Question

I just downloaded the ziped package containing the Contoso Data from partnersource and I don’t know what to do with the files.

The files are:

• MicrosoftDynamicsAx.bak
• MicrosoftDynamicsAx_model.bak

I don’t know what to do with those files to have the Contoso (Demo) Data on Ax.

Answer 1

Edit: Since I made this post, Microsoft has released a new Dataset. In order to install this data, you can use the restore option. In order to do so:

1. Shutdown the AOS in services
2. Open SQL Management Studio
3. Connect to the SQL Database
4. Right Click MicrosoftDynamicsAx => Tasks => Restore => Database
5. Select From Device and then find the downloaded .bak File.
6. On the top left click on “Options” and check the first box:
   Overwrite the existing database (With REPLACE)
7. Click OK and repeat for the other DB.

For more information on the three partitions contained in the CONTOSO Dataset check the pdf available next to the CONTOSO data download link!

The folowing procedure allowed you to install the first Dataset that Microsoft removed a couple of days later from their website. This procedure can still help you restore the new .bak files if the previous one fails.

1. Shudown the AOS in Services.
2. Open SQL Server Management Studio.
3. Connect to your Ax Database.

Note: Here, you will see there are two bases with the same name as the Contoso .bak ones. You guessed right, we are going to import them, but you can’t do it by just clicking on “Restore Database” since the .bak file originated from a different database. Here is where a litle bit of coding is required.

4. Backup the two bases.

5. Click on “New Query” and input/Execute the following code:

    Alter Database MicrosoftDynamicsAX_model
     SET SINGLE_USER With ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE  
   
   RESTORE DATABASE MicrosoftDynamicsAX_model
     FROM DISK = '%Path to .Bak File%\MicrosoftDynamicsAX_model.bak'
     WITH REPLACE
   

If this doesn’t work because the Database is in use, add the following lane at the top of the query:

Use Master

Repeat the same query for the MicrosoftDynamicsAX.bak file

Once all this is done, your Database should be up to date and the Contoso Data should be imported.

You can now restart your AOS. This might take a long time and you might even consider rebooting the server. Once the server finally starts, open the Ax Client. It should be extremely slow. This is due to the 26 000 Alerts that you should see on the bottom right part of the client. Mark them all as read (again this will take some time) and now the client should run much faster!

You should now have Contoso Data in your Dynamics AX 2012 R2 Installation!