Installation and

Configuration
document for MPOS
 CONTENTS
1 Solution Topology ................................................................................................................................. 3
2 Document overview .............................................................................................................................. 4
3 Server Requirements ............................................................................................................................ 4
3.1 Retail HQ Components.................................................................................................................. 4
3.2 Retail Store Components (Each Store) .......................................................................................... 6
3.3 POS Terminals ............................................................................................................................... 7
4 Deployment........................................................................................................................................... 8
4.1 Retail Head Office Configurations ................................................................................................. 8
4.1.1 Verify Stores ........................................................................................................................ 10
4.1.2 Verify Workers & Permissions ............................................................................................ 11
4.1.3 Verify Commerce data exchange configurations in Dynamics AX ...................................... 16
4.1.4 Verify Retail Server configurations ..................................................................................... 23
4.2 Install Head Office Retail Components ....................................................................................... 26
4.2.1 Certificate management ..................................................................................................... 26
4.2.2 Install CDX: Async Server..................................................................................................... 30
4.2.3 Install CDX: Real-time Service ............................................................................................. 42
4.3 Install Store Components............................................................................................................ 52
4.3.1 Install the retail channel database ...................................................................................... 52
4.3.2 Install Async client............................................................................................................... 59
4.3.3 Install Retail Server ............................................................................................................. 66
4.3.4 Install Retail Modern POS ................................................................................................... 76
4.3.5 Install Hardware Station ..................................................................................................... 91
4.3.6 Retail Media Server ........................................................................................................... 100
1 SOLUTION TOPOLOGY

1. Key components
a. Commerce Data Exchange
i. Real-time Service
 ii. Async Server
iii. Async Client
b. Retail channel database
c. Retail server
d. Retail offline database
e. Retail Modern POS
f. Retail online channel
2. Other components and utilities
a. Retail hardware station
b. Retail channel configuration utility
c. Retail salt utility
d. Retail mass deployment toolkit
e. Retail management pack

2 DOCUMENT OVERVIEW
This hands-on lab relates to the deployment of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 in a retail environment.
The following sample topology and business requirements are used to illustrate the steps in this process.

 Prerequisites
o Headquarters: Standard 1-box Dynamics AX installation including:
 1 Dynamics AX database
 1 AOS
 1 Dynamics AX client
 Deployment plan
o Deploy brick and mortar channel
 1 retail store
 1 retail Point of Sale register
 1 retail Modern POS register
 1 store manager and 1 cashier

3 SERVER REQUIREMENTS

3.1 RETAIL HQ COMPONENTS

a. The Async Service (Commerce Data Exchange) is a service that shares data
among retail components. These components include the head office, stores, and
individual point of sale (POS) terminals. When you install Async Service, the Retail
Salt Utility and Retail Scheduler are also installed. The Retail Salt Utility provides
extra encryption for the passwords and credentials that are associated with the
 Retail system. Retail Scheduler is used to manage the distribution of data between
the head office and the stores.
b. The Async service runs on IIS
c. We recommend deploying 2 instance Async Service (Retail Store Connect) to
handle the workload of 48 stores and 108 POS terminals and provide High
Availability. Use Windows Azure Load Balancing for IIS cluster.

Retail Store Connect: (2 Virtual Servers).

Software Requirements
Required Software Comments
Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard Edition Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard Edition
x64 or Windows Server 2012 Standard supports up to 32 GB of RAM and 4
Edition processor sockets (# of cores doesn’t
matter).

Dynamics AX Retail Store Connect Please see latest Dynamics AX 2012 R2 for
Retail for pre-requisites

Server Components Azure A4

CPU Memory Adapters Internal Storage
8 Cores 14 GB 2 -1 Gigabit Ethernet OS, Page File,
Card Software
Second card is for Components
Azure Load
Balancing Disk Count: 2
Capacity: 300 GB
Speed: 15,000
RPM
RAID Level: 1

d. Real-time Service (Retail Transaction Service) is an integrated service that provides

real-time communication between Microsoft Dynamics AX HQ and individual point of
sale (POS) terminals.
e. The Real-Time service uses IIS
f. When you install this component, the Retail Salt Utility and the .NET Business
Connector are also installed. The Retail Salt Utility provides extra encryption for the
passwords and credentials that are associated with the Retail system. The .NET
Business Connector enables applications to interact with instances of Application
Object Server (AOS)
g. For High Availability Deploy 2 Transaction Service Servers in IIS Azure Load
Balance cluster

Retail Transaction Service: (3 Virtual Servers).

 Software Requirements
Required Software
Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard Edition
x64 or Windows Server 2012 Standard
Edition
Comments
Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard Edition
supports up to 32 GB of RAM and 4
processor sockets (# of cores doesn’t
matter).

Dynamics AX Retail Transaction Service Please see latest Dynamics AX 2012 R2 for
Retail for pre-requisites

Server Components Azure A4

CPU Memory Adapters Internal Storage
8 Cores 14 GB 2 -1 Gigabit Ethernet OS, Page File,
Card Software
Second card is for Components
Azure Load
Balancing Disk Count: 2
Capacity: 300 GB
Speed: 15,000
RPM
RAID Level: 1

3.2 RETAIL STORE COMPONENTS (EACH STORE)

Retail Async Server: (1 Server)

Software Requirements
Required Software Comments
Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard Edition
x64 or Windows Server 2012 Standard
Edition

Dynamics AX Retail Transaction Service Please see latest Dynamics AX 2012 R2 for
Retail for pre-requisites

Server Components (Virtual or Physical)

CPU Memory Adapters Internal Storage

 4 Cores 4 GB 1 Gigabit Ethernet Disk Capacity: 300
Card GB
RAID Level: 1

Store Database Server: (1 Server)

Software Requirements
Required Software Comments
Windows Server 2012, Standard Edition or The Retail Store Database Utility is used to
Windows Server 2012 R2 create and configure an offline database, and
to create and identify a store database. The
utility is also used to create a configuration
file that is used to identify point of sale (POS)
registers.

Microsoft SQL Server 2014, Express Edition,

Standard
Edition or Enterprise Edition

Server Components (Virtual or Physical)

CPU Memory Adapters Internal Storage
4 Cores 4 GB 1 Gigabit Ethernet Disk Capacity: 300
Card GB
RAID Level: 1

3.3 POS TERMINALS

Windows 8.1, Windows 8.1 Pro,

Windows 8.1 Enterprise
Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro,
Windows 8 Enterprise
Windows 7 Professional Edition, Ultimate Edition, or Enterprise Edition
Windows 8.1 is supported by default with AX 2012 R3.
Windows 8 is supported with AX 2012 R3 and AX 2012 R2.
Modern POS is not supported on Windows 8 or earlier versions of Windows.
 1. The following lists the hardware requirements for a point-of-sale register. The requirements
apply whether or not an offline database is installed on the register computer. Each register
computer that will be used to process card payments must also have Internet access.
2. Processor Minimum: Intel/AMD compatible 1.4 GHz processor
3. Recommended: Intel/AMD compatible 2 GHz processor
4. RAM Minimum: 1 GB
5. Recommended: 2 GB
6. Available hard disk space Minimum: 1.5 GB
7. Monitor Super VGA (1024 × 768) or higher-resolution monitor or a touch screen monitor
8. Mouse Microsoft mouse or compatible pointing device

4 DEPLOYMENT

4.1 RETAIL HEAD OFFICE CONFIGURATIONS

1. On the Start screen, launch the Dynamics AX client by clicking Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.

Tip: You can also find the Dynamics AX client by typing ax32 on the Start screen.
2. In the Dynamics AX Client, click Company name > Retail from the top navigation bar.
4.1.1 Verify Stores

 Navigate to Retail> Common> Retail channels> Retail stores

 We’ll use the Houston store. Search for the Houston store in the list and double-click to open
the store details form.

At a minimum, you should verify the below listed store configurations:

 Verify that screen layouts for Modern POS are specified.

 Verify that the store has at least 1 MPOS Register specified.
 Verify that the store has been set up in the correct legal entity
 Verify that employee address books are correctly setup. Houston will be associated with 3
address books (and later verify that the desired employees are associated with these address
books.)
o Houston
o USRTCentral
o USRTMall
 Verify that Real-time Service profile is correctly setup. We will use a Real-time Service profile
called JBB (and later verify that JBB is correctly configured).
4.1.2 Verify Workers & Permissions
 On the Houston store details page, select the Set up tab in the ribbon menu on top and click on
Workers>Workers
 You will now see a list of all workers assigned to that store.
 Double-click on any worker created to view the worker details form.
 On the worker details form, verify that the worker has the right address book assigned. In this
case, you will observe that “Alexander Eggerer” has the Houston address book assigned.
 Now, on the left hand menu, select “Retail” and then click on “POS Permissions” to view the
permission group and permissions assigned to this worker.
 On the POS position permissions form, verify that the user has manageDevice permission
enabled.
4.1.3 Verify Commerce data exchange configurations in Dynamics AX

1. Message database configuration: Click Retail > Setup > Parameters > Retail
scheduler parameters.
2. Under Message database, the following fields need to be filled:
Server name: This field is used to specify the name of the database
server where the Async Server Message database is located. We have to
give the name of the machine where Async Server Message database
installed. Verify that this field is correctly populated.
 Database instance: This field can be left empty when using the default
instance of the database server or be populated with the SQL Server
 instance name (The default SQL Server instance name is usually
“MSSQLSERVER”). We will leave this field empty.
 Database name: This field is used to specify the name of the Async
Server Message database that AOS needs to connect to. We will verify
that the message database is called AxRetailMsgHQ. We will also need
to use this exact name during installation, when configuring the Async
Server Message database.

3. Navigate to Retail > Setup > Retail scheduler > Channel integration.
o Async Server profile
 Click to launch the Async Server profile form

 The only required parameter is the “Name”. We have to give a meaningful

name for the profile.We will use an Async Server profile named “AX2012R2A”.
Verify that this profile exists.
  Also verify that the download and upload intervals are set to 0 to minimize wait
times during the lab. Click Close to close the form and return to the Area Page.
o Working folders:

This is the location profile for where all outgoing data from AOS to Async Server and all
incoming data from Async Server to AOS will be staged, on the computer where Async
Server Message database is installed.

 On the Retail Area Page, navigate to Setup > Retail scheduler > Channel
integration and click on Working Folders.

 Check the Download and Upload path fields to ensure there is sufficient storage
space available on the Async Server Message Database Server, in the specified
drive and folders. You will verify that the following record exists:
 Name: The unique identifier of this record. We will use “File storage” as
the name.
 Description: Description of the record. We will call this “File storage”
 Download path: In this case we will verify this is called
“C:\DemoFiles\Retail\CDX\Upload”
 Upload path: In this case we will verify this is called
“C:\DemoFiles\Retail\CDX\Download”

Note: both the AOS and the Async Server service account need to have permissions to access this folder.

o Channel datagroup:
 On the Retail Area Page, navigate to Setup > Retail scheduler > Channel
integration and click on Channel datagroup.
 Channel database entities can be aggregated together for more efficient
data synchronization between the head office and the channels. This is
used to create a datagroup where we require to push same type of data
 to a group of stores. This will be helpful for pushing different set of data
for FP stores and different data for Outlet Stores. Verify that the
following exist:

o On the Channel data group form, in this lab you will need to
have a data group with the following values:
o Name: Here data group will be called
“HoustonDataGroup”. Name is the identifier of this
datagroup.
o Retail channel schema: We will need “AX 2012 R3” as
the schema, since that corresponds to the version of
the product which you are deploying.
o Working folders: We will need the previously verified
File Storage as the working folders.
o Channel database
 On the Retail Area Page, under Retail > Setup > Retail scheduler > Channel
integration, click Channel database to launch the Channel database form. This
form allows you to define which “channels” should have their data made
available on which databases. Here we will be deploying a single store (Houston)
to a single channel database.
 Verify that the following fields are correctly configured:
 Channel database ID: Primary identifier for the channel database. We
will call it “HoustonStore”
 Chanel data group: We will need the previously verified channel data
group record HoustonDataGroup
 User name/Password: The user name is an identifier used to identify
this channel database entity. The user name/ password values entered
here must match the values specified when installing an Async Client
instance for the corresponding Channel Database. The purpose of
having a password here is data isolation, so that when installing channel
side components, inadvertent misconfiguration with the wrong
databases is prevented.
o Here we will be using “SynchClientHouston” and
“pass@word1” as the identifier and password.
 Async Server profile: In this field, you will ensure that the previously
verified Async Server profile, AX2012R2A is selected.
  Retail channel: In the Retail Channel field, we will verify that the
previously verified store, Houston has been selected, since this
database corresponds to the Houston store.
 Retail Server: The purpose of this configuration is to be able to have
active database assignments for each channel. Although queries from
Modern POS in a store can be made to any Retail Server/Channel DB
pair, queries will be routed to the correct Channel Database based on
this assignment.1
o Server name: Name of the computer hosting the active channel
database for that channel. Here the server name will be
AX2012R2A.
o Database name: Name of the channel database to be used as
the active channel database for that channel. Here the database
name will be RetailHoustonStore.

4.1.4 Verify Retail Server configurations

1. Click Retail > Setup > Retail Scheduler > Channel integration > Channel profiles.

1
This functionality is likely to be surfaced differently in the final release of the product. The active database
assignment will be done at the channel level on the channel forms, instead of on the channel database forms.
2. In the Channel profiles form, verify that the following records exist:
 Name: This is the identifier of the Channel profile. Here we will use Retail server
channel profile as the name.
 Profile type: We will select Retail Server profile type to use for the corresponding
properties.
 Profile properties:
 [Property key, Property value]
 Retail server URL: This URL will be used by Modern POS for subsequent
connections to a Retail Server instance. This value should typically refer
to an active instance of Retail Server. This value can be changed to refer
to a newer instance of Retail Server, in case the original instance gets
pulled out of service. Note: Changing this value will not automatically
create or deploy a Retail Server instance.
o Use the following value:
http://ax2012r2a.contoso.com:35080/Retailserver
 Where “http” is the protocol being used. In this
scenario, when you deploy the media server, you will
bind it to http.
 AX2012R2A is the computer on which your Retail Server
instance will be installed.
 35080 is the port on which Retail Server will be listening
for http connections.
 “Retailserver” corresponds to the name of the
webapplication that you will use when deploying Retail
Server.
 Hardware station URL: Hardware station is used by Retail Modern POS
to connect with peripheral devices such as printers and bar code
scanners. You will follow a similar pattern as you do for Retail Server.
o Here we will use the following value for the hardware station
url:
http://ax2012r2a.contoso.com:25080/RetailHardware
Station
 When installing Hardware Station, we will use
25080 as the port number and
“RetailHardwareStation” is the name we will
use for the web application.
 Media base URL: Media files such as images that show up in Retail
Modern POS are typically hosted in a separate location than on the
Retail Server. We will be hosting these on a simple IIS website. The
subsequent sections will describe how to actually setup the website.
o In this case the Media server website will be setup on a
computer called ax2012r2a, bound on port 8989, so the URL
you will use will be http://ax2012r2a.contoso.com:8989
4.2 INSTALL HEAD OFFICE RETAIL COMPONENTS
4.2.1 Certificate management
Before you begin installing Async Server, you must first configure SSL certificates to use for this
component. As we are installing the Retail components in a non-production environment we may use a
self-signed certificate to secure Async Server communication with Async Client. To do so, perform the
following steps:

1. Launch the IIS console by typing “IIS” on the start screen.

2. Click on the server name in the left-hand menu.
3. Double-click on Server Certificates.
 4. Click Create Self-Signed Certificate to create a self-signed certificate.

Note: Self- Signed Certificate is required for development purpose. Self-Signed Certificate is valid for 1
year. For Vince case, we require a SSL certificate.
5. On the certificate creation screen, specify a friendly name and select the type of
certificate to create.
create the certificate in the Personal store.
6. After the certificate is created, double-click to view the certificate.
7. Navigate to the Details tab.
8. Scroll down to view the Thumbprint.
9. Click on Export tab. Export this certificate to desktop also, this certificate will be
required to MPOS devices later on.
 Note: Do not use the thumbprint value from this walkthrough document. Each
certificate is generated with a random thumbprint.

4.2.2 Install CDX: Async Server

1. Launch Dynamics AX Setup.

2. After Dynamics AX Setup launches, click Next.
3. On the next screen, click Add or modify components.
4. On the Add or modify components screen, select Async Server under Retail
components > Commerce Data Exchange.
5. Click Next to advance to the next screen.
6. Verify that all prerequisites have been met. In case any prerequisites fail, use the
download links or Configure option to configure the prerequisites where applicable.
7. On the next screen, enter the required information.
 Configure Async Server: For standard installation and configuration, ensure the
“Configure Async Server” checkbox is enabled. If you wish to bypass the configuration
screen and perform a manual/advanced install, you can disable the “Configure Async
Server” option. We should have the checkbox checked.
 Application name: This will be an identifier used to identify the Async Server web
application. Be sure to enter a unique Application name & Website name combination.
We will call the application “AsyncServer”.
Tip: For best results, limit the application name to alphanumeric characters
with no spaces.
 App pool name: This will be used to assign the Async Server web application to an
application pool. We will call this app pool “AsyncServer”.
 o There are a few key deployment strategies that you can employ for managing
App pools.
 Shared application pools: In case we are deploying multiple web
applications on a resource constrained computer, sharing a single
application pool is likely to provide the most optimal overall
performance. But since the application pool is shared, the load on one
application is likely to impact performance of the other application
 Unique application pools: In case you wish to isolate the effects of load
between different applications, it’s best to use unique application pools
for each application. We will create a unique application pool for each
component.
 Website name: The folder name to which the Async Server web application is deployed.
We will call this website “AsyncServer”. (Each web application within a website needs to
have a unique name. You may add multiple web applications to the same website or
create unique websites for each application. We will create a unique website for each
application that you deploy. )
 User name: Enter a username under which the specified application pool will run. This
needs to be in the domain\username format. We will use svcAsyncServer as the user
account.
 As a best practice, you should create a unique low privilege account for each
service that you are installing. In this lab, unique, low privilege accounts have
already been created for you to use. You can verify this by typing Active
Directory Users and Computers on the start screen and then navigating to
Contoso.com>ServiceAccounts.

 Password: Specify the user account password.

 HTTPS port: Specify an HTTPS port on which you would like the web application to listen
for connections. You must ensure that the port you specify is not already bound to a
different website.
Warning: If you decide to use port 443, this may clash with the default IIS
website which is usually bound to standard port sets for HTTP/HTTPS (80/443).
You can optionally disable or delete the Default Website if you no longer need
it, by going to IIS Manager.
 TCP port (optional): You can optionally specify a TCP port to bind Async Server to. TCP
protocol for Async Server and Async Client enable high performance data
synchronization. We will leave this value empty.
 AOS service user: You will need to provide a domain user account that has access to
AOS. We will use contoso\administrator as the user account.
 SSL certificate thumbprint: You will need to specify the certificate thumbprint of an SSL
certificate that you have already installed on the computer. We will navigate back to IIS,
click on Server Certificates and double click on the certificate to view the thumbprint of
the previously existing certificate (RetailConfSelfSigned) and then copy/paste it into the
installer configuration screen.
8. Click next to advance to the next configuration screen and fill out the required fields.
These values must match the values specified in AX (which you verified earlier), under
Setup>Parameters>Retail Scheduler Parameters>General>Message database.
a. Server name: The name of the database server where you will be installing the
message database for Async Server. We will use AX2012R2A as the database
server.
b. Database name: Name of the message database to create (or re-use). We will
call this AXRetailMsgHQ.

Additional notes:
 Message database configuration: The message database configuration
creates a new message database for use by Async Server. If the message
 database already exists, it will simply re-use that database. Keep in mind
that each AX partition works with only 1 instance of Message Database.
 Installing multiple Async Servers: To install multiple instance of Async
Server across different computers, be sure to specify the same Async
Server Message database server and database name in all installations.
The first installation will actually create the database. And all
subsequent installs will simply use the existing message database.

9. Verify that all second-screen validations pass and click Next to proceed to the next
screen.

Note: If any of the prerequisite validation fails, setup itself will provide you the link to download
the required setups and install it.
10. Confirm the installable component one final time and click Install.
11. After installation successfully completes, you will see the following confirmation screen:
 12. Click Finish to close the installation.

4.2.3 Install CDX: Real-time Service

1. Launch Dynamics AX Setup.

2. Once AX Setup launches, click on Next to proceed
3. On the next screen, click “Add or modify components”
4. On the Add or modify components screen, select Async Server under Retail
components > Commerce Data Exchange. Click Next to advance to the next screen.
5. Ensure that all prerequisites have been met. In case any pre-requite checks fail, use the
download link or Configure options to configure the prerequisites, as applicable.
 If the proxy account for .Net Business Connector has not been specified, you will be
presented with the following screen (In this lab, the proxy account has already been
configured).
o Domain\user name: Enter the user account details to use for connecting with
AOS. This account should have access to connect to AOS. In this lab, the account
used is contoso\administrator
o Password: Enter the password for this account. In this lab, the account used is
pass@word1
 6. Click Next to advance to the configuration screen.
7. Fill out the required configuration values for installing Real-time Service:
o Configure Real-time Service (checkbox): To bypass Dynamics AXSetup standard
configuration and to do a manual or advanced configuration, you can choose to
disable the checkbox. For most common cases, you should leave this enabled.
We will leave this checkbox enabled.
o Application name: This will be an identifier used to identify the Real-time
Service web application. Be sure to enter a unique Application name and
Website name combination. We will call the application RealtimeService.

Tip: For best results, limit the application name to alphanumeric characters with no spaces.
o App pool name: This will be used to assign the Real-time Service web
application to an application pool. We will call the app pool RealtimeService.
There are a few key deployment strategies that you can employ:
 Shared application pools: If you are deploying multiple web applications
on a resource constrained computer, sharing a single application pool is
likely to provide the most optimal overall performance. But since the
application pool is shared, the load on one application is likely to impact
performance of the other application.
 Unique application pools: To isolate the effects of load between
different applications, it’s best to use unique application pools for each
application.
o Website name: The folder name to which the Real-time Service web application
is deployed. We will call the website RealtimeService. Each web application
within a website needs to have a unique name. You may add multiple web
applications to the same website or create unique websites for each application.
We will create a unique website for each application that we deploy.
o User name: Enter a username under which the specified application pool will
run. This needs to be in the domain\username format. We will use svcRealtime
as the user account.
o Password: Specify the account password. We will use pass@word1 as the
password.
o HTTPS port: Specify an HTTPS port on which you would like the web application
to listen for connections. We will use port 8400. You must ensure that the port
you specify is not already bound to a different website.
Warning: If you decide to use port 443, this may clash with the default
IIS website which is usually bound to standard port sets for HTTP/HTTPS
(80/443). You can optionally disable or delete the Default Website if you
no longer need it, by going to IIS Manager.
o TCP port (optional): You can optionally specify a TCP port to bind Real-time
Service. We will use 809 as the tcp port.
o AOS service user: You will need to provide a domain user account that has
access to AOS. We will use contoso\administrator as the user account.
o SSL certificate thumbprint: You will need to specify the certificate thumbprint
of an SSL certificate that you have already installed on the computer. We will
navigate back to IIS, click on Server Certificates and double click on the
certificate to view the thumbprint of the previously existing certificate
(RetailConfSelfSigned) and then copy/paste it into the installer configuration
screen.
4.3 INSTALL STORE COMPONENTS
4.3.1 Install the retail channel database

1. Open Microsoft Dynamics AX Setup.

2. On the Welcome page, select Install> Microsoft Dynamics AX components.
3. On the Modify Microsoft Dynamics AX installation page, , click Add or modify components, and
then click Next.
4. On the Select components page, under Retail Components, select Retail channel database and
then click Next.
5. On the Prerequisite Validation page, verify that all prerequisites are met and then click Next.
6. On the Create a channel database page, select the parameters to create a new channel
database.
 Server name: Select the name of the database server where the channel database will
be located. Typically, you would run Dynamics AX Setup on the same computer that the
database will be created on. In this exercise you will be creating the database on
AX2012R2A.
 Database name: Here you will specify the name of the channel database to use. We will
call this database RetailHoustonStore.
After the channel database is installed, you will see a success message on the confirmation screen.
 7. Repeat this section (3.3.1) and install with the database name RetailContosoStore.

Note: If there is any error, check for the user if “dbcreator” permissions are provided.

4.3.2 Install Async client

1. From the Welcome screen, proceed as before and once you get to the Add or modify
components page, under Retail Components > Commerce Data Exchange, select Async Client
and then click Next.
2. On the Prerequisite Validation page, verify that all prerequisites have been met, and then click
Next.
3. On the Configure Async Client page, enter the required parameters to configure Async Client:
 Async Server URL: The connection to the corresponding Async Server that the async
client will connect to. We will use http://ax2012r2a.contoso.com:8192/AsyncServer.
 Data store name (Channel database ID): The value in this field is used to indicate
which Channel database entity in Dynamics AX this channel database corresponds to.
We will use HoustonDataGroup as the data store name. The Channel database entity
in Dynamics AX enables you to specify which channels must be hosted on each channel
database. Each channel database can potentially host multiple channels if specified in
the channel database form. We have only specified 1 channel, Houston, for this
channel database.
 User name: The identifier used to identify this instance of Async Client. This property
must match the corresponding user name specified in the AX forms. We will use a
value of SynchClientHouston.
 Password: The password for this instance of Async Client to prevent horizontal
elevation of privileges. For instance, Async Client for Houston store will not have direct
access to channel database data for the Boston store. In this lab you will use
pass@word1 as the password.
 User name: The user account under which the Async Client windows service will run.
This needs to be in the domain\username or workgroup\username format. This user
account will be automatically granted the log on as a service permission by Dynamics
AX Setup. We will use svcAsyncClient as the user name.
 Password: The password for this user account. We will use pass@word1 as the
password for this service.
Add the service account (contoso\svcAsyncClient) to the POSUsers group to grant access to the
channel database. Refer to this section on how to access this.

 Test connectivity to Async server.

o Go to: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Dynamics AX\60\CDX\Async Client\<your
store name>_Package.
o Start AsyncClientConfigurationUtility.exe.
o Click Test connection.
4. Manual Async Client Install to install second instance for use with Online Channel deployment.
o Using an explorer window, create a second Async client by navigating to: C:\Program
Files (x86)\Microsoft Dynamics AX\60\CDX\Async Client\Tools
o Open the sc-settings-contoso.xml file.
o Find the key titled “DataStoreUserName” and change the value portion of the line to be
“SynchClientOnlineCon”. Close and save this file.
o Open a new PowerShell window as an Administrator.
o Run the following commands:
o $Cred = @((New-Object
System.Management.Automation.PSCredential('contoso\administrator',(ConvertTo-
SecureString 'pass@word1' -AsPlainText -Force))),(New-Object
System.Management.Automation.PSCredential('SynchClientOnlineCon',(ConvertTo-
SecureString 'pass@word1' -AsPlainText -Force))))
 o .\DeployAsyncClient.ps1 -SettingsXmlFilePath .\sc-settings-contoso.xml -
TopologyXmlFilePath .\sc-topology-updated.xml -Credential $Cred -Authentication
$Cred
o Once these commands finish, you may close the PowerShell and explorer windows.

After Async Client is installed and configured, run the Distribution Schedule to send the data down to
the channel.

1. Click Retail > Periodic > Data distribution > Distribution schedule.
2. In the Distribution schedule form, select 9999, and then click Run Now to run the schedule for
full data sync.

 Check the status of the download.

o Import status messages into AX.
 Go to: Retail > Periodic > Data distribution > Process status messages.
o Go to: Retail > Inquiries > Commerce Data Exchange > Download sessions.
4.3.3 Install Retail Server
Retail Server enables mobility scenarios with mobile clients such as Retail Modern POS. Several topology
patterns exist for Retail Server and Modern POS deployment. This includes deploying Retail Server in the
store vs. in a datacenter. We will perform a single-box deployment.

Alert: Due to a known issue with Retail Server installation, use the modified installation procedure
below to ensure that the Retail Server works as expected.

The default install path for Dynamics AX Setup Support and corresponding Dynamics AX components is
under the Program Files(x86) and Program Files folders. However, due to current issues with Retail
Server, the install file path must be changed.

If Dynamics AX Setup Support files have already been installed, you must first uninstall those files.

1. Navigate to Control Panel > Programs and Features, or open the form directly by typing
Programs and Features on the start screen.
2. Select Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Setup Support Files (64- bit), and then click Uninstall.
3. After this, return to the DVD and then click autorun.hta to launch the Setup again.
4. When prompted to install Setup Support files specify an install location other than C:\Program
Files or C:\Program Files (x86). For this lab, use C:\Microsoft Dynamics AX\60 and then click
Next.
5. Verify that all prerequisites have been met and then click Next.
6. On the Configure Retail Server page, enter the configuration information to install Retail Server:
 Application name: The identifier used to identify the Retail Server web application.
Enter a unique Application name and Website name combination. We will call the
application RetailServer.
Tip: For best results, limit the application name to alphanumeric characters with no
spaces.
 App pool name: This will be used to assign the Retail Server web application to an
application pool. We will use RetailServer as the app pool name. There are a few key
deployment strategies that you can employ:
 Shared application pools: If you are deploying multiple web applications on a
resource constrained computer, sharing a single application pool is likely to
provide the most optimal overall performance. However, because the
 application pool is shared, the load on one application is likely to impact
performance of the other application
 Unique application pools: To isolate the load effects between different
applications, use unique application pools for each application.
 Website name: The folder name to which the Retail Server web application is deployed.
We will use RetailServer as the website name. Each web application within a website
needs to have a unique name. You may add multiple web applications to the same
website or create unique websites for each application. In this scenario, create a unique
website for each application that is deployed.
 User name: Enter a username under which the specified application pool will run. This
needs to be in the domain\username format. We will use contoso\administrator as the
username. In typical deployments however, you should use a low privilege, isolated
account for each service.
 Password: Specify the account password.
 HTTP port: Specify an HTTP port on which the web application will listen for
connections. We will use port 5200. Optionally, verify that the port you specify is not
already bound to a different website by navigating to “IIS” and clicking on
“AX2012R2A>Sites”.
Warning: If you use port 80, this might clash with the default IIS website which is
usually bound to standard port sets for HTTP/HTTPS (80/443). You can optionally
disable or delete the Default Website if you no longer need it, by navigating to IIS and
deleting the Default website.
 HTTPS port: Specify an optional HTTPS port on which the web application should listen
for secure connections. We will use leave this blank. As before, you can optionally verify
that the port you specify is not already bound to a different website.
 SSL certificate thumbprint: If you specify an HTTPS port, you will also need to specify
the certificate thumbprint of an SSL certificate that you have already installed on the
computer. We will leave this empty.
 Click Next to proceed to the next configuration screen.
 On the next screen, specify the channel database server and database name that
this instance of Retail Server would use as its initial channel database.
o Database server: We will call this AX2012R2A, since that is the computer
where the channel database has been deployed.
o Database name: The name of the channel database. We will call reference
RetailHoustonStore.

Tip: Avoid mistyping the server name since that will likely cause the UI to freeze
for a little while until the SQL discovery times out.
2. Verify that all prerequisites have been met.
3. Click Install to install the selected components. In case of Retail Server, Retail Salt Utility will also
be installed, if it is not already.
4.3.4 Install Retail Modern POS
Retail Modern POS is a Windows 8 style application which only runs on Windows 8.1 and above. For
x86/x64 computers, Modern POS can be installed completely using Dynamics AXSetup. Use the
following procedures to install Modern POS in this lab.

4.3.4.1 Enable enterprise sideloading

Before you can install Modern POS, you must first verify that enterprise sideloading domain
policy is enabled.
1. Press Win+R key to launch the Run menu.
2. Type gpedit.msc and then hit Enter.
3. Navigate to Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates >
Windows Components > App Package Deployment.
4. Double-click Allow all trusted apps to install.
 5. Verify that the Enabled radio button is selected and then click OK.

4.3.4.2 Enable loopback exemption for running Modern POS & Retail Server on the same computer

 Open a command prompt as administrator and type the following:

checknetisolation.exe LoopbackExempt -a -p=S-1-15-2-1121904376-288132504-2146159919-

1888337675-1091008733-148060475-1186106439

4.3.4.3 Set up and configure Modern POS

1. Open Dynamics AX Setup and select Install>Microsoft Dynamics AX components.
2. On the Welcome page, click Next.
3. On the Modify Microsoft Dynamics AX installation page, click Add or modify components, and
then click Next.
4. On the Add or modify components page, under Retail Components, select Retail Modern POS,
and then click Next.
6. On the Prerequisite validation page, verify that all prerequisites are met, and then click Next.
7. On the File extraction page, you would typically verify that the Configure Retail Modern POS
check box is marked. However, for the purpose of this lab, since we’re running on a Windows
Server 2012 (instead of 2012 R2) computer, AXSetup will prevent you from installing on this un-
supported OS for Modern POS. For the purpose of a hands-on experience, you will run the
installation manually. You will uncheck the Configure Retail Modern POS checkbox and click
Next.
8. On the Prerequisite validation page, verify that all prerequisites have been met, and then click
Next. In this lab, for manual install, you will only see the first 2 pre-requisites show up.
9. On the Ready to install page, click Install.
10. Click Finish to close the installer.
 In windows explorer navigate to C:\Microsoft Dynamics AX\60\Retail Modern POS\Tools
 Click on File> Open Windows PowerShell > Open Windows PowerShell as administrator
  In the PowerShell window enter the following to run the Modern POS installation script (Tip:
Right-click to paste copied text in PowerShell)

.\Install-RetailModernPOS.ps1 -Path “C:\Microsoft Dynamics AX\60\Retail Modern POS”

4.3.4.4 Device activation

Device activation on is a security measure built into Modern POS to allow only authenticated instances
of Modern POS to work with Retail Server.

Before device activation for Modern POS can be performed, the corresponding channel must first be
published. In this lab, since you’re only dealing with a single (Brick & Mortar) channel (store), you will
publish this channel (Houston). To do this, perform the following steps:

1. In Dynamics AX, click Retail > Setup > Devices.

 On the Devices form, you will need to have a new record for each instance of Retail Modern
POS.
2. Click New to create a new record in the Devices form and fill out the following details:
o Device ID: You need a unique identifier for each instance of Modern POS app
o Application: Select the type of app to authenticate. In this lab we’ll be working with a
“Windows 8” app for Modern POS
o Description: Provide a description to help to recognize the device
o Register number: Select a register number from the dropdown that this instance of
Modern POS corresponds to. Each register can be associated with multiple instance of
Modern POS

3. When you first launch Modern POS, you are greeted with a configuration screen. Enter the
configurations as described below:
o Server URL: Enter the URL of the Retail Server that you’ll be connecting to. We
can connect to the retail server hosted on AX2012R2A using the following url:
a. http://ax2012R2A.contoso.com:5200/RetailServer
o Device number: Enter a valid Device ID from the devices form in Dynamics AX.
a. We will use HOUSTON-3 as the device ID
o Register number: Enter the register number corresponding to the device that
you wish to activate.
a. We can use HOUSTON-3 as the Register ID
o Operator ID: Enter an operator ID for a worker who has Manager POS
Permission group or has the manage devices permission enabled.
a. In this lab you will use 000160 as the personal ID.
o Password: Enter the corresponding worker password.
a. We will use 123 as the password
o Tip: To find out the correct service URL, you can navigate to IIS and locate the
Retail Server web application:
a. Navigate to IIS Server by typing IIS on the start screen.
b. Follow the steps in the screenshot below.
c. Replace “localhost” with the name of the computer. E.g.
http://AX2012R2A.contoso.com:35080/RetailServer.
  In Dynamics AX, mark the device entity as approved
a. On the Devices form, change the state of the device from Pending
to Approved.
 On the Modern POS app, login with the credentials mentioned above.
You should now be able to login. Select the option to “Create a new
shift”.

4.3.4.5 Additional information about installing Modern POS:

 Although Dynamics AXSetup is a desktop program, Modern POS is a Windows 8 style
application, which is sideloaded by using Dynamics AXSetup.
 Modern POS is only supported on Windows 8.1/Windows Server 2012 R2. Modern POS is not
supported on Windows 8/Windows Server 2012.
 A Modern POS installation on Windows RT 8.1 can be performed by copying the installation files
to the Windows RT device and then manually running the installation scripts.
 If you are deploying on a domain controller, ensure that the enterprise sideloading group policy
is enabled in the domain.
 Although Windows 8 apps are typically installed in the user context, Dynamics AX Setup installs
Modern POS for all users as part of a logon script.
 WinJS & VCLibs dependencies will need to be manually installed if you are deploying the
solution on a Windows Server computer.
o A simple way to install these dependencies is to install any app from the Windows Store
that includes these dependencies, for example Bing News.

4.3.5 Install Hardware Station

Hardware Station station is required to configure peripherals to the Modern POS. Peripherals
include Printer, Cash Drawer, Scanner, etc.

1. Open Dynamics AX Setup and select Install>Microsoft Dynamics AX

components.
2. On the Welcome page, click Next.
3. On the Modify Microsoft Dynamics AX installation page, click Add or modify components, and
then click Next.
4. On the Add or modify components page, under Retail Components, select Retail Hardware
Station, and then click Next.
5. Click Next.
6. On the Configure Retail Hardware Station page, enter the configuration information to install
Retail Server:
 Application name: The identifier used to identify the Retail Server web application.
Enter a unique Application name and Website name combination. We will call the
application RetailHardwareStation.
Tip: For best results, limit the application name to alphanumeric characters with no
spaces.
 App pool name: This will be used to assign the Retail Server web application to an
application pool. We will use RetailHardwareStation as the app pool name. There are a
few key deployment strategies that you can employ:
  Shared application pools: If you are deploying multiple web applications on a
resource constrained computer, sharing a single application pool is likely to
provide the most optimal overall performance. However, because the
application pool is shared, the load on one application is likely to impact
performance of the other application
 Unique application pools: To isolate the load effects between different
applications, use unique application pools for each application.
 Website name: The folder name to which the Retail Server web application is deployed.
We will use RetailHardwareStation as the website name. Each web application within a
website needs to have a unique name. You may add multiple web applications to the
same website or create unique websites for each application. In this scenario, create a
unique website for each application that is deployed.
 User name: Enter a username under which the specified application pool will run. This
needs to be in the domain\username format. We will use contoso\administrator as the
username. In typical deployments however, you should use a low privilege, isolated
account for each service.
 Password: Specify the account password.
 HTTP port: Specify an HTTP port on which the web application will listen for
connections. verify that the port you specify is not already bound to a different website
by navigating to “IIS” and clicking on “AX2012R2A>Sites”.
Warning: If you use port 80, this might clash with the default IIS website which is
usually bound to standard port sets for HTTP/HTTPS (80/443). You can optionally
disable or delete the Default Website if you no longer need it, by navigating to IIS and
deleting the Default website.
 HTTPS port: Specify an optional HTTPS port on which the web application should listen
for secure connections. We will use leave this blank. As before, you can optionally verify
that the port you specify is not already bound to a different website.
 SSL certificate thumbprint: If you specify an HTTPS port, you will also need to specify
the certificate thumbprint of an SSL certificate that you have already installed on the
computer. We will leave this empty.
 RetailServerURL: Provide the RetailServer URL which you created in step 3.3.3.
 Click Next to proceed to the next configuration screen.
7. Click Install.
8. Click Finish
 Note : We require to install Hardware Station, If the peripherals are attached to a desktop
machine and MPOS is running on a tablet.

If we have MPOS running on tablet and tablet is attached to the docking station where
peripherals are attached, then we may not install Hardware Station.

We can use “ipc://localhost” for the Hardware station URL in AX and peripherals can work.

4.3.6 Retail Media Server

Media Server is required to host images to be shown in MPOS. We shall install it where AX HQ is
installed. By doing this we can save time to install it for all the stores. If the Media Server is
installed on the server where AX HQ is installed, then if there is any issue with the connectivity
of MPOS with HQ, images will not be displayed.
 1. Open IIS of the AX HQ Server. Right Click on the server
name and click on “Add Website”.

2. Give name as “RetailMediaServer”.

a. For Physical path, Go to “C:/inetpub/wwwroot”. Create a New folder in
this path with name “RetailMediaServer”.
b. Port can be any available port.
c. Click Ok.
3. Select the Media Server just created, Right Click and
Select “Explore”.
4. Create a folder name “Images”.