Moving AX 2012 AOS Instance to a new server in the same domain

This article explains the process of moving an AOS instance to another server within the same domain. This scenario would be used if you were plaining to upgrade your OS in the environment and you wanted to use new VM's or Servers.

It is important to have a AX installation ready with all your slip stream updates there. If you don't know what slipstream updates are, please ready TechNet below before continuing. You want to make sure the new AOS installed on your new server is at least the same version as the old one or newer.

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh378076.aspx

1. Shutdown the AOS service you which to move.
2. Backup the Business data and model database of the Instance you want to move.
3. On the new server, right click and Run as Administrator on setup.exe for you AX 2012 R3 installer. This should be executed from the folder that includes your slipstream updates.
4. Select the Validate system requirements.                                                                                                               
5. Select the components that you plan on installing on this server. I have highlighted the minimum required to install a new AOS. However based on your needs other selections can be made.                                                             
6. Download and configure any missing prerequisites needed. Make sure to run the validation again to confirm all prerequisites have been installed.
7. Click Install Microsoft Dynamics AX Components.                                                                                                     
8. Click next on the Welcome Screen.                                                                                                                                     
9. Read and accept the license terms.                                                                                                                                      
10. Select the Add or modify components option and click Next.                                                                                           
11. Select the components you wish to install. The same selections you made in step 5 need to be select here as well.
12. The Prerequisite Validation will run again. Since you have already installed all the needed items, just click Next.
13. In Server Name section, type or select the SQL Server Name that the AX instance you are moving is on. In the Database name section, type or select the Business Data database of the instance you are moving. The Baseline database is optional.           
14. Leave all the defaults here and click Next. It already pick the available ports on the server.                                            
15. Type in the service account domain\user name and password that this instance was using. If you don't know this information, on the old server go the services find the AOS Service and you can see the Log On As user name.                
16. The Prerequisite Validation will run again. Since you have already installed all the needed items, just click Next.
17. Now click Install.                                                                                                                                                                      

Once the installation has completed, you will need to make a few changes on the SQL server Database before starting the new AOS. You will do this using Microsoft SQL Management Studio.

We need to remove the AOSID and SERVERID from the SYSSERVERCONFIG tables because they are still pointing to the old server. We also need to delete the batch server information from the BATCHSERVERGROUP and BATCHSERVERCONFIG tables because these are also pointing to the old server.  

1. Open Microsoft SQL Management Studio, log on to the SQL server that hosts the database of the instance you just moved.
2. Click Databases, find and click the Business Data database for the instance you just moved.
3. Click New Query and make sure the desired database is selected.
4. type Delete From SYSSERVERCONFIG and click Execute. This will delete the AOSID and SERVERID from the table. Once you start the AOS this table will populate with the new server information.                                                    
5. Click New Query again and type Delete From BATCHSERVERGROUP Delete From BATCHSERVERCONFIG. Highlight both, and click Execute. This will delete the old server information from these tables.                                    
6. Start the new AOS.

Now you need to create a new AX Client configuration/.axc file. For detailed instructions on how to create a new AX Client configuration file see link below.

https://community.dynamics.com/ax/b/ax2012administration/archive/2018/07/27/how-to-create-a-new-client-configuration-axc-file-in-ax-2012-r3