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Microsoft Dynamics SL (Archived)

Migrating Solomon IV data to MSD SL 11

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We are looking to migrate an old Solomon IV (Btrieve) database to MSD SL 11. We weren't able to find anyone supporting SL anymore. Even tried looking for FastForward data migration tool but couldn't find it anywhere.

Can someone provide some reference for obtaining FastForward or any vendor/MS partner who still supports SL?

Thanks in advance.

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  • Community Member Profile Picture
    on at
    RE: Migrating Solomon IV data to MSD SL 11

    Hi Mansur,

    Since you have an SL2011 installation you should have the System Manager manual available. You should look in the section that discusses Transaction Import and the example Control Macro and import data files.  If a GL import is successful, batch records with matching GL transactions should be available in SL2011 to review, release, and post. Remember that SL creates the batch numbers on saving the batch, which would not be the same batch number as used in the Btrieve database.

    You should focus on importing just the GL batches at the start. If you are having problems importing GL entries, you will not have much luck importing to other screens.

  • Community Member Profile Picture
    on at
    RE: Migrating Solomon IV data to MSD SL 11

    Hi Brian,

    Tried using your suggestion, was able to create CSV for importing GL transactions but while releasing SL11 creates duplicate batch & releases the transaction while the original batch (imported from CSV) remains as it is. This is causing mis-match of batch references.

    For AP/AR module I am finding it extremely difficult create transactions as unable to identify the exact tables/records where the data is stored.

    Any suggestions?

    Thanks

    Mansur

  • Community Member Profile Picture
    on at
    RE: Migrating Solomon IV data to MSD SL 11

    Importing the BTrieve DB in SQL won't update the schema of the imported data to match the current schema in MSSQL for SL2011.

    Formatting the source data in Excel will allow you to use Transaction Import to bring in the old data. Transaction Import will validate the imported records and avoid risks of directly updating tables in the DB. The value of historical data will determine how much effort to put into the data cleanup. In many cases the GL data is the most valuable, and GL entries require a limited number of changes before they can be imported.

    You would need to set up a new SL2011 database before importing transactions. The accounts and subaccounts could be imported, or copied and pasted from an Excel sheet. After the database setup screens are complete, you would need to create a Transaction Import control macro for the GL Journal Transactions screen. You would need to retrieve the GLTran records and the related Batch records from the old Solomon 2.0x database, and format them to match the layout specified in the TI control macro. The imported batches can be released and posted in SL2011, which will recreate the account history used in the financial statements.

    Transactions for other modules can be imported into a new SL database, but in many cases the work involved won't justify the time and cost required.

  • Community Member Profile Picture
    on at
    RE: Migrating Solomon IV data to MSD SL 11

    Thanks Brain, I wouldn't be having access to older version of SL. The only 2 versions available are SL IV & SL 11.

    Though I tried something else, it partially worked. Using PSQL ODBC, I tried importing the db in SQL then updated the schema using OpenDbDiff. Though not all tables got imported but still I was able to access the DB through SL. Unfortunately, it didn't show any transactions.

    I don't mind using the approach suggested by you. But looking at the no. of tables, I seems a difficult process. Any suggestion for simplifying the process?

  • Community Member Profile Picture
    on at
    RE: Migrating Solomon IV data to MSD SL 11

    The Fast Forward tools date back to SL 4.x versions which ran on SQL7.0 and probably predates SQL2000. Upgrading would require going through several intermediate upgrade steps of past SL and SQL releases. Would you have access to SL versions from that far back? Or would you want data from that far back?

    If you have the Btrieve data access tools, you could run SQL queries to retrieve the data to migrate into a spreadsheet where it could be cleaned up and imported into a current SL installation. That approach would bypass the intermediate upgrade steps. The financial modules have kept a very similar table and field structure through past versions, which can greatly simplify upgrading an outdated installation.

  • Community Member Profile Picture
    on at
    RE: Migrating Solomon IV data to MSD SL 11

    Thanks, but I don't have the right tools/utility. You have any idea, where can I get them?

    I know of FastForward, which helps do it but unable to find it.

  • NameBrands Profile Picture
    52 on at
    RE: Migrating Solomon IV data to MSD SL 11

    You would have to go back and convert from btrieve to the first version of Microsoft and then step through the versions.  Just as if you had done it each year, etc.

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