Not My Job

As of now, all versions of Made2Manage since 3.X [...]]]>

Not My Job

As of now, all versions of Made2Manage since 3.X are a kind of hybrid database and include a Visual FoxPro database component. It may not contain your shipping records, but it is vital nonetheless. Visual FoxPro is an anomaly in that it’s database tables are actual files on disk. What is in that database?

1. All of your login information including name, password, permissions, etc.
2. All M2M Reports, both standard and any you’ve customized.
3. Any FastForms customizations you may have created.
4. Text values for terms, invoice status, and other field codes saved in the SQL database.

If you lose these files, you are dead in the water. I myself have had to re-create the files from a backup that was a few months old. It’s not pretty.

The title for this post comes from an interesting call I received from the Vice President of one of M2M’s customers. He said his M2M system was down because they had a raid array fail, and asked me for advice. My advice was simple, rebuild the server and restore from backup. He told me in an exasperated voice that he had tried that, and the SQL databases were restored, but they had lost the entire M2M file share. Upon further questioning he revealed that while he had SQL database backups, they were not taking backups of the file share of that server.

He elaborated how his M2M Administrator marched into his office and told him the bad news. When the VP asked him why critical M2M files weren’t being backed up he confidently said, “That’s not my job, file backup is Bob’s responsibility. Mine is M2M administration.” The VP then informed the employee that neither was his job anymore and let him go.

If you’re a M2M Administrator, these files are your responsibility whether or not you have a dedicated Network Admin who oversees file backups. In an emergency, it doesn’t mater why M2M is down, only that it is down.

What do I recommend? You must verify that these are being backed up on a regular basic and perform test restores on them as well. If you are in a situation where cannot perform test restores on the files, perhaps you don’t have access to the tape machine, then make your own backups somewhere else. At the very least perform a periodic copy of the M2Mdata directory to another server, even your own desktop. The size of the directory should be less than a gigabyte. If you include compression in your process through a free program like 7-Zip, the compression rate is somewhere near 90%. This means that each backup of your M2M share is something less than 100MB which is totally manageable. Some quick options come to mind. You could use Powershell, Windows Scripting through batch files, or my weapon of choice SQL Server Integration Services.

It’s not very hard to do, and is paramount in your role as a M2M Administrator.

I’ve eluded to a super secret (if I told you, I’d have to kill you) project that I’ve been working on a few times recently. This poll is a part of it. I’d really like to know how many of you folks are using the M2M Production Calendar (CALNDR) to track workdays, weekdays, [...]]]>

M2M Calendar

I’ve eluded to a super secret (if I told you, I’d have to kill you) project that I’ve been working on a few times recently. This poll is a part of it. I’d really like to know how many of you folks are using the M2M Production Calendar (CALNDR) to track workdays, weekdays, holidays, etc.

Recently we decided to host a second SQL Saturday Event later this year. It [...]]]>

I’ve been volunteering with my local user group for awhile, and have been preaching community on this blog. One of the best ways to get involved, and learn for that matter, is to participate in SQL Saturdays.

On The Wait List

Recently we decided to host a second SQL Saturday Event later this year. It will focus on Business Intelligence and will be smaller with about 200 people.

Anyway, even though I’m a member of the planning comittee, I’m still supposed to sign up as an attendee. And I tried to…. but it was completely full in less than 12 hours. I was shocked, it’s not like Bruce Springsteen is hosting this thing.

I kid you not, I’m on the wait list for my own SQL Saturday.

What did I realize?

• The SQL Community rocks. Where else can you get free high-quality training?
• The quick “sell-out” is validation that our first SQL Saturday was awesome. Obviously I am geeked about further opportunites to volunteer.
• People around me are growing and striving to become better to compete in the current economy.
• I’m incredibly fortunate to belong to a excellent user group. Join yours today and if it’s not excellent get involved and help it grow.

This whole thing is especially ironic since I was “the bouncer” in charge of the front registration for SQL Saturday Dallas.

I guess this time I’ll have to try the line, “Excuse me Mr. Bouncer, I’m with the DJ.”

]]> http://www.made2mentor.com/2010/07/realizations-from-the-wait-list/feed/ 3 http://www.made2mentor.com/2010/07/updating-a-sql-table-from-another-table-fixing-your-salesperson-admin-mistake/ http://www.made2mentor.com/2010/07/updating-a-sql-table-from-another-table-fixing-your-salesperson-admin-mistake/#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:40:34 +0000 David http://www.made2mentor.com/?p=3552 Yesterday I demonstrated how to use T-sql to update the Customer Table (SLCDPM) to avoid hours of manual labor. I mentioned that you should always make a backup of the table before running an update statement in case you’ve made an error.

One of my readers, Kim, astutely asked me how to use [...]]]>



The Problem

Yesterday I demonstrated how to use T-sql to update the Customer Table (SLCDPM) to avoid hours of manual labor. I mentioned that you should always make a backup of the table before running an update statement in case you’ve made an error.

One of my readers, Kim, astutely asked me how to use the backup table to fix said error. Well, the process is fairly simple. In this example, I’m working with the M2M Educational Database.

Let’s say that Luke Skywalker (initials LS) was hired as a new Salesperson at your company so you duitifully add him to the SLPN screen. Luke is replacing Chris Kelso (initials CK), who left to join the Galactic Empire.

Let’s say that you created the slcdpm_backup table that I suggested earlier but you made a mistake in your update statement. You were high on Glitterstim and day dreaming about a Twi Lek dancing girl and accidentally used Anakin Skywalker’s initials instead.

UPDATE slcdpm
SET FSALESPN = 'AS' -- NOT LS
WHERE fsalespn = 'CK'

Let’s further assume that you didn’t document the exact update statement used. A week later one of your Salespeople reports errors while trying to save customers and you realize that you’ve made some kind of mistake with the Customer table.

Ah hah you think, “I’ll just restore from the backup table.” Not so fast nerf herder, we need to investigate the changes so that we don’t make problems worse.

The Solution

The first thing you should do is compare your current customer table to the backup. Remember that in this example we can’t remember the exact update statement ran a week ago. Otherwise we would just run it with the correct initials. The following script will show you differences in your tables by comparing the current table with the backup via the identity_column.

SELECT SLC.fcompany
      ,SLC.fcustno
      ,SLC.fsalespn NewSP
      ,BAK.fsalespn OldSP
      ,SLC.identity_column
      ,BAK.identity_column
FROM slcdpm SLC
FULL outer join slcdpm_backup BAK ON BAK.identity_column = SLC.identity_column
WHERE SLC.fsalespn <> BAK.fsalespn or BAK.fsalespn IS null or SLC.fsalespn IS null

You may want to use an inner join and remove the null statements from the where clause if you’re only interested in columns which have different values. The script above also shows records which exist in one table but not the other in addition to those that have changed. Anyway, the results may look like the grid below. The new records are circled in red while the changed records are in blue.

Now you know exactly how many records need to be changed. Update the current table with the following statement.

UPDATE slcdpm
SET fsalespn = BAK.fsalespn
FROM slcdpm SLC
INNER join slcdpm_backup BAK ON BAK.identity_column = SLC.identity_column
WHERE SLC.fsalespn <> BAK.fsalespn
--and SLC.identity_column not in (3,5,7)

A couple of things to note. First, I’ve used an inner join in my update statement but that isn’t actually necessary here. I’ve compared the tables on their identity_column fields, and in a comparison like this where each table may have values the other lacks, the join will ignore the null values. Also note the commented out portion of the Where clause. If the investigation had shown that in the past week some customer’s salesperson settings were legitimately changed, then you could use the where clause and specify which records should be skipped.

I mentioned in the last article that I should demonstrate how to do this using TOAD but when I started to write it up I was taking so many screenshots that I’ve decided to record a video instead. I’ll have a video up in a few days on how to use TOAD to synchronize tables.

Luckily the manual correction process is fast so Darth Vader won’t get wind of your failures and be forced to deal with you.

Any questions?

]]> http://www.made2mentor.com/2010/07/updating-a-sql-table-from-another-table-fixing-your-salesperson-admin-mistake/feed/ 1 http://www.made2mentor.com/2010/07/using-t-sql-to-automatically-update-m2m-tables/ http://www.made2mentor.com/2010/07/using-t-sql-to-automatically-update-m2m-tables/#comments Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:00:01 +0000 David http://www.made2mentor.com/?p=3543 One of the primary values a good DBA brings a company is in automating tedious, time-consuming tasks. In my last article, I discussed the problems when adding a sales person to M2M. M2M’s standard procedure is to create a new sales person and manually re-assign every customer (over 700 of them) to the new sales [...]]]>



One of the primary values a good DBA brings a company is in automating tedious, time-consuming tasks. In my last article, I discussed the problems when adding a sales person to M2M. M2M’s standard procedure is to create a new sales person and manually re-assign every customer (over 700 of them) to the new sales person.

In this article I’ll demonstrate a better way to do so. Before reading on, please read my standard disclaimer. Also, please note that M2M does not recommend updating the M2M database outside of the M2M program, and will not assist you if you make a mistake, at least not without charging you an hourly rate to do so.

The Basic Process

1. Always develop the script on a test server.
2. Before applying the script to the live server, always make a full backup of the database.
3. Create a select statement to verify that you are about to update the correct subset of data.
4. Make a backup copy of the table. Yes, I know you already made a backup of the entire database, but we need to make a separate backup of the table and keep it for reference for a few weeks.
5. Run any applicable reports which may be effected by the data change. In all of my years in M2M customization, I am still surprised by how quirky the database is and how seemingly insignificant changes can cause big problems.
6. Craft and run your update statement. In M2M you have to be particularly careful because the entire database lacks referential integrity so you can store nearly anything in most fields. It’s very easy to make a mistake. Make sure that the number of records updated equals the number in your original select statement.
7. Set a reminder to delete your backup table after you’re sure that no problems will arise.

Update the Sales Person Table

Fire up your query tool of choice. I prefer TOAD for SQL Server. In this example, we are reassigning someone with the initials ZZZ with AAA. Following the steps above craft the Select statement like so:

USE M2MData01
Go
 
SELECT SLC.fcompany, SLC.fcustno, SLC.fstate FROM slcdpm SLC WHERE fsalespn = 'ZZZ'

You should be presented with a grid of records which represent customers assigned to sales person ZZZ. Check the grid to make sure that these are the records you wish to change.

Next make a backup of the table with this statement.

SELECT * INTO slcdpm_Backup
FROM slcdpm

This creates a copy which we will retain for a few weeks. Next run the Sales Commissions Report (RPCMSN) and export it for comparison.

The update statement would look like the following.

UPDATE slcdpm SET fsalespn = 'AAA'
WHERE fsalespn = 'ZZZ'

Note the number of rows effected. Be sure that it equals the number of rows returned in step 3.

Re-run the select statement above with the new initials to check your work.

SELECT SLC.fcompany, SLC.fcustno, SLC.fstate FROM slcdpm SLC WHERE fsalespn = 'AAA'

Finally, re-run the Sales Commissions report and export it. You can then compare it to the first export to verify there were no changes.

In fact, if you export it as a Comma Delimited file you can use TOAD to file compare both and save yourself a lot of time. While this was a simple example, nearly all of my automatic updates are done this way.

Any questions?

]]> http://www.made2mentor.com/2010/07/using-t-sql-to-automatically-update-m2m-tables/feed/ 8 http://www.made2mentor.com/2010/07/salesperson-administration-problems/ http://www.made2mentor.com/2010/07/salesperson-administration-problems/#comments Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:00:54 +0000 David http://www.made2mentor.com/?p=3533 Recently we had a salesperson leave our company and they were subequently replaced. I was asked to add the new salesperson and to transfer all of the outgoing person’s accounts to the new guy.

So, I fired up the Salesperson (SLPN) screen and added the new salesperson. This was an internal promotion so I used the [...]]]>



Recently we had a salesperson leave our company and they were subequently replaced. I was asked to add the new salesperson and to transfer all of the outgoing person’s accounts to the new guy.

So, I fired up the Salesperson (SLPN) screen and added the new salesperson. This was an internal promotion so I used the initials he already had for his regular M2M login when I added him to SLPN. However, when I looked at the outgoing salesperson I noticed something amiss.

The salesperson’s initials do not have to match their M2M login initials. I realized this because I was looking in the customer table (SLCDPM) for his initials in the fsalespn field and the query returned no records.

I called M2M Support and they confirmed that the initials do not have to match. I’m rather anal, so I edited the initials to match in the Salesperson screen, and M2M allowed me to do so. However, you should not do this. If you do, the link between the salesperson table (slspns) and other tables in the system is broken. This effectively orphans those records.

Afterwards, if any customer assigned to that salesperson is edited on the CUST screen, you will receive the following error which will need to be corrected before any changes can be saved.



Further, you cannot delete a salesperson who has records assigned to him. If you attempt to do so, you receive this error.



This means that your list of salespeople will continue to grow forever because there is no way to delete them. There is a change request for this problem, but it’s in the Reviewed status which suggests that it won’t be addressed in the near future.

M2M’s position on this issue is that we need to create the new salesperson, and then manually assign each customer individually to him in the M2M interface. Considering that in my case this is more than 700 accounts, this is not feasible.

In the next article, I will show you the unsupported way to fix this in minutes.

Stay tuned!

]]> http://www.made2mentor.com/2010/07/salesperson-administration-problems/feed/ 1 http://www.made2mentor.com/2010/07/whats-in-a-name/ http://www.made2mentor.com/2010/07/whats-in-a-name/#comments Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:00:26 +0000 David http://www.made2mentor.com/?p=3523 In the past two weeks, I’ve had two separate people ask me the same question. They want to know how to decrypt the Utuser.dbf file so they can retrieve their user list from M2M.

While I won’t show you how to break M2M encryption, I will give you two simple ways to get your user [...]]]>



In the past two weeks, I’ve had two separate people ask me the same question. They want to know how to decrypt the Utuser.dbf file so they can retrieve their user list from M2M.

While I won’t show you how to break M2M encryption, I will give you two simple ways to get your user list.

M2M actually provides the solution in versions 5.52 and above. Go to your User Management Screen (USER) and click the browse button. You’ll be presented with something resembling the following.


Many browse windows in the later versions offer the ability to export the contents to Excel, a very handy feature. So, export the grid to Excel and you have your user list. However, what can you do if you’re on a previous version?

As much as it pains me to say it, the answer is to use Visual FoxPro. However, in this case it’s very simple.

SET excl OFF
OPEN DATA X:\m2mdata\util\util.dbc
SELECT DISTINCT fcuname FROM utacc
copy TO c:\users.xls type xls

This will achieve the same thing.

]]> http://www.made2mentor.com/2010/07/whats-in-a-name/feed/ 1 http://www.made2mentor.com/2010/07/always-make-a-backup-when-performing-fastforms-customizations/ http://www.made2mentor.com/2010/07/always-make-a-backup-when-performing-fastforms-customizations/#comments Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:59:04 +0000 David http://www.made2mentor.com/?p=3505 As I’ve mentioned previously, I’ve been using FastForms for years and I have one basic rule that I never, ever break. I never make changes in FastForms with users in the system. M2M says you are safe to do so, but painful experience has shown me that this is unwise.

The problem is that the [...]]]>



As I’ve mentioned previously, I’ve been using FastForms for years and I have one basic rule that I never, ever break. I never make changes in FastForms with users in the system. M2M says you are safe to do so, but painful experience has shown me that this is unwise.

The problem is that the program, and it’s underlying database system (Visual FoxPro), are simply too unstable. Once you have a problem with it, you’re forced to take drastic measures to fix it. I’ll explain in a future article how to completely remove a botched FastForms customization.

Well, I also have an unwritten rule that I’ve always followed when performing FastForms customizations, and that is to make a backup of the entire Util Folder when I do so. Now, I know that technically I only need to make a backup of FormXMaster and FormXItems, but it is simply easier to make a copy of the entire folder. In most installations the Util folder shouldn’t be 100MB anyway.

Why dedicate an entire post on this topic? Well, it’s simple. FastForms’ bugginess burned me earlier this week, and I had not followed my unwritten rule. Further, because a problem occured with my backup server, I had to get the Util directory directly from tape. This takes a considerable amount of time, and I could have avoided that by taking 5 seconds to copy the Util directory. Luckily however, I had followed rule number one and performed this customization after hours. Otherwise, my M2M would have been down for nearly an hour while I scrambled to fix the problem.

So, learn from my mistakes. Whenever you are customizing FastForms, VBA, VFP Reports, etc make a copy of them before editing. It’ll save you time and headaches in the process.

]]> http://www.made2mentor.com/2010/07/always-make-a-backup-when-performing-fastforms-customizations/feed/ 1