Dynamics Administration -Installation

Installation & Configuration: 

SQL Server installation

To install Dynamics AX, the SQL server is required. I have installed SQL Server Express edition and have problems with reports. In Dynamics AX 2012 reports are running on the SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS). SQL Express edition has advance package that include the SSRS. But this SSRS can not use the AXREPORTDATAPROVIDER report data source. So advanced package of the SQL Express edition can not be used for Dynamics AX 2012 (and AX 2009 also, because there are also SSRS reports). For the Dynamics AX 2012 (2009) it is required to install the SQL Server Standard edition to be able to run Dynamics AX SSRS reports. I have installed the SQL Server Standardedition with SP1:

1. The SQL Server installation center window opens. Click the New SQL server stand-alone installation or add features to an existing installation menu button. (For SQL 2008, the menu button is called “New installation and add new features to an existing installation”)
2. The SQL Server 2012 Setup wizard opens. If it is your first SQL server installation, then it is required to enter the Product key. Then the support files will be installed. After that the computer restart is required. You will be notified about this on the Setup Support Rules page.
3. Restart the computer if required. Run installation again and repeat the step 1.
4. The License Terms page opens. Select the I accept license terms check box and click Next.
5. The Setup Role page opens. Select the SQL Server Feature Installation option and click Next.
6. The Feature Selection page opens. Select all check boxes and click Next (I have excluded the Reporting services SharePoint and Distributed Replay options). 
7. On the Installation Rules page, some validation will be done automatically.
8. The Instance Configuration page opens. Select either the Default instance or the Named instance radio button and set the desired name for the SQL server. Click Next. 
9. On the Disk Space Requirement page, the system will validate the disk space.
10. The Server Configuration page opens. Here, we can set up a user for the SQL server windows service. Leave the default value and click Next. 
11. The Database Engine Configuration page opens. The Mixed Mode is required when you set up under a local user. If you set up under a domain user, the Windows authentication mode is enough. Add your domain user as a sever administrator (if it is not added automatically) and click Next. 
12. The Analysis Services configuration page opens. Add the current domain user and click Next.
13. The Reporting Services configuration page opens. Select the Install and configure radio button and click Next.
14. The Error Reporting page opens, click Next.
15. The Installation Configuration Rules step will be passed automatically.
16. The Installation process is started. The process will take up to 1 hour. When it is finished, the Completewindow appears. Click Close.

Congratulations! The SQL server, SSAS and SSRS are successful installed. To review the results, go to the Windows services and find the SQL Server and SQL Server Reporting Services services and makes sure that they are in theStarted mode.

Configure SSRS

To complete the SSRS server configuration, do the following:

1. Enable and configure IIS on your machine. I have also logged off and logged on after enabling the IIS.
2. Run as administrator the Reporting Services Configuration Manager.
3. Connect to the installed SSRS instance.
4. Go to the Web Service URL tab, review the parameters, and click Apply.
5. Go to the Database tab, click the Change Database The Wizard opens
   • Select the Create a new report server database option and click Next.
   • On the Database Server tab, specify the Server name, SQL instance name. Click the Test connection to make sure that there are no issues. Click Next.
   • On the Database tab, specify the database name. Click Next.
   • On the Credentials tab, I leave the default setup. I.e. the Authentication mode is set to Service Credentials. Click Next.
   • On the Summary tab, click Next. On the Progress and Finish tabs, click Finish.
6. Go to the Report Manager URL tab. Click Apply.

Let’s check the results. Restart the SSRS. Run Internet Explorer as administrator and specify the Report Manager