Microsoft Dynamics GP Upgrade - Upgrading Microsoft Dynamics Web Services

Hello again Dynamics GP Community!

In this article I wanted to discuss some changes to the Dynamics GP Web Services product that may impact your upgrade plans.

UPDATE: For those looking to apply the January 2022 update for Dynamics GP Web Services, as long as you are upgrading from another Fall 2021 (18.4.xxxx) build the process would simply involve running the appropriate version (x86 or x64) of KB4576808, which can be downloaded from the following:

Service Packs and Hotfixes for Web Services for Microsoft Dynamics GP

Then run the Web Services Configuration Manager (Microsoft.Dynamics.GP.WebServices.ConfigWizardUI.exe in the Web Services install folder) to allow the upgrade to complete.

If you are upgrading from a previous yearly release of Dynamics GP you can slip-stream this MSP into the AdProd\WebServices\x64\Updates folder in the Fall 2021 installation media to automatically apply it at upgrade.

As those of you who upgraded GP Web Services from Dynamics GP 2018 to Microsoft Dynamics GP (Fall 2019 or 18.2 or later) experienced, there was a requirement to reinstall GP Web Services by slip streaming in the appropriate MSP file.  This process was descripted in a blog we published at the time.

If you have upgraded to 18.4.xxxx for Microsoft Dynamics GP, you must use the MDGPFALL2021_DVD_ENUS.zip media to install/upgrade Web Services to 18.4 as well, to match the version of the Dynamics GP databases.  This DVD media has the required KB4576800 patch for Web Services already built into it.

As mentioned with the GP 18.3 version, without using this DVD and MSP patch, you'll receive errors when running the Web Services Configuration Wizard when attempting to complete the install/upgrade on the databases, such as a blue question mark for the Functional Currency check and/or no company databases to select from, to install/upgrade Web Services onto, among other issues and errors.

Now, for the Fall 2021 release there are a few things to consider.

First, if you're upgrading from the Fall 2019 (18.2 release (or later) to the Fall 2021 release you can simply apply the new MSP file that is included on the updated installation media, then run the Web Services Configuration Wizard to update the SQL Server components as usual.

One additional consideration is that, as I'm sure you've heard, the TLS 1.0 protocol is being retired in the coming months.  Microsoft Dynamics GP Web Services currently requires TLS 1.0 in order to function but based on our research it turns out that it's really just a compatibility issue with the Authorization Manager security store when it is stored in a SQL Server database.  Previously we had presented this as the recommended option based on the fact that you could easily backup your GP Web Services security store database along with your Dynamics GP databases.

In order to make Microsoft Dynamics GP Web Services compatible with TLS 1.2 the process going forward will be to reinstall Dynamics GP Web Services, but instead of choosing the SQL Server security store option, choose Active Directory.  We've published another blog that explains how to create an authorization store partition in Active Directory and then use that for Dynamics GP Web Services.  Unfortunately, there isn't a migration to a different security store, so before you uninstall Web Services, you'll want to review the Dynamics Security Console and note role assignments and any changes policy behaviors that you've made so you can recreate them after the reinstall.

Aside from that, Dynamics GP Web Services should functionally work the same despite the back-end change, so your applications, including Dynamics GP Workflow approvals, should continue working.