Great Plains Reseller News: Advanced ODBC Integration review

Aug 21
17:23

2008

Andrew Karasev

Andrew Karasev

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Microsoft Dynamics GP ERP has pretty cool and end user friendly integrating module: Great Plains Integration Manager. With Dynamics GP version 10.0, IM got revolutionary improvements in the form of eConnect connectors. a

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Now,Great Plains Reseller News: Advanced ODBC Integration review Articles where these connectors are available, IM performance issue virtually evaporated and you can integrate thousand of SOP invoices per minute, as eConnect deploys SQL stored procedures, versus OLE server for old IM connectors.  However we often see the problem of finding GP programmer, who is a maestro with advanced ODBC query to make integration manager work with pretty rigid and cumbersome text file, produced from your legacy MRP or EDI application.  Let’s move to the bullets:

1.       Microsoft Text ODBC Driver.  Unfortunately for Windows XP, Windows 2003 and Vista, this driver has known bugs and they are not fixed by service packs.  The work around is to restrain from defining fields format and allowing the driver to guess

2.       SQL Query.  Assuming that you have Microsoft Text Driver connection, see #1 issues, next step is to produce complex SQL select statement.  Let us give you some examples.  Imagine the situation, when you are given Purchase Expense accounts only and you need to alter GL distribution in AP vendor invoice integration.  Yes, of course, what you need is Accounts Payable account distribution counterpart.  In order to achieve this you create union clause in GP IM Integration query.  AP is typically sent on single Accounts Payable account, for you this means that you have to group together Purchasing lines and use SUM construction to create single Payables distribution line

3.       Text Driver Limitations.  To give you good example – if you have exactly identical GL distribution lines in the case described in the bullet #2, text driver will fail in distinguishing of those two lines and it will skip one of them.  What you need to do is to provide unique parameter, which will restore the lines uniqueness.  Also you need to be aware that Advanced ODBC option in IM should allow you to deploy Standard SQL constructions: group, union, having and others

4.       Additional Consideration for eConnect, related to E-commerce web integration and development.  eConnect is in essence SDK or Software Development Kit, opening GP object for manipulation to Microsoft Visual Studio C# and VB.Net developer, who is familiar with XML and SQL encrypted stored procedures.  eConnect will do the job when you have established ecommerce website, written in PHP, .Net, EJB and other open technologies and you need to integrate it with Microsoft Dynamics GP accounting back office