Your ERP system (Dynamics GP) is the backbone of many organizations. A plan should be in place to support Dynamics GP in order to minimize issues, downtime, or data loss. Here are a few ideas to better maintain your ERP system.
Have Appropriate Disk Space on the SQL Server
Make sure you have appropriate disk space for SQL data, SQL logs, and SQL backups. The amount of space required depends upon how much data is being processed through Dynamics GP and whether the server supports other databases and functions as well. Verify where the default Data, Log, and Backup files are stored by:
· Open SQL Management Studio
· Right click the Server Name at the top
· Select Properties
· Select the Database Settings Tab
· Verify the default file location drives
Verify where each GP database’s Data, Log, and Backup files are stored if they are different then the defaults:
· Open SQL Management Studio
· Right click the Database
· Select Properties
· Select the Files Tab
· Verify the file location drives
Verify disk space:
· Open Windows Explorer
· Right click the drives found above
· Select Properties
· View the Free Space
Compare the file sizes from above and make sure you have adequate space for SQL data and log growth. This should be several times more than is currently being used. Further, make sure you also have enough space to store backups, based on the backups and their expiration dates. If your backups expire after two weeks and you make nightly Full backups, you should have enough space to store 14 Full backups plus room for the backups to grow as more data is entered into Dynamics GP.
Back Up SQL Databases
Have a maintenance plan to back up the DYNAMICS and all company databases in the desired interval. This should be performed on a regular basis to ensure the Dynamics GP information may be restored for a disaster recovery type situation. The backup should be verified and tested periodically to make sure the backups are working properly providing you insurance against data loss. This can be setup through the SQL Management Studio – Management – Maintenance Plans feature:
· Right click on the Maintenance Plan feature and select the Maintenance Plan Wizard.
· Select Next
· Provide a name and description for the Maintenance Plan
· Provide a schedule for running the plan by selecting the Change button next to Schedule
· Select Recurring Schedule Type
· Select the Frequency
· Select the Duration (No end date)
· Click OK
· Click Next
· Select Back up type (Full)
· Select Next
· Select Next again
· Select the Database(s)
· Select when the backup set will expire to make sure the disk on the server does not take all the server space; two weeks generally works well
· Verify the backup folder being used to store the backups
· Click Next
· Click Next
· Click Finish
Note: Other functions that may be performed on a periodic basis with the SQL Maintenance Plan from above that may improve performance and data integrity are as follows:
· Check Database Integrity
· Rebuild Index
· Update Statistics
· Clean up History
Monitor the Event Viewer
Monitor the Event Viewer on the SQL Server to see if there are any errors:
· Open Administrative Tools
· Select Event Viewer
Monitor Memory Utilization
Make sure you have enough RAM on the SQL server based on your usage level. We recommend at least 8+ GB for any system, but some require more. Please review Microsoft current server requirements based on you GP version.
Keep Dynamics GP Version Up-To-Date
Know which version and service pack of Dynamics GP you are running and what the latest version and service packs are. Confirm the version you are using is still supported by Microsoft. Have a plan for updating to the current version when it is released. The plan should be coordinated with the Dynamics GP VAR.
Close Any Inactive Dynamics GP Sessions
On a periodic basis, close any inactive users still held by Dynamics GP due to various reasons, such as power failures, terminal server disconnections, etc.:
· Have all users log out of Dynamics GP
· Open SQL Management Studio
· Run the following script against the DYNAMICS database
DELETE DYNAMICS..ACTIVITY
DELETE DYNAMICS..SY00800
DELETE DYNAMICS..SY00801
DELETE tempdb..DEX_LOCKS
DELETE tempdb..DEX_SESSION
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ANDREW FRASER |Senior Business Software Consultant As a Senior Business Consultant, Andrew is responsible for the implementation and support of CRM, GP, and other Microsoft products assuring that our solution scoping, architecting, and delivery meet and exceed customer expectations. He helps clients analyze their current business processes and provide them with process improvements. During his time at KTL, Andrew has built lasting relationships with clients by understanding their business needs and provided value by leveraging their existing resources. Andrew has more than nineteen years of experience in implementing business software for a variety of industries including service, government, distribution, not-for-profit and manufacturing. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Math with concentration in Computer Science and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Marketing from St. Andrew’s University in Laurinburg, North Carolina. His experience includes helping companies embrace technology to fulfill their organizational needs and creating innovative solutions using CRM, GP and other Microsoft products. |
