AX2012 R2/R3 Code Promotor

AX 2012 build and deployment automation in under five minutes

AX2012 Code Promotor is a lightweight PowerShell library that automates the entire Dynamics AX 2012 R2 and R3 build and deployment process. It compiles, runs Full CIL, exports the model store, deploys reports, synchronizes the database and applies the temp schema, following Microsoft's recommended sequence. A production code deployment that normally occupies two hours of attended work finishes in under five minutes — and the source code is yours to modify.

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  • < 5 minutesproduction deployment
  • ~2 hoursthe same job by hand
  • R2 and R3both supported
  • Every environmentdev, test, UAT, production

How it works

The full AX 2012 deployment sequence, run for you

These are the steps a Dynamics AX 2012 deployment requires, performed in the order Microsoft recommends, with each stage timed and logged.

  1. Compile the application

    The application compile runs automatically as the first stage of the promotion, rather than being kicked off and watched by hand.

  2. Generate Full CIL

    Full CIL generation is one of the longest and most frequently mistimed parts of an AX 2012 deployment. Here it is simply another automated stage in the sequence.

  3. Export the model store

    The model store is exported as part of the promotion, giving you the artifact needed to move code between environments consistently.

  4. Deploy SSRS reports

    Report deployment is included in the run, so reports do not drift out of step with the code that was just promoted.

  5. Synchronize the database

    Database synchronization runs in sequence, keeping the data dictionary aligned with the deployed application.

  6. Import and apply the temp schema

    The temp schema is imported and applied according to Microsoft best practice, completing the promotion.

Why teams choose it

Deployments stop being an evening's work

Two hours becomes five minutes

The same sequence, without the waiting and the hand-offs between people. Deployments become something you do during the day.

Consistent across environments

Development, test, UAT and production all promote through the same automated path, which removes the "it worked in test" class of failure.

Enhanced logging

Every stage is timed and recorded, so a failure tells you exactly where it stopped and you have a record to hand to an auditor.

Lightweight and yours

Plain PowerShell with no agents and no proprietary runtime. You get the source, and you can adapt it to your own release process.

FAQ

Questions we get asked about AX 2012 deployments

How long does an AX 2012 code deployment take with Code Promotor?
Under five minutes for a production promotion that would normally take around two hours of attended work. The saving comes from removing the waiting and hand-offs between steps, not from skipping any of them.
Does it support both AX 2012 R2 and R3?
Yes. The library is built for Dynamics AX 2012 R2 and R3 environments.
What exactly does it automate?
It compiles the application, runs a Full CIL generation, exports the model store, deploys SSRS reports, synchronizes the database, and imports and applies the temp schema, following Microsoft's recommended sequence for these operations.
Can it deploy to more than one environment?
Yes. Development, test, UAT and production all promote through the same automated path, so the sequence you validated in a lower environment is the sequence that runs against production.
What kind of logging does it produce?
Each stage is timed and recorded. If a deployment fails, the log identifies which step stopped and why, rather than leaving you to reconstruct the sequence afterwards.
Is this a replacement for our build server?
It is a PowerShell library, so it can either be run directly by your team or called from an existing build and release pipeline. It does not require you to adopt a particular CI tool.

Watch a full promotion, start to finish

Thirty minutes, screen shared. We will run the sequence and answer questions about how it would fit your AX 2012 environments.

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