Extracting Data From Old Great Plains Tools And Recommendations In Questions And Answers

In about ten years period customers may switch from one ERP application to another one

. This project is often associated with data export and conversion into new system. In late 1990th Great Plains Software Dynamics was popular and we see large number of installation in production on old version. The list of versions is here: 7.5, 7.0, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0 and 4.0. We would like to recommend you this introduction level interview with our Great Plains Certified Master Andrew Karasev. Lets pose popular questions and Andrew will answer them:

Q. We need data export from old GP 6.0 but we do not know table names. In company directory on the server files seem to have strange names: RM00101 or SOP30200. So it looks like before establishing ODBC connection we need to know file name. Do you have table diagram?

A. In your case the easiest way would be review tables in client interface. Here is the path: Tools Resource Description Tables. Naming convention included module prefix. Then next digit 4 means module settings, 0 master table (customer, vendor, item, employee, etc.), 1 work document (not posted yet), 2 posted document and 3 stays for historical transaction

Q. What is preferred data export tool?

A. The answer depends on your database platform. Dynamics release 7.5 and older had three platforms: Microsoft SQL Server, Pervasive SQL 2000 (formerly known as Btrieve) and Ctree/Faircom. If you login client application and go to help about then you should able to read your Database type. Apparently MS SQL Server has its own Query Analyzer. In the case of Pervasive we would recommend you Control Center and query or export options. If you are on Ctree then something like Microsoft Access (Linked Tables via ODBC)

Q. We are on 7.5 and Pervasive SQL 2000 SP3. We are trying to connect from Control Center but we cannot go all the way through. Do you have a clue?

A. The most likely problem is absence of so called Data Definition Files (field, file and index with .ddf extension). Open your Dynamics folder on client workstation and see if you have these files. If you cannot find them then they could be produced via GenDDF utility. When files are ready they should be copied into company directory on the server. If GenDDF is not available then install it from original CD

Q. We are connected to our files in Pervasive SQL Control Center. But when we are clicking on the table SOP30300 it takes about two days to show all the records. When we try to export via clipboard we see only first about twenty five thousand rows copied into Wordpad. Do you have a solution?

A. Instead of clicking on the table try Export and then use either select * from SOP30300 or use more sophisticated query where only needed fields are listed. Export should produce huge text file in maybe couple of hours or even faster. It sounds like in your case you have millions of posted Sales Invoice and Order lines. In this situation cleansing in Excel might be too slow. We recommend importing into custom MS SQL Server table (use data import wizard). When import is done think about custom SQL view to do cleansing. For example if you need only invoices then SOPTYPE should be 3. Also weed out lines where void status is 1

Q. We also have Great Plains but it seems to have DOS interface. How to extract from it?

A. It was predecessor of Dynamics and database is Btrieve. In earlier 2000th large number of GPA DOS was redeployed on Pervasive. We recommend Control Center and you need DDF files. The way to produce DDF is described in ODBC manual

Q. We seem to be on 5.0 and Btrieve. However we only need customers to be exported. It is too complex for us to establish ODBC connection. Would you mind to recommend alternative approach?

A. Yes we would like to recommend the following shortcut for you. In Report Writer create custom report and base it on customer master table (RM00101). In report layout place needed fields into report body section. Print this report into text file and cleanse it in Excel

Q. We were approached by consulting firm and they recommended switch to SAP Business One. We are on GP 5.5/Btrieve and users are trained to use this accounting system. Is it necessary to switch to SAP B1 or we could potentially upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics GP?

A. You can upgrade to Dynamics GP 2010 (writing in September of 2012). There is migration utility from Btrieve to MS SQL and then several steps. You should probably contact GP reseller and ask them to give you a quote (including reenrollment fee to get current with Microsoft Business Solutions annual enhancement program). In this case you can save on data conversion and user training

Q. We are on Dynamics 7.0/Btrieve and we have custom module programmed in Dexterity. We need data export from Dex custom tables. Is it possible?

A. Yes as the good news is the fact that GenDDF could produce DDF files from all dictionaries listed in Dynamics.set

This question concludes our session

For additional information please call us: 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918 or email us: help@albaspectrum.com

by: Andrew Karasev

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