After almost two months we finally have FRx working.....sort of. For anyone considering it or now using it on pre-6.10 Vantage and/or considering SQL Server 2005 here are some things I have run into....
1. HUGE issue with Vantage 6.10 (we are on 533)....every time you Export the data to the FRx database someone has to go on to the server running SQL Server and manually change database settings in one of the tables. Every time the export is re-done it blows away the database and recreates it....with TWO wrong field sizes (not just one as Epicor Support sent me a procedure for). I am trying to get an answer as to when this will be fixed. But once we get our first reports written in the next few weeks, and we are ready for routine use, this will be a show stopper. If you are on 6.00 and it is working then take this issue into consideration before moving up to 6.10.
If anyone out there has been told when to expect a fix please post this info. Otherwise I will go ahead and log a support call.
2. New FRx users...there are several places in the documentation which are either wrong or do not provide everything you need to make it work right. Specifically there is missing info about user rights in SQL Server Manager for allowing people to run the export. Also the DSN setup needs to be System DSN not User DSN (per advice from FRx Support). Finally the whole process would be a LOT easier to understand if there was a short overview of how it all works
3. Someone neglected to send us license codes. These come from FRx itself at the request of Epicor. The when we got them they were wrong (one user only instead of the two we paid for). If you don't get codes when you get the CD call support and get the ball rolling. You can install it and use it for 30 days then it quits.
4. In the process of trying to resolve several issues I came across some disturbing information from FRx Support that certain patch releases of FDM 6.7 (thru patch level 6 specifically) are required to be able to use SQL Server 2005 BUT that the patch process itself has a bug so the patch can not be applied. As it turns out this seems to be wrong and we are running SQL Server 2005 OK but then again we are on Patch level 2 as distributed by Epicor so maybe the incompatibility with SQL 2005 came later. I suspect not applying FRx patches beyond 2 would be the cautious approach until they fix the install for patch level 6.
5. There is a very distinct borderline between Epicor for support and FRx for support. Be ready for a certain amount of finger pointing about whose turf it is. Generally speaking if it is in the Export routine it belongs to Epicor but if it is in the FRx products (like Report Designer) you call FRx, unless of course the designer issue is realted to something in the Export. Fortunately though FRx was good enough to identify the second field size that needs to be changed because the export screwed up and this got us going...finally.
Despite the frustrations we are still very much looking forward to using FRx and all in all (aside from a few rocky spots) both support organizations were working really hard on the issues - even if they did not resolve them soon enough (can they ever?).
Todd Caughey
Harvey Vogel Mfg. Co.
PS - Thanks to all the people here, on and off list, who have helped me with advice.
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1. HUGE issue with Vantage 6.10 (we are on 533)....every time you Export the data to the FRx database someone has to go on to the server running SQL Server and manually change database settings in one of the tables. Every time the export is re-done it blows away the database and recreates it....with TWO wrong field sizes (not just one as Epicor Support sent me a procedure for). I am trying to get an answer as to when this will be fixed. But once we get our first reports written in the next few weeks, and we are ready for routine use, this will be a show stopper. If you are on 6.00 and it is working then take this issue into consideration before moving up to 6.10.
If anyone out there has been told when to expect a fix please post this info. Otherwise I will go ahead and log a support call.
2. New FRx users...there are several places in the documentation which are either wrong or do not provide everything you need to make it work right. Specifically there is missing info about user rights in SQL Server Manager for allowing people to run the export. Also the DSN setup needs to be System DSN not User DSN (per advice from FRx Support). Finally the whole process would be a LOT easier to understand if there was a short overview of how it all works
3. Someone neglected to send us license codes. These come from FRx itself at the request of Epicor. The when we got them they were wrong (one user only instead of the two we paid for). If you don't get codes when you get the CD call support and get the ball rolling. You can install it and use it for 30 days then it quits.
4. In the process of trying to resolve several issues I came across some disturbing information from FRx Support that certain patch releases of FDM 6.7 (thru patch level 6 specifically) are required to be able to use SQL Server 2005 BUT that the patch process itself has a bug so the patch can not be applied. As it turns out this seems to be wrong and we are running SQL Server 2005 OK but then again we are on Patch level 2 as distributed by Epicor so maybe the incompatibility with SQL 2005 came later. I suspect not applying FRx patches beyond 2 would be the cautious approach until they fix the install for patch level 6.
5. There is a very distinct borderline between Epicor for support and FRx for support. Be ready for a certain amount of finger pointing about whose turf it is. Generally speaking if it is in the Export routine it belongs to Epicor but if it is in the FRx products (like Report Designer) you call FRx, unless of course the designer issue is realted to something in the Export. Fortunately though FRx was good enough to identify the second field size that needs to be changed because the export screwed up and this got us going...finally.
Despite the frustrations we are still very much looking forward to using FRx and all in all (aside from a few rocky spots) both support organizations were working really hard on the issues - even if they did not resolve them soon enough (can they ever?).
Todd Caughey
Harvey Vogel Mfg. Co.
PS - Thanks to all the people here, on and off list, who have helped me with advice.
The information contained in this E-mail message and any documents which may be attached are privilaged and confidential, and may be protected from disclosure.
Please be aware that any use, printing, copying, disclosure or dissemenation of this communication may be subject to legal restriction or sanction. If you think you have received this message in error, please reply to the sender.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]