How to create a test company with Analytical Accounting installed using Microsoft Dynamics GP

We receive lots of support cases because the live company had Analytical Accounting (AA) installed and not all the steps were completed to copy it over to a test company. Here are the quick steps restore a live database that has AA activated over to a Test company:

Step 1. Make a backup of the live production company with AA activated. Do NOT copy it to the Test company yet.

Step 2. Create a Test company.

Step 3. Install and activate AA in the Test company first.

(NOTE: You can verify in the AAG00104 table in the Dynamics database that the AACOMPANYSTATUS column = '4' which means AA was installed and activated successfully. The company ID in this table can be cross-referenced to the SY01500 table if needed. Both the live production company and test company should have a value of 4 in the AAG00104 table to signify AA is successfully installed and activated in each.)

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Select * from Dynamics..AAG00104

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Step 4. Now you can restore the backup of the live production company over to the test company.

Step 5. Then run the script  noted in Step 6 of KB 871973 to update the Company ID (INTERID) in all the tables to point to the Test company ID instead of the Live Company ID. The link to the KB is below:

KB 871973 - Set up a test company that has a copy of Live company data for Microsoft Dynamics GP by using Microsoft SQL Server

Step 6. And there is one last script to run to update the 'Next Available Number' stored for each table in the AAG00102 table in the Dynamics database to be in synch for the last used number that was copied over to the test company. To do this, run the script in Method 1 of the Resolution section in KB 897280 against the Test company database in SQL Server Management Studio. This will automatically update the Next Available Number stored in the AAG00102 table. The link to the KB is below.

897280 Error message when you try to post Analytical Accounting transactions or save a Master record in Microsoft Dynamics GP: "Cannot insert duplicate key in object 'AAGXXXXX'"

So just make sure to activate AA first in the test company before restoring the live company over to it. And be sure to run both scripts in step 5 and 6 above. This will make your life a lot easier when it comes to testing with AA in the picture!

Thanks,

Cheryl Waswick | Technical Support Engineer | Microsoft Dynamics GP Support -Financials