Duplicate company in AX 2012

The Duplicate Company function in AX 2009 is deprecated in AX 2012, and the reason is "The organization model represents a paradigm shift in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012", said by Microsoft. To copy a company in AX 2012 for demo or test, now you'll have to

1. create a definition group
2. export the def group from old company
3. import the def group to the new company

When you create def group, go to Include table group tab and make sure you've selected the tables you want to bring into your new company. When you import, go to the Advanced tab and select/deselect the Include shared tables checkbox as it's needed. Microsoft has a very detailed tutorial on this process:

Use Microsoft Dynamics AX to transfer (export and import) data [AX 2012]

Debugging Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 SSRS reports with Microsoft Visual Studio 2008

While Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) reports allowed in in Dynamics AX 4.0 a user to create Ad'hoc reports that were only based on the data stored in the Dynamics AX database, in Dynamics AX 2009 Production reports allow also the execution of Business Logic. The Business Logic can either be X++ code in the AOT or C# code directly in the SSRS report.

This also brings up the question how the C# code could be debugged when necessary. You can use the Visual Studio 2008 integrated debugger however you need to follow certain steps otherwise your breakpoints will not be hit.

You need a PC where the following components are installed:

• Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Client,
• Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Reporting Tools,
• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 or 2008 Reporting Services,
• Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Reporting Extensions, and
• Microsoft Visual Studio 2008

Note:In the following example we use a report that is based on Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) data. Therefore the Dynamics AX default cubes need to exist, however SSAS does not necessarily need to be locally installed.

In the following steps I will explain how you can debug the standard SSRS / SSAS reportCust.CashInflowvsCashOutflow for example:

1. Start the Dynamics AX Client, open the AOT window and go to AOT\Report Libraries
    
2. Click with the right Mouse button at the Cust report library and select Edit in Visual Studio from the context menu
    
3. Wait until the Visual Studio IDE has launched completely
    
4. Make sure the active configuration of the Solution is set to Debug (to check the Active configuration go toBuild - Configuration Manager...)
    
5. Rebuild the whole Solution by selecting Build - Build Solution
    
6. Deploy the Solution to your Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services by selecting Build - Deploy Solution
   (Note: It is important to deploy the Solution from within Visual Studio even if the SSRS reports were already deployed and did not change since then!)
    
7. Open the report CashInflowvsCashOutflow from the Visual Studio Solution Explorer window
    
8. In the Report Explorer window expand the node Data Methods and double click at GetDefaultCompany
    
9. Place a breakpoint (e. g. by pressing the [F9] key) at any line of code
    
10. Start the Internet Explorer and navigate to your Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Report Managerpage (e. g. http://localhost/reports)
     
11. Click at the Dynamics folder in the Report Manager page
     
12. Go back to Visual Studio and select Tools - Attach to Process from the menu
     
13. Make sure the options Show processes from all users and Show processes in all sessions are enabled(checked)
     
14. The next step is different based on the version of Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services:
    1. If you are using Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services:
       In the list of processes located the process ReportingServicesService.exe and attach to this process
        
    2. If you are using Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services:
       In the list of processes located the process w3wp.exe and attach to this process (If you have more than one w3wp.exe process listed, see the appendix at the end how to determine the correct process)
        
15. Go back to the Report Manager page in Internet Explorer and execute the reportCust.CashInflowvsCashOutflow.FullPage
     
16. The breakpoint will be hit by the Visual Studio integrated debugger
     

Some more hints:

• On Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 make sure you run Visual Studio with elevated privileges (Run as Administrator)
   
• Once the debugger is attached you can check what modules are loaded in the Visual Studio integrated debugger by selecting Debug - Windows - Modules from the menu (The Assembly the C# code is compiled to is Cust.BusinessLogic.DLL)
   

How can I determine the correct w3wp.exe process to attach to?

The Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services 2005 are hosted in the Microsoft Windows Server Internet Information Services (IIS). Therefore the process to attach to for debugging is the IIS Worker Process (w3wp.exe). As IIS is starting at least one Worker Process per Application Pool, more than one w3wp.exe processes are usually running on a Windows Server.

In order to see what Worker Process is serving what IIS Application Pool tools exists:

• On Windows Server 2003 (IIS 6.0) run: iisapp.vbs
• On Windows Server 2008 (IIS 7.0) run: appcmd.exe list wp

The output of the tools looks as follows:

C:\Windows\system32>iisapp.vbs
W3WP.exe PID: 2056 AppPoolId: AxReportServer
W3WP.exe PID: 5092 AppPoolId: EP - 39014

C:\Windows\system32\inetsrv>appcmd.exe list wp
WP "6916" (applicationPool: SharePoint Central Administration v3)
WP "1356" (applicationPool: AxReportServer)

Once identified the correct w3wp.exe process (based on the Application Pool) use the PID (Process ID) to attach to the correct w3wp.exe process.

--author:	Alexander Lachner
--editor:	Alexander Lachner
--date:	16/06/2009

Source : http://blogs.msdn.com/b/emeadaxsupport/archive/2009/07/16/debugging-the-business-logic-in-microsoft-dynamics-ax-2009-ssrs-reports-with-microsoft-visual-studio-2008.aspx

Reproting Extension installation process tips and triks

Hi,

While installation of Reporting Extension of AX 2009 we are facing lots of Errors and Warning, so this post is for some tips and tricks regarding  installation of Reporting Extension as much as possible without of Errors and Warning.

1. Install all the prerequisite for reporting extensions.
2. Configure the Reporting services with the use of Reporting services configuration manager from configuration tool of SQL server 2008
3. Check the URL both reporting service url and reporting manager url from configuration services for accessing and proper running.
4. In the Dynamics AX 2009 >> Administration >> setup>> Reporting services .. Update the information regarding reporting services and create folder named DynamicsAX and click on the create button to create Datasource on the reporting manager URL.
5. Install reporting Extensions from AX 2009 setup
6. reset the IIS
7. Deploying  reports : Please do this activity with the login of BCPROXY user only.
Run report deployment tool from Dynamics AX 2009
8. Do not deploy all the reports at a time.
9 Deploy the reports one by one or select the some bunch of reports ( like all reports which start from letter B,C,D...or else )
10. Please do not deploy or select any reports which start with letter "S".
11. In Between this you might get warning with HTML code and reports failed to deploy at this time the general solution is to restart the Reporting services from Services.msc
12. And at the end you can deploy the all remaining reports.


----
Kishor

Report Deployment Errors in AX 2009

While deployment of reports (Reporting Extensions) in Ax 2009 the following error has been generated. 

Error:
Unable to connect to http://server:port/ReportServer/ReportService2005.asmx as specified in the config file for the report server at DriveName:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSRS10.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer\RSReportServer.config. 

If this url is not correct please update the config file, otherwise make sure the report server is configured correctly.

Solution:

Go to Encryption Keys >> Delete Encrypted Content >> Delete 

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Sharepoint services 3.0 Installation

Hardware and Software Requirements
Before you install WSS 3.0, make sure your computer has the recommended hardware and software. Your server computer must meet the following hardware and software requirements.

Hardware Requirements

- A dual-processor computer with processor speed 2.5 GHz or higher.
- A minimum of 1GB RAM; however 2GB RAM is recommended for improved performance.

Software Requirements
- Windows Server 2003 SP2 as the Operating System.
- The file system used by the OS must be NTFS. 
- The computer must be configured as a web server running Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) in IIS 6.0. 
- .NET framework v3.0 or higher which enables ASP.NET 2.0 and includes Windows Workflow Foundation 3.0.
- SQL Server 2005 Express Edition with Advanced Settings.
Installing WSS V3.0 (Basic Mode)
Prerequisites

- Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition with SP2 installed.
- .NET Framework 3.0.
- ASP.NET 2.0 installed and Web Services Extension enabled.
- SQL Server 2005 with Advanced Settings installed.

Installation Steps

1. Double click the Sharepoint.exe, it will start the installation process.
2. Choose the installation type you want to install (from Basic, Advanced), here Basic is chosen.
3. The setup will now apply the updates to the installation.
4. Click Next to continue with the installation.
5. The setup will now configure with the installation settings and installation will complete. The following screens will guide you through the process.
   
   
   
   Figure 1.1 Basic Mode installation of WSS3.0
   
   
   
   Figure 1.2 Applying updates to the installation.
   
   
   
   Figure 1.3 Configuration Wizard in Basic Mode of installation.
   
   
   
   Figure 1.4 Configuration of WSS 3.0 is complete with default configuration.
   Installing WSS 3.0 (Advanced Mode)
   Prerequisites
   - Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition with SP2 installed.
   - .NET Framework 3.0.
   - ASP.NET 2.0 installed and Web Services Extension enabled.
   - SQL Server 2005 with Advanced Settings installed.
   
   Installation Steps

1. Double click the Sharepoint.exe, it will start the installation process.
2. Choose the installation type you want to install (from Basic, Advanced), here Advanced is chosen.
   
   
   
   Figure 1.5 Advanced Mode installation of WSS 3.0
    
3. In Server type tab; there will be two option as Web Front End and Stand-Alone.
   a. Web-Front End: Only install components required to render content to users. Can add servers to form a SharePoint Farm.
   b. Stand-Alone: Install all components on a single machine (Includes Windows Internal Database). Cannot add servers to create a SharePoint Farm.
4. Here in this installation Web Front End server type is chosen. As in this server type we can add servers to form a SharePoint Farm.
5. In Data Location tab: choose the path of your search index files to be stored on the local hard drive.
6. Start the installation by clicking on Install Now.
   
   
   Figure 1.6 Selecting the Server type.
   
   
   
   Figure 1.7 Choosing the location where the Data files will be stored.
   
   
   
   Figure 1.8 Starting the installation and applying updates.
7. After the installation is finished the configuration wizard will start; by checking the box prompted as "Run the SharePoint Products and Technology Configuration Wizard now". As shown below
   
   
   
   Figure 1.9 Finishing the installation & starting the configuration wizard.
   Configuring SharePoint Products and Technology
   Prerequisites
   - Name of database server and database where server farm configuration data will be stored.
   - Username and password for the database access account that will administer the server farm.
   
   Configuration Steps

1. The configuration wizard requires the following services to be started or reset during the configuration
   • Internet Information Services.
   • SharePoint Administration Services.
   • SharePoint Timer Service.
   By clicking Yes the services are started or reset and to proceed for the configuration wizard.
    
2. The Next screen in the wizard asks for the following options
    
   • Connect to an existing server farm.
   • Create a new server farm.
   
   If there is a server farm you want to connect with to share configuration data; then connect to the server farm or create a new one.
   Here creating a new farm is selected, as there was no availability of server farms in the system.
   
   
   
   Figure 1.10 Requirements to proceed with configuration wizard.
   
   
   
   Figure 1.11 Connect to a Server Farm.
    
3. The next screen will ask to specify the configuration for Database Settings. Such as the following details:
    
   • Database Server Name.
   • Database Name.
   • Database Access Account Username.
   • Database Access Account Password.
   
   The following figure describes the configuration for database settings.
   
   
   
   Figure 1.12 Configuring Database Settings.
    
4. The next screen configures SharePoint Central Administration Web Application. It asks for the following requirements to specify such as:
    
   • Specifying a port number for the web application hosted on this machine; the port number can be a number in between 1 to 65535. Otherwise system will take a random port number.
   • Choosing an authentication provider for this Web application.
     -> NTLM: NT LAN Manager is a Microsoft authentication protocol.
     -> Kerberos: It is a computer network authentication protocol, which allows individuals communicating over a non-secure network to prove their identity to one another in a secure manner.
   
   Here the NTLM authentication is chosen.
   
   
   
   Figure 1.13 Configure SharePoint Central Administration Web Application.
    
5. Complete the wizard by clicking Next or we can click Advanced Settings to enable the Active Directory creation Mode by providing Active Directory Domain and Organizational Unit.

Active Directory: It is a hierarchical collection of network resources that can contain users, computers, printers, and other Active Directories. Active Directory Services (ADS) allow administrators to handle and maintain all network resources from a single location. 



Figure 1.14 Completing the configuration wizard.



Figure 1.15 Advanced Settings for Enabling Active Directory Account.



Figure 1.16 Click Finish to complete the configuration.
Summary
Basic Installation
In Basic installation mode we are provided with fewer options while installing. The setup continues with the default settings and configures the same.

Advanced Installation

In the case of advanced installation we are provided with ample options while installing as well as configuring. 
Such as:

1. Server type
   • Web Front-end
   • Standalone
2. Resetting or restarting of required services.
3. Connecting to the Server Farm
   • Connect to the existing Server Farm.
   • Creating a new Server Farm
4. Specifying Configuration Database Settings
   • Database Server
   • Database Name
5. Specify Database Access Account
   • Username
   • Password
6. Configuring SharePoint Central Administration Web Application
   • Specify Port Number
7. Configure security Settings
   • NTLM security
   • Kerberos security
8. Advanced Settings for Enabling Active Directory Account Creation Mode
   • Active Directory Domain
   • Active Directory Organizational Unit

The difference between the two modes of installation depends on the user needs. If the user needs to install and wants to configure later Basic Mode is chosen. If the user needs to install as well as configure in more detail then advanced mode is chosen.

The basic installation installs the SQL Server 2005 Everywhere Edition and creates a web application at port 80 based on the team site template. But advanced installation creates no default web application or installs the SQL Server. Advanced installation installs only the front-end components that are required to render the website. It assumes that SQL Server 2005 is already installed

Error while installing Microsoft Dynamics AX Reporting Extensions and Role Centers and Enterprise Portal

Issues:

Reporting extensions cannot be installed and display the below error message, Event Log & Setup Log:

Error Message :

Role centers and Enterprise Portal cannot be installed. Setup cannot connect to the Application Object Server Instance (AOS) by using Business Connector.

Generated Event log:

Log Name: Application
Source: Microsoft.Dynamics.Framework.BusinessConnector
Event ID: 1000
Description: Session log on for Microsoft Dynamics failed Microsoft.Dynamics.Framework.BusinessConnector.Session.Exceptions.FatalSessionException

Dynamics Adapter Logon failed.

Setup Log:

Property RemoveComponents set to: ’0′
Property BypassWarnings set to: ’0′
Entering method GetBusinessConnectorProxyAccount
An error has occured while Setup was establishing a connection through Business Connector. Error: No .NET Business Connector session could be found.
Leaving method GetBusinessConnectorProxyAccount
An error has occured while Setup was establishing a connection through Business Connector. Error: No .NET Business Connector session could be found.
Microsoft.Dynamics.Framework.Deployment.Web.EPWebException

Solution:

1. Change the client configuration file to run on Business connector.

2. Check if the client configuration file is pointing to required Server Name & TCP/IP Port, if not modify and apply the settings.

3. Start the Microsoft Dynamics AX Setup wizard and install the selected components “Reporting extensions” and Click Next.

4. After the installation is complete, you must deploy the default reports that are included with Microsoft Dynamics AX.

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What i did ...

1. I have created the business connector configuration for AOS ( which m using for installation EP and Reporting Extension.

2. In the client configuration assign the AOS name to the local client.

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Source : http://dynamicsaxsolutions.wordpress.com/