Upgrading Business Portal 3.0 to 4.0

Since Microsoft has launched Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 and Business Portal 4.0, up gradation of Business Portal from version 3.0 to 4.0 has been an issue discussion. Questions are being raised that can Business Portal 3.0 be upgraded smoothly and efficiently to version 4.0. While contacting Microsoft the detail we get is like they just try to make us understand that soon Microsoft is launching an upgrade tool for Business Portal. Recently I with my team was engaged in up gradation task for one of our customer from GP9.0 to GP10.0 and BP3.0 to BP 4.0. Customer is extensively using Requisition management and can’t afford to loose and be in critical technical issue while upgrading. After some R&D and team effort we were able to do this and while executing this activity I found some answers which are creating issues in out minds related to Business Portal Up grade.

Is this an Issue? (What actually is the cause?)

To clarify the real problem lets first discuss some technical detail regarding Business Portal.

Business Portal uses following technologies to work

· Share point services

· Dot Net Framework

· IIS

· .NET

· Dynamics GP server database (SQL server)

Usually Share point service’s functionality with Business Portal creates ambiguity in our minds. We always relate issue of Share point services with Business Portal which is not fare. Point to understand is that Share point services is totally separate and independent product and so is Business Portal. Business Portal actually needs WSS platform to run and execute. Similarly Share point up gradation and BP up gradation both are independent. Here I would say once you get Share point at the point where it meets BP’s pre-requisite needs, then BP’s up gradation is as smooth as you update a virus definition in your antivirus software. Isn’t it great?.

What is upgraded and what is not?

Almost all the applications like Requisition management at BP are updated while up grading BP;

· All current data (new created requisitions, Approved Requisitions, Requisitions ready to be converted in PO’s) are up graded as it is. Which is greatJ

· Requisition Hierarchy is upgraded as it is.

· User’s permissions in requisition management are upgraded as it is.

Only thing that doesn’t up grade is Business Portal Security due to lot of changes in Share Point 3.0.

by Ali.jawad@m-consultants.com