Microsoft Great Plains Version Update Faq

Microsoft Dynamics GP ERP version upgrade should be planned, it is not recommended to do it impulsively. In order to facilitate your homework we would like to give you highlights in technical and functional compatibility areas

1. Microsoft Dexterity core. Great Plains is Dexterity application, which has new technologies, incorporated in Dexterity and serving as additions (and in some cases as replacements) to Dex: eConnect, Sharepoint (with approval cycles), Microsoft Office stack integration, plus integrations with Microsoft CRM, RMS and other MS business applications. The message here is to check if you have custom Dexterity logic – this is first step to analyze and address in version upgrade

2. Great Plains Dex modifications upgrade scenarios. Dexterity was designed as GP Dynamics IDE and programming language, and one of its fundamental features is upgradeability. However this should be given to the hands of professional Dexterity programmers. In the best case scenario, you should have DYNAMICS.DIC dictionary with your customization source code (in the case of Dex it is sanscript codes). Dexterity modification upgrade has further specifics, required to be taken to consideration in upgrade, this is outside of the scope here.

3. Third Party modules. Great Plains is the platform, open to Microsoft Business Solutions ISV, who extends GP business logic. Typically these extensions are written in Dexterity and distributed as Dexterity chink. The examples of popular ISV names for Great Plains: Mekorma, Avalara, Intellisol (late 1990th), Albaspectrum, and others. If you deploy third party GP extension module, you should check if third party tool is available for the new version, where you plan to upgrade

4. Reporting. Well, you may have various blends of reporting tools: Crystal Reports, SRS, MS Access, but in our opinion GP ReportWriter reports should be analyzed in the most careful manner in GP version update. Report Writer in turn is Dexterity-written module and it comes back to one of the first GP versions: 3.2 and 4.0, so this is not a surprise that you may encounter multiple surprises and restrictions

5. FRx. This is financial reporting tool, which has connection to GP General Ledger and GL account summaries. FRx upgrade is typically straightforward, in some cases you have to know “known issues”, you should be familiar with sysdata folder, FRX date and time table in Dynamics database. If you got FRx upgrade deadlock, please try to relax and search Microsoft Business Solutions technical knowledge database at partner or customer source

6. Upgrade Paths. How upgrade works behind the scenes? Dexterity utilities looks in Dynamics database which legacy version you are on and then if it has upgrade algorithm from your version it launches the update process. You should know probably all historical GP versions: 3.2, 4.0, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 9.0 and current 10.0 (October 2007). FRx versions: 4.0, 5.0, 6.5

7. GPA upgrade and migration. If you are on old Great Plains Accounting for DOS or MS Windows, you need to undergo migration to Microsoft Dynamics GP path. Migration tool is available if you contact your MBS partner

8. Pervasive SQL 2000/Btrieve and Ctree/Faircom Great Plains Dynamics upgrade. If you are on Pervasive or Ctree, then it is version 7.5 or earlier. Microsoft terminated these legacy platforms support in December 2004. MRP software industry deploys annual support fee mechanism to finance accounting software development expenses. In order to get new version registration key, you should be enrolled and current in GP annual enhancement program. If you are current, then you should contact your GP VAR of record to arrange migration from Great Plains Dynamics on Pervasive or Ctree to Microsoft Dynamics GP on MS SQL Server 2000 or 2005

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