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Follow on Google News | EFaru Version Upgrade Dynamics GP What to Expect and How Make it SmoothCurrent trend is version update to 2010. This version was released in April of 2010 and at this time Service Pack 1 is available. Let’s review upgrade technology and how you could help your consultants make it seamless...
By: Andrew Karasev 1. Upgrade Technology. It has two major steps: Server and Client. Server update deals with Dynamics (this is sort of system database) and each company database to convert each table (which changed its structure), SQL Stored Procedures (it simply drops and recreates each one), plus other server side objects. Client update is usually more diversified. It includes GP workstation (with Reports.dic, Dexterity, VBA, VST, Extender customizations) 2. How to Facilitate the Whole Process? We recommend you to have two phases: Test Upgrade (on the new Windows Server, which should become production one in the second phase) with one or several dedicated user workstations and following Production upgrade phase. Test phase should allow your users to print our all the critical reports (FRx, MMR, SOP Invoices, PM Checks to name few candidates). Consider this scenario. On Friday you launch test update phase, Server side is done by the end on the day on Sunday. On Monday your accounting team begins QA and verifies that all the reports resemble the same results by the end of Wednesday (you disable all the data entry into Great Plains since Saturday). If your management team approves the QA then data entry into the new system is open on Thursday morning. We recommend you to book your consultants to be onsite (or on call) the whole week in advance, as new release user interface and possible issues should be resolved in a matter of hours, not days 3. Technology Trend Considerations. This Corporate ERP application resides in Microsoft SQL Server and it has inevitable dependency on SQL Server technology progress. MS SQL Server 2008 is recommended for hosting in Windows Server 2008 R2 64 bit. There is the trend to accept such new tools as SSIS (SQL Server Integration Services) and deemphasize such older traditional technologies as Linked Server (which you could use historically in such constructions as SQL Triggers, Cross Platform Stored Procedures). SSIS now has such predefined connections (drivers) as Oracle, SAP, Sybase (making integrations easy between Microsoft and non-Microsoft leading DB platforms) 4. FRx with its 64 bit platform dilemma versus Microsoft Management Reporter. Well, obviously if Microsoft decided to make a switch from FRx (this is Financial Reporting tool for P&L, Balance Sheet, Statement of Cash Flow as well as the Consolidated versions of these) to Management Reporter (which seems to be very similar to FRx, but works on 64 bit Windows and opens additional opportunities, such as enabling report generation over the internet access or VPN) – FRx will go away cleaning the path for MMR. However at this time, the year 2011, we feel that MMR is too new and doesn’t have enough QA and Service Packs released (in the case of Management Reporter they are named Functional Packs) 5. Some notes on MS SQL Server 2008. Due to the security concerns, whatever is not required by basic SQL Server functionality is disabled by default. You as DBA can open the functionality (usually by calling sp_configure procedure, please see books online for details). Also in 2008 you find such new technologies as DB Mirroring (alternative to SQL Cluster, Log Shipping, Replication) 6. Small Business Financials migration to GP. This small business ERP line was terminated and the final version was 9.0. Previously MS SBF was good alternative to migrate from Great Plains Accounting for DOS, Windows or Mac. We do not have exact idea why Microsoft terminated this small business accounting package. You may decide migrate to Dynamics GP Business Ready Business Essentials (Advanced Business Edition is for larger companies). The other options would be exporting SBF tables into CSV or tab delimited text files, or even MS Access DB to let you import them into newly selected Small Business ERP (Peach Tree, QuickBooks, MYOB, SAP Business One, Accpac or another package) 7. For further information, please call us 1-866-304-3265 or email help@efaru.com. We provide service in USA and internationally via web sessions. Local service is available in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, Houston, Dallas, West Michigan: St Joseph, Benton Harbor, Kalamazoo, Holland, Saugatuck, New Buffalo, Muskegon Andrew Karasev is Great Plains Certified Master, MVP, help@efaru.com 1-866-304-3265, 1-269-605-4904. He is also the initiator of eFaru project http://www.efaru.com and founder of Alba Spectrum information space End
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