GP Security Tasks are not always what they are said to be!

In researching some tasks regarding payroll, I came across four tasks that are default tasks in Microsoft Dynamics GP10 and GP2010. These four tasks all have access to the Payroll Inquiry window and the Payroll Audit Trail Inquiry window even though they are financial tasks. If you do not want users accessing payroll information, I would suggest …

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Scribe Insight 7.5 Released!

Last week, Scribe Software released the long awaited Scribe Insight 7.5.  The biggest new feature of the release is support for Unicode, which is of particular importance for international users, however it also included over 24 bug fixes, several of which I have run into so having them finally resolved is great news!  In addition, …

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Project Server and Business Portal…let the fighting begin!

I recently upgraded a client from SharePoint v2.0 to v2010.  The upgrade was successful, and the Business Portal implementation on SharePoint Server 2010 was also successful.  Then, we installed Project Server on the same web application that Business Portal was installed on.  After the Project installation, SharePoint stopped working and threw up the generic error …

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Manually changing the SysData location…one more thing…

I’m sure all of you have read and thoroughly enjoyed my blog post on manually changing the SysData location.  Well, today I was doing a server move and ran into the same issue, so I followed my own advice but it still wouldn’t update properly!  I was stumped, until I realized that, sometimes, there is …

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Benefit/Deduction Summary window in Microsoft Dynamics GP Human Resources

So here it is–year end…and it’s time to start preparing. You may be reviewing salaries, deductions etc. along with updating benefits in Human Resources. The Benefit and Deduction Summary window (HR/Payroll–Cards–Human Resources–Employee Benefits–Benefit and Deduction Summary) is a valuable resource when reviewing employee benefits. But did you know that the Retirement benefit information does not appear …

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GP Security Tasks are not always what they are said to be!Scribe Insight 7.5 Released!Project Server and Business Portal…let the fighting begin!Manually changing the SysData location…one more thing…Benefit/Deduction Summary window in Microsoft Dynamics GP Human Resources

Aug
19

Have you heard of CustomerSource?

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Ever used it?
If you haven’t, you are missing out!

Everyone likes convenience. With CustomerSource, you can train at your own pace and target topics most relevant to your position. It’s designed to supply efficient, effective, and cost-saving information for Microsoft Dynamics users.

Picture a warehouse open 24/7 and filled with over a thousand training resources providing one- stop-shopping access to your enhancement plan benefits – CustomerSource owns that warehouse.

If your company is enrolled in a Business Ready Enhancement Plan for Microsoft Dynamics you have access to this neat portal. Take the time to check it out. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/customersource_article.mspx

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Aug
02

Server Installation Progress (Not Responding)

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If you’ve ever updated Microsoft Dynamics GP, whether it be an upgrade from v9.0 to v2010 or from SP1 to SP2, you’ve no doubt encountered the frozen screen with (Not Responding) added to all the windows.  Traditionally, this means that the window has stopped responding and will probably not come back.  What is our first instinct in this situation?  Close it down and try it again.

NOT SO FAST!  Because of some changes in Dynamics GP and Windows, these windows simply aren’t catching up to the current task that is being processed.  Your upgrade is still running in the background and will finish if you let it run its course.  Still not convinced?  There’s a couple of ways you can continue to monitor your upgrade’s progress.  First, launch the task manager on the server, and click on the “Processes” tab.  Sort by CPU in ascending order, and you will see that either sqlservr.exe or Dynamics.exe are continually using CPU.  Otherwise, start the SQL Server Activity Monitor to monitor SQL and see that updates are still happening to the DYNAMICS and company databases (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms175518.aspx).

The wrong choice is to end the program.  This will corrupt your upgrade, and you must now restore your database backups and start over again.  A particularly painful exercise, especially when upgrading a large database like the one I’m currently doing (the Not Responding screen just came on and we’re 1.5 hours into the upgrade of this one company).  After a bit, your screen should return to normal operation.

Have any questions or need a little help? Contact a Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner.

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Aug
02

GP Client Installs but Doesn’t Launch

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I ran into weird problem recently.  Twice in fact.  Doing a new install of Microsoft Dynamics GP on a client workstation, it installs just fine, but then when I try to launch GP Utilities, nothing happens.  No error messages, nothing in the event viewer, no stalled process, nothing.

Upon further investigation and revelation by the client, I find out that they are running Symantec Endpoint Protection.  This software has two “features” called Tamper Protection Driver “SPBBCDRV.SYS” and the Application and Device Control that block the application from executing.  Symantec provides the following fix on their website (http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH106065&actp=search&viewlocale=en_US&searchid=1299162391575):

If the Symantec Endpoint Protection client is already installed on the Server hosting the Dynamics Software, please follow the steps outlined below –

  1. Open the Add/Remove Programs snap-in; START > RUN > type “appwiz.cpl” minus the quotes, and hit enter
  2. Scroll the list of installed applications till you see the listing for Symantec Endpoint Protection, select it, and then click on the change button
  3. Click on NEXT, and on the next screen that appears select the MODIFY Option, click on the Drop Down box, and uncheck the Components for Proactive Threat Protection, and Network Threat Protection and click on the NEXT Button.
  4. Proceed through the installation anc then click on Finish
  5. Reboot the server to finalize the installation and complete the removal of the other components.

If there is no installation of the Symantec Endpoint Protection client present, please follow the steps outlined below –

  1. Run the installation for Symantec Endpoint Protection
  2. Select the CUSTOM INSTALLATION option
  3. Uncheck the components for Proactive Threat Protection and Network Threat Protection and then proceed with the installation
  4. Click on the Finish button when prompted to
  5. Reboot the Server to commit the changes and finalize the installation

This applies to both server and client workstation installs.  After a quick reboot, you should be good to launch GP!

Have some questions or need a little help? Contact a Microsoft Dynamics GP partner.

 

 

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Aug
02

GP Upgrade Fails at Table

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Picture this scenario.  You’re cruising right along through a Microsoft Dynamics GP upgrade, when all of a sudden you get to table updates and the whole upgrade bombs out on you.  You relaunch Utilities, and same thing.  Of course, the errors the UI gives you are definitely explanitory in telling you what’s wrong… :-)

Thankfully, there is a SQL script that you can run that will tell you what tables are giving you grief and what exactly is wrong with them.  Here is that script:

SELECT b.fileOSName, a.fileNumber, a.PRODID, a.Status, a.errornum, a.errordes, c.CMPANYID, c.INTERID
       FROM DYNAMICS.dbo.DU000030 a
       JOIN
       DYNAMICS.dbo.DU000010 b
       ON a.fileNumber = b.fileNumber
       AND a.PRODID = b.PRODID
       JOIN
       DYNAMICS.dbo.SY01500 c
       ON a.companyID = c.CMPANYID
       WHERE (a.Status <> 0 or a.errornum <> 0) and a.Status <>15

With these results in hand, you can now submit a case to a Microsoft Technical Support Engineer, or you can diagnose and fix the issue yourself.  This will save you time when trying to contact Support so you can get your upgrade rolling and minimize the user impact.

Remember, as with anything, make sure you have good backups before performing the upgrade, as you may need to restore to fix the issue.  Happy upgrades!

Have some questions or need a little help? Contact a Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner.

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Aug
02

HRM Self-Service Workflows Not Submitting

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Recently, I’ve had some issues with Microsoft Dynamics GP –  HRM (Human Resource Management) workflows.  Specifically, whenever users submit timecards, they say they’re submitted, but they don’t flow through to the user’s manager.  And it’s not just one user, it’s everyone in the system.  What’s happening?

Well, the first thing you want to check is to make sure your MbfQueuedWorkItem service is running on the Business Portal (BP) server.  To do this, log in to your BP/SharePoint server, and under Administrative Tools, open Services.  Find the service, and make sure it is running, and that the login for the service hasn’t had a password change recently.  If it is not running, start the service (change the password if necessary).  Check back in 5 minutes to make sure it is still running.

If you check back and the service is not running, there are deeper issues that need to be looked at by a Microsoft Support Engineer.  Armed with this knowledge, start a support case and lay out the details.  What is happening is that there are some rogue records in the workflow tables in BP (basically, a details row without a header row).  BP can’t run a check links to fix this, but luckily none of these records are necessary, so we can blow them away.  The only problem is that you will lose all current workflows.  So it is best to diagnose this issue before a number of people submit so you can minimize the impact on the users.

Make sure that you contact Microsoft Technical Support to assist with clearing the workflow tables, as this is something that can mess up your existing workflows (note – this will not harm your timecards or anything else in the system, ONLY the workflows associated with approvals in HRM Self Service Suite).  Once Microsoft has cleared the tables, restart the service and have your users resubmit!

Need a little help or have more questions — contact a Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner.

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Aug
02

Helpful tips when upgrading Business Portal 4.0 (for GP 10) to Business Portal 5.1 (for GP 2010 and SharePoint 2010)

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Are you preparing to upgrade your Business Portal (BP) implementation from v4.0 to v5.1 with the new release of SharePoint 2010 and 64-bit compatibility?  There are a couple of things that you should take into account before attempting the upgrade.  A lot of planning should go into your upgrade considering you are going to be doing a server move and an upgrade.

First of all, Business Portal and Web Services need to be uninstalled from the current installation machine.  Business Portal needs to be uninstalled without removing the BP data!  Make sure when you uninstall the check-box to Remove Business Portal Data is NOT checked!  You will lose all MBF customizations and security.  The core product needs to be removed to remove references to Business Portal from the SharePoint databases.

Web Services also needs to be removed after Business Portal is removed.  If you are also currently utilizing Workflow for Microsoft Dynamics GP, that needs to be removed before removing Web Services.  With the Web Services uninstallation, you DO need to remove all Web Services data if you are moving to a new server (most likely you will be since BP 4.0 is 32-bit only and 5.1 is 64-bit only).  There are references to the current server name in the Web Services data.  This information needs to be removed in order for you to install Web Services on a new server.

Once you have Business Portal and Web Services uninstalled, you can now prepare your new server for the upgrade to SharePoint 2010.  Get SharePoint installed and configured on the new server (don’t worry about upgrading and connecting to the old config database, unless you really want to; it’ll most likely be easier to reset everything up).  After SharePoint is setup and configured, create a “shell” web application.  This web application will accept the content database of the web site you’re looking to upgrade.

After the shell web application is created, go in through Central Administration and delete the content database.  Restore/move the content database to the new SQL Server, and then follow the directions here (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/ee517214)  to do the Database Detach/Attach Method upgrade for your content database.  Chances are, this will move along through to about 30%, and then it will fail out.  If this happens, ensure you can at least access the SharePoint site, and then do your Web Services/BP installation of v5.1.  After BP is completely installed, re-upgrade the content database with PowerShell.  This will allow the upgrade to find missing BP components and utilize them to complete the upgrade.

At this point, you should be happily enjoying SharePoint 2010 and BP v5.1!
If you have questions or want to chat through it, contact a Microsoft Dynamics Partner.

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Jul
28

CRM 2011 Update Rollup 3

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Microsoft has just released Update Rollup 3 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011! This Update Rollup provides many new fixes for documented issues and is cumulative, therefore including all of the fixes from Update Rollups 1 and 2.

For additional information on Update Rollup 3, please visit the following Microsoft KB article:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2547347

To download Update Rollup 3, please visit the following URL:
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=26912

For assistance getting the latest Update Rollup deployed in your environment, please contact a Microsoft Partner!

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Jul
01

Microsoft Dynamics GP – US Payroll tax update Round 6!

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Yep, you read it correct…ANOTHER payroll tax update! This time the tax table changes are for North Dakota and Connecticut employees. This update also includes a code change.

If you are not affected by any of the code changes then just install the tax table update.

If you are affected or if you are a Connecticut employer, you MUST install both the tax table update and the code change.

If you are not affected, not a Connecticut or North Dakota employer, then ignore both! See? Pretty easy huh?

The code changes revolve around Payroll, Human Resources, Field Service, Inventory, Manufacturing, Project Accounting and Purchasing.

Here are links to PartnerSource and CustomerSource for the update:

U.S. Payroll Tax Update for Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 (Round 6) 
U.S. Payroll Tax Update for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 (Round 6) 

After installation the new Payroll Tax Date will be 7/15/2011 (Tools | Setup | System | Payroll tax) and your GP versions will be 10.0.1757 for GP 10 and 11.0.1799 for GP 2010.  If you have questions contact a Microsoft Dynamics GP partner or email us at support@summitgroupsoftware.com.

Good luck and happy installing!

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Jul
01

Microsoft Dynamics GP – Here we go again…more payroll tax changes! FUTA rate decreases!

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Effective July 1, 2011 the FUTA rate will decrease from 6.2% to 6.0%.  This tax is an employer expense and does not effect an employee’s pay check. So what do you need to do?

There will be no code change from Microsoft because this unemployment rate is easily changed in Microsoft Dynamics GP. Go to Tools | Setup | Payroll | Unemployment Tax. This is the same window where you set your State Unemployment rate. The new rate is entered under the Code of FED.

Most employers will enter the NET FUTA rate of .6% (net of the 5.4% credit for reporting and paying state unemployment on time). If your current rate reads .8% then change it to .6%. If you are reporting gross, your current rate will read 6.2%. Change it to 6.0%

Inconvenient? Yes. End of the world? No. The change will be effective from that point going forward and your payroll reports will be reflective of the change.  If you have questions contact a Microsoft Dynamics GP partner or email us at support@summitgroupsoftware.com.

Wonder what is going to change next!!!

Until next time…

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Jun
30

BPOS to Office 365 Transition

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Summit Group Software is officially participating in the BPOS to Office 365 TAP migration program. I plan to share as many details as possible about the migration process as we proceed in order to make it as easy as possible for other organizations. Yesterday, we had an introduction call and here were the most important and interesting details:

  • Microsoft will be releasing a 64-bit Directory Synchronization Tool in late July!!! (I can finally retire all 32-bit servers in my environment! YEAH!)
  • Production transitions will start in October 2011.
  • Office 365 will not support Office 2003. Office 2007 or higher is now required. Upgrade your clients now to be ready!
  • Microsoft Communicator contacts will not be transferred to Microsoft Lync.
  • LiveMeeting does not get turned off during the transition! Therefore, previously scheduled meetings can still be held on LiveMeeting with their existing links.
  • Organizations currently running BPOS will be migrated to an equivilent Office 365 plan. For example, Business Productivity Online Standard Suite users will be migrated to Office 365 E2, which includes Exchange Plan 1, SharePoint Plan 1, Lync Plan 2, and Office Web Apps.
  • Organizations will be able to earily upgrade after their transition to plans with additional features, such as Office ProPlus and Lync Plus with voice support.

    • If you need assistance preparing for your transition, please contact a Microsoft Partner or support@summitgroupsoftware.com!

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