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Microsoft Great Plains version 10.0 is now released and as we right these lines,there are some misunderstanding and even problems in upgrade preparation andplanning. We see multiple posts where upgrade fails and consultant and IT folks arenot sure what to do. Let s review what is the source of these problems and howversion 10 upgrade process differs from earlier versions upgrade: 9.0, 8.0, 7.5,7.0, 6.01. New version CD. When you received new GP version CD in the mail, you kind ofexpected that all you need to do is to insert CD into the CD drive and follow theWizard. Sometimes you saw issues and if you are consultant you tried to reviewoptions: upgrade path, including steps or intermediate versions, etc. If youremember GP upgrade process with earlier versions, such as 5.0 or 5.5 and even 6.0 then you had to deal with patches, services packs, clean-up utilities and thingslike these. Version 7.5 was probably the most prepared for upgrade and it typicallywas successful process, even if it was conducted in internal IT departments2. New approaches to GP upgrade. When version 9.0 was released, here consultantcommunity realized, that former control over upgrade process in now reduced: you canhave only one instance of GP workstation per user, for example was not reallyunderstood why it is needed? At the same time GP upgrade process was brought intogeneric Microsoft products upgrade, it became similar to MS Office. The onlydifference was the necessity to make Microsoft Dexterity and its Dex utilities todance Microsoft upgrade music3. Version 10. Now, it is a surprise, that upgrade is not version-sensitive, buteven applied service pack sensitive. Let us give you example. If you are onversion 9.0 without service packs, then your build is 114 and if you try to upgradeversion 9.0 on 114 build with 10.0 GP CD, you will get the error message, sayingthat file is not found: File not found: C:\Program Files\MicrosoftDynamics\GP SQLvcontent1\Upgrade.dll.UP GRADE_9_0_114.DRIVER_INI. The reason of gettingthis message is the following: upgrade path for build 114 is not implemented in GP10.0 OEM CD. At this time of writing this article (end of July 2007), MicrosoftBusiness Solutions promised to fix this issue in GP 10 Service Pack 1, which will bereleased in the fourth quarter of 2007. OEM CD 10.0 actually is capable to upgradefrom GP 9.0 SP2 only, or build 9.00.0281. Plus if you are still on 8.0, then youcan upgrade from SP5 build 8.00g73. If you mastered to apply the patches withhigher that 9.0 SP2, then Microsoft clearly tells you that you will have to wait thetime when GP 10 SP1 will be released, and you can not upgrade at current time, July20074. Linking OEM CD upgrade process to Service Packs. As of right now it is probablyOK and nobody would suffer due to this sensitivity. However in the future, GPcustomers might be trapped in the situations, when they have to follow upgrade pathwith intermediate versions; and if old version service packs are not longersupported they may become not available for the customer, who is planning toupgrade. So, general advise you should stay current with relations with MicrosoftBusiness Solutions and pay annual enhancement fee to avoid problems
Andrew Karasev, Alba Spectrum Group, http://www.albaspectrum.comhe lp@albaspectrum.com, 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918, serving GP customers remotelyin Montreal, Toronto, New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, SanDiego, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Atlanta, Kansas City, Denver, Rhino, Las Vegas,Vancouver, Seattle. Local service is available in Texas: downtown Houston,Richmond, Rosenberg, Sugar Land, Galveston, Katy, Dallas, in Illinois: downtownChicago and suburbs: Naperville, Aurora, Bolingbrook, Winchester, Morris, Minooka,Plainfield, Romeoville, Schaumburg, Elk Grove, Lombard, Downers Grove, Lisle,Ottawa, LaSalle, De Kalb, Plano, Crystal Lake, Montgomery, Oswego, Elgin.
