Released on = April 26, 2007, 4:07 pm

Press Release Author = Alba Spectrum Group

Industry = Computers

Press Release Summary = Microsoft Great Plains, former Great Plains Software
eEnterprise and Dynamics, upgrade should be understood in its sequence, prior to
make a decision to launch upgrade. Prior to upgrade you should identify GP standard
modules as well as third party modules (Mekorma, Avalara, DynamicZip, Accountable,
Intellisol, etc), web applications (Business Portal) plus potentially custom logic.


Press Release Body = Alba Spectrum Group, 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918,
help@albaspectrum.com http://www.albaspectrum.com

Microsoft Great Plains, former Great Plains Software eEnterprise and Dynamics,
upgrade should be understood in its sequence, prior to make a decision to launch
upgrade. Prior to upgrade you should identify GP standard modules as well as third
party modules (Mekorma, Avalara, DynamicZip, Accountable, Intellisol, etc), web
applications (Business Portal) plus potentially custom logic. Custom logic could be
introduced in the form of Dexterity (integrated module, which you see in your
Dynamics.SET file), Modifier (modified GP forms and VBA scripts), Integration
Manager (where you can also have VBA alternate logic), plus it can be on the level
of SQL stored procedures, eConnect customization (typically coded as web project in
MS Visual Studio C# or VB.Net). Moreover, you should analyze your reporting upgrade
needs: Great Plains ReportWriter reports (with some custom elements, in the form of
calculated fields); Crystal Reports - these were popular with earlier versions: 5.0,
5.5, 6.0, 7.0, 7.5, later on Microsoft recommended MS SQL Server Reporting Services
or SRS. If you are on legacy db platform: Ctree or Pervasive SQL/Btrieve - you
should plan migration from legacy platform to MS SQL Server 2005/2000 or MS SQL
Select/MSDE:
. Moving away from legacy DB. In the case of Pervasive SQL/Ctree, you will need
migration tool. The idea is simple: you install MS Dynamics GP on the MS SQL Server
with similar account segmentation as in your old version, then migration tool will
establish ODBC connection from your legacy Great Plains workstation to new SQL GP
instance and you will migrate first System and then Company information (and repeat
second step for every company if required). You may expect this migration if you
are on GP 7.5 or earlier. Also here we should make it clear that Great Plains
Accounting for DOS and Windows is no longer supported Btrieve or Ctree (MAC)
application, which require migration tool to upgrade you to Microsoft Dynamics GP,
you will need to contact your GP partner on upgrade price (typically you get 40%
credit for the modules owned in GPA)
. Dexterity Modifications. You must have DYNAMICS.DIC (or Extract.DIC) with
sanscript source code in it, developed by your former customization partner. If you
don't have this dictionary, please contact your former dex development company. If
you don't have this code - nobody can help you upgrade dex mods. If you do have the
source - it should be analyzed by MBS customization partner, who has dex support
personnel and preferably is in dex source code program
. Upgrade Technology. Upgrade follows these steps. First, it installs new version
of Dexterity environment with new DYNAMICS.DIC and dex.exe files, second it upgrades
DYNAMICS db tables (simply copying into temp table the table that has new structure
in new version), rebuilds the table and copies contents back from temp table, then
the same process is done in each company. With version 9.0 such formerly third
party apps as Field Service are included into initial upgrade, so you don't need to
worry
. Modifier/VBA, Business Portal, Crystal Reports and Report Writer will be covered
in following Microsoft Great Plains Dynamics GP upgrade articles.

The format of this article is limited, so please feel free to contact us:
1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918, help@albaspectrum.com


Web Site = http://www.albaspectrum.com

Contact Details = Andrew Karasev, Alba Spectrum Group, http://www.albaspectrum.com ,
serving GP customers remotely in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Denver, Miami,
Tampa, Orlando, New York, Boston, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Seattle, Montreal,
Vancouver, Phoenix, New Orleans, Las Vegas, San Diego, Austin, Dallas. Local
Service in Houston: Katy, Richmond, Sugar Land, Rosenberg, Galveston, Pasadena. In
Chicago: Aurora, Naperville, Wheaton, Romeoville, Plainfield, Elgin, Batavia, Plano,
Montgomery, Lisle, Downers Grove, Hinsdale, Lombard, Bolingbrook, Woodridge, Darien,
Lyons, Niles, Schaumburg, Elk Grove, Addison, Itasca.