

<IMembershipCondition class="UrlMembershipCondition" version="1"

Url="file:///C:/Program Files/AppFabric 1.1 for Windows Server/*"

9. In the web.config file, search for the <system.web> tag.

10. Add the following tag in the <securityPolicy> section:

<trustLevel name="WSS_Medium_Custom" policyFile="C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft

Shared\Web Server Extensions\14\config\wss_mediumtrust_appfabric.config" />

11. Search the file for the <trust originUrl="" level="WSS_Medium" /> tag.

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12. Change the trust level to “WSS_Medium_Custom”. For example:

13. Save your changes in the file.

14. From the Run dialog, type iisreset to restart the web service.

Option 2: Copy AppFabric DLLs to the bin folder

1. Copy the following files from the C:\Program Files\AppFabric 1.1 for Windows Server directory: a. Microsoft.ApplicationServer.Caching.Core.dll b. Microsoft.ApplicationServer.Caching.Client.dll c. Microsoft.WindowsFabric.Common.dll d. Microsoft.WindowsFabric.Data.Common.dll

2. Paste these files into the following directory: C:\inetpub\wwwroot\wss\VirtualDirectories\80\_app_bin

3. From the Run dialog, type iisreset and press Enter.

Warning:

If the AppFabric 1.1 DLLs are ever updated, for example if AppFabric 1.2 or 2.0 is released, then you must repeat this procedure with the updated DLLs.

Validate deployment

Use the following procedure to verify that the AppFabric cache stores Enterprise Portal session on the server.

1. On the AppFabric server, verify in the Windows Services console that AppFabricCachingService is running.

2. Open a Windows PowerShell command prompt as an administrator.

3. Execute the

Get-CacheStatistics

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=324868) default command.

The results should display all zeros.

4. Open Enterprise Portal and submit an Expense report.

5. Execute the

Get-CacheStatistics

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=324868) default command again and verify that the cache displays values. This indicates that cache distribution is working.

Install and configure Windows Server AppFabric in a cluster

Use the following procedures to install Windows Server AppFabric in a cluster and then run the configuration wizard. The installation program provides the following functionality:

 Enables you to select specific features to install.



Validates the operating system to make sure that the product is not installed in an unsupported state, and indicates which prerequisites must be installed.

 Installs AppFabric.



Enables you to remove specific AppFabric features or AppFabric as a whole, making sure that the computer can be left in a state in which the features or AppFabric can be reinstalled.

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

Creates the AppFabric Caching Service. Sets the services to a startup type of manual and a status of stopped.

1. Run Setup

2. Run the configuration wizard

3. Configure additional servers in the AppFabric cluster

4. Configure the cluster cache settings with PowerShell

5. Install and configure the cache client

6. Validate deployment

Each of these processes is described in this topic.

Run Setup

Download

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=324596) and run the

WindowsServerAppFabricSetup_x64_6.1.exe file on the host server in the cluster.

2. On the Accept License Terms page, read the license terms, and then accept the terms and then click

Next to continue, or do not accept the terms and then exit the setup wizard.

3. On the Customer Experience Improvement Program page, select Yes to participate in the

Customer Experience Improvement program, or No not to participate, and then click Next.

4. Clear the Yes, download and install critical updates option.

5. On the Feature Selection page, select Caching Services and Cache Administration, and then click

Next.

Caching Services

Cache Administration

Components that enable you to administer a cache cluster. You can select Cache

Administration as an independent component, without other features selected.

In that instance, you could use administration tools to administer the Caching

Service installed on a separate computer.

Note:

If prerequisite software must be installed, the setup wizard will display the Platform

Validation page after the Feature Selection page. You must install the missing prerequisites manually. If all prerequisites have already been installed, the setup wizard will continue to the

Confirm Installation Selections page.

6. On the Platform Validation page, review the information and download any prerequisite software.

Click the link for a component or a configuration issue for more information. After installing

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components and resolving issues, click Refresh to verify that the problem has been fixed and then click Next to continue with the setup wizard.

7. The Confirm Installation Selections page will display a list of the features that were selected in the

Note:

8. On the Installation Progress page, you can monitor the progress of the installation.

Run the configuration wizard

Configure Windows

Server AppFabric

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=324774).

Configuring Caching service parameters

Set Caching Service configuration

Caching Service configuration provider

New cluster

Cluster size

Click Next to view the next page of the wizard.

Suggested settings

Select this option

SQL Server AppFabric Caching Service Configuration Store

Provider

Select this option

Select an option

Specify settings to create and register an AppFabric Caching Service configuration database that uses the Microsoft SQL Server provider

Suggested settings

Create AppFabric Caching Service configuration database

Select this option

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Enter required information in the Server and Database fields and then click OK.

Configure AppFabric Cache Node

Node ports

Windows firewall exceptions

Suggested settings

Retain default settings

Select Windows Server AppFabric: AppFabric Caching Service

When prompted, click Yes.

Configure additional servers in the AppFabric cluster

On each server in the cluster, repeat the procedures that are described in this section for running Setup and running the configuration wizard. In the configuration wizard, you must select the following options

Configuring Caching service parameters Suggested settings

Set Caching Service configuration Select this option

Caching Service configuration provider SQL Server AppFabric Caching Service Configuration Store Provider

Join cluster Select this option

Click Next to view the next page of the wizard.

Specify settings to create and register an AppFabric Caching Service configuration database that uses the Microsoft SQL Server provider

Create AppFabric Caching Service configuration database

Suggested settings

Select this option

Clear this option

Enter the same information that you previously specified in the Server and Database fields and then click

OK.

Configure the cluster cache settings with PowerShell

The procedure in this section uses PowerShell Cmdlts to complete the process of configuring the cache.

For more information, about these cmdlts, see

AppFabric Caching PowerShell Cmdlts

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=324842) on MSDN.

1. Open a Windows PowerShell command prompt as an administrator.

2. Execute the

Use-CacheCluster

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=324847) command to set the context of your PowerShell session to a particular cache cluster.

3. Execute the

New-Cache

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=324848) command to create a new named cache. Make a note of the name you specified. You will enter this cache name in the next procedure.

4. Execute the

Grant-CacheAllowedClientAccount

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=324849) command and specify the .NET Business Connector proxy (the account that is used by the Enterprise

Portal application pool).

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5. Execute the

Set-CacheConfig

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=324878) command and specify

–Secondaries parameter

6. Export the configuration with this command: Export-CacheClusterConfig and specify a name for the file.

7. Open the file that you just created and add the following configuration to the <advancedProperties> section:

8. Import the configuration with this command: Import-CacheClusterConfig

9. Execute the

Start-CacheCluster

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=324850) command to start the cache.

Install and configure the cache client

1. Run the WindowsServerAppFabricSetup_x64_6.1.exe file on the Enterprise Portal server.

2. On the Feature Selection page, select Cache Client and clear all other options. Click Next.

3. Complete the setup wizard.

4. In Windows explorer, open the $\inetpub\wwwroot\ folder. Locate the web.config file and create a backup of this file in a different location.

5. Open the web.config file.

6. Locate the <configSections>. Add the following section tag:

<section name="dataCacheClient" type="Microsoft.ApplicationServer.Caching.DataCacheClientSection;

Microsoft.ApplicationServer.Caching.Core, Version=1.0.0.0; Culture=neutral,

PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35" allowLocation="true" allowDefinition="Everywhere" />

<section name="Session" type="System.Configuration.SingleTagSectionHandler, System,

Version=1.0.5000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" />

<section name="ServerState" type="System.Configuration.SingleTagSectionHandler, System,

Version=1.0.5000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" />

<section name="AppFabricCaching" type="System.Configuration.SingleTagSectionHandler,

System, Version=1.0.5000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" />

</sectionGroup>

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7. Add the following dataCacheClient tag to the web.config file after the </configSections>. Replace each instance of “Host_server_name” with the name of a server. Replace “default” with the name specified when you executed the New-Cache command.

<hosts>

</hosts>

</dataCacheClient>

<Microsoft.Dynamics>

</Microsoft.Dynamics>

Validate deployment

Use the following procedure to verify that the AppFabric cache stores Enterprise Portal session on the server.

1. On the AppFabric server, verify in the Windows Services console that AppFabricCachingService is running.

2. Open a Windows PowerShell command prompt as an administrator.

3. Execute the

Get-CacheStatistics

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=324868) default command.

The results should display all zeros.

4. Restart the web service on the Enterprise Portal server.

5. Open Enterprise Portal and submit an Expense report.

6. Execute the

Get-CacheStatistics

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=324868) default command again and verify that the cache displays values. This indicates that cache distribution is working.

Install Enterprise Portal in a Web farm

This topic describes how to install and configure Enterprise Portal for Microsoft Dynamics AX in a Web farm. A Web farm distributes Enterprise Portal requests and processing across multiple servers, which can improve performance and availability.

For information about how to install Enterprise Portal in an environment with two domain controllers and

two firewalls for extranet deployments, see

Install Enterprise Portal in a traditional perimeter network

Note:

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If you are upgrading Enterprise Portal between Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, Microsoft Dynamics

AX 2012 Feature Pack, and Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2, you should review

Scenario: Perform in-place upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2 or R3

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/eb8193f4-0318-427f-bcc9-2919f47afb8f(AX.60).aspx).

Before you begin

Complete the following tasks before you install Enterprise Portal in a Web farm:



Install and configure Windows Server AppFabric in your server farm. For more information, see

Install and configure Windows AppFabric for Enterprise Portal

 If you installed a non-SYS layer model file in the Microsoft Dynamics AX environment, compile

Microsoft Dynamics AX before you install Enterprise Portal. If you do not compile Microsoft Dynamics

AX, the Enterprise Portal installation might fail.



Verify that the name of each server in the Enterprise Portal Web farm does not include an underscore, for example EPserver_1. If an Enterprise Portal server includes an underscore in the server name, lookups and Web pages might display errors.

 On each computer where you will install Enterprise Portal, run the prerequisite validation utility to verify that system requirements have been met. For information about how to run the prerequisite

Check prerequisites

For more information about the hardware and software requirements for Microsoft Dynamics AX, see the

system requirements

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=165377).

 Verify that you have the appropriate permissions to install Enterprise Portal.



Member of the Administrator group in Windows on each server in the farm.

 Member of the dbcreator and securityadmin roles in the Microsoft Dynamics AX SQL Server instance.



Member of the System administrator role in Microsoft Dynamics AX.

 Member of the SharePoint farm administrators group (if SharePoint is already installed on each server)

If you are installing Enterprise Portal on a server that already hosts an Enterprise Portal deployment and you want to overwrite that deployment, you must have Full Control permission in SharePoint for the existing Enterprise Portal site collection. If you do not have Full Control permission, you will not be able to delete the existing site collection by using Setup.

 For Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption, you cannot install Enterprise Portal on a Web application that is already configured to use HTTP and HTTPS bindings. You must remove the HTTP binding from the site by using IIS Manager before you install Enterprise Portal.



If you plan to deploy multiple Enterprise Portals on the same server and those portals will connect to different Application Object Servers, you must update the web.config file. For more information, see

Install multiple Enterprise Portals on the same server

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX



If you plan to use host headers, review the SharePoint documentation about host headers and Web farms before you install Enterprise Portal.

Important:

If you attempt to install Enterprise Portal on an existing Internet Information Services (IIS) site that is already configured to use a host header, the installation fails, unless you create a

BackConnectionHostNames

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=194948) registry entry.

Topology overview

This topic uses the following Web server topology. The database, Application Object Server (AOS), and report server are not included in this list. Your Web server topology might differ.

Server

Administration Server

Web front-end servers

Description

The following components and services are installed and running:



Internet Information Services (IIS)



Microsoft SharePoint Server



SharePoint Central Administration

Service



Microsoft SharePoint Foundation

Web Application service



Microsoft Dynamics AX Enterprise

Portal

 IIS



SharePoint Server

 Microsoft SharePoint Foundation

Web Application service



Microsoft Dynamics AX Enterprise

Portal

Notes



This server is the SharePoint farm administration server.



The Microsoft SharePoint Foundation

Web Application service must be running. You must configure this service in SharePoint Central Administration.



You must install Enterprise Portal on each front-end Web server before you install Enterprise Portal on this server.

 When you install Enterprise Portal on this server by using Microsoft Dynamics

AX Setup, you can select the Create

Web site option or you can create the site later using SharePoint Central

Administration. You must not select the

Create Web site option on any frontend Web server.

 SharePoint is installed on each server as a Web front-end.



You must install Enterprise Portal on each front-end Web server before you install Enterprise Portal on the

SharePoint farm administration server.

 When you install Enterprise Portal on each Web front-end server by using

Microsoft Dynamics AX Setup, you must clear the Create Web site option.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Install and configure SharePoint

Install and configure SharePoint on each farm in the server. Note the following requirements for the

SharePoint installation.

1. If you are using a load balancer, specify a site name in the Load Balanced URL field on the Web application that will host the Enterprise Portal site.

2. The Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Web Application service must be running on the farm administration server. You must configure this service in SharePoint Central Administration.

3. Configure the Web application to use the Business Connector proxy account. This means you must select the Configurable option and then enter the proxy credentials.

Supported languages

If you want to deploy Enterprise Portal in multiple languages, you must download and deploy SharePoint language packs onto the web server before you install Enterprise Portal. You can download SharePoint language packs from Microsoft.com. Enterprise Portal is currently supported in the following languages:

Arabic

Chinese (Simplified)

Czech

Danish - 1030

Dutch (Netherlands)

Dutch (Belgium)

English

English (Australia)

English (Canada)

English (India)

English (Ireland)

English (Malaysia)

English (New Zealand)

English (Singapore)

English (South Africa)

English (UK)

English (US)

Estonian

Finnish

French (France)

French (Canada)

French (Belgium)

French (Switzerland)

German (Germany)

German (Austria)

German (Switzerland)

Hungarian

Icelandic

Italian

Italian (Switzerland)

Japanese

Latvian

Lithuanian

Norwegian

Polish

Portuguese (Brazilian)

Russian

Spanish (international)

Spanish (Mexico)

Swedish

Thai

To deploy Enterprise Portal in one of the languages list here, you must create a Web application in

SharePoint and specify the new language. For more information, see

Create an Enterprise Portal site

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/da9149f8-9bb8-4d95-b392-4c6954a60b5f(AX.60).aspx).

You do not have to create portals for specific languages. You just have to install SharePoint language packs, and then create a site as described in

Create an Enterprise Portal site

(http://technet.microsoft.com/library/da9149f8-9bb8-4d95-b392-4c6954a60b5f(AX.60).aspx). Portals are then displayed in the language that is specified for each user in the Options form in Microsoft Dynamics

AX.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Installation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Before you install Enterprise Portal

Perform the following tasks to verify that you can deploy Enterprise Portal in the SharePoint server farm.



Verify that you can open SharePoint Central Administration on the Enterprise Portal administration server.

 Verify that you have the appropriate permissions to create sites by using SharePoint Central

Administration to create a SharePoint team site.



Verify that you can browse the team site without prompts and resolve the URL without proxy errors or other problems.

Install Enterprise Portal

This section describes how to install Enterprise Portal by using Setup. You must install Enterprise Portal on each Web front-end server before you install on the farm administration server. When you install

Enterprise Portal on the Web front-end servers, you clear the option to create a site. This means that when you install Enterprise Portal on the Web front-end servers, Setup deploys files and configures settings on the server, but no site is created. When you install Enterprise Portal on the farm administration server, you select the option to create a site.

Tip:

By default, when you install SharePoint, the system creates a Web application on port 80.

Connector proxy account as the application pool account in the Configurable list.

1. Start Microsoft Dynamics AX Setup. Under Install, select Microsoft Dynamics AX components.

2. Advance through the first wizard pages.

4. If you’re installing AX 2012 R3, in the Select an installation option page, click Microsoft Dynamics

AX.

5. On the Select installation type page, click Custom installation, and then click Next.

6. On the Select components page, select Enterprise Portal (EP), and then click Next.

7. On the Prerequisite validation results page, resolve any errors. For more information about how to

Check prerequisites