Microsoft Dynamics AX requires Windows authentication and uses Windows integrated security.

An Active Directory domain controller is a prerequisite for installing Microsoft Dynamics AX.

The Application Object Server (AOS) controls communication among Microsoft Dynamics AX clients, databases, and applications. You can deploy the AOS on a single computer or create a load-balanced cluster of multiple AOS servers. The AOS is a Windows service and requires a Windows Server operating system. For up-to-date hardware and software requirements for Microsoft Dynamics AX, see the system requirements Web page.

Enterprise Portal and its applications allow you to interact with Microsoft Dynamics AX from a Web browser. Enterprise Portal enables internal users (employees) and external users (vendors, customers, business partners) to access data and functionality through a highly customizable, role-based Web portal. You can also create Internet-facing public sites with restricted functionality for anonymous users. Enterprise Portal requires ASP.NET, Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server, and Internet Information Services (IIS).

Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is a solution that enables users to create and view both traditional, paper-based reports and interactive, Web-based reports.

To integrate Microsoft Dynamics AX and Reporting Services, you must install the reporting extensions on a server running Reporting Services.

After you install the reporting extensions, you will be able to deploy Microsoft Dynamics AX reports to Reporting Services.

Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services is a server-based solution that provides online analytical processing (OLAP) functionality. OLAP reports help users analyze business data and identify trends that they might not otherwise discover when viewing traditional reports.

To integrate Microsoft Dynamics AX and Analysis Services, you must install the analysis extensions on a server running Analysis Services.

When you install the analysis extensions, a default OLAP database and cubes are deployed to Analysis Services.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 supports workflow processes, such as the approval of purchase requisitions. The workflow infrastructure consists of AOS and IIS workflow runtimes. The Microsoft Dynamics AX workflow component is automatically installed on the AOS and the Microsoft Dynamics AX Windows client computers during installation. Workflow requires Internet Information Services (IIS) and the Windows Workflow Foundation, which is part of .NET Framework 3.5.

The Application Integration Framework provides a programming model, tools and infrastructure support for XML-based integration of application functionality and data with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009. AIF enables Microsoft Dynamics AX to expose its functionality via WCF-based services and documents. AIF also enables Microsoft Dynamics AX to consume functionality exposed by external applications as Web services.

You will need to deploy additional software depending on the transport adapter you are using:

• AIF Web services requires IIS.

• The file system adapter relies on the Windows file system (a folder or a network share).

• BizTalk Server requires the BizTalk adapter for Microsoft Dynamics AX to be installed on the BizTalk server host.

• The MSMQ adapter requires Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ).

The Microsoft Dynamics AX synchronization service synchronizes project data in Microsoft Dynamics AX with data in Microsoft Office Project Server 2007. To use this functionality, you must install both the synchronization service and the Microsoft Dynamics AX synchronization proxy. For more information about Project Server 2007 integration, see Synchronization service and synchronization proxy architecture.

A messaging server enables the sending and receiving of e-mail messages and instant messages, and can be used to send alerts to users. Microsoft Dynamics AX requires a messaging server that supports SMTP.

A firewall is part of a security system that helps protect a local network from external threats.

A Microsoft Dynamics AX database stores your Microsoft Dynamics AX data on Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle Database Server installation. Windows SharePoint Services requires a SQL Server database, as does SQL Reporting Services. Support for OLAP cubes requires a SQL Server Analysis Services database.

Note
Microsoft SQL Server is required for Analysis Services and Reporting Services regardless of the database server that is used for the Microsoft Dynamics AX transactional database.

An application file server manages the files containing Microsoft Dynamics AX application objects and business logic. An AOS instance accesses this folder or file share to load the required application objects for execution. We recommend a Windows Server operating system, instead of the client operation systems such as Windows Vista or Windows 7, for the application file server. For up-to-date hardware and software requirements for Microsoft Dynamics AX, see the system requirements Web page.

Note
In previous releases of Microsoft Dynamics AX, the application file server was also known as the Application Object Data (AOD) server.