Microsoft Great Plains migration from one SQL Server to another – overview for consultant
 

by Andrew Karasev

Microsoft Great Plains has tens thousands of installation across the USA as well as in Australia, New Zealand, Spanish speaking South America, UK, Poland, Middle East and South Africa.  It is on the market since 1994 when Great Plains Software released its Graphical Mac and Windows based Accounting system – Great Plains Dynamics.  Now, in post-recession time we see thousands of clients world-wide are without support or as Microsoft Business Solutions names them – orphan clients.  Our goal here is to educate IT department or general IT consultants to self-support Microsoft Great Plains.  Today’s topic is how to move Microsoft Great Plains (old names – Dynamics and eEnterprise) from one Microsoft SQL Server to another.

1. Microsoft Great Plains security model – currently Great Plains has user IDs stored in Great Plains tables as well as on the level of Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (or 7.0).  Look at the Logins for the SQL Server, hosting Great Plains – you will figure out that all the GP users are Logins.  And they are stored in Master database.  Now if you look at Company database (TWO database, for example) – you will find users on the database level – these users have the same names as logins on the system level, plus you will find DYNGRP – this is the role on the company database level.
2. Security Migration – now you see that if you just install SQL Server on the second computer and restore DYNAMICS and company databases from their backup – SQL Server system logins and their security will be lacking.  If you feel comfortable being MS SQL DBA – you are good to use MS SQL Server Data Transformation Services to import security information from the old server.  If not – then you need to use confidential (you should have Microsoft Business Solutions annual support plan) scripts to migrate Great Plains security information or call Microsoft Great Plains consultant.
3. Recommended Steps – We recommend you to install MS SQL Server, then install exactly the same Great Plains environment with the same companies IDs and GL account segment structure/sorting (empty companies).  At this point you are ready to restore DYNAMICS and all companies from their backups – do it.  And finally – you need to transfer security – if you want DTS way – go ahead – should work.  If you are not comfortable with DTS and have MBS support, login to Microsoft Business Solutions customer support section and find techknowledge #878449: “How to transfer Great Plains and Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 or SQL Server 2000 to a new server” with capture_logins, drop_users_dynamics and other scripts and follow the instructions

Happy migrating! if you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-630-961-5918 or 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, serving Chicago, California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York, Australia, UK, Canada, Continental Europe, Russia and having locations in multiple states and internationally ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ), he is Microsoft Great Plains Certified Master, Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.