Manage a client configuration

Important

This content is archived and is not being updated. For the latest documentation, see Microsoft Dynamics 365 product documentation. For the latest release plans, see Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform release plans.

Applies To: Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Feature Pack, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

If you are a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, you can manage configurations for Microsoft Dynamics AX clients by using the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Configuration utility. For information about how to use a shared configuration file to manage Microsoft Dynamics AX clients, see Configure clients to use a shared configuration. For information about how to manage configurations for .NET Business Connector, see Create a configuration for .NET Business Connector. This topic includes the following sections.

  • Create a new configuration

  • Copy a configuration

  • Rename a configuration

  • Load a configuration

  • Load a configuration from the registry

  • Import a configuration file

  • Save or export a configuration

  • Save a configuration to the registry

  • Export a configuration to a file

  • Export all configurations to a file

  • Save a configuration file that uses a new name

  • Specify a shared configuration file for a client

  • Delete a configuration

Create a new configuration

You cannot modify the original configuration of a system. To change a configuration, you must create and modify a new configuration. For information about configuring client access to a partition, see Configure clients to access data in a partition.

Important

By default, changes that are made to configurations are stored in the registry for each user.

  1. Open the configuration utility. Click Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Configuration.

  2. In the Configuration target list, select Local client.

  3. Click Manage, and then click Create configuration.

  4. In the Create configuration dialog box, in the Name box, type a name.

  5. You can copy settings from either the active configuration or the original configuration, which is the default configuration. Select the configuration that you want to copy settings from, and then click OK.

    Note

    You cannot delete or rename the original configuration. You can only rename or delete configurations that you create.

Copy a configuration

  1. In the Configuration list, select the configuration that you want to create a copy of.

  2. Click Manage, and then click Create configuration.

  3. In the Create configuration dialog box, in the Name box, type a name.

  4. Click Copy settings from the active configuration, and then click OK.

Rename a configuration

  1. In the Configuration list, select the configuration that you want to rename.

  2. Click Manage, and then click Rename configuration.

  3. In the Rename configuration dialog box, in the New name box, type a name, and then click OK.

Load a configuration

You can either load a configuration that is stored in the local registry or import a configuration file. Although you can use the Open command to view a configuration file that has been saved, Microsoft Dynamics AX does not store the settings from the file in the registry. To store the settings in the registry, you must use the Import command.

Load a configuration from the registry

  • In the Configuration list, select the configuration that you want to open.

Import a configuration file

  1. Click Manage, and then click Import.

  2. Browse to the configuration file that you want to use, and open the file. Configuration files have the .axc extension.

Save or export a configuration

You can save the startup settings for a client or an instance of .NET Business Connector as a configuration that is stored in the registry. Alternatively, you can save the startup settings as a configuration file. You can use startup settings that are saved to complete the following tasks:

  • Tune Microsoft Dynamics AX. Change settings, and then tune the system by comparing the performance with the performance of saved configurations.

  • Move a configuration from one client to another.

Save a configuration to the registry

  1. Verify that the configuration that you want to save is selected.

  2. Make any changes that you want to make to the selected configuration.

  3. Click Apply, and then click OK.

Export a configuration to a file

Use this procedure if you want to copy a configuration to a client on another computer.

  1. Verify that the configuration that you want to save is selected.

  2. Click Manage, and then click Export configuration to a file. Enter a location and name for the configuration file, and then click Save. The file is saved as an .axc file.

Export all configurations to a file

Use this procedure if you want to copy all configurations from one client.

  1. Verify that the configuration that you want to save is selected.

  2. Click Manage, and then click Export All. Enter a location and name for the configuration file, and then click Save. The file is saved as an .axc file.

Save a configuration file that uses a new name

Use this procedure if you want to create a copy of the configuration file that you have been using.

  1. Import or open a configuration file.

  2. Change the settings in the configuration file.

  3. Click Manage, and then click Save configuration file as. Enter a location and name for the configuration file, and then click Save.

Specify a shared configuration file for a client

If you saved or exported a configuration file to a network share, use this procedure to specify the shared configuration file that a client uses. For more information about how to use a shared configuration file to manage Microsoft Dynamics AX clients, see Configure clients to use a shared configuration.

  1. Click Manage, and then click Set Configuration Store.

  2. Enter the path of the shared configuration file, and then click OK.

Note

After you enter the path of a shared configuration file, you may want a client to use configuration settings that are stored in the registry of the local computer. Click Set Configuration Store, and then delete the path in the Configuration File Path box.

Delete a configuration

  1. Verify that the configuration that you want to delete is selected.

  2. Click Manage, and then click Delete configuration.

See also

Configure clients to access data in a partition

Client configuration commands

Connect a client to a different Application Object Server instance