Two tricks about stopping AX service via PowerShell

Generally speaking, it is true for all Windows services but my particular example is about stopping Microsoft Dynamics AX service (AOS) via PowerShell.

As recommended in Deploying customizations across Microsoft Dynamics AX environments white paper, before importing a metadata model store into the target environment, one must stop all AOS instances in it.

First trick is on how to provide the correct name of the service supposed to be stopped.



If you try to use the service name you see in Services, you will fail.

PS C:\Windows\system> Set-Service -name AOS60$01 -status stopped
Set-Service : Service AOS60 was not found on computer '.'.
At line:1 char:12
+ Set-Service  -name AOS60$01 -status stopped + CategoryInfo : ObjectNotFound: (.:String) [Set-Service], Invali dOperationException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidOperationException,Microsoft.PowerShell.C ommands.SetServiceCommand 

It is evident that the problem is in $ sign. To fix it you can simply quoted it with "'" (not with "!).

PS C:\Windows\system32> Set-Service -name 'AOS60$01' -status stopped

Unfortunately, this command does not work anyway because of an error:

Set-Service : Cannot stop service 'Microsoft Dynamics AX Object Server 6.0$01-a
x2012_std (AOS60$01)' because it is dependent on other services.
At line:1 char:12
+ Set-Service  -name 'AOS60$01' -status stopped + CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: (System.ServiceProcess.Service Controller:ServiceController) [Set-Service], ServiceCommandException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ServiceIsDependentOnNoForce,Microsoft.PowerShell .Commands.SetServiceCommand 

Nevertheless, you can stop the service as usual without any issue. I do not why it does not work but I would suggest that one use another commands to stop and start the service, namely:

PS C:\Windows\system32> Stop-Service 'AOS60$01'
WARNING: Waiting for service 'Microsoft Dynamics AX Object Server
6.0$01-ax2012_std (AOS60$01)' to finish stopping...

PS C:\Windows\system32> Start-Service 'AOS60$01'
WARNING: Waiting for service 'Microsoft Dynamics AX Object Server
6.0$01-ax2012_std (AOS60$01)' to finish starting...

It takes its time, be patient!

Error 1075: The dependency service does not exist or has been marked for deletion

I do not know why but my Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP2 unexpectedly refused to restart AOS instance. It gave the error:

Error 1075: The dependency service does not exist or has been marked for deletion.

It is strange because the only thing in the dependcies was Remote Procedure Call (RPC). No events in the logs.

I deinstall the AOS instance and re-install it  with SP2 right away with the same settings without restarting the server. Now it starts fine.