Automate Setup Folder Configurations

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Does anyone know of a way to automate the configurations under the setup folder? We would like to eliminate the need for people to manually configure them on new environments every time we redeploy AX vanilla application.

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André Arnaud de Cal... 304,121 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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Hi Adam,

The configurations are stored in the Windows Registry. It would be possible to setup one machine, then export the list and have this installed on all clients.

In addition you can work with AX Configuration Files (*.axc).

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Are we talking about the same configuration? Here are some screen shots of the ones I mean.

GL Parameter Form

Account Structure Form

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Vilmos Kintera 46,149 on at

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Your terminology used and the explanation of your problem was very vague, so André was also shooting in the dark with his answer.

Now that you have provided additional details like by "folder" you meant the Setup sub-menu under specific AX modules on the area page, and you are showing parameters and setup within AX, we understand your original request better.

It is possible to export and import many of the master and setup data using the Data Import Export Framework, have a look:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/unified-operations/dev-itpro/lifecycle-services/ax-2012/user-guide-dixf

Keep in mind that not all parts of the system have a data entity created, for which you will need technical assistance from an AX developer.

Also it is more common to have a backup of a freshly set up system that we refer as a Golden image, so with each clean environment installation you could just restore that SQL database backup, and then there is no need to set up / import anything - would just work straight away.

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Thanks so much Vilmos. I agree my initial explanation was extremely unclear.

I've looked into the Data Import / Export Framework, but I am told by our devs that there are no tables for the majority of the items we are talking about. I understand the golden image, which is what I want to move away from. I want something that can be recreated from vanilla install with source control (I'm a DevOps guy).

When you say "technical assistance from an AX developer" to deal with parts of the system without a data entity created, I am posting on this forum asking for just such assistance. Our AX developers are unfamiliar with any method to achieve this. Is there X++ programs we can write to do this? What is the approach for this? Thanks!

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Vilmos Kintera 46,149 on at

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These are the standard entities:

docs.microsoft.com/.../entities-dixf

Here is the documentation on how to create custom entities by using the wizard, or if that fails, how to do it manually:

docs.microsoft.com/.../create-custom-target-entity-dixf

Since some of the master data and setup might be very complex to reproduce, DIXF might not be the best choice to recreate an entire setup in AX. The product is simply not designed for this task.

The best option is still having the golden SQL backups, from which you could have a running system in under minutes.

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André Arnaud de Cal... 304,121 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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Hi Adam,

In fact the majority of setup and master data is supported now in D365. There are indeed some missing, but that should not be that much. For AX2012, indeed many are missing. Anyway, like Vilmos said, the restore of a SQL backup is the easiest and quickest.

At an implementation we started with data entities for moving setup data, but moved to the golden client once we had more and more tables filled with the correct setup.

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