In order to get the most out of a Dynamics AX investment, many organizations look to upgrade to to access new and improved capabilities like warehouse management or e-commerce and social media. To ensure a smooth and successful upgrade, you can use the upgrade analysis functionality in Lifecycle Services (LCS) to assess the impact of an upgrade based on the analysis data of your model and efficiently plan your upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.
The Upgrade Analysis Process in AX 2012 and AX 2009
In LCS, using upgrade analysis, you can either plan a full-version upgrade to AX 2012 from AX 4.0 or AX 2009 or an in-place upgrade from one version of AX 2012 to another. The following chart shows how the process works for both:
Upgrade Analysis in AX 2009
Upgrade analysis uses an RDC tool to analyze information about the existing AX System. This information can help you in estimating the scale of the upgrade project. To use the upgrade analysis functionality, you need to first install the RDC tool, and then upload the RDC files and AOD files. The RDC tool collects metadata about the production environment, such as the number of records in the tables. Here are the steps you need to follow:
Install the RDC tool
- Sign in to LCS.
- Open a project, and then click “Upgrade analysis”.
- On the upgrade analysis create job page, in the source-to-target upgrade list, click “Download”.
- Download the RapidDataCollector.msi file, and then run it on an AX 4.0 or AX 2009 client to install and run the Rapid Data Collector service. The service creates a zip file that contains RDC files.
- Enter a name for that job, identify the version and build of AX that you are upgrading from, and then click “Create”.
Upload and analyze files
You can upload RDC and AOD files in any order.
- Click, On the “Upgrade analysis file” upload page and add files.
- Enter the file location and click “Upload”.
- After you’ve uploaded all the files, click “Analyze”. When the analysis process is completed, the status appears as Complete.
In-place upgrade in AX 2012
In case of in-place upgrades, you need to upload a model store that you have exported as a zip file.
Export model store
Use the AxUtil command-line utility to export the model store from the system that you plan to upgrade. Use any application to zip the export model store file.
Upload Zip File
In LCS, open a project, and then click “Upgrade analysis”.
On the Upgrade analysis create job work page, enter a name for the page, identify the version and build of AX 2012 that you are upgrading from, and then click “Create”.
Click on the “Upgrade analysis file upload” page and add files.
Browse to the zipped model store, and then click “Upload”. After the file is uploaded, the site lists the file name and size.
Click “Analyze Code” to start the analysis process. This process usually takes about 4 hours, depending on the size of the model store. When the process is complete, the status appears as Complete.
Once the analysis is complete, click on “Download report”.
The download process creates two reports: an overview report, which is an HTML file, and a detailed report, which is an Excel file.
To view the detailed report, you need to download the Excel spreadsheet. This report contains a number of sheets which provide a detailed description of the impact of different elements in the upgrade process.
List of sheets name and description
Ensure a Seamless Upgrade
With any enterprise software, upgrades are inevitable. As technology, industry dynamics, and customer needs keep changing, to the latest version of Dynamics AX enables organizations to cater to new requirements and improve their bottom line. If you are currently not running the latest version of Dynamics AX and are looking to upgrade, the upgrade functionality in LCS provides you with detailed information on all code conflicts that would need to be addressed before you embark upon the upgrade journey. By understanding conflicts and issues and resolving them on time, you can seamlessly plan a full-version, minor-version, and in-place upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.
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About the Author - Jigal Patel
Jigal Patel is a technical professional with over nine years of experience including five years working on Microsoft Dynamics AX. Currently, he is been involved in leading AX projects including implementation, customization, integration, upgrade and post implementation support.  Contributing Author: |
