Inside Microsoft Dynamics GP

GPUG Events Coming Up

DynGpTeam — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:54:17 GMT

Presented by the Dynamics GP User Group (GPUG), the GPUG Summit is the annual conference for Dynamics GP users, GPUG Partners and key Dynamics GP personnel from Microsoft. It's coming up in October and I think you should consider attending.

It is October 25-28 with additional trainings before and after. https://www.regonline.com/gpug_summit_2010

Partner Connections is the 23rd and 24th focused on consultants. http://www.gppartnerconnections.com/.

Pam

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 RTM "CoreMR" VPC is NOW AVAILABLE!!

DynGpTeam — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:01:29 GMT

Hello everyone,

It is with great excitement, we are announcing the availability of the first of two Microsoft Dynamics GP RTM VPC images. The VPC that is available starting today is called “CoreMR.” Many of you have been waiting for a new and improved RTM version of Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 VPC’s and we are here to say that the first VPC is finally here! Here are the details:

VPC...Yep, you heard correctly.

Many of you are aware that we adopted HyperV technology for the BETA Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 Technical Demonstration Toolkits. HyperV really gave us some great performance gains and allow us to truly demo the full Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 solution by supporting 64-bit guest operating systems (required by Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010.) With this technology, it also presented some administrative challenges (running HyperV on your laptops….etc.) Well, we listened. “CoreMR” utilizes the Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 SP1 platform.

Why did you name this new Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 RTM VPC “CoreMR?”

We named the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 RTM VPC “CoreMR” because it is designed for more of the “Business Essentials” type demonstrations. These demonstrations focus more around the “Core” back-office functionality that Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 has to offer. Of course, when you are demoing this “Core” functionality, it is often a requirement to demonstrate Financial Reporting/Corporate Performance Management…..i.e. “MR” or better known as Management Reporter for Microsoft Dynamics ERP. We have also included Microsoft Office 2010 Professional Plus. Functionality like Workflow and Business Portal are NOT enabled on this VPC. In all, this new Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 RTM “CoreMR” is a very streamlined, yet powerful demonstration tool.

What Are the Key Programs Installed?

1. Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 (RTM) – FULL INSTALL

2. Management Reporter for Microsoft Dynamics ERP

3. Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2

4. Microsoft SQL Server 2008

5. Microsoft SQL Server Report Builder 2.0

6. Microsoft SQL Server 2008 SRS Reports for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010

7. Microsoft Office 2010 – Professional Plus

8. Word Forms for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010

9. Audit Trails and Electronic Signatures

10. Advanced Human Resources and Payroll

11. Extender, SmartList Builder, Excel Report Builder and Navigation List Builder

PartnerSource Download Page:

https://mbs.microsoft.com/Cms/Templates/document/General.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRNODEGUID={7D4EB861-2321-43A4-943D-DAD61342978A}&NRORIGINALURL=/partnersource/deployment/methodology/vpc/MSDYGP2010_RTM_CoreMR_TechDemoToolkit&NRCACHEHINT=Guest&wa=wsignin1.0

Documentation???

When you download and extract the files for the new Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 RTM “Core-Plus” VPC, you will see an IMPORTANT INFORMATION folder. This folder contains the “How To Setup and Use “CoreMR.” This document is a KEY document which contains important information on how to setup and use the new “CoreMR” VPC. The VPC Skills Builder Best Practices document is another key document that can help you optimize the performance of the VPC. You will also see the zipped up: Online MR Training Course (There are no training manuals for MR at this time.) Within this folder, you will find word docs and power points that are very informative regarding Management Reporter. We have also included the help files for the Professional Services Tools Library. This toolset can help you customize Microsoft Dynamics GP Master Record Data….etc. Finally, you will find a Extender/SmartListBuilder/Excel Report Builder Demonstration Script. For your information, this “IMPORTANT INFORMATION” Folder is also on the Desktop of the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 RTM “CoreMR” VPC.

Will you be releasing an all-encompassing VPC that will include functionality like Business Portal and Workflow?

Yes. We will soon be releasing a Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 RTM “Core-Plus” VPC. Yep, another demonstration image on Microsoft Virtual PC!! Of course, this will have all the features of Core and then “Plus.” This VPC will have key functionality like Workflow and Business Portal. With “Core-Plus,” you will be able to demo between 90-95% of the total solution. Again, unfortunately Microsoft Virtual PC only supports 32 Bit guest operating systems, so we will not be able to integrate with Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 (new External List functionality.)

What about HyperV?

We will also be converting “CoreMR” and “CorePlus” over to the HyperV platform, for those of you who choose to utilize HyperV. This will take place in mid-late September.

What about a Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Integrated VPC?

In October, we will be taking the aforementioned “CoreMR” VPC and installing Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 and the Connector For Microsoft Dynamics. We will likely provide a HyperV version as well.

Important Points to Remember:

1. You must utilize the .vmc (virtual machine configuration) file that gets extracted with the .vhd (virtual hard disk) file in order for the “CoreMR” VPC to function correctly.

2. We promoted this machine to be a domain controller for Management Reporter for Microsoft Dynamics ERP

3. Please pay close attention to the IMPORTANT INFORMATION folder that gets extracted from the .rar files. (It is also located on the Desktop of the “CoreMR” VPC

4. The “CoreMR” VPC is only supported on the Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 SP1 platform. You will not be able to utilize the new Windows7 Virtual PC Platform. (In some cases, you may need to uninstall Windows7 Virtual PC from your laptops as it cannot “Coexist” on the same machine with Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 SP1.

5. The Microsoft Dynamics GP Technical Support Team does NOT provide technical support for VPC’s. If you have a question, please contact your regional Partner Technology Advisor. If you have general feedback regarding the new “CoreMR” VPC, feel free to email: mbsgp@microsoft.com

I would like to say a very special thanks to the Microsoft Dynamics ERP/GP Demonstration Toolkit v-team. John Dooley, Lyle Curry, Jason Siever, you all spent countless hours on these new demonstration toolkits. I cannot thank you enough for the hundreds of hours you all put in to make this project a success!! I would also like to thank Corey Davidson’s Microsoft Dynamics GP Technical Support Team for being instrumental in the build process of the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 RTM “CoreMR” Technical Demonstration Toolkit. In reality, so many people were involved in helping us build these VPC’s! I know I am forgetting some additional team members who helped with this project, so I apologize in advance. Thanks again!

Happy Demoing everyone!

Thanks,
Ben Corwin, John Dooley, Lyle Curry and Jason Siever (the GP 2010 VPC v-team)

P.S. As many of you have experienced, the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 BETA images expired on 8/31/10. There is no easy way to reset the expiration date for these virtual machines. You will need to download and utilize “CoreMR” for your immediate demonstrations. “Core-Plus” will be available within the next two weeks. Please have your partners download this new Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 RTM “CoreMR” Technical Demonstration Toolkit as soon as possible in order to avoid any demo interruptions!

Welcome Back Northern Hemisphere!

DynGpTeam — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:02:12 GMT

I hope you all had a fantastic summer and that you are all rested and ready to build on the fantastic momentum that we’ve seen with GP 2010 and the incredible sales results. In case you missed it, we had a record breaking quarter ending in June. Our partners delivered the most customer adds in one quarter in the history of the product.

If you are interested in learning more about the direction of Dynamics GP and hearing from 4 of our most successful partners, you can access our WPC session here. DigitalWPC

Cheers, Errol.

For our friends Down Under!

DynGpTeam — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:49:00 GMT

We wanted to pass a bit of news along for those of you readers based in Australia. We just got word from our our team there that Microsoft Dynamics GP recently passed an important milestone with regards to "official" registration with the Austalian Government's Tax Office. This basically means Microsoft Dynamics GP is listed on a Government website meant to help prospects determine which accounting packages can help them meet their taxation obligations within Australia. You can view the entry here if you are interested:

http://softwaredevelopers.ato.gov.au/productregister/businessproducts/1344

I can't leave you at that though. It's not terribly impressive to simply be on a Government website listed as being acceptable for meeting specific tax obligations. What is WAY more important is having happy, successful customers in Australia who can point to the real benefits of using a system like Microsoft Dynamics GP. So for you Australian businesses out there looking for a new ERP system, please have a read about two specific customers in your country who've experienced tremendous value from their use of Microsoft Dynamics GP!

Enjoy!

AndyW

The Partner Event...

DynGpTeam — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:53:06 GMT

In case you hadn't heard yet, I wanted to pass along the information regarding an upcoming conference right here in Fargo, The Partner Event! This is a great opportunity for Partners to network and ramp up their skills in many areas around sales, marketing and leadership. Make plans to attend today!

AndyW

Microsoft Dynamics partners are encouraged to attend The Partner Event, coming up September 19-21, in Fargo, ND.

The Partner Event is the premier opportunity for Microsoft Dynamics partners to build sales, marketing, and leadership skills by networking and learning from each other and industry experts. Year after year, partners comment that The Partner Event is the best training and networking event they attend all year.

As a Believer Sponsor of the event, the Microsoft Dynamics Community team will be there this year, networking with partners and sharing information about the upcoming release of their Community website.

Partners who attend the event will receive:

Coaching from industry experts on sales, marketing, and leadership skills that will help them re-focus and implement key business strategies
Tips from fellow partners as to what is working in their own businesses to drive leads, sales, and customer references
Insight from our Keynote Speakers as far as what the industry future holds and how to prepare for the coming change

Go to The Partner Event to register.

Special offer! Enter the registration code MSFT2010 to get $100 off your registration fee. The event also offers $100 discounts for third and beyond attendees, so you’ll save money and cover more ground by sending multiple people to the conference. Information on obtaining that discount can be found at The Partner Event.

Date: Sunday, September 19, 2010 – Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Location:

Holiday Inn of Fargo

701-282-2700

3803 13th Avenue South, Fargo ND 58103

We've got our head in the clouds...

DynGpTeam — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 13:49:00 GMT

I hope our readers don't interpret the recent quietness on this blog as a sign that things have slowed down in Microsoft Dynamics GP land! After closing out a FANTASTIC FY10 in June, then spending a great week in July with our Partners at WPC, we've been hard at work on a number of new initiatives and projects that will lead to some exciting announcements later in FY11 (with some much needed PTO mixed in there for good measure!).

For those Partners who joined us at WPC, you know that "The Cloud" was a major focus for the entire conference. It is no secret that for many years now, our Partners and Service Providers have been offering hosted versions of Microsoft Dynamics GP. However, with Microsoft's intense focus on the cloud, we are seeing more and more Partners, ISV's, and Hosting Providers get interested in learning about what it takes to host Microsoft Dynamics GP. While many organizations have teamed up with some of our great Hosting Providers already doing this, there are always those who want to consider building their own practice and need answers to how this can be technically achieved. I'm happy to report we have a brand new resource to provide those answers and more! The Microsoft Dynamics GP Hosting Guide is available on PartnerSource, and helps organizations navigate how to plan, build, and deploy a hosting service for Microsoft Dynamics GP. It's a great resource that we hope you will find helpful!

That's it for now...and I promise we'll get back on a regular blogging rhythm soon!

AndyW

Rapidly implementing customers on Dynamics GP 2010!

DynGpTeam — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:59:00 GMT

I'm excited to announce the 2.0 release of the Rapid Implementation Tools is now available for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010! I've blogged about the Rapid Tools many times before (you can find them here: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/gp/archive/tags/rapid+implementation+tools/). With the great momentum of the Dynamics GP 2010 launch and the strong close to our fiscal year in June, now is a great time for Partners to leverage this great toolset to rapidly implement their new customers so they can immediately take advantage of all of the great new features!

Migrating someone from QuickBooks? Check. From Peachtree? Check. Looking to setup multiple companies with a common configuration? Check. Need an industry specific chart of accounts with a template setup? Check. I could go on and on. These tools really enable our Partners to deliver rapid, repeatable, and high quality implementations to their new customers.

Download the Rapid Implementation Tool for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 today, or view the on-demand Partner readiness webinar to learn more about it's features!

AndyW

All Snacks Now Available

DynGpTeam — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:42:27 GMT

Hello everyone. I happy to report that all the new training snacks are released and available for customers and partners. This is a new mode of training, so if you have feedback, we really would like to hear it.

Take care,

Pam

Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0
Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Together with Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 (52 minutes) New This Learning Snack provides tools for students to understand technical aspects of using Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services together with Microsoft Dynamics GP.
Microsoft Excel and Excel Reports Together with Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 (33 minutes) New This Learning Snack provides tools for students to understand and better use the Microsoft Office Excel reports functionality in Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0.

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010
What's New in Manufacturing Applications in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 (15 minutes) New This Learning Snack provides an overview of some important new functionality in the Manufacturing Series modules in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010.
What's New in Advanced Distribution in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 (10 minutes) New This Learning Snack provides a brief overview of some important new functionality in the Distribution Series modules in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010.
What's New in Payroll – U.S. in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 (10 minutes) New This Snack provides a brief overview of some important new functionality added to the Payroll – U.S. module in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010.
What's New in Field Service Call Management in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 (10 minutes) New This Snack provides an overview of some of the important new functionalities in Service Call Management in the Field Service Series in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010.
What's New in Human Resources with Payroll – U.S. in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 (10 minutes) New This Snack provides a brief overview of some important new functionality in the Human Resources and Payroll modules in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010.
What's New in Field Service Preventive Maintenance in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 (10 minutes) New This Snack provides an overview of the new functionality in Preventive Maintenance in the Field Service series in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010.
What's New in Field Service Contract Administration in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 (10 minutes) New This Snack provides an overview of the new functionality in Contract Administration in the Field Service series in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010.
Using Field Service Depot Management in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 (10 minutes) New This Snack provides an overview of the Depot Management module in the Field Service series in Microsoft Dynamics GP.
What’s New in Field Service Series in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 New This snack provides an overview of the new functionality in the Field Service Series in Microsoft Dynamics® GP2010.
Using Field Service Returns Management in Microsoft Dynamics® GP 2010 New This Snack provides an overview of some helpful functionality available in Returns Management in the Field Service Series in Microsoft Dynamics® GP2010.

Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step 2010
Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step for an Agile World (15 minutes) New This Learning Snack introduces the Agile project type and approach as detailed by Sure Step 2010.
Positioning Microsoft Dynamics® CRM Solutions and Microsoft Dynamics® Sure Step Decision Accelerators for Public Sector New This Snack presents an overview of how the Diagnostic Phase activities and Public Sector Industry/Vertical Solution guidance and templates within Microsoft Dynamics® Sure Step can supplement the selling process and help you close more Microsoft Dynamics® CRM public sector sales.
Creating a Project using Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step 14 minutes) New This Learning Snack is intended for individuals who plan to use Sure Step to create and manage editable customer projects based on the Sure Step deliverables.

Management Reporter 2.0 for Microsoft Dynamics ERP
What’s New in Management Reporter 2.0 for Microsoft Dynamics^® ERP New This Learning Snack will provide an overview of the architecture, features, and benefits found in Management Reporter and how it differs from Microsoft^® FRx^®.

Dynamics GP Testing Framework Ready

DynGpTeam — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:09:00 GMT

If you're like me, you are thinking what in the heck is the Dynamics GP Testing Framework and more importantly, why should I care? The simple answer, higher quality customizations and third-party products.

The framework is a set of tools that help you automate the testing of your customizations or third-party products. If you only have manual testing of any of your customizations or third-party products, you should check this out.

Alice Newsam from Microsoft wrote a nice blog posting about the framework with links to download it. Check it out and let us know what you think.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/developingfordynamicsgp/archive/2010/06/18/testing-framework-for-microsoft-dynamics-gp-available.aspx

Pam

Tick, Tock...

DynGpTeam — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:37:36 GMT

That sound you here is the clock running out on perhaps one of THE BEST offers to purchase (or sell!) Microsoft Dynamics GP in a long time. I’m talking of course of the “Three users for $1” that is available for ONE MORE WEEK to US-based businesses interested in licensing 3 users of one of the best ERP solutions on the market today for the price of a soft drink! The promotion ends on June 25th, so we wanted to remind both prospects and Partners to take advantage of this offer before it ends. Partners can read more about the offer here: https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/sales/promotions/q310_3for1offer.htm

If you are an existing customer of Microsoft Dynamics GP, there is another offer I wanted to let you know about as well that helps get you upgraded to Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 very fast! Our Professional Services team is offering a discount on upgrades to GP 2010 through August 30th, 2010. Partners can read more about the offer here: https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/sales/promotions/msdgp2010promotions.htm

Later this week I’ll try to find time to give everyone a sneak-peak into some VERY exciting developments related to new training courses being built for Partners…stay tuned for more!

AndyW

Final post from Australia

DynGpTeam — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 20:30:14 GMT

Another fantastic and interactive customer event here in Melbourne yesterday. We had a full house with many good questions and great feedback on GP 2010. The customers were really excited about the release. I continue to be amazed about the passion and loyalty that our customers have. The diversity of customers along with how they use the software in unique ways is always incredibly interesting.

Errol

Sydney GP2010 Launch BIG Success

DynGpTeam — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 07:00:10 GMT

With a full house at both the partner event on Monday and the customer event on Tuesday the Sydney Australia swing of the GP 2010 Launch is off to a great start. Along with the more formal presentations, the Sydney customer event saw multiple opportunities for customers to mix, mingle, get their picture taken and ask questions about both GP 2010 and Office 2010. The dedicated barista was also a big hit. Good on ya Sydney!

Tomorrow we continue with the customer event in Melbourne and follow that with a partner event in Melbourne on Friday.

Errol

Management Reporter Snack Now Available

DynGpTeam — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:13:55 GMT

There is a new snack available for What's New in Management Reporter. It is available for Customers and Partners. Take a look, it's pretty cool.

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/_silverlight/learningsnacks/dynamics/snack11/Default.html

Take Care,

Pam

This Week – Live from Australia

DynGpTeam — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 01:53:17 GMT

It’s great to be back in Australia! I’ve arrived and am writing this blog as I look out at the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Opera House. The Aussie’s have a full week lined up for me with Partner, Customer and Prospect GP 2010 launch events in Sydney and Melbourne. I’m very much looking forward to connecting with some old friends (from my two years here) and making some new ones.

Errol

Virtual Convergence Now Available

DynGpTeam — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 19:42:00 GMT

Virtual Convergence is open to all cusotmers current on their maintenance plan, Convergence attendees and all Dynamics partners. Reasons to check out Virtual Convergence:

1. Watch sessions you missed. Rewatch sessions to get more out of them.

2. Expo. Review the ISV products that were at the Expo.

3. You get the see me do a demo, if you watch the right session.

Take Care,

Pam

Virtual Convergence
Virtual Convergence is now live! This is your online resource for Keynotes, general sessions and concurrent sessions viewing online in Microsoft Silverlight. In addition,the sponsors or exhibitors in the Convergence Expo, all of their contact information and downloadable content will be available. To access Virtual Convergence click here and log on with your Windows Live ID. Please contact Virtual Convergence Help to resolve any access issues.

Convergence Presentations Available, you can find them via the Schedule Builder tool here. Use login using username/password you created during registration, or your Windows Live ID.)

SAVE THE DATE! Mark your calendars now for Convergence 2011, April 12-15, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Management Reporter eLearning Now Available

DynGpTeam — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 19:25:53 GMT

Yeah! Management Reporter training is now available.

You can go to this site and after logging in, select E-catalog and make a search on Management Reporter 2.0 to see the content.

https://dynamics.microsoftelearning.com/default.aspx?signedOut=true

Happy Learning,

Pam M

Management Reporter Registration Key Expiration on the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 BETA #2 HyperV Virtual Machine – RESOLUTION!

DynGpTeam — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:07:33 GMT

Hello,

Recently, we have heard from several Microsoft Dynamics GP Partners as well as Microsoft Dynamics GP Field Personnel that the Management Reporter Registration Keys have expired on the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 BETA #2 HyperV Virtual Machine. This error has occurred because Management Reporter has an automatic 90-day trial period. We have generated new registration keys for Management Reporter specifically for this virtual machine. If you need access to these keys (Partner’s Only), please email: mbsgp@microsoft.com.

IMPORTANT: These Management Reporter Registration Keys will ONLY work with the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 BETA #2 HyperV Virtual Machine.

Thanks,

Ben

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 What's New eLearning Now Available

DynGpTeam — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:53:55 GMT

Reposted from 5/17/2010

The Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 What’s New eLearning (sign in required) is ready and available. There are two What’s New courses (Applications and Installation & Tools) each approximately two hours long.

Four brand new collections for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 eLearning are already posted. Be sure to check out the Learning Catalog (sign in required) to see all the titles. More will be posted once available.

Courses are available to customers and partners on a service plan.

Pam

Does anyone in Antarctica want to learn about Dynamics GP 2010?

DynGpTeam — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:53:16 GMT

Reposted from 5/17/2010

If so, please let us know. Why, you may ask? Because I think it would be GREAT if the GP team could cover ALL 7 continents with a Dynamics GP 2010 launch event, instead of just the 6 we have visited or will be visiting! :) Yes, you read that right. With the upcoming completion of our GP 2010 launch events, we will have visited 6 of the 7 continents around the world, meeting with our Partners, Customers, and even prospects to show them this great release!

Launch events started across North America back in March for Partners, and continue this month and beyond for many of our customers and prospects. In April, Ben Corwin and Pam Misialek visited our friends in Puerto Rico and Trinidad with the good news of Dynamics GP 2010 (off the list goes South America). Errol is in Europe right now doing a show in the UK, and later will be headed to Australia, while Ben and I have just completed a 3 city show in Asia and Africa visiting our passionate Partners in Dubai, Cairo, and Saudi Arabia!

The Partners in the Middle East were GREAT to work with and are definitely excited about the prospects of this new release. It’s always interesting to hear about the successes AND the challenges that our Partners face in different regions around the world. The passion the Partners here have for the product is obvious, and we were thrilled to be able to spend time helping them understand all of the great opportunities that GP 2010 will bring to their customers and their organization.

With the product officially out the door, of course that means we kick into HIGH gear for development of Dynamics GP “12”. So while we work on the next great release, please let me know if you can find a few people in Antarctica who could stand to learn a few things about Dynamics GP. :)

AndyW

New format...and missing posts!

DynGpTeam — Tue, 25 May 2010 02:57:24 GMT

As I'm certain you've noticed, the MSDN blog platform got a "makeover" this weekend, as we now have an updated platform that provides some new avenues for sharing our blog content across multiple channels and platforms. Along with this new platform, it appears as though some of our most recent posts have gone missing! Besides working on getting these blogs re-posted, we also have some formatting work to do it appears. All will come in due time, so thanks for your patience and we hope you like the new format!

AndyW

The Scoop On Dynamics GP’s Application Password System

DynGpTeam — Tue, 25 May 2010 02:51:42 GMT

Contrary to earlier reports which have since been corrected on this Blog there is not a security vulnerability in Microsoft Dynamics GP. Further detail can be found on this blog site http://blogs.msdn.com/gp/

We’ve had some questions today about how the Dynamics GP System Application Password is stored within the database, and whether that method is sufficiently secure. Let’s take a look and clear up any misconceptions about the safety and security of the business application data. The Microsoft Dynamics GP application provides a very clear and complete security model in conjunction with SQL Server. The biggest risks to any SQL Server or database, regardless of its content, are improper management of the SQL Server system account password and inappropriate management of Windows Authenticated user accounts. Following good password- and account-management standards is the best way to protect any SQL server or database system from harm.

While it is true that behind the successful passing and validation of the Dynamics GP System Password, you can get to things such as User Account Creation, Security Task/Roles and other application-based setup items, you have to be a validated user already logged into Dynamics GP in order to take advantage of those features. The ability to simply translate a single stored piece of data using a custom database function that you wrote is not available to a standard Dynamics GP user and would require a higher level of access to the SQL Server itself (at least dbo level or higher) to create and execute the custom function.

Stepping back to take a look at the bigger picture, there are two different and separated levels of security that are applied and used within Dynamics GP. The first level of security is at the SQL Server itself. Because the Dynamics GP application does not use Windows Authenticated accounts to gain access to the SQL Server -- a Dynamics GP login can’t be used to log into SQL Server directly, in other words -- any attempt to gain access to that business application data using that access model will not be successful, unless the SQL Administrator were to specifically grant access to the SQL Server and then to the databases themselves.

The Dynamics GP access method to the SQL Server is based on SQL Login accounts. These user accounts are typically created within Dynamics GP. In order to create these types of accounts, the user must be logged into Dynamics GP using the SQL Server system account, or a separate SQL Login account that possesses the appropriate SQL Server permissions, to create SQL Logins and grant access to database roles. So why would the newly created Dynamics GP user account be granted access to the Dynamics database at creation? There are, in fact, specific and secure reasons.

When creating a user account within Dynamics GP, not only do you need to have the correct SQL Server permissions to take such an action, the Dynamics GP application takes advantage of the SQL Server password enforcement policies. These password policies, if enforced on the customer’s domain, enforce rules for password expiration, password strength (which includes required characters, length and/or blank passwords) and changing next password on login. So as an administrator with the appropriate access to the SQL Server, an administrator can create the appropriate Dynamics GP user accounts and also provide a password for those users.

When the user accounts are created within Dynamics GP, the password entered in the Create User window passes through two levels of encryption. The first level of encryption is the Dynamics GP encryption algorithm ( it should be noted, the substitution -cipher method is not used), and is encrypted through our Dexterity runtime engine -- not the business application code. When a user account is created at the SQL Server level, the password then goes through an additional password encryption. This user account password is only stored in the SQL server and not within the Dynamics GP related databases.

If a SQL Server Administrator chooses to create the Dynamics GP SQL logins outside of the application (which is an available option but not recommended), the user account passwords will only contain the SQL Server level of encryption. If the SQL Server Administrator chooses that option they are indeed putting their SQL data at risk, because this account can be used to gain access to the SQL Server (outside of Dynamics GP) and the appropriate databases would be available through any type of ODBC or .Net connection. This would be an area of concern that should be closely monitored and considered a security risk.

That said, if user accounts are created outside of Dynamics GP, the application is aware of and can detect what we would call “invalid” password states, which occur whenever an externally created SQL user account might be used to login into Dynamics GP. During the login process for Dynamics GP, the application detects if the password that was entered by the end user is “blank” or “plain text,” which translates to “accounts created in SQL Server only” or prior to Dynamics GP 9.0. If this situation is detected, the end user is immediately prompted with a Change User Password dialogue box and is forced to reset their password. By doing so, Dynamics GP places its own security encryption on the password and then sends the change down to SQL Server for updating. Using this method keeps the access to the business data secure and intact from access outside of Dynamics GP. In addition, because of the double encryption that takes place at the password reset, you are no longer able to use a Dynamics GP user account to create a connection to the SQL Server.]

The second level of security applied and used is the application security setup and, specifically, the business application setup that is required within Dynamics GP. The primary design behind this setup is to allow:

1. A separation of duties and administration between the SQL Server and Dynamics GP application (if required by company policy)

2. Administration capability for a single person or team

This design can provide business application administrators – the people who manage Dynamics GP --with the capabilities to create application users, grant access to company databases and build/maintain the access to Dynamics GP application modules, functional windows and reports that are contained within the application without having to involve the SQL Server Administrator in those tasks. In order to administer these features and functions while keeping the functions separate from the rest of the application, an Application System Password is required. The intent behind this System Password was never to provide true data encryption services, but to provide the ability to lock down the Dynamics GP setup and configuration options. Because of this, the password isn’t using the strongest encryption method available -- and if the password were to be compromised, it would offer no access to the SQL Server or to a Dynamics GP user account.

So in order to be a threat, a would-be attacker would have to first gain access to the SQL Server with the appropriate security access, and have access to the Dynamics database, and have the ability to create the user defined function -- just to crack the Dynamics GP System password. After assessing all of these requirements, the issue paints a picture of larger security issue in managing the SQL Server than the simple encryption algorithm used on the application system password.

Thanks for listening!

The Dynamics GP Team

Hungry Anyone? New Learning Options Now Available

DynGpTeam — Fri, 14 May 2010 18:41:00 GMT

Microsoft Learning is creating some fantastic content in a new format: Learning Snacks. They are little interactive presentations on specific topics, most are 15 minutes or less. We invested into this new format for Dynamics GP 2010 hopeful that it will make it easier for people to learn one bite at a time.

A few snacks are already available for Dynamics GP and more will be posted, so keep checking back. The link below is the main page, so you can see the other products as well that have snacks like Office, SharePoint and Windows Server.

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/training/format-learning-snacks.aspx#dynamicsgp10

Please check out the snacks and let us know what you think.

Happy Snacking!

Pam

New Support Debugging Tool

DynGpTeam — Fri, 14 May 2010 14:47:00 GMT

Our celebrity blogger, David Musgrave has updated the support debugging tool for Dynamics GP 2010 and has added new enhancements, increased performance and has made it more usable. Check it out.

http://blogs.msdn.com/developingfordynamicsgp/archive/2010/05/13/support-debugging-tool-build-13-released.aspx

Pam

Microsoft Dynamics GP Combined with Microsoft Office and SharePoint: A New Way to Do Business

DynGpTeam — Thu, 13 May 2010 18:19:00 GMT

We have a huge base of Microsoft Dynamics GP customers already taking advantage of the power of Dynamics GP combined with Microsoft Office and SharePoint. With the announcement that Office 2010 and SharePoint 2010 are now available to business customers, it's a great time to talk about the potential of leveraging these new releases.

People: Microsoft Excel 2010 has a number of new features that make information more visual, helping to interpret data easier to avoid overload. When connected to Dynamics GP, Excel empowers people by delivering new insight into business information making it easier to share and act. New Excel 2010 features such as Slicers and Sparklines bring numbers to life

PowerPivot for Excel 2010 is super cool and has a huge value to Dynamics GP customers. Mash data together from Dynamics GP, Dynamics CRM, and other data sources and create graphs and charts against your key business metrics in one place. This is a must do. Check it out.

Processes: Businesses are complex and so the processes a business has are equally complex. Exceptions, missing information, multiple teams and locations make it difficult to have a repeatable process that's followed. New Workflows with Dynamics GP that leverage SharePoint help define your processes for more than just approvals, but steps in your specific business before approval is needed.

Being able to view information outside of Dynamics GP gives people a huge benefit, but being able to write data back to Dynamics GP without a full user is awesome. Using SharePoint 2010 External Lists, Dynamics GP customers can now view information, update it and have it update Dynamics GP. No development needed. No customizations. Right out of the box, built into our portal.

Ecosystem: Connections. Connections are vital and using technology to make it easier to connect and collaborate gives a business leverage, leverage to grow and compete.

In Dynamics GP 2010 you can now email professional looking Word forms to suppliers and customers, making it easier to communicate. Being able to email groups of documents from a batch or a filtered list not only helps people to connect, it helps them communicate steps in a business process. For example, you can email all orders that were shipped to customers, so they have an advanced ship notice.

These are just a few of the things you can take advantage of with Dynamics GP, Office, and SharePoint. Feel free to share your favorite features of the new release.

Take Care,

Pam

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Microsoft Dynamics GP Combined with Microsoft Office and SharePoint: A New Way to Do Business