Install upgrade framework files

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

The Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 upgrade process requires manual installation of three files on your source Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 or Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 system. An XPO file provides the forms and scripts that are required for data preprocessing, an ALD file provides user interface labels, and a CHM file provides user Help. The sections below describe how to install these files from your Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 installation media.

Install and import the XPO upgrade framework file

The preprocessing XPO file installs an upgrade framework containing the following components:

• The Preprocessing upgrade checklist

• The user-input forms opened by the items in the checklist

• The preprocessing upgrade scripts

• Changes to the upgrade cockpit for upgrade readiness, live preprocessing, live delta preprocessing, and final preprocessing in single-user mode

You will import the preprocessing XPO into the USR layer on the Microsoft Dynamics AX source system. You can see the current application layer in the lower right of the Microsoft Dynamics AX client window.

Be sure to back up your application files (*.aod) and label files (*.ald) before you import the preprocessing XPO. You will need these files for code upgrade on the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 target system.

To retrieve the preprocessing XPO, download the most recent Cumulative Update available of the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 version you are targeting.

To install the preprocessing XPO on the Microsoft Dynamics AX source system, do the following:

1. Open the Application Object Tree (AOT) from its icon on the toolbar.

2. (Optional.) It is advisable to make sure that the Application Object Directory (AOD) is synchronized with the Microsoft Dynamics AX database schema before you begin to import of the XPO. Synchronize them as follows:

   • Right-click Data Dictionary, and then click Synchronize.

   Synchronization may take several minutes.

3. Click the import icon on the AOT menu bar.

4. In the Import dialog box, click Browse. The XPO is located in the DatabaseUpgrade\XPO folder of the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Cumulative Update you downloaded earlier. The XPO file that you import depends on the Microsoft Dynamics AX source system that you are upgrading from.

   • On a Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 source system, import UpgradeAX4.xpo.

   • On a Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 source system, import UpgradeAX5.xpo.

5. In the Import dialog box, make sure that the option Import with ID values is cleared.

6. Click OK.

7. In the Import message box, click Yes to all when you are prompted to continue the import.

8. During synchronization, the Problems during synchronization message box may warn you that tables will be dropped. You should be aware of what objects are being over-written so that you can stop the process if necessary and merge your custom code with the XPO code for objects common to them both. To allow an object to be overwritten, click Yes.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 automatically performs multiple compilation passes to make sure that validation is successful. For example, if a child object in the code is validated before its parent object, the system will display a compilation error, but in a subsequent compilation pass, the parent-child object relationship will be established and the error will no longer be displayed.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 does not automatically perform multiple compilation passes. If you import the preprocessing XPO into Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0, you may have to manually recompile the application until no compilation errors are returned.

Install the ALD label file

The ALD file contains the labels that appear in the upgrade framework user interface. The Preprocessing upgrade checklist and associated forms will not be displayed properly without this file. To install the ALD file, do the following:

1. On your installation media, navigate to the folder DatabaseUpgrade\ALD folder and locate the ALD label file that you plan to use. Your choice will depend on the default language that you want to install. For example, the file axUPGen-us.ald provides labels in United States English for the upgrade framework forms. Each language and language region that is supported by Microsoft Dynamics AX has its own ALD file.

2. Copy axUPGen-us.ald (or other selected ALD file) to the label folder on your source system.

   • On a typical Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 system, copy the file to C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Dynamics AX\40\Application\Appl\Standard\.

   • On a typical Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 system, copy the file to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics AX\50\Application\Appl\Standard\.

3. Restart the application object server.

Install the CHM file for user Help

The CHM file provides the documentation that opens when you click Help next to an item on the Preprocessing upgrade checklist. To install the CHM file, do the following:

1. Locate the file UpgradePreprocessing.chm in the DatabaseUpgrade\CHM folder on your installation media.

2. Copy the file to the appropriate directory on your Microsoft Dynamics AX source system.

   • On a Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 system, copy the file to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics AX\40\Client\Bin\Help\EN-US\.

   • On a Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 system, copy the file to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics AX\50\Client\Bin\Help\EN-US\.

Other upgrade scripts and documentation

Microsoft Dynamics AX has other upgrade scripts that are different than those documented in UpgradePreprocessing.chm.

These other upgrade scripts include X++ code that maps data between the source and target database schemas. They include preprocessing scripts run on the source system in preparation for data upgrade. They also include target scripts run on the target system during data upgrade.