If you are MCSE+I - CRM will recruit all your MS Exchange, Active Directory, MS SQL Server, Windows domain security, Windows 2003 Server, Web publishing and HTML knowledge and experience. Exchange, Active Directory, SQL Server, etc (while traditional CRM applications, such as Siebel were biased toward multiplatform compatibility. Unix, Oracle, Windows, SQL Server) and move up to business logic paradigm shift. In the case of MS CRM it seems to be from ground up MS development and very excellent fit to Microsoft Business Solutions business strategy. This is completely opposite to earlier Apple Computer believe - that computer systems should be easy in service and completely intuitive.
Microsoft technical support encourages you to use Microsoft CRM SDK objects and discourages you from direct SQL server programming. If you need to change data on the store level from Microsoft CRM custom screen - you should consider placing web service on the SQL Server hardware in the store to deal with the store-initiated transaction. The MS RMS architecture suggests you to query primarily Headquarters database and do not change data in HQ database. So, RMS design fundamentals were minted a long time before Microsoft CRM. But, still integration between the two is straightforward and what you need is consultant, who is familiar with both systems structures and customization scenarios.
Microsoft Great Plains Business Solutions, later renamed to Microsoft Business Solutions was sending multiple signals to Dynamics customers to migrate to SQL Server, later on to upgrade to Great Plains Standard on MSDE. So - Great Plains was running on MS SQL Server, Ctree (Faircom - if you remember 1995-96 Macintosh era), Pervasive SQL (Btrieve. Microsoft obviously had no plan to keep this multiplatform capability and Great Plains was optimized to MS SQL Server and with the introduction of MSDE - the need to keep entry level Dynamics on Ctree/Btrieve disappeared. Unfortunately MBS did several rough turns in the process of this migration from ctree/Pervasive to SQL/MSDE. Well, if you plan to stay with GP - the only alternative is to migrate to MSDE.
Server side - Installation creates security environment (logins) on MS SQL Server or MSDE, creates system database - DYNAMICS and then company databases. You are doing migration from Pervasive/Ctree to Microsoft SQL Server/MSDE, especially when you have third-parties without migration tools. If you plan to run Great Plains Utilities from the workstation to create server side (see above) - you need to check Install Client and Server Components. Workstation side - workstation installation copies the client side application, installs current version of MDAC (we need SQL ODBC driver - please check documentation on ODBC DSN setup), registers the application. Master Records - you should either use integration tools, such as Integration Manager, SQL queries or have users to type in all your GL Accounts, Customers, Vendors, Employees.
The tendency is that if company uses Microsoft-driven computer park (Windows domain, SQL Servers, MS Exchange) the rest of the ERP/CRM applications are Windows-oriented. Well - you can do it either from Oracle or from MS SQL Server side - in both cases you have linking tools and heterogeneous queries mechanisms. This integration also has Dexterity interface for Stores-GP Companies mapping and could work as nightly or real time SQL Server routine. The above mentioned integration could be altered and tuned by programming MS BizTalk server (it can use either BizTalk runtime or regular license. There are few options - first one is to use standard integration, coming with MS RMS.
You can use MSSQL Server Linked Server construction to link to Pervasive/Ctree data. However there are specifics, and Dexterity customization should be analyzed and tuned to work with MS SQL Server, if it was originally designed for btrieve/ctree. Pervasive SQL/Ctree migration to MS SQL - If you are still on these old platforms - then you are in trouble - you will be without Microsoft technical support by the end of 2004. Pervasive SQL/Btrieve, Ctree/Faircom - and launched free MSDE database program. Crystal Reports, SQL Stored Procs and triggers, Web Publishing (Visual Studio.
Nowadays, however - and this is a good thing - most of Great Plains installations are moved to SQL Server - so you can use Dexterity for custom forms drawing only and make the buttons run SQL stored procedures. SQL queries - as a developer you have unlimited potential in using SQL queries, because the database in MS SQL Server. Integration Manager, VBA/Modifier, Great Plains Dexterity, SQL Server stored procedures to name a few. Direct web publishing from Great Plains SQL databases, using Visual Studio. Plus you probably want to have several SQL stored procs.
In other words, it is a big chat server, you join a group (channel) and you talk in an open forum type environment or one on one. There are about fifty really mainstream IRC networks (groups of servers) you can connect to. It is a group of networked server computers that let clients (or users) connect and passes their message among the networked servers in almost real time. It is a shareware program that doesn't disable after a given time period, however it does have a nag screen when you first load it, if you don't register it. I have used the program for many years faithfully.
Some programs reported not working are webservers such as Internet Information Services (IIS), Remote Desktop, File Sharing. Applications which may not work are programs that have to contact a server to work at all, some ftp, multimedia streaming software, 'new mail' notifications in some email applications. Net, SQL, Backup Exec 9, Ghost Server Corporate Edition 7. The only way to get these applications to work is to uninstall 'SP2' by going to 'Start' then 'Control Panel' then 'Add Remove Programs. With the advent of 'Service Pack 2' for Windows XP operating system, Microsoft have really made the forums hum.
You use MS SQL Server scripting to pull the data from third party system (but not to update data in the CRM - you should use MS CRM SDK for this purpose. You can deploy MS SQL Server linked server to show your third party or even heterogeneous data on MS CRM screens. Your third party data could reside as it was mentioned in heterogeneous platforms. In CRM itself you should stick to MS CRM user defined fields. Oracle, DB 2, Sybase, Lotus Notes Domino, SAP, Pervasive SQL 2000, Ctree or any ODBC compliant database.
Net web publishing - Microsoft Great Plains data sits on Microsoft SQL Server. Microsoft Great Plains ReportWriter supports Barcode fonts and you can print out barcodes off the inventory control items list. Great Plains Inventory Control (IV) module supports bins and you can allocate items from specific bins, quality check should be implemented as either light Dexterity customization in IV or set of Crystal Reports to print checklists. In the case of custom internet application you can deploy. Here you should consider EDI (if you are large corporation) or eOrder or other simple internet ordering solution.
The easiest way is to have this implemented as Stored Procedure in MS SQL Server company database. At the same time Great Plains, now being moved on MS SQL Server platform allows you to deploy standard tools to customize and fit to these requirements, when you don't need rich custom functionality, just few touches. Using SQL Exec statement you can build formula on the fly, considering multiple case scenarios and calculations. Feel free to use popular tools, such as Crystal Reports - you usually base your Crystal Report on SQL view or stored procedure (the second one allows you to use parameters and build temp tables in the body of your stored procs. Another case - loan tracking system may required manual interest recording, especially when client is state agency working in state subsidized programs, such as loans to farmers or small inland townships.
If you've got shell or telnet access to your server, you can backup MySQL data by issuing the mysqldump command. You can discuss about this article or any PHP/MYSQL related issues in our Discussion Forums. If you need to restore existing databases, you'll need to use MySQLImport. For more information on MySQLImport, you can check out. If you have to re-build your database from scratch, you can easily restore the mysqldump file by issuing the following command.
If you have legacy system on MS SQL Server - let's say you are transportation company and have in-house developed cargo tracking database. Instead of SQL Server you can have other database (ORACLE, MS Access, PervasiveSQL to name a few) - you can access multiple Database platforms via ADO. Never create your custom SQL objects (like stored procedure, SQL view, table) in MS CRM database. Net application, which is easily integrated into MS CRM Account screen. Then this email will not follow into MS CRM (because it doesn't have GUID in the header and so is ignored by CRM Exchange connector.
EXE), Great Plains Standard on MSDE is for small to midsize clients, and then Great Plains serves the rest of the market up to big corporations. If you are database administrator who is supporting the version on Pervasive SQL. Some people are trying to use Pervasive control center - we do not recommend this - MS Access does job better. Crystal Report link to Pervasive/Ctree - you have to install Pervasive SQL ODBC driver from Great Plains Dynamics CD. Net, MS Access, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.
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