Dynamics GP Version Upgrade to 2010 Some Pluses and Minuses to Consider

There are several technology areas where version 2010/11.0 might require you to re-haul the custom script.  We just off the major upgrade, where version 8.0 was hosted in 32 bit Windows 2003 and SQL Server 2005.  Plus, several home page shortcuts were calling VB script with popular technology of impersonation, retrieving user ID, DSN, Password and company database, executing multiple SQL Select statements (checking if customer RM00101, inventory item IV00101) and then executing Integration Management integration (directly in the script).  We would like to share our discoveries, surprises and some disappointments:

1. SQL 2008 and 64 bit platform.  To our surprise we had issues reading CSV text file via OPENROWSET command in SQL.  We opened add hoc queries via sp_configure procedure (as SQL Server 2008 closes all the technologies, except basic ones by default), but this was not the end of the story.  Second, we tried to create Linked Server to our eCommerce DB where we have SQL 2005 on Windows 2003 32 bit (with the option selected SQL Server), specified ‘sa’ account and its password (as we usually were doing in the past).  It was really impossible for us to do select statement to successfully created Linked Server (one of our custom triggers is supposed to update eCommerce database table, when Invoice in Great Plains is paid, now we have to think about different technology to do the job, instead of trigger for delete on SOP10100 table – SOP document header)

2. Integration Manager Advanced ODBC Source.  What we had in IM 8.0 was SOP Transaction Integration, based on the Advanced ODBC Source, reading data from CSV file.  The reason for us to deploy Advanced ODBC was the need to use Union construction in the Source definition (as we had to split one row in the CSV file into several SOP Lines).  In version 2010 IM Source preview showed us correct lines (generated in SQL Select with Union statement over Microsoft Text Driver), however integration run created the majority of the SOP Invoices without the line items and with Zero in Document Amount.  We tried to rebuild the integration, the result was again strange with zero amount document (however not the same documents had zeros).  We could not identify the patterns, as the same Items were in some cases integrated as expected and in other cases they were skipped

3. FRx 6.7 with Service Pack 12.  Here we had encouraging surprise, as we were able to redeploy FRx on 64 bit Windows 2008 Server (for remote desktop connection for managerial team), plus on Windows XP and Windows 7 64 bit workstations in the office.  Microsoft Business Solutions says that it doesn’t support FRx on 64 bit platform, due to the fact that they didn’t conduct sufficient set of tests.  With this customer we had all kinds of complex scenarios, including multicurrency, Excel Worksheets, specified in the Reporting Tree.  Originally in the test phase we were even able to deploy FRx 6.7 with Service Pack 5 to work with Dynamics GP 2010 databases on SQL 2008 (however GP user password translation was obviously not supported and the only option to print FRx reports was to use SA user login, where SP 12 supports password encryption and users were able to use their GP login and password

4. Test Phase.  The decision was made to install GP components for version 2010/11.0 on the same user workstations for key decision making users.  Here we realized that you can have Microsoft Great Plains 8.0 workstation coexisting with Dynamics GP 2010 (however you lose some nice features in 8.0, such as importing budget from Excel file – 2010 interface, however can load budgets from Excel).  Integration Manager uses registry for its Regkey and you cannot have two versions installed on the same Windows XP workstation.  FRx also requires dedicated user workstation (we ended up to setup new FRx and Integration Manager on separate Laptop for all the users to test these applications

5. Microsoft Management Reporter.  We did several upgrades for smaller customers, plus we did migration from FRx to MMR for our internal accounting.  However for this customer we got issues trying to install MMR with Domain Administrator account.  We experienced the failure and customer suggested to stick to FRx.  As the observation – it looks like MMR could be installed if you create new account in the Active Directory and make him Domain Administrator (rather than using Domain Administrator account)

6. eConnect Installation on the User Workstation for Integration Manager eConnect Sources.  Here, again we got issues installing eConnect under domain administrator account (Cannot add SQL User error message).  The work around was to create new user and make him member of the Domain Administrators group

7. What was really cool and what customer employees liked.  Word templates give you the option to specify graphical logo for each company (we have more than twenty and each time they have to load RW Package with SOP Blank and Long invoice forms into current Reports.dic)

8. Alternatives to the batch processing.  In user home page you can now navigate to all SOP Invoices, then mark document (this feature allows you to mark SOP documents located in different batches) and then in action pane above you can post them all together (or transfer Orders or Quotes to Invoices, for example)

9. 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