Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Service Pack 2 is now available

Service Pack 2 for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 is now available for your consumption. Microsoft has released the product ahead of schedule - originally, September of 2013. I guess this will make for an even more exciting Microsoft Dynamics GP Technical Airlift 2013.

 

Service Pack 2 is probably the most comprehensive update so far to Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 and includes a number of fixes and enhancements. Let's take a quick look:

 

Modules activated for Web Client:

• Field Service
• Service Call Management
• Depot Management
• Preventative Maintenance
• Project Accounting
• Manufacturing
• Bill of Materials
• Manufacturing Order Processing
• Master Production Scheduling
• MRP
• Manufacturing Suite
• Fixed Assets Enhancements
• Business Activity Statement (BAS) for Australian GST
• Payment Document Management (PDM)

 

Features Exclusive to Web Client:

• Visual Studio Tools for Web Client v1.0
• Keyboard Shortcut enhancements
• Change single machine configuration to support both the Web Client web site and runtime service using the same port  
• Add styling to ribbon to show focus  
• Web client messaging retry/refresh & Client Side error handling / notification improvements
• Better scrollbars for standard reports 

 

New Desktop & Web Client Features:

• GL - Roll down changes to Account Segment Description
• Reconcile checkbook without marking transactions
• Cash Receipts Inquiry display checkbook ID
• Customer Combiner & Modifier
• Vendor Combiner & Modifier
• Payables Void Enhancements
• AA Finance Charge assessment
• AA and Sales order deposits
• Payroll Inquiry Check Date Sort Options
• Applicant E-mail in HR
• Doc Attach 2.0:
• Document Flow
• Status Tracking
• Delete Password
• Attachment Properties
• Attachment Email
• Delete Utility
• SmartList Splitter
• SmartList Designer

Note: the SmartList Splitter was a cool piece of code made available with the Support Debugging Tool initially. If you are running Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010, you can take advantage of this via the Support Debugging Tool.

 

Service Pack 2 can be recognized by its new build number, 12.00.1482 and the Dexterity version is 12.00.0269. For more version details download the MDGP2013_MSPVersionList.xls file. For the install guide and a list of issues fixed, download the 12.0SP2_install_guide_ENUS.pdf file. Both files are available from the main Service Pack page (or from the links here).

 

Service pack 2 is available from the Service Pack 2 page or you can download the full updated DVD image:

PartnerSource
Product Release Downloads for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013
Service Pack, Hotfix, and Compliance Update Patch Releases for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 

CustomerSource
Product Release Downloads for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013
Service Pack, Hotfix, and Compliance Update Patch Releases for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 


The Microsoft Dynamics GP Support and Services Blog has more information related to Service Pack 2. Please visit their page for more information:

• Service Pack 2 for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 is now available!

Until next post!

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

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Accessing Microsoft Dynamics GP Default Settings from Visual Studio Tools

Rarely you will hear the Dex.ini file being called the Microsoft Dynamics GP defaults file. However, the Dex.ini contains keys (and their associated values) that define how Microsoft Dynamics GP behaves in some cases. For example, SQLLastUser=sa stores the login of the last user who accessed the system on that specific instance of Microsoft Dynamics GP, in this case, 'sa'. Likewise, AutoInstallChunks=TRUE, allows Microsoft Dynamics GP to bypass prompting the user for new code (chunk file) to be installed at the time of launching the application. There are other settings controlling how certain features behave.

You can find a list of Dex.ini settings here.

Recently, I was helping a good friend of mine up in Maine who attended my Dexterity class in Boston and this time he wanted to know how to read the path for the Microsoft Dynamics GP help file. Of course, there's a simple (predefined) method for this as my good friend Patrick Roth with the Escalation Engineering team in Fargo pointed out, if you are familiar with some of Microsoft Dynamics GP form procedures:

string strPath = "";
strPath = Dynamics.Forms.MainMenu.Functions.GetDynamicsHelpPath.Invoke();
MessageBox.Show(strPath);

So, let's assume you had no clue this function existed. How would you address this issue? Frankly, I can think of at least 3 ways to do this:

1) Using a hybrid method whereby you create a Dexterity dictionary to wrap the Defaults_Read() Dexterity sanScript function into a user-defined global function. This method presents a challenge as you need to use the Dictionary Assembly Generator (DAG.EXE) to create an assembly you can reference from your VST project. In addition, you may or may not want to add an entirely new dictionary into the picture, when delivering your final solution. However, in case you are interested, this is the implementation:

GetDexIniSetting function

For more information on developing hybrid applications with Dexterity and Visual Studio Tools take a look at my articles:

Developing Microsoft Dynamics GP hybrid integrating applications
Hybrid development for the Managed Code developer
Hybrid development for the Managed Code developer (cont.)

2) You could use the Continuum API from Visual Studio Tools to access the Defaults_Read() sanScript function. The Continuum API is the Component Object Model (COM) API that is available for Microsoft Dynamics GP. The Continuum API documentation is available for download here. In this method, all you have to do is add a reference to the interop.Dynamics.dll COM library, which hosts the Continuum API.

// Created by Mariano Gomez, MVP
// This code is licensed under the Creative Commons 
// Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
// http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/legalcode

public string GetDexIniSetting(string searchKey)
{
   ParameterHandlerClass myParamHandler = new ParameterHandlerClass();
            
   try
   { Dynamics.Application gpApp = (Dynamics.Application)Activator.CreateInstance(Type.GetTypeFromProgID("Dynamics.Application"));
     if (gpApp == null) 
       return "";
     else
     {
       string passthrough_code = "";
       string compile_err;
       int error_code, result;

       result = gpApp.SetParamHandler(myParamHandler);
       myParamHandler.IN_Key = searchKey;

       passthrough_code += "local boolean err_val;";
       passthrough_code += "local string dex_key_val, dex_key;";
       passthrough_code += @"err_val = OLE_GetProperty(""IN_Key"", dex_key); "; 
       passthrough_code += "dex_key_val = Defaults_Read(dex_key);";
       passthrough_code += @"err_val = OLE_SetProperty(""OUT_KeyVal"", dex_key_val);";

       gpApp.CurrentProductID = 0; 

       error_code = gpApp.ExecuteSanscript(passthrough_code, out compile_err);
       return myParamHandler.OUT_KeyVal;
     }
   }
   catch
   { MessageBox.Show("Failed to initialize gpApp");
     return "";
   }
 }

public class ParameterHandlerClass
{
  public string IN_Key { get; set; }
  public string OUT_KeyVal { get; set; }
}

In the above code, we define a parameter handler class with couple properties for the key that will be read from the Dex.ini and the key value to be retrieved.

In our GetDexIniSettings method, we instantiate our class and use the Continuum SetParaHandler() method to load the IN_Key property value. We then setup our pass-through code and invoke sanScript's OLE_GetProperty() function to retrieve the value of the IN_Key from our VST application via some old fashioned OLE automation. The OLE_SetProperty() function then returns the value to our class property, OUT_KeyVal.

That's it!

3) The third method uses some classic C# reflection to get the path of the AddIns. It then converts this to the path of the Data folder and the dex.ini file, and then uses the Pinvoke() method to read the key in the dex.ini and return the value.

[DllImport("kernel32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Unicode)]
 static extern uint GetPrivateProfileString(
 string lpAppName,
 string lpKeyName,
 string lpDefault,
 StringBuilder lpReturnedString,
 uint nSize,
 string lpFileName);

//get path which should be the addins folder
String strPath = System.IO.Path.GetDirectoryName(System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location);

//look for \Addins path
if (strPath.EndsWith(@"\AddIns", true, System.Globalization.CultureInfo.InvariantCulture) == true)
{ //and if we find one replace with the data folder
  strPath = strPath.Replace(@"\Addins", @"\Data\Dex.ini");
}
else
{ //if not in addins then we must be in the root GP folder (like GP 2013 does with GP addins) so tack on \Data
  strPath = strPath + @"\Data\Dex.ini";
}
 
StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(100);
uint res = GetPrivateProfileString("General", "Pathname", "", sb, (uint)sb.Capacity, strPath);
MessageBox.Show(sb.ToString());

// Copyright © Microsoft Corporation.  All Rights Reserved.
// This code released under the terms of the 
// Microsoft Public License (MS-PL, http://opensource.org/licenses/ms-pl.html.)

The above method comes courtesy of my good friend Patrick Roth with the Escalation Engineering team at Microsoft.

All the above methods are generic in nature and can read more than just a specific key. It's good to know that there's more than one way to do things. If you are going all hybrid, there's a code for that! If you want to be self-contained, there's a code for that! If you want to deviate completely from sanScript because you hate it or don't know it, there's a code for that! Whatever route you choose it must work to your benefit.

As a good Australian friend of mine would say, "The right solution is the one that works!".

Until next post!

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

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How to reset Business Analyzer settings

Just recently, I ran into an interesting case where the consultant had installed and configured Business Analyzer for a user. However, during the configuration process, the consultant marked all available reports for all available companies, which put Business Analyzer into a tailspin as it attempted to load all this information. The consultant proceeded to shut down the application using the Task Manager program.

When he restarted Business Analyzer, the application went back into a tailspin, displaying only the loading screen with a "Connecting to Server" message for over an hour. Fearing this would be a permanent issue due to the number of reports and companies selected, the question was just obvious: how to reset Business Analyzer configuration settings.

The boring theory

If you have downloaded Business Analyzer from the Windows Store or are still running the Business Analyzer desktop client, chances are you had to go through a setup process. In Windows 8, this involves swiping the Edge UI to obtain the charms and clicking on Settings to obtain the Configuration pane.

Business Analyzer for Windows 8 configuration

Once in the Configuration pane you are asked to enter information about the Report Server from which reports will be loaded. Once the credentials have been validated, you will be directed to add reports accordingly.

Business Analyzer Reports Configuration

Selecting all reports from all companies under a specific instance (I'm running GP 2013) can have adverse performance effects if you are in an environment with multiple companies, as Business Analyzer attempts to obtain information for each report, for each company from Report Server. The important part though is, this information is stored locally, under the user profile folder, in the hidden AppData folder, where an XML configuration file is created (user.config). Since all reports were selected for all companies, building this file would normally take a considerable amount of time.

The Solution

To fix the problem all that's needed is to remove the Business Analyzer configuration folder, which can be found under:

"C:\Users\userid\AppData\Local\Microsoft\BusinessAnalyzer.exe_Url_..." 

After this, you can re-launch Business Analyzer and go back to the configuration options where you will be prompted to enter the server information and selected the reports to display once again. Easy enough!

Until next post!

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

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Troubleshooting the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Web Client - Wrap Up

Series Wrap Up

---

It's been a couple of exciting weeks reviewing the position, procedures, and tools available for troubleshooting the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Web Client and I hope that you walked away with an idea of where to turn and what it takes to resolve your issues.

Troubleshooting may not be glamorous or exciting and frankly a lot of folks down right don't like it, but I personally find it to be a challenge. I like when stuff breaks - figuratively speaking - knowing that you (and a handful of others) are the only one capable of fixing it. Also, it is awesome when you can showcase your Angus MacGyver (yes, his first name was Angus!) ingenuity by using resources and tools that have been in the public domain for a while, "common knowledge" if you will, and can now be applied in the context of GP.

I want to synthetize the series by providing a link to all the articles covered, below:

Part 1: Microsoft Dynamics GP Support Team's Posture
Part 2: Resolving Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Web Client Implementation Issues
Part 3: Resolving Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Web Client Functional Issues
Part 4: Tools for Troubleshooting Web Client issues: the Web Client Diagnostic tool
Part 5: Tools for Troubleshooting Web Client issues: Fiddler
Part 6: Tools for Troubleshooting Web Client issues: Other Tools
Part 7: Tools for Troubleshooting Web Client issues: Command Line Tools

Well, I am preparing for a new series of articles, but in the mean time stay tuned.

Until next post!

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

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Troubleshooting the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Web Client - Part 7

Part 7 - Tools for Troubleshooting Web Client issues: Command Line Tools

---

Parts 5 and Part 6 of this series, both look at some nice GUI-based tools to analyze web and network traffic. The good thing about these tools is that they allow you to analyze things from the comfort of an application window.

However, one needs not to discard some powerful command line base tools that have been around since the early days of DOS - and that's Disk Operating System, not DOS as in Dos Equis (XX). Today, I will talk about NETSH and NET

NETSH COMMAND

Netsh (Network Shell) is a command-line scripting utility that allows you to, either locally or remotely, display or modify the network configuration of a computer that is currently running. Netsh also provides a scripting feature that allows you to run a group of commands in batch mode against a specified computer. Netsh can also save a configuration script in a text file for archival purposes or to help you configure other servers.

With the Netsh.exe tool, you can direct the context commands you enter to the appropriate helper, and the helper then carries out the command. A helper is a Dynamic Link Library (.dll) file that extends the functionality of the Netsh.exe tool by providing configuration, monitoring, and support for one or more services, utilities, or protocols. The helper may also be used to extend other helpers.

You can use the Netsh.exe tool to perform the following tasks:

•  Configure interfaces.
•  Configure routing protocols.
•  Configure filters.
•  Configure routes.
•  Configure remote access behavior for Windows-based remote access routers that are running the Routing and Remote Access Server (RRAS) Service.
•  Display the configuration of a currently running router on any computer.
•  Use the scripting feature to run a collection of commands in batch mode against a specified router.

So, how does this all apply to the Web Client?

WCF services and clients can communicate over HTTP and HTTPS. The HTTP/HTTPS settings are configured by using Internet Information Services (IIS) or through the use of a command-line tool. When a WCF service is hosted under IIS, HTTP or HTTPS settings can be configured within IIS (using the inetmgr.exe tool). If a WCF service is self-hosted - like Session Service, for example - HTTP or HTTPS settings are configured by command-line entries.

At the minimum you will want to configure a URL registration, and add a Firewall exception for the URL your service will be using. Fortunately, this configuration is done for us by the InstallShield application when running the installation of the Web Client runtime services components.

In the Web Client world, we use NETSH to check for namespace reservations and look at how ports are configured in relation to SSL certificates issued.

To display discretionary access control lists (DACLs) for the specified reserved URL or all reserved URLs, proceed to type from the command-line:

NETSH HTTP SHOW URLACL

To determine how ports are configured, type the following from the command-line:

NETSH HTTP SHOW SSLCERT

If the Web Client installation process went well, the Certificate Hash assigned to each port used by Session Service (port 48650), Session Central Service (port 48651), and Runtime Service (port 48652) should match the thumbprint value of the certificate in IIS, as displayed by the show sslcert option.

Certificate hash on each listening port must match that of the certificate in IIS

Much more details can be found in my Windows 8 and Web Client installation series article, Windows 8 and the Microsoft Dynamics GP Web Client Series - Part 4.

For more information on configuring HTTP and HTTPS transports for WCF, take a look at the following MSDN library article:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms733768.aspx

For more information on how to configure a port with an SSL certificate, take a look at the following MSDN library article:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms733791.aspx


NETSTAT COMMAND

Netstat (network statistics) is a command-line tool that displays network connections (both incoming and outgoing), routing tables, and a number of network interface (network interface controller or software-defined network interface) and network protocol statistics. It is used for finding problems in the network and to determine the amount of traffic on the network as a performance measurement.

The specific entry we want to run from the command-line in a Web Client environment is as follows:

NETSTAT -anob

This will return a list of ports that are in use and the process and application using them. If you want to select a port of your own choosing when installing Web Client, you will want to verify that the post is available and it is allowed through the firewall as necessary.

Netstat

For more information on netstat, take a look at the following TechNet article:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff961504(v=ws.10).aspx


The Web Client Diagnostic tool, which I talked about in Part 4 of this series collects these two pieces of information (among other command-line tools ran) as part of the data collection procedures performed when opening a Web Client support case.

Until next post!

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

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Troubleshooting the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Web Client - Part 6

Part 6 - Tools for Troubleshooting Web Client issues: Other Tools

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In Part 5 we looked at Fiddler, a proxy web debugger application and how it is able to break down HTTP and HTTPS traffic between a client app and a Web Server. Today, I will look at 2 tools that go down right to the wire - literally!

Wireshark

Wireshark is a free and open-source packet analyzer. It is used for network troubleshooting, analysis, software and communications protocol development, and education. Originally named Ethereal, in May 2006 the project was renamed Wireshark due to trademark issues.

Wireshark is cross-platform, using the GTK+ widget toolkit to implement its user interface, and using pcap to capture packets; it runs on various Unix-like operating systems including Linux, OS X, BSD, and Solaris, and on Microsoft Windows. There is also a terminal-based (non-GUI) version called TShark. Wireshark, and the other programs distributed with it such as TShark, are free software, released under the terms of the GNU General Public License.

Wireshark Network Analyzer

Wireshark is very similar to tcpdump, but has a graphical front-end, plus some integrated sorting and filtering options. Wireshark allows the user to put network interface controllers that support promiscuous mode into that mode, in order to see all traffic visible on that interface, not just traffic addressed to one of the interface's configured addresses and broadcast/multicast traffic. However, when capturing with a packet analyzer in promiscuous mode on a port on a network switch, not all of the traffic travelling through the switch will necessarily be sent to the port on which the capture is being done, so capturing in promiscuous mode will not necessarily be sufficient to see all traffic on the network. Port mirroring or various network taps extend capture to any point on the network.

So why is Wireshark used with the Web Client? Since it analyzes TCP/IP traffic, you could potentially use it to understand if the proper ports are being used by the application when communicating with the Web Server(s) or the Session Host(s), especially when traffic has to traverse intranet, DMZs, and extranet zones on your network. You could potentially determine if there are any translation issues between external DNS addresses and internal network addresses.

ClearSight Analyzer from Fluke Networks

This product is advertised as Wireshark on steroids as it supports the Wireshark decode engine. In addition, it's able to make sense of all TCP/IP traffic by implementing some powerful graphics showing how machines and devices interact with each other.

Network diagram

 

Conversation Chart

ClearSight also implements a powerful bounce chart for traffic on single or multi-segment networks. Now here's the bummer: it's not free! However, for a small fee you are able to obtain a fully featured product.

If you are more like me - a visual person - then ClearSight is certainly worth the price. If you are comfortable in your own skin looking at TCP/IP raw traffic, then Wireshark is the way to go. In any event, you have two powerful tools that can really breakdown your network traffic with ease, for you to analyze where things may be breaking down, preventing Web Client from functioning.

Until next post!

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

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Troubleshooting the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Web Client - Part 5

Part 5 - Tools for Troubleshooting Web Client issues: Fiddler

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In Part 4 of the series, we visited the Microsoft Fix It! solution which allows you to collect myriad of information about your Web Client environment configuration during a support case. Continuing with the series, I will look into Fiddler, which I briefly referenced in my article "Unable to access SnapIn config data Store" accessing Web Management Console when I was having problems with the Web Management Console application.

Fiddler is a free HTTP debugging proxy server application written by Eric Lawrence, formerly a Program Manager on the Internet Explorer team at Microsoft. Fiddler captures HTTP(S) traffic and creates trace files that can be used to analyze web traffic. It can also be used to "fiddle" with HTTP traffic as it is being sent. By default, HTTP(S) traffic, captured via the Microsoft's Windows Internet (WinINet) API,  is automatically directed to the proxy at runtime, but any browser or application (and most mobile devices) can be configured to route its traffic through Fiddler.

Unlike the original version, Fiddler 2 offers support for interception and tampering with HTTPS traffic.

Now the basics...

Once you have downloaded and installed Fiddler, you are pretty much ready to go. By simply opening the application, you can begin to capture any HTTP(S) traffic running on your machine and a server you are trying to reach.

Fiddler Web Debugger

With the Web Client in particular, you will open your browser, enter the Web Client URL, typically https://someservername/GP. You can then switch over to Fiddler to see the trace being captured.

Web Session

Each entry in the list is known as a web session. Each session captures information such the Fiddler assigned number of that session, the result, the protocol used to access the content, the host (including port numbers accessed), the URL of the session, body, caching (if required), content type, and the process. You can also add a number of columns to the list. Each Fiddler number is shown with visual cues to facilitate information reading.

Fiddler can show statistical information specific to each session, by simply highlighting the session in the list and clicking on the Statistics tab on the right pane. You can get an idea of the Web Client's overall performance metrics. You can select all sessions to see the total number of requests and bytes sent and received, broken down by content type or in a pie chart. By exposing all HTTP(s) traffic, Fiddler easily shows which files are used to generate a given page: users can multi-select the number of requests and bytes transferred to get a "total page weight".

Statistics tab

There are obviously, countless other measurements taken by Fiddler, including the powerful Timeline feature. The Transfer Timeline allows you to visualize the HTTP(S) traffic on a "waterfall" diagram. This feature has two modes of recording information: buffering mode and streaming mode.



Fiddler Transfer Timeline

Streaming mode ensures that HTTP responses are not buffered by Fiddler. Buffering alters the waterfall diagram, where none of the images begin to download until their containing page completes.

Since the purpose of this article is to expose you to Fiddler, I can only say go ahead and download the tool and begin to familiarize yourself with the features. Fiddler traffic is routinely collected by Microsoft Dynamics GP Support to determine whether there are issues between your browser and the Web Server preventing the proper functioning of the Web Client.

Until next post!

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

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