This section is intended for system administrators involved in planning, designing, and implementing the infrastructure required for a Microsoft Dynamics AX deployment. This section will also be of interest to consultants, system architects, and system administrators who are responsible for managing the Microsoft Dynamics AX application.

The Infrastructure Planning and Design (IPD) guides are the current version of Windows Server System Reference Architecture. The guides in this series help clarify and streamline design processes for Microsoft infrastructure technologies, with each guide addressing a unique technology or scenario. If you cannot find the concept or technology you are looking for in the IPD, see the Windows Server System Reference Architecture (WSSRA) topic below.

For more information, see http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb897489.aspx.

The Windows Server System Reference Architecture (WSSRA) is a detailed reference architecture, tested and proven in labs, that yields valuable implementation guidance for meeting the requirements of an enterprise. You can use this guidance to build highly available, secure, scalable, manageable, and reliable enterprise infrastructure. By following the recommendations in the WSSRA documentation, you can quickly and efficiently plan, build, and operate an infrastructure to support your business needs.

For more information on WSSRA, see http://www.microsoft.com/technet/solutionaccelerators/wssra/raguide/default.mspx.

The Infrastructure Optimization Model provides a maturity framework for IT infrastructure useful for benchmarking technical capability and business value. Microsoft developed the Infrastructure Optimization Model using industry best practices and its own experiences with enterprise customers.

The first step in using the model is to determine your maturity level within the model. Once the current maturity level is established, the next step is to use the model to plan progress toward the target level needed for maximum business benefit.

For more information, see

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-ca/infrastructure/default.aspx.

The Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) provides operational guidance that enables organizations to achieve mission-critical system reliability, availability, supportability, and manageability of Microsoft products and technologies. With MOF guidance, you will be able to assess your current IT service management maturity, prioritize your processes of greatest concern, and apply proven principles and best practices to optimize your management of the Windows Server platform.

For more information on MOF, see http://www.microsoft.com/technet/solutionaccelerators/cits/mo/mof/default.mspx.

Microsoft Dynamics AX Windows client requires a Windows client or server operating system. Microsoft Dynamics AX server components require a Windows server operating system.

Enterprise Portal, Application Integration Framework (AIF) Web Services, Report Server and Workflow require IIS.

Enterprise Portal requires either Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.

Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 is required to install Microsoft Dynamics AX. Many Microsoft Dynamics AX components use .NET Framework 3.5.

This documentation primarily addresses Microsoft SQL Server. For Oracle database servers, refer to Oracle documentation.

Microsoft Dynamics AX reporting extensions requires Microsoft SQL Reporting Services. Microsoft Dynamics AX analysis extensions require Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services.

You need to consider availability of your infrastructure and applications carefully, applying the concepts of availability, disaster recovery planning, load balancing and clustering to deploy Microsoft Dynamics AX components in a highly available manner.