AccountMate 7.x for SQL/Express
Conversion from
Visual AccountMate Version 3 or 5
CONVERSION INSTRUCTIONS
As of November 28, 2007
Important!! Read this document first.
Do not run the AccountMate 7.x for SQL/Express (AM 7.x) conversion until you read and thoroughly understand all pages of this document. If you have any questions about the conversion process after reading this material, please contact our Product Support team at (415) 883-1019 or via e-mail at support@accountmate.com before you attempt the conversion.
What’s New?
This entire document has been designed to address your conversion needs. This document is made up of two parts:
· Checklist – step-by-step list of the procedures to be performed
· Installation & Conversion Details – detailed discussion of the procedures specified in the checklist
The following section(s) has (have) been updated:
o Pre-installation Steps
o Converting Data
o Post-Conversion Process
CHECKLIST
Note: For a detailed discussion of the specific steps in the checklist below, please refer to the Installation & Conversion Details section.
A. Pre-installation Steps
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1. Correct Version |
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2. Conversion Limitations |
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3. Do Modifications Exist? |
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4. Install SQL Server with Mixed Mode Authentication |
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5. Choose Computer |
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6. Check Disk Space |
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7. Run Reports |
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8. Payroll Module Preparations |
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9. Backup |
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10. Perform Data Validation Procedures |
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11. Verify Data Set Size |
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12. Close PO/AP and BR |
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13. Generate and Export Accrued Received Goods Report |
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14. Download Pre-Conversion Utility |
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15. Run Pre-Conversion Utility |
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16. Configure ODBC DSN |
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17. Backup |
B. AccountMate 7.x for SQL/Express Installation
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1. Run Setup.exe |
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2. Select Destination Location |
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3. Select the “Custom” Installation Option |
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4. AccountMate Product Key |
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5. Select Components to Install |
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6. Launch the Administrator Program |
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7. Activate Modules |
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8. Install License File |
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9. Create Company |
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10. Back up AM 7.x for SQL/Express |
C. Converting Data
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1. Verify Exclusive Access |
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2. Download and Extract Latest Conversion Utility |
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3. Run Foreign Key Checker |
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4. Run convert.exe |
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5. Select Installation Folder |
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6. Select Database |
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7. Choose Location for Temporary Databases |
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8. Perform Data Integrity Check |
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9. Complete Conversion |
D. Post-Conversion Process
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1. Input PR Tax Subscription Key |
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2. Initialize Modules and Install Latest PR Tax Update |
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3. Access Maintenance Records |
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4. Compare GL Transfer Report and GL Financial Statements |
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5. Review Converted Data (by running reports) |
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6. Perform “Typical” or “Compact” Installation on Workstations |
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7. Post AP Invoices for PO Receipts |
E. Troubleshooting Errors and Messages
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1. “VAM/LAN and AccountMate 7.x for SQL company does not have the same account segment definition. Do you want to overwrite the account segment definition in AccountMate 7.x for SQL?” |
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2. “Data errors were detected by the conversion program at Step # 1. Please fix your data first before you continue with the upgrade program. You can print the data integrity checking log file(s) from [xxx\convert\work]. Would you like to view the data integrity checking log file(s)?” |
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3. “AccountMate for LAN and AccountMate for SQL company do not have the same number of fiscal periods. Conversion cannot proceed.” |
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4. “AccountMate for LAN and AccountMate for SQL company do not have the same fiscal year start dates. Conversion cannot proceed.” |
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5. Conversion failure during Step 5 (Upload Data to SQL Server) |
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6. Conversion failure during Step 6 (Convert LAN to AM/SQL) |
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7. Foreign Key Violation Error |
--- Checklist Ends (Detailed Discussion Follows) ---
INSTALLATION & CONVERSION DETAILS
A. Pre-installation Steps
This data migration program is designed to convert:
o Databases on VAM/LAN Version 3, Build LN315 to any of the following:
§ AccountMate 7.1 for SQL (AM/SQL 7.1) or higher; or
§ AccountMate 7.1 for Express (AM/Express 7.1) or higher
o Databases on VAM/LAN Version 5, Build LN503 or higher to any of the following:
§ AccountMate 7.1 for SQL (AM/SQL 7.1) or higher; or
§ AccountMate 7.1 for Express (AM/Express 7.1) or higher
Check the build number of your current installation by accessing the “About Visual AccountMate” function under the Help menu. If it is on a build lower than the ones listed above, you must update to one of the required builds before you can use this conversion program.
Verify that the version number on the new AccountMate CD is 7.1 or higher. If you want to convert to any other version contact AccountMate Product Support at (415) 883-1019, support@accountmate.com or call Customer Service at 1-800-877-8896 ext 752.
Please take note of these conversion limitations that affect the following modules:
a. BR Module: There are data structure differences between AM 7.x and the older AccountMate versions. You must therefore complete any bank reconciliation projects that are pending in your current AccountMate version and then close the period in the BR module before performing the conversion. Refer to step 12 of this section for more information.
b. PO Module: Records of accrued received goods are not converted. Refer to steps 12 through 15 of this section for more information.
c. SO Module: VAM/LAN 3 did not have SO shipment tables. In order to facilitate the conversion to AM 7.x, only the current SO shipment tables will be populated. There will be no historical shipment data (SOSHIPH, SOSPTRH, and SOSPSPH) for installations that come from VAM/LAN 3 builds.
d. SM Module: Group and User records are not converted. Any reports created using the Custom Reports feature are also not converted. You must re-create the Group and User records when installing AM 7.x and, if applicable, re-create the Custom Reports after the conversion.
3. Do Modifications Exist?
To use the generic conversion program, your current AccountMate system and data structure must be unmodified. If you still need your customizations after the conversion, you must have a programmer apply them to your new version.
If you modified the data structure or system, please do not proceed. Instead, e-mail our Development Consulting Service, devconsulting@accountmate.com, to inquire about the procedures to modify the generic conversion program to work with your modified AccountMate data or system. Regular consulting charges will apply.
4. Install SQL Server with Mixed Mode Authentication
Verify that SQL Server or Express is properly installed and set up for use with AccountMate.
a. Make sure that SQL Server/Express is installed under Mixed Mode to support both SQL and NT Authentication.
b. Be sure to assign a non-blank password to the ‘sa’ SQL login ID. Take note of the password as you will need it to configure the ODBC DSN connection.
c. Take note of the SQL Server/Express Instance name as you will also need this to configure the ODBC DSN connection and to create the AccountMate databases in the database server.
Note: AccountMate does not sell SQL Server. For assistance on installing your SQL Server or Express, refer to your IT Professional.
5. Choose Computer
We recommend that you run the conversion at the computer that holds the SQL server. If for any reason you cannot perform the conversion at the server, run it at a computer that has the SQL Client Tools.
6. Check Disk Space
You should have free disk space of at least 5 times the size of your current AccountMate data in the computer where you intend to perform the conversion and in the drive that will hold the AccountMate 7.x for SQL/Express databases.
7. Run Reports
Run the GL Transfer Report from each of the non-GL modules that you use. Also generate the GL financial reports (e.g. Balance Sheet, Income Statement, GL Listing, etc.). If you encounter any error (e.g. Out of balance, Transfer date is not defined, etc.), resolve the data problem before proceeding with the conversion. It is advisable to keep a hard copy of the final, correct reports to compare against the same reports generated after the conversion.
8. Payroll Module Preparations
Note: If you do not have the Payroll module, please skip this step.
If you have the Payroll module, please note that there are extensive data structure changes in version 7 Payroll. As such, we suggest that you generate these reports before the conversion so you can use them to validate your PR data after the conversion:
o Payroll Entry Reports
o PR Check Reports
o Management Reports
o Deduction Transactions Report
9. Backup
Back up all live company databases in preparation for performing Data Validation Procedures and Period-End Closing. In case of problems, you can restore the databases from your backup and try again. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!
10. Perform Data Validation Procedures
Run the Validate Database and Rebuild Table Indexes functions for each company to be converted. If you encounter any error, correct the problem; then, make another backup of the affected database before proceeding with the conversion.
11. Verify Data Set Size
By default, our conversion program is designed to handle VAM/LAN Data sets with a maximum combined file size (combined size of the DBF + CDX + FPT) of 1.5 GB. If your VAM/LAN Data folder contains files with a combined file size that exceeds 1.5 GB per data set, you must create a file called CVMAXFSZ.CFG where you type in a value that is less than 1.5 GB (expressed in megabytes). Store the file in the Convert folder of your AMSQL directory. The conversion program will use the file size you defined in CVMAXFSZ.CFG to split the VAM/LAN Data files to be used in the data migration. Using the file CVMAXFSZ.CFG allows the conversion program to convert data sets with up to 145 GB combined file size.
Note: A data set is a combination of the DBF, CDX and FPT files that store a particular type of data in VAM/LAN. For example, APVEND.DBF, APVEND.CDX and APVEND.FPT all store AP Vendor File information and constitute one data set. It is the combined size of the three APVEND.* files that is compared against the default 1.5 GB data set size limitation.
After completing all pending Reconcile Bank Account transaction records, you must close the period in the BR module. This is essential for the BR module’s data to be properly converted.
The BR period you are closing does not have to match the bank statement period you have reconciled. For example, if the most recent bank reconciliation you have completed is for the June statement period but your current period in BR is July you can still proceed with the Period-End Closing. It is also not necessary for all bank account records to be reconciled for the same statement period. For example, if some but not all your bank accounts have been reconciled for the July statement period you can still proceed with the Period-End Closing. The system only requires that there are no pending bank reconciliation projects in the databases that are to be converted.
You must also perform Period-End Closing for your PO/AP modules; however, these modules must be closed through the period that has transactions that have yet to be posted to GL. For example, if you have recorded PO/AP transactions dated up to July 31, 2007 you must close PO/AP through July 2007. Closing the period in PO/AP is necessary to generate the correct information for the succeeding steps.
13. Generate and Export Accrued Received Goods Report
Run the Accrued Received Goods Report sorted by Vendor#. This must be performed in your current AccountMate installation as you will no longer be able to generate this report in AM 7.x for PO receipts recorded prior to the conversion.
Be sure to keep a copy of the said report. You will need it after the conversion to identify which PO receipts have accrued liabilities. When you post an AP invoice for your PO receipts in AM 7.x, you can check the receipts against this report and charge the AP invoice against the Accrued Received Goods Liability, if applicable.
Note: You must keep a copy of this report for as long as accrued receipts recorded in your previous AccountMate version are not reversed in your AP invoices. Do not dispose of them after the conversion until all of the PO receipts in the report have been fully reversed in AP.
14. Download Pre-Conversion Utility
You can obtain the Pre-Conversion Utility (accrual_ln.zip) from the Download Center/Conversion and Upgrade Tools section of the AccountMate website. If you are an AccountMate End User, you must ask your AccountMate Reseller to download this file for you. You will need this file if you have Accrued Received Goods transactions in your PO module.
15. Run Pre-Conversion Utility
The Accrued Received Goods Report does not show which accruals have been posted to GL, which is why you need to run the Pre-Conversion Utility as an additional step. Follow the steps defined below:
a. Extract the content (accrual_ln.exe) of the Pre-Conversion Utility you downloaded in step 14 to the data directory of the AccountMate LAN company database you are converting.
b. Run the file extracted against the database that you are converting. This will generate a special report showing the accruals made for PO receipts that have been transferred to GL but have not yet been reversed or invoiced in AP. When used with the Accrued Received Goods Report, the special report will provide you with the information you need to facilitate the posting of AP invoices in AM 7.x for the accruals recorded in your previous AccountMate version.
c. Click on the close button (marked “X”). The system will automatically generate an Excel file showing the same information as the utility you just ran. This Excel file will be called ACCRUAL.XLS by default and will be stored in your company database directory. If you have previously run the utility and have kept the Excel file under its default name, the system will prompt you to overwrite the existing file with the new output.
Save the results from running this file into a directory that can only be accessed by authorized personnel to minimize the risk of deletion. You can print the Excel file for a hard copy that you can use when posting AP invoices for these accruals.
Caution: This must be performed on the correct database, for all databases that you need to convert. Moreover, you must not delete or dispose of these files/printouts for as long as the corresponding PO receipts are not yet invoiced / reversed in AM 7.x.
16. Configure ODBC DSN
Note: If you are converting to AM 7.3 or higher, please skip this step.
Before installing AM 7.x, verify that your System DSN is configured correctly for AccountMate. The procedures described below must be performed on the server and on every workstation that will run the AM 7.x program.
Verify that:
a. Your System Data Source name is “AMMS”.
b. Type in the correct SQL Server/Express instance name.
c. Set the ODBC to use SQL Server Authentication.
d. Mark the check box “Connect to SQL Server to obtain default settings for the additional configuration options”.
e. Use ‘sa’ for the login ID and use a valid password; and, as much as possible do not use a blank password.
f. Test the connection and verify that your test results will read, “Tests completed successfully”.
17. Backup
Back up the entire VAM/LAN folder; in case the conversion fails or you decide to postpone it for another time, you can delete the AccountMate folder used in the failed conversion, restore the files from your backup and either try again or reschedule the conversion. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!
B. AccountMate 7.x for SQL/Express Installation
Insert the AccountMate 7.x for SQL/Express CD into a CD-ROM drive. If the installer does not automatically run, click on Setup.exe. You will be shown the AccountMate 7.x for SQL or the AccountMate 7.x for Express Setup screen.
2. Select Destination Location
On the Choose Destination Location screen, accept the default Destination Folder by clicking the Next> button; or click the Browse… button to change to the desired path. This should be the folder in which you will find it most convenient to run AM 7.x.
Note: You must install AM 7.x in a separate folder than the one that holds your current AccountMate installation. In case the conversion fails and you decide to postpone it for another time, you will be able to easily go back to your previous AccountMate version.
3. Select the “Custom” Installation Option
Click on the Next button to proceed to the Setup Type screen. Since you are installing on the server where you will perform the conversion, make sure that you choose the Custom installation option.
4. AccountMate Product Key
In the Product Key window, enter the 25-character AccountMate Product Key printed on the License File CD that was shipped to you with your AM 7.x package. Should you encounter problems with your Product Key, contact AccountMate Customer Service at 1-800-877-8896 ext 752.
Note: The Product Key is version specific, which means that the product key for version 7.3 will not work for any other version and vice versa.
5. Select Components to Install
In the Select Components window, you will see three Components to install. These are:
o Program Files => these are the executable files, which will allow you to run the main AM 7.x program and all its functions and reports.
o Administrator Program => installs the Administrator program, which will allow you to activate modules, install your license file, create companies, and manage group and user access rights among other functions.
o Run-time Files => will install the Crystal Reports and Visual FoxPro run-time libraries (DLL’s) necessary for running various AM 7.x functions and reports.
Be sure to select the Program Files and Run-time Files option boxes in this window so that the executable program as well as the Crystal Reports and Visual FoxPro run-time libraries (DLL’s) will be installed.
For the server, the computer where the conversion will be performed (if other than the server), and those workstations that need to run the Administrator program be sure to check off all three options, including the option for Administrator Program. The Administrator program is required to complete the AM 7.x installation and to perform the conversion.
Continue with the rest of the installation screens until you see the InstallShield Wizard Complete window.
6. Launch the Administrator Program
Run the AccountMate Administrator program either from your desktop or the AccountMate program folder.
If you are converting to AM 7.3 or higher, you should be prompted for the SQL Server or Express instance where your AccountMate data is stored (Figure 1). Enter the computer name and the SQL Server or Express instance name (e.g. COMP1\SQL1NSTC); then, press OK.
Note: Those who are converting to AM7.2 or lower versions will not see this message.
Figure 1. Select Server Dialogue Box
At this point, AccountMate will automatically create the system database and the sample company database on the SQL server.
a. When prompted for the default password, enter “go”.
b. When prompted for a country tax setting for the sample company, select the option that most closely represents the sales tax system that applies to your own company; then, click OK.
c. When asked for the SQL and Mapped data directories, accept the default or enter the correct path. The SQL Data Directory is the folder on the server where Microsoft SQL Server is installed. The Mapped as Directory is the path that represents the mapping you made to the SQL Data Directory on the workstation from where you are running the Administrator program.
d. When asked if you want to continue with the installation of the AccountMate databases, click Yes.
e. Wait until the system displays a message stating that the system and sample company databases have been successfully installed; then, click OK.
7. Activate Modules
Activate all your modules.
a. In the Administrator program, select Setup > Licensing > Activate Module. The system will display the Important Notice window that contains the AccountMate License and Copyright Notice. Click on “I Agree” to proceed.
b. Verify the value entered in the space provided for the AccountMate Product Key. If the Product Key supplied is valid, the system will list all the modules that you acquired with a check mark on the Purchase column.
c. To activate a module, click on the box in the Activate column beside the module you want to be able to use.
Note: If you entered the AccountMate Product Key upon installation, you will see the same information upon accessing the Activate Module function window. If you purchased any new modules since the new version was installed, you will be issued another Product Key. You must enter the new Product Key in the space provided in the Activate Module window to activate the new modules purchased.
8. Install License File
The AccountMate license is in a License File CD that comes with your AccountMate 7.x for SQL/Express package. The License File CD label shows your company name, Support ID and Product Key. If you notice any discrepancy in your company name or Support ID, please contact Customer Service at 1-800-877-8896 ext. 752.
To install the License File:
a. Insert the License File CD into a CD-ROM drive that is accessible from the computer where you will perform the License File installation.
b. Access the AM 7.x Administrator program (click on Amsqladm.exe in the AccountMate root directory).
c. Select the Install License File option under the Licensing function on the Setup menu. This will display the Important Notice window. Click “I Agree” to be shown the Install License File dialogue box.
d. Click the ellipsis button beside the License File field and select the path that points to the CD-ROM drive.
e. Click on the Install button on the dialogue box to initiate installation of the license.
Notes:
§ You have 90 days from the installation of your new AM 7.x version to install the license file. After 90 days, the unregistered copy will expire and you will be locked out of the main AccountMate program until the license is installed.
§ You will also be limited to a database size of approximately 0.25 gigabytes. If your converted data has a size that is greater than 0.25 gigabytes, you will be locked out of the main AccountMate program even if you have not exceeded the 90-day grace period; you will only be able to use the program once you have installed your license file.
9. Create Company
In AM 7.x, create the company to which you will be converting your VAM/LAN data. You can do this through Company Setup. Make sure it has the same information as the VAM/LAN company database being converted for the following fields:
o GL Account Segment Definition - the structure as well as the major segment and, where applicable, the fund segment. For example, the Description [ID] is case sensitive. If the Description you created in VAM/LAN is in small letters, make sure that the Description you specify in AM 7.x is also in small letters.
o Number of fiscal periods
o Fiscal Period Interval – if you choose a 12-period fiscal year setting, you must choose the “1 Month(s)” option as the other options are not available in previous AccountMate version releases.
o First Day of the Fiscal Year
o Current Fiscal Year
o Home Currency
o Fund or Non-Fund Company Setup
o Consolidation Setup (i.e. no consolidation, parent or subsidiary)
Notes:
§ The conversion requires that the above eight settings in the AM 7.x company be identical to those of the VAM/LAN company you are converting.
§ Create Groups and Users, and assign access rights to the Company database you created through the Group/User Setup function.
10. Back up AM 7.x for SQL/Express
Back up the AM 7.x company database you just created. In case of failure, you can restore this backup and resume the conversion without having to recreate your target company database. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!
C. Converting Data
Check that no one accesses the source VAM/LAN company you are converting and the AM 7.x system while you perform the conversion. You can verify this by selecting the Current Login User List function; make sure you are the only user currently logged in. Exit the VAM/LAN and AM 7.x programs; then, continue with the conversion.
2. Download and Extract Latest Conversion Utility
Make sure you have the latest conversion utility (i.e. Conversion File for AM7.x). The latest version of this file is available for download from the Download Center\Conversion & Upgrade Tools section of the AccountMate website. If you are an AccountMate End User, you must ask your AccountMate Reseller to download these files for you.
Extract the contents of the download file LAN_to_MS7.zip into the AM 7.x application folder. When extracting the contents of the zip file, verify that the “overwrite existing files” and “use folder names” checkboxes are marked.
Note: If you are converting to AM 7.2 or lower, please skip this step.
Locate the Foreign Key Checker (AMFKCHKL.EXE) in the Convert subfolder of your AM 7.x application folder.
This tool must be run against all AccountMate databases, including the sample company. It checks for possible foreign key violation errors that could occur during the conversion process. Depending on the validation results, you must fix the data and then create another backup before proceeding with the conversion. The Convert folder also contains the AccountMate for LAN Foreign Key Checker Utility_User Guide (PDF). Please read this document carefully before using the tool.
4. Run Convert.exe
Run CONVERT.EXE from the Convert folder of your AM 7.x application folder. You should see the following reminder:
Figure 2. Conversion Dialogue Box
Click Yes to proceed.
5. Select Installation Folder
The second form (Figure 3) will ask you for the location of your source VAM/LAN installation. This is the directory path where your VAM/LAN program can be found.
Figure 3. VAM/LAN Installation Directory
6. Select Database
The third form (Figure 4) will ask you for the name of the source VAM/LAN company database and the target AM 7.x company database. Key settings for both companies will be compared. If they are not the same, an error message will be generated.
Figure 4. Database Selection
If everything is set up properly, you will then be asked if a backup of your target company has already been made. Click Yes to proceed.
7. Choose Location for Temporary Databases
Another form will ask you for the AM 7.x data drive and its mapped drive. The AM 7.x SQL Data Dir is the physical drive in the server that contains the SQL database files (i.e. AMDATA directory). The mapped drive is the logical drive that is mapped to the SQL data drive. If the SQL Server database resides in the computer where you are performing the conversion, the mapped drive is the same as the SQL data drive. If you are working from a computer on the network, check through the AM 7.x Administrator Program’s Company Setup of your target company for the correct drive information.
The forms shown in Figures 5 and 6 will not be displayed if you have previously run the conversion program and the temporary SQL database has already been created.
Figure 5. Temporary SQL Database
Figure 6. Temporary SQL Database
8. Perform Data Integrity Check
You should now be able to see the main conversion interface. Run Step 1, Check LAN Data Integrity. This step checks for possible primary key violations. The program will generate a log if it finds data problems in your VAM/LAN data. You must fix the VAM/LAN data before proceeding with the conversion. This procedure will save you time if your data set is large.
9. Complete Conversion
If there is no error, you can choose to do either an unattended conversion or perform each step of the conversion manually. The option to “Perform the following steps automatically” will allow unattended conversion. If an error occurs at any step, the conversion program will display a message and provide you with another error log.
When you reach Step 5 of the conversion process, a DOS screen will appear beside the Conversion screen. If you have a large data set, the DOS screen may appear for an extended period of time. Don’t terminate the process unless you are 100% certain that the SQL server is locked up. Click OK to continue.
If the conversion successfully goes through Step 6, you will see a message like the one shown in Figure 7.
After the conversion, you can click the Clean up button to delete the temporary database and files. If you close the Conversion screen without doing clean up, you must manually delete the temporary database (lntemp) created in your SQL server for this conversion, and clear the Work folder.
Figure 7. Conversion Status Screen
D. Post-Conversion Process
1. Input PR Tax Subscription Key
Note: If you do not have the Payroll module, please skip this step.
If you have the Payroll module and an active Payroll Tax Subscription, you will be issued a PR Tax Subscription Key. The PR Tax Subscription Key is printed on the AccountMate 7.x for SQL/Express License File CD, provided that your Payroll Subscription was active at the time the new version was shipped to you. This key controls the states that you will be able to activate in the Payroll module. It also includes information about the tax year covered by your subscription, which in turn determines your ability to manually update the federal and state tax tables for the current tax year.
To input the PR Tax Subscription Key:
a. In the Administrator program, select Setup > Licensing > Input PR Tax Subscription Key.
b. In the space provided, enter the 20-character PR Tax Subscription Key printed on the AccountMate 7.x for SQL/Express License File CD. If the Subscription Key supplied is valid, the system will display in the New Tax Year field the tax year covered by your subscription.
c. You can drill down on the New PR Tax Subscription Key field caption to view the states covered by your subscription.
If you notice any discrepancy with the subscribed tax year or states or if you receive an error message when you enter the Subscription Key, please contact Customer Service at 1-800-877-8896 ext. 752.
2. Initialize Modules and Install Latest PR Tax Update
For each activated module that you use, you must access the Housekeeping menu and perform Module Setup.
If you are using the Payroll module and have a PR Tax Subscription for the current tax year, you must also verify that you have the latest PR tax updates installed. You can check this by running the Federal/State/Local Tax Table Maintenance functions. If you do not have the latest PR tax updates, you must download them from the AccountMate Download Center (/download/) and install them in your new system.
Go through the different Maintenance functions and verify that all required fields are set up or assigned the desired values. This must be performed for each module you have activated and initialized. Pay particular attention to the following Maintenance records:
o Inventory Maintenance => verify that a Unit-of-Measurement is assigned to each inventory item record. You must also verify that an inventory item marked for Use in Work Order is not set up to Use Specification, and vice versa. If both checkboxes are marked, you must verify which one you want to apply to the inventory record and unmark the feature that does not apply to the item.
o Inventory Type Maintenance => verify that a Unit-of-Measurement is assigned to each inventory type record.
o Sales Tax Entity Maintenance => verify that GL Account IDs are assigned to the Sales Taxes Payable and Sales Tax Costs fields of each tax entity record.
o Employee Maintenance => verify the accumulated earnings, paid leave, deductions, and taxes of each employee. You must also verify that the correct Earning Codes, Paid Leave Codes, and Deductions have been assigned to each employee record.
Note: If you convert to AM 7.2 or higher, you must also verify the Expense GL Account IDs assigned in the Earning Code tab of the Employee Maintenance function.
o Earning Code Maintenance => verify the assigned Expense GL Account IDs and the Accumulate Paid Leave settings defined for each earning code record.
o Paid Leave Code Maintenance => verify the assigned Accrual Method, Tier settings, and the assigned Liability and Expense accounts.
Notes:
§ Each paid leave code created by the conversion process will have one tier only. Only the Salaried Base and Carry leave settings will be converted.
§ Prior to version 7, the Payroll module did not accrue liability for employee leave benefits. If you want to fully employ the Paid Leave feature in AM 7 you must post an adjusting journal entry in the General Ledger module to record the employee leave balance as of the time you started using AM 7 Payroll.
4. Compare GL Transfer Report and GL Financial Statements
Run the GL Transfer Report for your non-GL modules and the GL financial statements (i.e. Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and GL Listing) and compare the information generated against the same reports from your previous AccountMate build. This will help identify any issues that may have resulted from the conversion and will make it possible for you to correct these problems before data processing is resumed in the new version.
5. Review Converted Data (by running reports)
You should run the newly converted company in AM 7.x and review the data to ensure everything has been converted successfully. Here is a partial list of reports you can run to help verify the conversion:
o GL : Trial Balance, Income Statement, Balance Sheet
o AR : AR Aging, Payment Distribution Report
o AP : AP Aging, AP Check Register
o SO : Open Order Report, SO Shipment Report (not applicable to those who come from VAM/LAN 3)
o PO : Backorder Report, PO Received Goods Report
o IC : Inventory Transfer In-Transit Report
o MI : Back Order Report
o BR : Bank Reconciliation Report
o PR : PR Check Register Report, Earning Code Transaction Report, Paid Leave Transaction Report, Deduction Transactions Report, QTD or YTD Tax Withholdings Report
o CL : Consolidated Account Balance Report, Consolidated Account Balance Analysis
6. Perform “Typical” or “Compact” Installation on Workstations
Caution: You need not run the workstation installation on the computer where you performed the server installation. If you previously performed the server conversion through one of your workstations, running the installer on that same workstation will display the Uninstall AccountMate window.
a. Access each workstation where you will run the new AccountMate version. Insert the AccountMate 7.x for SQL/Express CD into a CD-ROM drive. If the installer does not automatically run, click on Setup.exe. You will be shown the AccountMate 7.x for SQL or AccountMate 7.x for Express Setup screen.
b. On the Choose Destination Location screen, accept the default Destination Folder by clicking the Next> button; or click the Browse… button to change to the desired path.
c. Click on the Next button to proceed to the Setup Type screen. Since you are installing on a workstation, make sure that you choose either the Typical or Compact installation option.
o Choose the Typical option if you want to run a separate client installation from each workstation. This option installs the AccountMate program and run-time files on the workstation.
o Choose the Compact option if you want to run the AccountMate program through a mapping from a file server. This option installs just the run-time files on the workstation.
d. Next, the wizard will take you through the selection of a Program Folder, after which the files for the new version will be installed. Click Finish to complete the workstation installation.
e. Configure ODBC DSN on each workstation unless you are converting to AM 7.3 or higher. Refer to step 16 in Part A for more information.
7. Post AP Invoices for PO Receipts
When posting an AP invoice in AM 7.x for PO receipts that had been accrued in previous AccountMate versions, you must do the following:
a. Retrieve your Accrued Received Goods report and the report generated from running the accrual_ln.exe file against the corresponding AccountMate LAN company database.
b. Check whether the AP invoice you are posting pertains to a PO receipt that appears in the report generated from the accrual_ln.exe file. If it does, the said PO receipt has an outstanding accrued obligation in GL.
c. When posting an AP invoice for the said receipt, change the reference account defaulted in your AP Invoice Transactions\GL Distribution tab to the GL Account ID used for your accrued liability for PO receipts. The default reference account will come from the Vendor record. The accrued obligation would have been posted to the GL Account ID defined in the Accrued Received Goods field of the GL Distribution tab in PO Module Setup, unless the value in this field has been changed.
d. Do not post any value in the Reverse Accrued Amount field of the Information Tab in the AP Invoice Transaction screen. The conversion does not bring over records of PO accrued receipts from your previous AccountMate version.
e. All other AP invoices involving PO receipts that are not in the report generated from the accrual_ln.exe file but which appear as outstanding accruals in the Accrued Received Goods report were never posted to GL. As such, no outstanding obligations have been created for them in GL. For these invoices, you can just post them like you would a regular AP invoice for an obligation that was never processed through PO. This means that you must post it against the corresponding expense or asset GL Account ID. You will not be able to post a reverse accrued amount for it, as there is no record of the accrual in AM 7.x.
f. For all other AP invoices, post them as you would normally do. This applies to all invoices pertaining to either non-PO transactions or to PO accrued receipts that are posted subsequent to the conversion to AM 7.x.
E. Troubleshooting Errors and Messages
The succeeding sections will provide tips for troubleshooting some of the more commonly encountered conversion error messages.
This happens when the account segment definition in your AM 7.x target company does not match that of the source VAM/LAN company. To resolve this, click “Yes” on the message window. This will change the account segment definition of your AM 7.x target company to match that of the VAM/LAN company being converted. You can then proceed with the rest of the conversion.
This error is caused by different types of primary key violations. For example, it may be caused by records with empty non-nullable fields that SQL will not allow.
If you choose to view the data integrity check’s log file, you will see information similar to the one shown in Figure 8. If the report is long, you can print it using Notepad. Please take note of the file name and the location displayed next to the label Log File.
You must fix your VAM/LAN data using Visual FoxPro. In this example, any empty non-nullable date field (e.g. Create Date) must be filled in with the correct data before you can continue.
Figure 8. Sample Check LAN Data Integrity Error Log File
3. “AccountMate for LAN and AccountMate for SQL company do not have the same number of fiscal periods. Conversion cannot proceed.”
This error is generated when the VAM/LAN company and the AM 7.x target company do not have the same Number of Fiscal Periods. The Number of Fiscal Periods is defined during Company Setup. To resolve this error, do not proceed with the conversion. Delete the target company created in AM 7.x; then, create another company and make sure that the number of fiscal periods matches that of the source VAM/LAN company data. Back up the AM 7.x company data before resuming the conversion.
4. “AccountMate for LAN and AccountMate for SQL company do not have the same fiscal year start dates. Conversion cannot proceed.”
This is generated when the VAM/LAN company and the AM 7.x target company do not have the same First Day of the Fiscal Year. The First Day of the Fiscal Year is defined during Company Setup. To resolve this error, do not proceed with the conversion. Delete the target company created in AM 7.x; then, create another company and make sure that the First Day of the Fiscal Year matches that of the source VAM/LAN company data. Back up the AM 7.x company data before resuming the conversion.
5. Conversion failure during Step 5 (Upload Data to SQL Server)
If the conversion fails at Step 5, perform the following:
a. Do not click the Clean up button; instead, close the conversion program.
b. All files used in Step 5 are located in the Convert\Upsize directory. The log files have the .LOG extension and there is one file created for each table. Each table must be fixed in the AccountMate LAN database before proceeding with the conversion. The log file includes the following information:
o Number of records affected by the insert/conversion operation
o Errors
Note: When you open each *. log file with Notepad, use the search function to look for the key word “Error”. You will find the errors that are causing the conversion to fail.
c. Correct all errors identified in the log before resuming conversion for the same company.
d. Restore the backup of the target AM 7.x company database to its pre-conversion state.
o If you choose NOT to delete the AM 7.x company database, you can restore the backup you made prior to conversion (step 10 of Part B). Nobody must access the company database at the time you restore the backup.
o If you deleted the AM 7.x company database, you must create another target company. You do not have to worry about the account segment definition because you can overwrite that when you restore your backup. Restore the company database from the backup made (step 10 of Part B).
o If ever a backup was NOT made before running the conversion program, do the following:
i. If the AM 7.x company database was NOT deleted during conversion, delete it using the AccountMate Administrator program.
ii. Create a new company in AM 7.x. The company settings should match the setup of the company in VAM/LAN.
e. Make sure you correct all the errors listed in each *.LOG file; then, run the conversion program again.
6. Conversion failure during Step 6 (Convert LAN to AM/SQL)
If the conversion fails at Step 6, perform the following:
a. Do not click the Clean up button; instead, close the conversion program.
b. All files used in Step 6 are located in the Convert\Upgrade directory. All log files have the .LOG extension. Depending on the target build, there will be at least three LOG files. All errors are to be fixed in the AccountMate LAN database before proceeding with the conversion.
Note: When you open each *. log file with Notepad, use the search function to look for the key word “Msg” to find the errors that are causing the conversion to fail.
c. Follow steps 5c-e above.
7. Foreign Key Violation Error
One of the possible issues that could cause the conversion to fail during step 6 is a foreign key violation. You may find an error entry similar to the following in the log file:
The UPDATE statement conflicted with the FOREIGN KEY constraint “FK_…” The conflict occurred in database “database name”, table “dbo.tablename”, column ‘cacctid’.
This problem occurs if you do not perform step 3 of Part C (Run Foreign Key Checker) before performing the conversion. To resolve this problem, you must:
a. Delete the AM 7.x company database used in the failed conversion.
b. Restore the backup made prior to conversion (step 10 of Part B).
c. Run the foreign key checker utility against your AccountMate LAN database (step 3 of Part C).
Downloads: The following can also be obtained from our website; visit: /businesspartner/info/downloads/conversion_upgrades.asp
· Conversion File for AM7
· Pre-Conversion Utility
· Check File Corruption Utility