Configure offline options for Retail Modern POS

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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.

This topic explains how to create offline databases for the Retail Modern POS by using the Retail Channel Configuration Utility.

Retail Modern POS can be configured to either to connect to a channel database through a Retail Server, or it can be configured to connect directly to the channel database. Offline mode is supported for both deployment options. For details about supported deployment topologies, see Retail Modern POS architecture.

On each computer where you want to create a database, you must use the Microsoft Dynamics AX Setup wizard to install the Retail Channel Configuration Utility. For more information, see Install the Retail Channel Configuration Utility (Retail Store Database Utility).

Note

You can also use the Setup wizard to create a channel database. For more information, see Install a Retail channel database.

The procedures in this topic assume that you have installed a supported version of Microsoft SQL Server on the computer where you plan to run the Retail Channel Configuration Utility. For a list of supported operating systems and SQL Server versions, see the Microsoft Dynamics AX system requirements. For information about how to configure SQL Server for channel databases and offline databases, see Configure SQL Server for the Retail databases.

The Retail Channel Configuration Utility can also be used to configure database connections for a POS register. For more information, see Configure database connections for a POS register by using the Retail Channel Configuration Utility.

Important

You must install Microsoft Sync Framework hotfix 2703853 on all computers on which you install Retail Modern POS with an offline database.

This hotfix can prevent potential data loss when synchronizing Retail offline databases with the channel database.

Create an offline database for Retail Modern POS

Important

Before you can complete this procedure, you must create a channel database and distribute initial data to the channel database. You must also run the Offline scopes job to at headquarters to synchronize offline scopes with the channel database.

  1. Install Microsoft Sync Framework hotfix 2703853 on the POS register.

  2. On a POS register, start the Retail Channel Configuration Utility.

  3. Select Create or reprovision offline database.

    1. In the Identification section of the form, type the store ID. This value must be the same as the value that was entered in the Name field on the Retail stores form. (Click Retail > Common > Retail channels > Retail stores.)

      Note

      The store record does not have to be created before you complete this step. However, the ID must match later when the record is created and the profile is linked. For more information, see Setting up retail stores.

    2. Optional: Test the connection.

    3. In the Offline database section of the form, type the name of the computer on which to create the offline database. Typically, you will install on the local computer, or localhost. Type a unique name for the new offline database.

    4. Click Apply to create the offline database.

  4. Select Configure Retail Modern POS.

    1. In the Identification section of the form, enter the register ID.

    2. Select Configure offline database.

    3. In the Retail Offline Sync Service Configuration section of the form, enter the user name and password of the Windows account used by the Retail Offline Sync Service. For more information, see Configure database connections for a POS register by using the Retail Channel Configuration Utility.

      Note

      This account must be a member of the POS user group. For more information, see Set up user accounts and the POS user group.

  5. Start the Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail Offline Sync Service, so that the offline database can be synchronized with the channel database.

Synchronize data between the channel database and offline databases

If the channel database becomes unavailable, Retail Modern POS devices can connect to a local offline database, so that transaction entry is not interrupted. Therefore, offline databases on Retail Modern POS devices must be synchronized with the latest data from the channel database.

Offline profiles define which data is synchronized from the channel database to the offline databases on POS devices. Each offline profile consists of several offline scopes. The default scopes are modeled after the Retail Scheduler jobs that are used to synchronize data between Microsoft Dynamics AX and the channel. For example, the 1080 scheduler job pushes tax-related information from Microsoft Dynamics AX to the channel. The tables that are included in the 1080 scheduler job are also included in the offline scope that pushes tax-related information from the channel database to the offline database. For more information about offline scopes and offline profiles, see Set up offline profiles.

See also

Use Retail POS in offline mode

Create a channel database or an offline database (AX 2012 R3)