Future of GP - Best Practices for Upgrades

Presented by Brady Curtis

The Future of GP

The Resource Group

Microsoft Dynamics GP Support Lifecycle

GP Version Release Lifecycle Start DateMainstream Support

End DateExtended Support End

Date

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 –Service Pack 4

6/15/2010 10/13/2015 10/13/2020

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 –Service Pack 2

3/12/2013 4/10/2018 4/11/2023

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015 4/14/2015 4/14/2020 4/8/2025

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2016 R2 12/1/2016 7/13/2021 7/14/2026

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2018 12/1/2017 1/10/2023 1/11/2028

GP 2015 R2

2015 H1 2016 H1

Microsoft Dynamics GP Roadmap

2017 H2

All in One Doc Viewer

AP Inv Approval

Time Mgmt App

Automated Provisioning for Azure

Top feature requests

Power BI: OData 2.0

Home Page Refresh

Web Client Evolution

Top Features Requested by Customers

GP 2016

2016 H2

Enhanced user experience for Web Client

Multiple browser & device support for Web Client

Workflow 3.0

Power BI: OData 1.0

Top feature requests

GP 2016 R2

Workflow 4.0

Doc Attach

Fin/HR Optimization

Power Suite

Top feature requests

GP 2018

Financial Enhancements

Purchasing Usability

Sales Optimization

Top features requests

GP ‘Next’

2018 H2 2019 +

Ongoing Development

Top features requested by customers & community

GP ‘Next’

The Future

The Resource Group

• Business Applications – October 2018 Release Notes

http://download.microsoft.com/download/B/F/2/BF2F7F86-F908-414C-8982-340658F0076F/BusinessApplications_ReleaseNotes_October18.pdf#page136

• Dynamics GP is part of Business Central Plan

• Existing GP on-premises solutions can connect to Business Central Cloud to leverage:

Power BI Reporting

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Machine Learning (ML)

The Facts about GP – A Recap

The Resource Group

• Microsoft has a 10 year support lifecycle for GP releases

• Microsoft Dynamics GP Roadmap Continues!

• Approx. 45,000 active customers – and a huge ecosystem

• Integration with Dynamics 365 Business Central

Best Practices for GP Upgrades

The Resource Group

Why Should I Upgrade?

Incorporate new features for GP

Support Lifecycle

Keep current with client Operating System

Office Compatibility

Utilize new versions of SQL

Cost of upgrade is reduced if you keep current

Upgrade complexity

•10.0201320162018

•201020152018

•201320162018

•20152018

•20162018

Upgrade Hops:

Microsoft Products

Third Party Products

•2013 or 2015 only

OLE Note Migration to Doc Attach

GP Compatibility with Windows OS

• Operating System Compatible with GP

Version GP 2010 GP 2013 GP 2015 GP 2016 GP 2018

Windows XP x

Windows Vista x

Windows 7 x x x x x

Windows 8 x x x x

Windows 10 x x x x

GP Compatibility with Office

• Versions of Office supported with GP:

Version GP 2010 GP 2013 GP 2015 GP 2016 GP 2018

Office 2007 x

Office 2010 x x x

Office 2013 x x x x

Office 2016 x x x

O365 x x x x

GP Compatibility with SQL

• Versions of SQL supported with GP:

Version GP 2010 GP 2013 GP 2015 GP 2016 GP 2018

SQL 2005 x

SQL 2008 x x

SQL 2012 x x x x

SQL 2014 x x x x

SQL 2016 x x

SQL 2017 x

GP System Recommendations (SQL Server)

Component Recommended

Server OS 2012 R2/2016

SQL Version 2014/2016*

RAM 16 GB (32 GB if MR is installed on the server)

CPU 4 cores

Hard drive arrays

OS RAID 1

SQL Data drive RAID 10 or 0+1

SQL Log drive RAID 1 or 10

SQL Backup drive RAID 1

TempDB RAID 1 (Create file for each processor)

GP System Recommendations (Client)

• Client

• RDS Server

Component Recommended

OS 7 or 10

Office Version 2013/2016/O365

RAM 4 GB or more

CPU 2 cores or more

Component Recommended

OS 2012/2016

Office Version 2013/2016/O365

RAM 16 GB or more

CPU 4 cores

Hard Drive 80 GB +2 GB per user

Blog Post https://community.dynamics.com/gp/b/gplifehacks/archive/2017/12/21/dynamics-gp-workflow-types-by-version-release

Workflow 4.0 for GP2018

• Added 3 new workflows– GL Account Approval

– Purchasing Receipt Approval

– Purchasing Invoice Approval

• Reminder emails added

• Copy workflow steps

• Workflow Transaction History Detail report

• Additional fields for workflow

• Email Enhancements

GP Web Client• Why install the web client?

– Allow users the ability to access GP without having to install GP on their client.

– Allows users to sign in with their Windows credentials.– Used as a convenient way for user to initiate or approve workflows such

as filling out a requisition request, or requesting an address change.– Self Service User

• What is needed to install web client?– Web server with IIS– Certificate– Windows group for users and managers– Service Account(s)– DNS record if using a hostname URL

Power BI and OData

Power BI and OData

• GP 2018 released the first Power BI content pack.

• You can use OData to connect Power BI to your GP data.

• You can add Power BI to the GP homepage.

• GP 2018 is updated to OData 4

– Supports Paging

– Supports Filtering

– Better performance

Upgrade Process

Upgrade Checklist and

Quote

Project Planning & Scheduling

Meeting

Technical Planning Call

Pre-upgrade Requirements

Test Upgrade

What’s New Training

Test Plans

Go/No Go CallProduction

Upgrade

Go-Live Support

Project Close Out Meeting

Post Upgrade Tasks

• Backup the network folder– Common naming convention:

• \\SERVERNAME\GPShare

– Contents:• Documentation (Enhancements, Installation Instructions)• Excel Reports (Refreshable BI reports)• Integration Manager database• Reports (for example, Crystal Reports)• Modified Forms• Modified Reports• OLE Notes• Word Templates• Installation Media, Third Party product installs

Post Upgrade Tasks

• Backup the SQL Databases

– When taking an ADHOC backup, use the Copy-only option.

Post Upgrade Tasks

• Backup the SQL Databases– DYNAMICS– Company databases

• select INTERID from DYNAMICS..SY01500

– ManagementReporter– ReportServer

• Encryption Key1. Start the Reporting Services Configuration Manager, and then connect to the

report server instance you want to configure.2. Click Encryption Keys, and then select Back Up.3. Type a strong password.4. Specify a file to contain the stored key. Reporting Services appends a .snk file

extension to the file. Consider storing the file on a disk separate from the report server.

5. Select OK.

Source: MS Docs

Post Upgrade Tasks

• Backup the SQL Databases– Sover BI360

• BI360DW• OSR_Repository

– Analysis Cubes• DynamicsGPWarehouse

– System Databases

• Backup the Integration Manager Database– Usually located at:

• \\SERVERNAME\GPShare\Integration Manager\

– File extension:• IMD• MDB

Post Upgrade Tasks

• Set Up Email Alerts when SQL Backups Fail1. Enable SQL Database Mail

2. Create a mail profile and account (SMTP)

Post Upgrade Tasks

• Set Up Email Alerts when SQL Backups Fail

3. Create an Operator

Post Upgrade Tasks

• Set Up Email Alerts when SQL Backups Fail

4. Create/Edit the SQL job to alert the Operator when the job fails.

Post Upgrade Tasks

• Refresh the data in a test company

– Run the “Refresh” Maintenance Plan

• Has all of the scripts necessary to refresh– For example, cleans up company ID and database users

– Normal naming convention:

• Refresh ‘production DB’ over ‘test DB’

Post Upgrade Tasks

• Install a new GP Client on a workstation

– Use the installation instructions

• Normally located at:– \\SERVERNAME\GPShare\Documenation\

• Step by step instructions on how to install GP on a new computer, including third party products.

Post Upgrade Tasks

• Fix the Display issue on high resolution monitors

High ResolutionDisplay

Standard Display

Post Upgrade Tasks

• Fix the Display issue on high resolution monitors1. Add/Change the following Registry entry:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SideBySide

PreferExternalManifest=dword:00000001

2. Add the Dynamics.exe.manifest file to the GP2018 installation folder.

Source: Fix Dynamics GP scaling and font size issues on high DPI displays

Questions?