Behind the Scenes with Dynamics GP Management Reporter

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Management Reporter: Behind the ScenesHow Do I Support This cRaZy Product?

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Introduction

• Presenter: Andrew Kampwerth

• Application Consultant at Sikich LLP

• Sikich is a leading accounting, advisory, technology and managed services firm.

• Contact Information:• 12655 Olive Blvd, Suite 200 St. Louis, MO 63141• 314-275-7277• [email protected]

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Agenda• History of MR

• Components of MR

• Why Is MR So Difficult to Support?

• Changing Our Thinking

• How to Troubleshoot Common Issues

• How to Rebuild the Data Mart

• Restoring GP Database with MR in the Environment

• How to Move from Legacy Provider to Data Mart

• Subtle Nuances to Report Distribution

• Multicurrency Insights

• Additional MR Information/Resources

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History of MR

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History of MR

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Components of MR

Server Components• Configuration Console• Application Service• Process Service• Logs

Accessing GP Data• Legacy Provider• Data Mart

Databases• Management Reporter• ManagementReporterDM OR DDM

Finance Team• Report Designer• Desktop Report Viewer• Web Report Viewer

Greater Organization • Web Report Viewer

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Why Is MR So Difficult to Support?• Still a relatively young product

• Requires different skillset and toolbox than FRx

• Security is totally different

• Environment isn’t always compatible with more stringent MR system requirements

• Trouble finding prior service packs:• http://victoriayudin.com/2011/07/04/management-reporter-versions/

• Our account isn’t a Local Administrator on the box• Will not see the proper settings in the Configuration Console

• Analytical Accounting totally changes the game

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Changing Our Thinking• Importance of having identical segment names (SY00300) in GP for companies that

share a Building Block Group

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Changing Our Thinking• What to Do after Creating New GP Company to Ensure Data Mart

Continues to Load & Company Appears in MR:• Assign Functional Currency (MC40000)• Import new company but skip import of existing companies

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Changing Our Thinking

• Enable Notifications in Configuration Console• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/dynamics_financial_reporting/archive/2013/03/14/how-to-u

se-notifications-in-the-configuration-console.aspx

• .NET Framework Requirement for CU9

• Do I need to rebuild the DM after making this change in GP?• i.e. Wrong Posting Type at YE

• Troubleshoot issue before rebuilding the DM• No known issues with DM not loading after CU8• Will continue to retry data load if unsuccessful• Open case if you find something new….even if DM rebuild would fix the issue

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How to Troubleshoot Common Issues• “I Received This Random Error When Generating My Report!”

• Start >> Administrative Tools >> Event Viewer >> Windows Logs >> Application

• “MR Is Not Picking up All of My Data!”• Data Mart Integration Logs• Create simple report with:

• 1 Row Definition with 1 Account Hardcoded Using Lookups• 1 Column Definition with 3 Columns

• DESC• PERIODIC• YTD

• No Tree

• How Do I Remove the Day of the Week (i.e. Sunday) from the Report Header?

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How to Rebuild the Data Mart

• 1. Have all users exit Management Reporter

• 2. Disable and Remove the integration using the Configuration Console

• 3. Stop both the Application and Process Service

• 4. Delete the ManagementReporterDM (or DDM) database

• 5. Start both services

• 6. Configure the new DataMart and Enable the integration• The initial integration could run from 10 minutes to 4 hours

• Wait until the “Last Time Everything Was Fully Integrated” value is populated.

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Restoring GP Database with MR in the Environment• Need to either Stop/Start the MR Services or kill the process in the Activity Monitor in

SQL to obtain exclusive access to the database

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How to Move from Legacy Provider to Data Mart

• Deploy the Data Mart

• Two companies will appear in MR for every one GP company• ABC-Curr (Legacy) & ABC (Data Mart)

• Remove all references to the –Curr company from all Trees and Report Definitions• Manually or using SQL script

• If using Multicurrency with MR, change the Currency ID (Z-US$) to the ISO Code (USD) in the Column Layouts

• Remove the Legacy Provider

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Subtle Nuances to Report Distribution

• Be wary of Output & Distribution Path

• Report Groups greatly improve distribution & look cool!

• Fundamentally changes how organizations distribute reports…are you ready?

• Emailing links to reports

• Pile of papers concept

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Multicurrency Insights

• In CU8, currency translation for Data Mart integrations is now supported with the following requirements:• Exchange rates for currency translation are defined in the exchange

rate tables in GP• Exchange rates on or before the current date are supported. MR

does not support previous, next, or exact exchange rates.• Balances from the Currency Translation form in GP are not used in

MR. • The following characters are not supported in the names of

currencies: & “” /. • Currency translation is available in Web Viewer only.

• Can still use Report Viewer but cannot switch between currencies.

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Additional MR Information/Resources

• Microsoft Partner/Customer Source• Service Pack Overview – Features Added and Bug Fixes• Downloads for previous service packs

• Corporate Performance Management (CPM) blog:• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/dynamicscpm/

• TechNet MR Guide• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn435963.aspx

• FRx and MR Manuals

• Product Suggestions:• https://connect.microsoft.com/dynamicssuggestions

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Any Other Insights?What Have You Learned? What Can You Share?

[email protected]