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Great Plains Partner Newsflash: Dynamics Gp Installation and Conversion

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Microsoft Dynamics GP ERP is MS SQL Server based application, which makes it feasible to entrust installation procedure to either Dynamics GP technical consultant, or SQL DBA.  Support and performance tuning is likely to be in the hand of your internal DBA, if you are large organization.  If you are small or small-to-midsize business with up to 10 Great Plains users, you should consider GP installation, initial conversion and on-going performance tuning to be outsourced to Great Plains Reseller or consultant.  We would like to give you some intro paragraphs, so you could go from there:

1.       MS SQL Server installation.  Please, note here, that you cannot just follow the defaults in MS SQL Server installation, and here is where you have to intervene.  First of all, Dynamic GP requires SQL mixed security mode, while default suggests you to pick Windows only authentication.  Second, and this is coming to the scenes when you are ordering powerful Windows 2003 or 2008 server hardware – your SCSI disks arrays should be configured to optimize Great Plains performance.  Separate RAID I is recommended for Operating System, separate RAID I for SQL log files, separate RAID 5 or RAID 10 for MS SQL Databases

2.       Windows 2003 server configuration.  This question is probably not so important if you are small organization and you are counting on Windows 2008 or 2003 Small Business Server.  However in larger organization, you have to change default Windows Server settings.  The idea here is to give maximum performance to network responses and background processes (SQL Server responding to Great Plains user workstations).  At this time, Winter 2008-2009 we are confident in 64 bit Windows Servers, especially when you do not plan to use non-SQL applications directly at the server console (as some of them might still be not compatible with 64 bit Windows, example is FRx Sysdata folder)

3.       GP E-learning at Microsoft Business Solutions Customer Source.  If you are implementing Dynamics GP in your organization, you obviously paid for at least one year of Dynamics GP annual enhancement program and you should create accounts for your key GP internal support people in Customer Source.  eLearning comes are great benefit for you and we recommend your GP technical support employees to take online courses on Dynamics GP Installation, configuration and support

4.       Great Plains Upgrade.  Here you first have to be sure that you are current in Great Plains annual enhancement program and if you are not – to work with your Great Plains VAR to get reenrolled.  Being current in the program gives you new version (currently Great Plains 10.0) registration key

5.       Great Plains Data Conversion.  For initial data conversions you can purchase Great Plains Integration Manager conversion, valid for initial implementation period.  If you need ongoing conversion and if you think GP user could be involved, consider GP Integration Manager Financials and Logistics.  If you have C# or VB .Net programmer in staff, you should review eConnect SDK