As mentioned in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Components, Dynamics AX 2009 is a lot more than just AX Application, AOS and client. It has also expanded externally with integration to various other technologies to achieve its objectives.
As a result, installing Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 requires more than the installation DVD. This post will provide you with an overview of the software components and their download sources to get you better prepared for the installation.
Some of the components presented below do come in the form of DVD if your company subscribe for them. If you have such luxury, browse through your DVD set to secure them before you set off to install Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009. Otherwise, you might have to spend a day or more to get all of them downloaded.
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Release DVD ISO
The most important part is of course the installation DVD itself. You may download the Microsoft Dynamics 2009 Release May Edition DVD ISO file (1.7 GB in size) from PartnerSource as discussed earlier. As far as I am concerned, no physical media should be expected until mid July 2008 when the translation of help topics is scheduled to complete. The DVD ISO file seems to be the only option at the moment.
Since it is in ISO format, you may use any Virtual DVD software to mount it as a DVD disc to use it directly or to extract the files to a physical location. On top of that, you may also burn it into a physical DVD. If you are installing on virtual machines instead, you could load it to the optical drive with ease. All virtual machine platforms I know supports ISO image, be it Microsoft Virtual PC, Virtual Server, VMWare or VirtualBox.
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 utilized the latest features from Windows Presentation Foundation, etc. You need to install Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 before you are able to install Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009. The table bellow shows the options you have to get the .NET Framework 3.5 installed. Pick one that suits your need best.
| Component | File name | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Live Installer | dotNetFx35setup.exe | 2.7 MB |
| Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Full Package | dotnetfx35.exe | 197.11 MB |
The Live Installer (bootstrapper) is meant for installation with Internet connection. It will evaluate your system to identify further download required. The installation will requires additional file download of 50 - 200 MB depending on how up to date your system is. This is the better choice for single installation. You will usually end up downloading less than the full package.
The Full Package on the other hand is meant for mass deployment. The download consists of all the files necessary to install the .NET Framework 3.5. You may also want to pick this option if you would like to share the file with other associates.
Service Pack 2 for Microsoft SQL Server 2005
If you are hosting your Dynamics AX 2009 data with Microsoft SQL Server 2005, you will need Service Pack 2 or later. This service pack has been released for over a year. In case you have not updated your Microsoft SQL Server 2005 to SP2, you may download the update at Microsoft Download: SQL Server 2005 SP2.
This package contains update for all the components of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 including the database server, Analysis Services, Reporting Services, etc. They are all required for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 installation.
Dynamics AX 2009 Demo Data
There is no official demo data available for Dynamics AX 2009 Release yet. The closest we could find is the demo data for AX 2009 CTP3 VPC version 2. This download is in the form of Microsoft SQL Server database backup instead of the usual Dynamics AX data import file we are familiar with. In order to use this data, you will not have to install the database option in the setup. You should restore this backup as a Microsoft SQL Server database and install the application and AOS to connect to it.
I notice a lot of associates are searching for Dynamics AX 2009 license. If you install with this demo database, you will have the demo license which last until August 31, 2008. This could be a good option in case you have not got the partner license file.
| Component | File name | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Demo data AX 2009 CTP3 VPC Ver02 | Demo data AX 2009 CTP3 VPC Ver02.zip | 129 MB |
Microsoft Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0 with Service Pack 1
Sharepoint Services 3.0 SP1 is required to host the Role Centers and Enterprise Portal. It is not included in the Dynamics AX 2009 Installation DVD. You have an option to use Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server 2007 or Microsoft Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0.
If Windows Sharepoint is your choice and your machine does not have it installed, you would have to download it first. It is available for download at Microsoft Download.
| Component | File name | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 with Service Pack 1 | SharePoint.exe | 104.1 MB |
| Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 x64 with Service Pack 1 | SharePoint.exe | 115.4 MB |
Windows SDK for Windows Server 2008 and .NET Framework 3.5
Windows SDK is required for Reporting Extension to work. You may get the Windows SDK for your operating system. Windows SDK for Windows Server 2008 and .NET Framework 3.5 is the latest at the time of writing. It could be used for Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista and Windows XP.
Like Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, you have an option to get it installed through web setup or the complete package. The complete package for Windows SDK for Windows Server 2008 is in DVD ISO format.
| Component | File name | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Windows SDK for Windows Server 2008 and .NET Framework 3.5 Web Setup | Setup.exe | 418.59 KB |
| Windows SDK for Windows Server 2008 and .NET Framework 3.5 DVD ISO | 6.0.6001.18000.367-KRMSDK_EN.iso | 1330 MB |
Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Shell (isolated mode) Redistributable Package
This package is required for the Reporting Extension to work. There are two Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Shell redistributable package; isolated and integrated. Make sure you are having the isolated package.
When you install this package, please note that the executable vs_AppEnvRedist.exe extracts the installation files to a location. You should execute the actual installation file found at the location where you extracted the files.
| Component | File name | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Shell (isolated mode) Redistributable Package | vs_AppEnvRedist.exe | 384.4 MB |
Conclusion
The software prerequisite for getting Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 installed is more than those we have listed here. The rest of the software is included in the installation DVD.
Happy installing Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009.
