INSTALL CU9 STEP BY

STEP PART 1
Home / Microsoft Dynamics AX Development / INSTALL CU9 STEP BY STEP PART 1

INTRODUCTION

The difficulty of installing cumulative updates depends on how much customisation was done in the Client system.

The relationship is quite easy: the more customisation, the harder it is, and the more time required to investigate and
test issues.

One of the most important things is to have a code freeze for the whole process of the upgrade. This is to prevent the
developing and testing of new functionality on code from before the upgrade process.

We can divide the upgrade process into three main parts:

1.
Install upgrade on development or test environment this is to allow developers to check code conflicts between the

cumulative update and currently used code. This step takes most of the upgrade process time and is described in this

article.

2.

If you are using TFS Build environment or any environment in the middle between Development and Live you should
also upgrade them before upgrading the Live environment. This is similar but easier than upgrading Live, so you can

refer to the article about installing on a Live environment for this.

3.
Install upgrade on Live environment this is after all tests are finished and we are happy to start working on the

environment. This point is relatively quick, but it will still require several hours to finish, so I suggest doing it during
a holiday so as to not disturb business processes in the company. This is described in part 2 of the article.


I always suggest doing Rehearsals before going Live with big changes. It allows you to check if everything was

planned correctly, and whether some additional points are required etc. An additional advantage of a rehearsal is that
we can measure time spent on the upgrade process. This will allow us to estimate how much time installing the upgrade
on Live should take.

USEFUL DOCUMENTS

1.
Cumulative Update 9 Installation Guide for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 (CU9).
Download from http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=613553.

2.

Video on Youtube with installation guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNg3pHWxoik.

PRE-INSTALLATION

1.
Download CU9 upgrade file. Details can be found in Cumulative Update 9 Installation Guide for Microsoft Dynamics

AX 2012 R3 (CU9).

2.
Backup data and model databases from the version of environment we want to use in the upgrade.

3.

Restore Live databases for CU9_Upgrade environment:

a.
Live data database into CU9_Upgrade data database environment.

b.
Live model database into CU9_Upgrade model database environment.
c.

Live model database into CU9_Upgrade baseline database environment this is important because AX uses it to
compare models before and after installation to search for conflicts...

4.
For CU8, install Report Viewer 2012 RunTime in case it is not already installed as this is a prerequisite to install AOS,

Client, Components, Set up and Support files.

Download from http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35747.

5.

For CU8 uninstall Visual Studio 2010 Tools from AX server.

6.

Extract files from downloaded packages.

7.

Be sure that you have a code freeze for the upgrade process.

INSTALLING UPDATE

1.

Stop AOS.

2.
Start C:\CU9 setup\axupdate.exe.

3.

Click Next.

4.

Click Accept and continue.

5.
Select one of the options:
a.
Download and install updates if you do not have the package prepared.

b.

Install updates if you have the package prepared and go to step 7.

6.

Log in to LCS and select Cumulative update 9 and wait for download to finish.
7.
Select update type you want to make:

a.

Binary updates.

b.

Application updates...

8.
Select model store where upgrade should be installed.

9.
Select applications updates to install and click Next.
10.
In Review conflicts tab you have the ability to export them to Excel. Click Next.

11.
In Review updates tab click Next.

12.
Click Save custom update package button this package will be used in the Live upgrade process, so be sure to store
it in a safe place.
13.

Select Install updates on this computer. Click Next.

14.
In Review components tab you can select which components you would like to update. Click Next.

15.
Click finish.

POST INTALLATION

1.

Reinitialize model store using one of the options:

a.
AXUtil

Start Command Prompt > Write axutil schema and enter.

b.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Management Shell

Start Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Management Shell > Write Initialize-AXModelStore.

2.
Compile AX using AxBuild.

3.
Start AOS.

4.
Be sure to check if the Installed models version and AX kernel version are correct.

5.
I suggest doing a backup here optional.
6.

Complete Software Update checklist up to the point Detect code upgrade conflicts.

7.
To find correct code conflicts you need to do it in a development workspace:

a.
Tools -> Code upgrade -> Configure rules for code upgrade.

b.
Click Manage code upgrade rules and select file
Microsoft.Dynamics.AX.Framework.Tools.CodeUpgradeTool.Rules.dll located in AX client\bin directory.

Commonly it is in C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Dynamics AX\60\Client\Bin.

c.
Tools -> Code upgrade -> Detect code upgrade conflicts.

d.
Tools -> Code upgrade -> Estimation report.

8.
Fix code errors and conflicts.

9.
Continue with Software Update checklist.
10.

For reports in AX 2012 R3 CU8 to be working correctly be sure to:

a.
Update report viewer on the sql server.

b.
Create client config and save in report server bin folder: https://technet.microsoft.com/EN-US/library/hh389774.aspx.

c.
Restart SSRS service..

11.

Start testing.

12.
After tests are finished and we are happy to go live, export modelStore file with all fixes to use in the Live upgrade

process this is the reason we copied the databases from the Live environment in Pre-installation steps:

a.

Run command prompt in run/search field write cmd.

b.

Write cd <path to AX your server folder> for example: cd C:\Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics
AX\60\Server\MicrosoftDynamicsAX\bin.

c.
Write axutil exportstore /file:C:\Users\administrator\Documents\upgradeCU9.

INTRODUCTION

This is a continuation of the cumulative updates installation guide. In this part I will focus on installing updates on a
Live environment.

The general process can be divided into these main points:

1.

Prepare Upgrade environment please go to Pre-installation list.

2.
Install CU9 on Upgrade environment.

a.
Run upgrade process and install kernel only please go to Update install list.

b.
Install modelStore file prepared in previous part please go to Post installation data upgrade (Upgrade) list.

3.

Propagate changes to Live environment.

a.
Run upgrade process and install kernel only please go to Update install list.

b.

Copy databases from Upgrade to Live SQL servers please go to Upgrade Live environments (Live) list.

c.
Run post-upgrade operations please go to Post upgrade list.

The reason I suggest using Upgrade environment is to have as little operation directly on Live as possible. This allows
us to have the option to stop the process if we encounter any issues in installing updates on the Upgrade environment.

PRE-INSTALLATION

1.
Copy upgrade files to Upgrade environment be sure that we are using the same update package file.
2.

Backup data and modelstore databases of Live environment.

3.
Restore Upgrade databases with the backups.

a.
Live data database into Upgrade data database environment.

b.
Live modelstore database into Upgrade modelstore database environment.

4.

If you need to enable some additional configuration keys please do it on Upgrade environment after restoring live
databases.

5.

For CU8, install Report Viewer 2012 RunTime in case it is not already installed as this is a prerequisite to install AOS,

Client, Components, Set up and Support files.

Download from http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35747.

6.
For CU8, uninstall Visual Studio 2010 Tools from AX server if it is installed.

7.

Prepare Upgrade shortcut to use for upgrade process this shortcut should be used for the whole process to connect
to AX during upgrade:

a.
Be sure that in the shortcut there is the -development parameter.
8.

Stop Upgrade AOS.

INSTALLING UPDATE

1.

Stop AOS.

2.

Start C:\CU9 setup\axupdate.exe.

3.

Click Next.

4.
Click Accept and continue.

5.
Select Install updates and browse to file package file.

Be sure to use correct file package file.

6.

Select only Binary update.

7.

Components:
a.
If installing on AOS server, be sure that Application Object Server (AOS) is checked.

b.
If installing on client, be sure that Client and Office add-ins is checked.

c.
No other options are mandatory.

8.
Select Install updates on this computer. Click Next.
9.

Click finish.

POST INSTALLATION DATA UPDATE

Be sure to use the correct shortcut to connect to AX. This is to properly prepare data database to be imported to Live.
This way we are sure to work on Upgrade environment and modify Live only at the latest stage of the process.

1.
Stop AOS.

2.

Remove all files in XppIL folder (Upgrade).

3.
Use modelStore file (from part1) to deploy to Upgrade environment:

a.

Run command prompt in run/search field write cmd.

b.
Write cd <path to AX your server folder> for example: cd C:\Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics

AX\60\Server\MicrosoftDynamicsAX\bin.

c.
Write AXUtil schema /schemaname:TransferSchema

d.

Write AXUtil importstore /file:C:\Users\administrator\Documents\ upgradeCU9.axmodelstore

/schemaname:TransferSchema

e.
If you have not stopped AOS then write Net stop AOS60$01
f.

Write AXUtil importstore /apply:TransferSchema /backupschema:dbo_backup

g.
Write AXUtil schema /drop:TransferSchema

h.
Write AXUtil schema /drop:dbo_backup

4.
Start AOS it will take some time because of recreating files in XppIL folder.

5.

Assign DataUpdate batch group to server.

6.
Here you can use one of two options:

a.

If the upgrade window pops up when the AX client starts:

Please select Start the data upgrade checklist for in-place upgrade.

b.
If window from point a. doesnt popup, then run Class -> SysModelStoreModified and proceed with point a.

c.
Start Data update checklist: AOT -> Menu Items -> Display -> SysCheckList_Update. In both options you will get
Data upgrade checklist:
Because we did modelStore deployment we can click Mark as complete on all 4 points in Upgrade preparation
group.

d.
Continue with Data upgrade checklist.
7.

After the upgrade, if the upgrade window pops up when the AX client starts, please follow these steps:

a.

Select first option Start the software update checklist or Start the data upgrade checklist for in-place upgrade.
b.

Follow checklist clicking Mark as complete whenever you can. Because we already did everything from the data
update checklist these steps are only to stop the popup window showing.

8.
Stop AOS.

9.
Backup data and modelstore databases from Upgrade environment they will be used to restore Live.

UPGRADE LIVE ENVIRONMENTS (LIVE)

1.
Stop Live AOSs.

2.

For each Live AOS:

a.

Remove all objects from XppIL folder.

b.

Upgrade kernel repeat steps from Installing update.

3.
Restore Live data and modelstore databases from Upgrade environment.

4.

Start AOSs it will take some time because of recreating files in XppIL folder.

POST UPGRADE

1.
For reports in AX 2012 R3 CU8 to be working correctly be sure to:
a.

Update report viewer on the sql server.

b.
Create client config file and save in report server bin folder: https://technet.microsoft.com/EN-
US/library/hh389774.aspx.

c.
Restart SSRS service.

2.

Deploy all reports.

3.
Upgrade all clients connecting to Live environment repeat steps from Installing update.