The Dynamics GP Blogster

Management Reporter 2012

2012-01-27T08:06:00.000-05:00

Management Reporter 2012 Release Themes

Most of you know me to be a fairly technical guy, so it must be quite an event when I get excited about a financial reporting product. My excitement stems from a couple of things I saw in an MVP Product Group Interaction session yesterday with the Dynamics Corporate Performance Management team:

Management Reporter 2012 is simply THE BEST darn financial reporting product produced to date by Microsoft. This release revolves around 4 core themes: Interactive Report Viewing, Deeper Dynamics ERP Integration, Report Collaboration, and Design Flexibility. I highlighted a few of the capabilities in my March 8, 2011 Corporate Performance Management Roadmap article.

Among the things I can say for now, and from a technical perspective, this release removes its dependency on Internet Information Services (IIS), allowing it to run in native mode. If you are familiar with SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services, you can now begin to imagine how this will improve Management Reporter's reports delivering capabilities and efficiency.

Honestly, I wish I could just spill it all out right now... but that would make for a lot of angry folks over at Microsoft, but you don't have to wait on me. The Dynamics Corporate Performance Management team over at Microsoft already began releasing information about specific features in Management Reporter 2012, and the following are links to what they have posted so far:

From what I have seen so far, the Comments feature will make a lot of accounting folks happy, but the ability to distribute reports to multiple locations at once will certainly make a lot of IT folks happy. From me to you... there's not one reason, at least in my mind, why you need to continue your love affair with FRx. The new Management Reporter 2012 blows off the FRx 6.7 hat off by a long shot.

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

New Article on MSDynamicsWorld: Where Do the Microsoft Dynamics GP Experts Turn for Answers?

2012-01-25T11:28:00.000-05:00

My new article is out over at MSDynamicsWorld! It's been a long time coming, but finally, and per the insistence of Jason Gumpert, I was able to get to it - Jason has his ways for sure :-)

This time around my article, Where Do the Microsoft Dynamics GP Experts Turn for Answers? A Preamble to GPUG DayONE, looks the Microsoft Dynamics GP application's dependency on the overall Microsoft technology stack and guides you on how you can find answers to the growing number of questions arising from this interdependence. In truth, the article serves as an invitation to come see David Musgrave and I talking about this subject at the next GPUG DayONE opening event for Microsoft Dynamics Convergence 2012 in Houston, TX - see Microsoft Dynamics Convergence 2012 sessions now published.

As the saying goes: be there or be square!

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

Microsoft Dynamics Convergence 2012 sessions now published

2012-01-24T07:52:00.001-05:00

Ok, they have been published for a few days now. However, I wanted to bring your attention to the sessions that David Musgrave and I will be presenting. This time we will present a GPUG DayONE breakout session, UBGP18 - Where do the Experts Turn for Answers, running Sunday, March 18, 2012 from 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM.

We will also have the distinct opportunity to present 2 Support Debugging Tool sessions - twice! That's it, you will have the opportunity to see each of our sessions in a repeat in case you get to miss any the first time around. I still don't have the details on the exact dates and times our sessions will be running yet, but will publish as soon as they become available. For now, here's what we have:

CSGP19

CSGP23

I am really excited about our new sessions showing some really cool advanced Support Debugging Tool sessions. This is an advanced level session, with lots of cool stuff from the new Build 16. You won't be disappointed!

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

1099 reports: the devil is in the details

2012-01-20T07:53:00.001-05:00

It's certainly that time of the year and if you haven't sent out those 1099's you are running out of time. I was working on a case recently at one of my clients who was having all sort of issues printing 1099 reports. Apparently, reconciling their calendar year wasn't helping the issue either. It did not really matter what they tried - short of manually adjusting the 1099 amounts for each vendor - nothing seemed to make the correct numbers print on the report.

We reviewed all 10,000 vendor cards to make sure they had the proper 1099 type and box number selected - we caught a few mishaps here too.

After inspecting a few of the problem reports (and vendors), we narrowed down the issue to a number of payable invoices not having the proper 1099 amount and box type associated to the transactions. So to fix this issue, I wrote a few scripts which I hope you find useful.

Fix1099.sql

-- Created by Mariano Gomez, MVP
-- This code is licensed under the Creative Commons 
-- Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Generic license.

-- Update the 1099 amount, type, and box number on open payable records
UPDATE a SET a.TEN99AMNT = a.DOCAMNT
 , a.TEN99TYPE = b.TEN99TYPE
 , a.TEN99BOXNUMBER = b.TEN99BOXNUMBER
FROM PM20000 a INNER JOIN PM00200 b ON (a.VENDORID = b.VENDORID) 
WHERE (b.TEN99TYPE <> 1) AND (a.DOCTYPE IN (1, 4, 5));

-- Update the 1099 amount, type, and box number on history payable records
UPDATE a SET a.TEN99AMNT = a.DOCAMNT
 , a.TEN99TYPE = b.TEN99TYPE
 , a.TEN99BOXNUMBER = b.TEN99BOXNUMBER
FROM PM30200 a INNER JOIN PM00200 b ON (a.VENDORID = b.VENDORID)
WHERE b.TEN99TYPE <> 1) AND (a.DOCTYPE IN (1, 4, 5));

-- Update the 1099 amount, type, and box number on history apply records
UPDATE a SET a.TEN99AMNT = a.APPLDAMT
 , a.DEFTEN99TYPE = b.TEN99TYPE
 , a.DEFTEN99BOXNUMBER = b.TEN99BOXNUMBER
FROM PM30300 a INNER JOIN PM00200 b ON (a.VENDORID = b.VENDORID)
WHERE b.TEN99TYPE <> 1) AND (a.APTODCTY IN (1, 4, 5));

Once the scripts are executed against the company database, you can then proceed to reconcile the 1099 amounts for the current calendar year - Microsoft Dynamics GP | Tools | Utilities | Purchasing | Reconcile. Note that the update is restricted to invoices (1), returns (4), and credit memos (5) document types.

Once we went through all of the above (including making sure the vendor cards were accurate), the reports printed fine, with the correct amounts, and in the correct boxes.

A few things to remember:

1. Execute all of the above procedures in a test environment, prior to executing in production. To create a test company from your production company follow the steps outlined in Microsoft Support KB article 871973.

2. The above steps and scripts specifically solved the issues with my client environment. You may have specifics within your environment that may prevent these scripts from being effective - I can't think of anything, but then again, test!

3. See the disclaimers on the right frame of this blog.

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

The Support Debugging Tool on Twitter!

2012-01-19T00:18:00.001-05:00

As you know by now - hopefully you do - Build 16 of the Support Debugging Tool (SDT) has been officially released - see Support Debugging Tool Build 16 released over at Developing for Dynamics GP for release notes and new features.

However, you may have noticed I have not posted anything about it (don't worry, I am still friends with Musgrave). The reason for the absence of posts on the new SDT build obays to a few reasons:

1. I am going to release a series of video blogs showing the new features on The Dynamics GP Blogster YouTube channel, and as you can imagine, these things take time.

2. I have been thinking of some creative ways to continue to push the SDT to the Microsoft Dynamics GP community as a whole, not just Build 16.

As it relates to the second reason/excuse/goal, and given the adoption of social media throughout the Microsoft Dynamics GP community - check out Social Media for Microsoft Dynamics Partners eBook by MVP Mark Polino and Jon Rivers (twitter: @jon_rivers) if you still don't get the social media drift - I thought it was now time for the Support Debugging Tool to have it's own Twitter hash tag. So please welcome #MSDYNGPSDT.

If you have any questions, comments, or want to relay any experiences with the Support Debugging Tool on Twitter, please use the #MSDYNGPSDT hash tag. Also, don't miss some really cool upcoming news about the tool, which will be available via Twitter.

Disclaimer: I am not allowed to say anything yet, otherwise I will be unfriended by Musgrave on Facebook and that's worse than him not talking to me in real life.

For more resources on the Support Debugging Tool visit the Support Debugging Tool Portal (http://aka.ms/SDT) over at Developing for Dynamics GP.

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

Management Reporter: Server Error in Application "MANAGEMENT REPORTER"

2012-01-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

Just recently, I fielded a question on an issue that was happening with a Management Reporter installation. The partner reported getting the following error (shown in the picture) when attempting to open the Management Reporter URL address: Server Error in Application "MANAGEMENT REPORTER".

The error also indicated an HTTP Error 403.14 - Forbidden. The Web server is configured to not list the contents of this directory. Typically, when you attempt to navigate to the server URL hosting Management Reporter, at the default port 4712, you can expect to receive a blank page. A blank page simply means that all Management Reporter application services are running just fine.

Scrolling through the error page, the following additional information reveals that a default document is not configured for the requested URL, and directory browsing is not enabled on the server.

In doing some research, I came across Microsoft Support KB article 942062 which explains the issue being related to Directory Browsing and Default Document not being enabled on IIS. The article provide the steps to resolve both.

With the increased reliance on the Microsoft application stack, a lot of errors that on the surface may appear to be Dynamics GP or Management Reporter related, are simply the reflection of a problem with the stack's configuration. When troubleshooting these initial problems it's always recommended to look at the Event Viewer and do some extra research in the Microsoft Support database.

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

Another reason to attend Microsoft Dynamics Convergence 2012... Daughtry!

2012-01-14T00:00:00.002-05:00

If you are a fan of good rock music, then here's another reason for you to attend Microsoft Dynamics Convergence 2012 in Houston, Texas... Daughtry will be live at the Convergence Reception.

Daughtry - from left to right: Robin Diaz (Drums), Josh Steely (Guitar), Chris Daughtry, Josh Paul (Bass), and Brian Craddock (Guitar)

Daughtry is an American rock band formed and fronted by American Idol Season 5 finalist Chris Daughtry in 2006. Their self-titled debut album was released in 2006. The disc reached number one for two non-consecutive weeks on the Billboard Top 200, sold more than four million copies and was named the number one selling album of 2007 by Billboard. Their album is also the fastest-selling debut rock album in Soundscan history. The first single from the album, "It's Not Over", was the eighth most played song across all formats on U.S. radio in 2007, and their second single from the album, "Home", was the tenth most played song in the U.S. of 2007. The band's second album, Leave This Town, was released in July 2009. The first single, "No Surprise," was released on May 5. "No Surprise" was written by Chris Daughtry with Chad Kroeger and Eric Dill. The band's third studio album, Break the Spell was released in November 2011.

On a personal note, I had a chance to see Daughtry opening for Bon Jovi at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta in Spring of 2008 and I have to say, these guys are superb artists and entertainers.

What are you waiting for? Register for Convergence now and don't miss the fun! Also, make sure you brush up on your Daughtry lyrics.

And now I leave you with one of my favorite Daughtry songs, "Over You" - and a question that's been lingering in my mind... how did this guy not win American Idol Season 5?

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

Microsoft Dynamics GP Technical Conference 2012 dates announced!

2012-01-12T10:12:00.002-05:00

It's official! The Microsoft Dynamics GP Technical Conference 2012 will be held in Fargo, ND from September 12 -14. As you know, I have been a speaker and presenter at the previous Tech 2011 and Tech 2009 and, while not official yet, I will be looking to present at the this year's Technical Conference as well. The announcement came earlier today via Pam Misialek over at the Inside Microsoft Dynamics GP blog.

Disclaimer: The banner above is not an official Microsoft Tech Conference 2012 banner and was rendered based on the current Fargo Developer Conference site banner

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

Microsoft Dynamics GP Add-In for Microsoft Word not enabling despite several attempts to install

2012-01-10T08:16:00.000-05:00

Just recently, I ran into a situation with the Microsoft Dynamics GP Add-In for Microsoft Word where, after following all the installation steps and on-screen prompts, I could not get the Microsoft Dynamics GP Templates section to show up under the Developer's ribbon in Microsoft Word 2010.

Microsoft Dynamics GP Add-In for Microsoft Word properly registered in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Dynamics GP Add-In for Microsoft Word not registered in Microsoft Word

The customer was also running a 32-bit version of Microsoft Office, clearly indicating that the issue was not related to the version of the Office product being ran - Word Templates are still not fully compatible with 64-bit Office platforms.

A first troubleshooting step under these circumstances is to make sure that the Microsoft Dynamics GP Add-In for Microsoft Word is enabled under the COM Add-Ins window in Microsoft Word. You can access the COM Add-Ins window by clicking on the button of the same name on the Developer's ribbon - please refer to the first picture above.

COM Add-Ins window

When I highlighted the Microsoft Dynamics GP Add-in for Microsoft Word component, the Load Behavior indicated Not Loaded. A runtime error occurred during the loading of the COM Add-in. While this was not a good thing, it was also a good thing, since it provided me with a key piece of information: the add-in was effectively installed, just not loading/enabling for some reason. This brought the attempts to reinstall and repair to a halt which was a good thing.

So now, I needed to figure out why the add-in wasn't loading. I figured in this case it would be appropriate to fire up my good old friend Process Monitor (ProcMon) to get a glimpse into what was going on.

After (a good 2 hours!) running some traces by attaching ProcMon to the WINWORD.EXE process, I noticed that each time I launched Microsoft Word, it would try to find the Microsoft.Office.Tools.Word.dll assembly when attempting to register the the GP add-in for Word. That was the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel! In doing some additional research, that assembly is an integral part of the Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO) Runtime. The version for Office 2010 is VSTO 4.0.

You can download VSTO 4.0 from the Microsoft Download Center.

For more information on VSTO 4.0 click here.

Hopefully this saves you a lot of frustrations.

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

Management Reporter - The operation could not be completed due to failure on the server

2012-01-05T07:55:00.001-05:00

What would be the New Year without a little drama?

I don't often write about Management Reporter, however, we just went live at a client site this past Tuesday, with everything working just as expected - by us and the client. However, just a few days working with their new environment, the client decided to run some of the financial reports we'd created with Management Reporter. Upon attempting to generate the report, the client received the following error:

Attempting to outrule any permissions issue, I ran the report with the SQL Server system admin (sa) account and got the same error.

Since the error was not descriptive enough, I turned to the Windows Applications Event Viewer and immediately spotted 3 entries. The first entry clearly stated the problem:

"Length of LOB data (678233) to be replicated exceeds configured maximum 65536. The statement has been terminated"

Because the exception was generated by a SQL client component, I could definitely rule out an issue with Management Reporter.

The second entry shows the service model fault exception messaging component that trapped the error and relied it to the Management Reporter component.

Application Event Viewer - 2nd Entry

The third entry showed the Management Reporter component that was directly affected by the cascading errors.

The original error message in the Event Viewer pointed to the length of the LOB data used for replication. This prompted me to think back for a bit and I realized that the hosting provider for my clients infrastructure and data had configured transactional replication in the past days based on the instructions provided in Microsoft Support article 926490.

Hence, it was not a surprise to me the error was referencing an issue with replication. In doing some extra search, I came across a SQL Server setting in the Advanced tab that allows you to set the Max Text Replication Size. By changing this value to -1, SQL Server would acknowledge no limit to the size of any character, XML, or image data type that could be replicated with a single insert or update operation.

The good thing also was, after setting the value, I did not have to restart the SQL Server service which made the client pretty happy as well. We re-ran the MR report and problem was gone!

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

Why you need to attend Microsoft Dynamics Convergence

2012-01-04T16:37:00.001-05:00

Microsoft Dynamics Convergence blog team member, Alexa Hoekstra invited me in past weeks to write an article on why you need to attend the event. The article is finally up on the Community website. I must say, I was very excited to write this piece as it includes pictures reflecting my experiences from past Convergence events, in hopes of providing some context to my article.

Read the article here.

Personally, I believe it turned out to be a good piece!

NOTE: you know you have written a good article when fellow MVP Mark Polino decides to add his own spin to it - read Mark's stub here.

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

Congratulations to Victoria Yudin!

2012-01-04T08:43:00.000-05:00

I didn't want to let the opportunity pass by to send shout outs to Victoria Yudin for achieving a record 8 consecutive years as a Microsoft Dynamics GP MVP. Please continue to support Victoria's work in the community by acquiring a copy of her Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 Implementation book.

A personal dream of mine is to see Victoria presenting at Convergence... maybe I should start a poll asking you, the reader, if you would like to see her present at this event.

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

Happy New Year!

2012-01-04T08:27:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!

Back from much needed vacations, I had some time to reflect back on the body of work done in 2011 in the Microsoft Dynamics GP community. The truth is, it was very hectic, with the Tech Conference 2011 in Fargo, Convergence 2011 Atlanta, Decisions Spring and Fall editions, and the GPUG Summit in Las Vegas, not to mention 158 articles on this blog along with the comments I received (plus 365000 hits!), thousands of Partner Technical Forum posts, my new YouTube channel, and much, much more.

As you can imagine, that kind of effort is represented and supported by hundreds and hundreds of hours, which are very hard to carve out with a full-time job and family activities. However, it makes it all the more rewarding.

Starting anew in 2012 makes me think about how difficult it will be to surpass what I did last year, but as I always say, I love a challenge when I see one! I'm already booked for Convergence 2012 Houston, Decisions Spring 2012, GPUG Summit 2012 Seattle, and Decisions Fall 2012, and as you can imagine, preparation is already on the way for these events... and really, I want to finish my book. I know, this is a missing item on my community resume.

Anyways, it's time to start working on all these goals, so let's see how I fare this time around next year.

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

Merry Christmas from The Dynamics GP Blogster and Family

2011-12-24T08:54:00.000-05:00

Couple days ago, I blogged about some of the top articles I wrote this past year. Today, I am in Discovery Bay (an hour away from crowded Montego Bay), Jamaica enjoying the holiday season with family and friends and looking forward to get some rest.

Discovery Bay, Jamaica

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Eid-al-Adha, Kuanza, etc., you know how important it is to be with love ones around this time of the year. So, on behalf of my family and I, we wish you a Merry Christmas and hope you had a great 2011 too.

I now leave you with this great song from Michael Buble, from his new album, Christmas.

Enjoy!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

The Dynamics GP Blogster's best articles of 2011

2011-12-22T17:25:00.000-05:00

It's simply amazing! When it's all said and done, I will have published close to 160 articles for this year alone. Sometimes I find myself asking, "what will I write about next?". The truth is, I simply don't know or can't tell: I enjoy writing about issues I work on, challenges in my implementations, conferences I attend, etc. And the outlets to get my thoughts out just keep increasing. I am actively for:

This site
MSDynamicsWorld.com
Microsoft Dynamics Community

I also have Facebook and Twitter accounts to keep up with. So, when I look back at 2011 to choose the best articles of this year, I must consider the various outlets where they are published. After all, The Dynamics GP Blogster is no longer a site, but a person... me! With that said, these are some of the best articles I personally enjoyed writing this year:

1. The Microsoft Dynamics GP Technical Conference 2011 - The Technical Conference was a great experience up in Fargo, ND. I definitely enjoyed presenting with my dear friend and Microsoftie, David Musgrave. It's always an awesome challenge to introduce technical topics to a bunch of propellerheads.

2. Microsoft Dynamics Convergence Atlanta 2011 - Who could forget Convergence in Atlanta? Not only was the conference in my backyard, but it also gave me a chance to enjoy myself presenting while not having to worry about sleeping in a hotel. It also gave me the opportunity to catch up with a number of my fellow MVPs who live in the sorrounding states. Convergence is always a fun experience! See you in Houston 2012.

3. Hybrid Development for the Managed Code Developer - At Convergence, I got a number of request from Visual Studio developers to dive a bit into hybrid solutions using Dexterity and VST, given the fact that they had attended the session that David and I presented on development. The article certainly got a lot of hits and truly enjoyed writing it, since the issue was a bit obscure at the time.

4. Microsoft Dynamics GP "12" Web Client Architecture - It took me a good amount of research and using some of my charm with the Product Management and Development teams in Fargo to get the information I published in this series. It certainly paid off! After the articles were released, including a follow up in my Microsoft Dynamics Community column, it was clear that everyone wanted to know more about codename GP "12".

5. The Future of Microsoft Dynamics GP: 5 Cool Technologies You Should Watch For (and Learn) in the Coming Years - This article had a lot of traffic on MSDynamicsWorld as I was coming off the Tech Conference in Fargo when I wrote it. Interestingly enough, I highlighted how Microsoft Dexterity would be one of the 5 cool technologies to keep an eye on. With the advent of GP "12", doubts anyone?

6. Running Fixed Assets Depreciation causes Microsoft Dynamics GP to "hang". This was an issue I faced after a very long upgrade from GP 9.0 to GP 2010 R2. I consider it one of the best articles, because little did I know people would write back to let me know they had run into the same issue and coudn't figure out why.

7. Microsoft Dynamics GP, the next generation of end-user customization tools? If you going to speculate, it needs to be based on facts. There's nothing more rewarding to a writer than seeing the interest his/her publications generate. This article has had closed to 2000 views since it short release in September. But honestly, who won't like to see Integration Manager being beefed up with Visual Studio Tools for Applications or even PowerShell.

8. GPUG Summit 2011 Las Vegas - Being in Las Vegas delivering training and presenting for the user community was an awesome experience! But, being able to capture that experience and share it with the rest of the community was even more gratifying. I can't stress the importance of joining GPUG and attending these events.

9. Codename GP "12" preliminary features - Along with the Microsoft Dynamics GP "12" Web Client Architecture series, this particular series added some "meat and potatoes" behind what could be expected in the next Microsoft Dynamics GP major release. If you have not looked into the features a suggest you review the series.

As you can see, many of the "best articles" selected were truly complete series of articles and represent my touring throughout the country at conferences and working along with folks at Microsoft to get the scoop on what's in store for the next release of GP. Things will only get more exciting for next year with Convergence in Houston, GPUG Summit in Seattle, and the awaited GP "12". So stay tuned to The Dynamics GP Blogter and thank you very much for your readership throughout this year.

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

Microsoft Dynamics GP displaying overlapping text on home page

2011-12-12T13:20:00.000-05:00

Scouting the Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner Online Technical Forum, I came across this interesting case, in which a partner reported seeing overlapping options text on the home page and missing picture bars. The problem, as reported by the partner, was only happening with a user on a specific workstation, but not with his domain account and Microsoft Dynamics GP user.

Home page with overlapping text and missing pictures

Initially, the partner attempted to reduce Internet Explorer's Internet zone's security to the bare minimum, which would allow all home page scripts to be executed, with no results. Still puzzled, they began running a ProcMon trace on Microsoft Dynamics GP to look for ACCESS DENIED events, as instructed by Microsoft's Partner Online Technical Community support engineer, Jason Larson.

The partner recorded all trace results, but SUCCESS, and found the following being displayed several times in the log:

FILE LOCKED WITH ONLY READERS
FAST IO DISALLOWED
NAME NOT FOUND
REPARSE
NO MORE ENTRIES
NAME COLLISION

They also reported one message that appeared several times, NAME NOT FOUND pointing to the registry entry:

HKU\S-1-5-21-2191439342-1828296097-4069510072-1121\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Security\DisableSecuritySettingsCheck

The partner also noticed that if they assigned the affected users to the Domain Administrators group via Active Directory, they would no longer experience the issue. The other groups they are in have Full Access to the Microsoft Dynamics GP program files folder.

The partner also found only one ACCESS DENIED entry in the trace pointing to the following key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Wow6432Node\MIME\Database\Content Type\application\futuresplash

After doing some research, the partner assigned Read permissions on the above key and the problem went away.

You can find more information on and download Process Monitor over at the Windows Sysinternals team blog at:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896645

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

The Dynamics GP Blogster's YouTube Channel launches with Decisions Fall 2011

2011-12-06T11:00:00.005-05:00

It was long overdue! However, I had to wait for the right time to do this and it finally came with Decisions Fall 2011 - Dynamics GP Day. Today, my presentation on 5 Support Debugging Tool features you should be using with Microsoft Dynamics GP, featured 5 clips that are now available on my new YouTube channel for your viewing pleasure.

If you had wanted to learn about the basic features in Support Debugging Tool, now you can visit The Dynamics GP Blogster YouTube Channel to watch the videos. They are recorded in full HD, scalable from 360p to 1080p - the audio quality is close to CD quality.

Keep checking the Channel, since I will be posting more videos around some of the cool Microsoft Dynamics GP technologies. You can find a link to The Dynamics GP Blogster YouTube Channel on the left frame of this blog.

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

Granting Access and Binding Defaults when recreating SQL Tables: a follow up

2011-12-05T08:59:00.000-05:00

In his most recent article, Granting Access and Binding Defaults when recreating SQL Tables, my good friend, David Musgrave, points out how to drop and re-create a Microsoft Dynamics GP object with the SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) database object scripting capabilities.

His article overall addresses issues with objects not being properly upgraded from previous releases of Microsoft Dynamics GP to the version you are trying to upgrade to, and how to deal with these issue, so please read the articles as they contain valuable upgrade tips.

However, in his article, David points out that SSMS does not generate the object permissions and bindings necessary, hence the reason for the script he created and attached to his article. The bottom line is, these are configurable settings under SSMS's SQL Server Object Explorer options. To activate scripting of permissions and bindings in SSMS, follow these steps:

1. Open SSMS and go to the Tools | Options menu. This will open the Options window. Locate the SQL Server Object Explorer options and expand, then highlight Scripting to activate all scripting options.

SQL Server Management Studio Options window

2. Under Object Scripting Options, change Script Permissions to True.

Script permissions option

3. Under Table and view options, change Script bound defaults and rules to True.

Script bound defaults and rules

4. Click Ok to acknowledge all changes and exit the Options window.

Now let's test this... if we choose to script the SOP10110 table referenced in the sample script provided by David in his article, the following are the results:

USE [TWO]
GO

IF  EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sys.check_constraints WHERE object_id = OBJECT_ID(N'[dbo].[CK__SOP10110__ENDDAT__41320FDC]') AND parent_object_id = OBJECT_ID(N'[dbo].[SOP10110]'))
ALTER TABLE [dbo].[SOP10110] DROP CONSTRAINT [CK__SOP10110__ENDDAT__41320FDC]
GO

IF  EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sys.check_constraints WHERE object_id = OBJECT_ID(N'[dbo].[CK__SOP10110__STRTDA__42263415]') AND parent_object_id = OBJECT_ID(N'[dbo].[SOP10110]'))
ALTER TABLE [dbo].[SOP10110] DROP CONSTRAINT [CK__SOP10110__STRTDA__42263415]
GO

USE [TWO]
GO

/****** Object:  Table [dbo].[SOP10110]    Script Date: 12/05/2011 08:49:26 ******/
IF  EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sys.objects WHERE object_id = OBJECT_ID(N'[dbo].[SOP10110]') AND type in (N'U'))
DROP TABLE [dbo].[SOP10110]
GO

USE [TWO]
GO

/****** Object:  Table [dbo].[SOP10110]    Script Date: 12/05/2011 08:49:26 ******/
SET ANSI_NULLS OFF
GO

SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
GO

SET ANSI_PADDING OFF
GO

CREATE TABLE [dbo].[SOP10110](
 [PRCSHID] [char](15) NOT NULL,
 [DESCEXPR] [char](51) NOT NULL,
 [NTPRONLY] [tinyint] NOT NULL,
 [ACTIVE] [tinyint] NOT NULL,
 [STRTDATE] [datetime] NOT NULL,
 [ENDDATE] [datetime] NOT NULL,
 [NOTEINDX] [numeric](19, 5) NOT NULL,
 [PROMO] [tinyint] NOT NULL,
 [CURNCYID] [char](15) NOT NULL,
 [DEX_ROW_ID] [int] IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL,
 CONSTRAINT [PKSOP10110] PRIMARY KEY NONCLUSTERED 
(
 [PRCSHID] ASC
)WITH (PAD_INDEX  = OFF, STATISTICS_NORECOMPUTE  = OFF, IGNORE_DUP_KEY = OFF, ALLOW_ROW_LOCKS  = ON, ALLOW_PAGE_LOCKS  = ON) ON [PRIMARY]
) ON [PRIMARY]

GO

SET ANSI_PADDING OFF
GO

EXEC sys.sp_bindefault @defname=N'[dbo].[GPS_CHAR]', @objname=N'[dbo].[SOP10110].[PRCSHID]' , @futureonly='futureonly'
GO

EXEC sys.sp_bindefault @defname=N'[dbo].[GPS_CHAR]', @objname=N'[dbo].[SOP10110].[DESCEXPR]' , @futureonly='futureonly'
GO

EXEC sys.sp_bindefault @defname=N'[dbo].[GPS_INT]', @objname=N'[dbo].[SOP10110].[NTPRONLY]' , @futureonly='futureonly'
GO

EXEC sys.sp_bindefault @defname=N'[dbo].[GPS_INT]', @objname=N'[dbo].[SOP10110].[ACTIVE]' , @futureonly='futureonly'
GO

EXEC sys.sp_bindefault @defname=N'[dbo].[GPS_DATE]', @objname=N'[dbo].[SOP10110].[STRTDATE]' , @futureonly='futureonly'
GO

EXEC sys.sp_bindefault @defname=N'[dbo].[GPS_DATE]', @objname=N'[dbo].[SOP10110].[ENDDATE]' , @futureonly='futureonly'
GO

EXEC sys.sp_bindefault @defname=N'[dbo].[GPS_MONEY]', @objname=N'[dbo].[SOP10110].[NOTEINDX]' , @futureonly='futureonly'
GO

EXEC sys.sp_bindefault @defname=N'[dbo].[GPS_INT]', @objname=N'[dbo].[SOP10110].[PROMO]' , @futureonly='futureonly'
GO

EXEC sys.sp_bindefault @defname=N'[dbo].[GPS_CHAR]', @objname=N'[dbo].[SOP10110].[CURNCYID]' , @futureonly='futureonly'
GO

GRANT DELETE ON [dbo].[SOP10110] TO [DYNGRP] AS [dbo]
GO

GRANT INSERT ON [dbo].[SOP10110] TO [DYNGRP] AS [dbo]
GO

GRANT SELECT ON [dbo].[SOP10110] TO [DYNGRP] AS [dbo]
GO

GRANT UPDATE ON [dbo].[SOP10110] TO [DYNGRP] AS [dbo]
GO

ALTER TABLE [dbo].[SOP10110]  WITH CHECK ADD CHECK  ((datepart(hour,[ENDDATE])=(0) AND datepart(minute,[ENDDATE])=(0) AND datepart(second,[ENDDATE])=(0) AND datepart(millisecond,[ENDDATE])=(0)))
GO

ALTER TABLE [dbo].[SOP10110]  WITH CHECK ADD CHECK  ((datepart(hour,[STRTDATE])=(0) AND datepart(minute,[STRTDATE])=(0) AND datepart(second,[STRTDATE])=(0) AND datepart(millisecond,[STRTDATE])=(0)))
GO

Note that the name of your constraints may be different, however note that all permissions are granted to the DYNGRP role and that all defaults are properly binded for each currency, date, char, and integer data types.

As usual and if nothing else, you now have 2 methods of dropping and creating SQL Server objects, granting permissions and binding defaults.

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

Terminal Server: Dynamics.exe encountered a problem and needed to close

2011-12-05T07:00:00.003-05:00

Just recently I assisted a partner with an issue they were having on a Terminal Server environment, after upgrading from Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0 to Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010.

Upon launching Microsoft Dynamics GP, an end-user was receiving the error shown below:

Dynamics.exe Error

Clicking on the hyperlink for the error detail showed the following:

Error Signature

I have faced a number of issues of this type in the past and typically they are all narrowed down to corrupt forms and/or reports dictionaries - both Dynamics and third-parties. However, this seemed different, since other Terminal Server users were not experiencing the same issue.

The Event Viewer, however, showed a bit more details about the issue:

Event Viewer

The Event Viewer information was in effect confirming that the faulting application was indeed the Runtime Engine, Dynamics.exe. However, interestingly enough, it was showing that the faulting module was the msvcr90.dll.

In doing some search, I confirmed that the component in question was a part of the Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86).

The Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86) installs runtime components of Visual C++ Libraries required to run applications developed with Visual C++ SP1 on a computer that does not have Visual C++ 2008 SP1 installed.

This package installs runtime components of C Runtime (CRT), Standard C++, ATL, MFC, OpenMP and MSDIA libraries. For libraries that support side-by-side deployment model (CRT, SCL, ATL, MFC, OpenMP) they are installed into the native assembly cache, also called WinSxS folder, on versions of Windows operating system that support side-by-side assemblies.

The Microsoft Dynamics GP Runtime Engine (Dynamics.exe), was originally developed in C++ and has since evolved to include interoperability with the .NET Framework, needed to develop some of the most advanced aspects of the application.

I had the partner download and reinstall the Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86), found at the Microsoft Download Center.

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=5582

After a couple hours, the partner confirmed that the issue was solved... another one bites the dust!

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

Resetting GP desktop position and size with the Support Debugging Tool

2011-12-01T23:12:00.001-05:00

Just recently I worked on an issue being experienced by several Microsoft Dynamics GP users in a Citrix environment. The users would report that, when double-clicking on the Microsoft Dynamics GP application launch icon, the program would "automatically minimize".

In doing some digging, I remembered a few Dex.ini settings that control whether the Microsoft Dynamics GP desktop shows maximized upon start up and the position at which the desktop appears. So, I took my good ol' friend Notepad and edited the DEX.INI to find the following:

[General]
.
.
WindowMax=FALSE
.
WindowPosX=1605
WindowPosY=902
WindowWidth=1200
WindowHeight=625

Sample DEX.INI entries

As you can imagine, this problem can be easily replicated if you have a dual monitor and move the GP desktop off to a second monitor or by reducing the desktop size and moving the window off screen.

The fix is also pretty simple indeed. Reset the WindowMax key value to TRUE and bring the WindowPosX and WindowPosY key values back to some manageable parameter values, for example 150 and 150. End of the problem, right? Not quite.

The client then requested to put the proper controls in place to prevent this from happening in the future. In some environments where I have been, system administrators have simply decided to make the Dex.ini file read only to avoid any changes being written to the file. However, as my good friend David Musgrave over at Developing for Dynamics GP explains in his article Why making the Dex.ini file read only is evil, this is not such a good idea as it can cause a number of headaches given the dependency Microsoft Dynamics GP has on the key file.

Of course, here's where the Support Debugging Tool comes into play.

The Support Debugging Tool's Dex.ini Configuration feature allows a system administrator to manage individual key file settings at his/her discretion, with the ability to persist the key values for all Microsoft Dynamics GP clients and their respective Dex.ini file. There are 4 deployment scenarios where this can be very useful:

1. In a Server and Workstation(s) scenario, where the server and workstations each will have a copy of the Microsoft Dynamics GP client - hence, each workstation will have its own Dex.ini file.

2. In a Terminal Server or Citrix environment with a single instance of the Microsoft Dynamics GP client - hence a single Dex.ini file.

3. In a Terminal Server or Citrix environment with a single instance of the Microsoft Dynamics GP client, but multiple Dex.ini files, each stored at the user profile level.

4. In a load-balanced Terminal Server or Citrix environment where Microsoft Dynamics GP runs on each server participating in the farm - hence, each server will have its own Dex.ini file.

However, and in all cases for Dex.ini Configuration to work effectively, the Support Debugging Tool's Debugger.xml settings file must be shared (in a central location on the network) and reachable by all Microsoft Dynamics GP clients, regardless of the deployment method. To share the Debugger.xml, you must change the path to the file under the Dex.ini Settings option of the Support Debugging Tool as shown below:

Support Debugging Tool's Dex.ini Settings window

For more information on installing the Support Debugging Tool, see Installing the Support Debugging Tool for Microsoft Dynamics GP FAQ over at Developing for Dynamics GP.

You can then use the Dex.ini Configuration window to control the window size and position for all workstations as shown below:

Support Debugging Tool's Dex.ini Configuration Window

One more thing to keep in mind, is to set the Path Default Setting as indicated above to make sure all workstations inherit the same values automatically.

That's it!

Now that you know how to avoid the headache, go an install the Support Debugging Tool and come to my MSDynamicsWorld Decisions Fall 2011 session on the subject.

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

5 Support Debugging Tool features you should be using today: Decisions Fall 2011

2011-11-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

The Decisions Fall 2011 virtual conference is around the corner, with Dynamics GP Day scheduled for Tuesday, December 6 2011. Please register to participate in the conference. This is a unique, virtual conference experience. No, it's not a boring webinar and surely not the kind of place where you will be ran over by tons of people walking up in hallways and down escalators trying to get to a session room. You can do this from the comfort of your office, sofa, or even your tricked out basement office. There's no excuse - that I can think of anyways - for not participating.

This time around, I will be presenting a topic around - what else! - the Support Debugging Tool: "5 Support Debugging Tool features you should be using today with Microsoft Dynamics GP". What can I say, I love long session titles.

This session is strictly an end-user oriented presentation whose sole objective is to demistify the complexities of the Standard Mode options in the Support Debugging Tool. That's right! No complex scripts, no Dexterity triggers, no XML mambo jambo... just plain simple talk on what's available for YOU the everyday mortal who works with Microsoft Dynamics GP.

Want the advanced stuff? Meet David and I at Microsoft Convergence 2012 in Houston (more on this in another post).

The session will feature 5 simple demoes that will, once and for all, convince you of installing the tool in your environment.

I will also be a panelist at the Microsoft Dynamics GP MVP Roundtable with my compadres, Frank Hamelly, Jivtesh Singh, and Mark Polino. You get to ask us anything Microsoft Dynamics GP and have some fun in the process. Register now!

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

Codename GP "12" Preliminary Features Series - Wrap Up

2011-11-23T07:00:00.003-05:00

Over the past few days I have presented some of the product enhancements being considered and developed for codename GP "12". Those enhancements are based on 4 core pillars: Simplicity, Productivity, Product Depth, and Innovation.

As we approach the Microsoft Convergence 2012 event, I am sure more of these will be revealed.

As is customary, you can find links to all previously published articles:

Codename GP "12" Preliminary Features Series - 1 of 4
Codename GP "12" Preliminary Features Series - 2 of 4
Codename GP "12" Preliminary Features Series - 3 of 4
Codename GP "12" Preliminary Features Series - 4 of 4

I encourage you to continue following the Inside Microsoft Dynamics GP blog by the Microsoft Dynamics GP Product Management Team. They are the premier (and official) source for information on all things codename GP "12" and if you have been to the site, you will know that closer to the product release date, you will get a "Feature of the Day" post showcasing new functionality.

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

Codename GP "12" Preliminary Features Series - 4 of 4

2011-11-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Codename GP "12" Preliminary Features - Part 4

This is article is part 4 of 4 from the series Codename GP "12" Preliminary Features. Some images and content reproduced with express permission from Microsoft Business Solutions, a division of Microsoft Corporation.

DISCLAIMER: These features are subject to change.

In part 3 of the series, we discussed the different enhancements geared towards building up the Microsoft Dynamics GP product depth: enhancements to the GL year-end process, ability to generate Fixed Assets historical reports, and tolerance handling in the purchasing receipt process, are just among the few that stand out.

Of course, the Innovation pillar is mostly dominated by the release of the Web Client, but I will have to add some of the other features that got cataloged in the Product Depth pillar as true product innovations, even though the technologies supporting these innovations has been around for quite sometime.

Product Depth? More like Innovation

If the dynamic conversion of all Dexterity based forms is not an innovation, then I don't know what else qualifies. Take a look at my previous articles on the subject:

Microsoft Dynamics GP "12" Web Client Architecture - Part 2
Microsoft Dynamics GP "12" Web Client Architecture - Part 3

For the complete series on the Web Client, please take a look at my series:

Microsoft Dynamics GP "12" Web Client Architecture Series

To learn more about the Multitenant Services capabilities coming to GP "12", please take a look at my article:

Microsoft Dynamics GP "12" Multitenant Service Architecture

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

Codename GP "12" Preliminary Features Series - 3 of 4

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

Codename GP "12" Preliminary Features - Part 3

This is article is part 3 of 4 from the series Codename GP "12" Preliminary Features. Some images and content reproduced with express permission from Microsoft Business Solutions, a division of Microsoft Corporation.

DISCLAIMER: These features are subject to change.

If you were taken by the Simplicity and Productivity features, then you will be more impressed with the this new list of features aimed at enhancing the Microsoft Dynamics GP product depth.

Product Depth features

Receivables Management Enhancements

As of the current release, it has always been necessary to enter and apply multicurrency cash receipts as a two-step process. MC Apply in Cash Receipts will now allow you to take a cash receipt entered in originating currency and apply it against an invoice all in the same transaction entry process.

Payables Management

Void of Check Return Applied Credits (return/credit memo) to reusable state - For example, if you have an invoice ($100) with a payment of $50 and a credit memo for $50, both applied to the invoice, you will be able to void the check and have the credit memo become available to either use against the same invoice or apply it to another document - the credit memo returns to an unapplied state. If the original payment was made by credit card, the invoice created for the credit card vendor will also be voided automatically.
Fixed Assets Enhancements

The Fixed Assets module has seen considerable improvements. New also is the Fixed Assets Historical Depreciation Reports. If you have tried to run a historical report, it was not possible and the system would retrieve all the previous depreciation information. Now you can select a specific depreciation date for your report.

System Enhancements

Document Attach. Are you tired of trying to fight your way with the Dexterity OLE Notes Container? First I should clarify, the OLE Notes Container will remain an integral part of Microsoft Dynamics GP. After all, there are a number of you using out there. However, now you will have a more powerful tool in Document Attach.

Document Attach

General Ledger Enhancements

GL Year End Close Options. This feature will provide an option to clear out balance for unit accounts. Currently, unit account balances automatically carry over from the previous year. The year-end process now features a progress bar that will indicate how far you are into the process when executing it. GP "12" will also provide an option to NOT delete budget account with balances.

I hope you are enjoying some of these preliminary features. My next article will discuss some of the product innovations and what you can expect from a technology perspective..

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

Codename GP "12" Preliminary Features Series - 2 of 4

2011-11-18T07:00:00.008-05:00

Codename GP "12" Preliminary Features - Part 2

This is article is part 2 of 4 from the series Codename GP "12" Preliminary Features. Some images and content reproduced with express permission from Microsoft Business Solutions, a division of Microsoft Corporation.

DISCLAIMER: These features are subject to change.

Yesterday, in Part 1 of the Series we saw some of the new features in the Simplicity pillar: Select printer at Print Time, improvements in the Fixed Assets calendar setup process, reprinting of check remittances, and the ability to print SSRS reports directly from within Microsoft Dynamics GP, in what seems to be a race to replace Report Writer reports.

Today, we will take a look at some of the features in the Productivity pillar, whose aim is to "enhance productivity from application configuration to frequently performed tasks".

Productivity Features

System Enhancements

Among the features being worked, the Named System Database and Multi-tenant Applications are two of the most important features aimed to change Microsoft Dynamics GP architecture. I have covered these two features extensively in my Microsoft Dynamics Communities column articles:

Microsoft Dynamics GP "12" Named System Database Architecture
Microsoft Dynamics GP "12" Multitenant Service Architecture

Bank Reconciliation Enhancements

In the Bank Reconciliation front, you can expect the new Sub Ledger Reconcile BR to GL feature. If you are worried about your checkbook balance and GL cash account not matching, this new option will present you with reason for the out of balance conditions: a batch not posted, a voided GL entry, etc. This new feature also looks at the Receivables and Payables module.

By adding the checkbook ID as a field, you can compare the checkbook balance to the Cash Account in GL. This new reconcile tool will attempt to match records on transaction source, date, and amount and will report matched transactions, unmatched transactions, and potentially matched transactions, with the capability to drill back to the document and/or journal entry.

You can then save the output file and date when the reconciliation was performed so you don’t need to run the reconcile again. This option has been retrofitted to the other reconciliation processes.

Fixed Assets Enhancements

Yesterday I talked about the Fixed Assets Calendar Setup enhancements. You can expect other enhancements in the Fixed Assets GL Posting process – you will now be able to create batches of fixed assets transaction. As with every other batch in the system, you will now be able to review what is going to post to GL before it is posted, via an edit list.

You can build the batch, insert restrictions - today, you are only able to enter a date range and Fixed Assets pulls everything - such as dates, transaction type (depreciation, transfer, retire, addition) review the batch, make changes, and post. You can post in detail vs. post in summary - the only option available today. Going forward, each distribution line in Fixed Assets will have an equivalent distribution line in GL.

Other enhancements in Fixed assets will entail Mass Depreciation Reversal. This one is much needed as, if you have depreciated 1,000 assets through the end of the year by mistake, you would have to manually back out each of the 1,000 assets. In GP "12", you will be able to perform a mass reversal of the depreciation - all assets at once.

EFT Enhancements

EFT Payables and Receivables will see the introduction of the Bank Administration Institute (BAI). The process will use the current Configurator to setup an EFT file based on BAI standards.

Distribution Enhancements

Purchasing Receivings will now see Tolerance Levels handling for quantities being received. If you setup a tolerance level, any quantities not received within the tolerance limits will automatically be cancelled on the Purchase Order. You will have the option to setup whether you want to do this automatically or prompted.

SOP and POP Drop Ship for Serial/Lots items – GP "12" will allow you to track serial/lot numbers from vendors. Users will have the ability to enter the serial numbers for any product being drop-shipped, unlike current released versions of GP. If you have a SOP invoice linked to a PO then the Serial/Lot will come across onto the SOP invoice.

As you can see, there are tons of enhancements in all of the above modules. GP "12" is geared towards solving some of the complexities in business processes that were a bit neglected in current releases.

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/