Re: Upgrade Issue -- MAPICS-L

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Connie,

We usually make an effort to stay current, with one exception over the
last several years - we skipped XA/R4 and went straight from R3 to R5.  As
we implemented EPDM at the same time, that was a BIG conversion.  On the
other hand, our conversion from R5 to R6 was VERY easy.  We basically only
recompiled our add-on code (in a separate library).  As we were in the
middle of a major project at the time, I actually outsourced the upgrade
prep to my affiliate, who did it remotely in a couple days of compiling
and checking on their system.  Then they brought the source code on a
tape, loaded it on my AS/400, recompiled everything, and we were ready.  I
love library lists!

The actual upgrade was done on a Sunday afternoon, took me about 6 hours.
Quite easy, and about the easiest upgrade we've done since we went from DB
Mod 3 to DB Mod 4.  Most of the users never really noticed, except for the
new functionality.  (FYI, we are on an AS/400 Model 720-2062.)

Query conversion, on the other hand, is always a pain.  We have about a
gajillion and two queries, and we have to open and save all of them to
prevent the annoying level checks.  Serious annoyance.  My operator
basically gets a listing and spends a couple days just opening and saving
them in sequence.  Boooooring!  And definitely not a "value add" use of
his time and abilities.  I'd love an automated way of doing that.  (Hint
hint - any of you system geniuses out there figure something out for
that?)

I am actually very much anticipating our upgrade to R7.  Our MAPICS
Browser implementation has been very successful (EPDM, CSM, AMPlus, and
Integrator), but since we are using applications that aren't converted to
Java yet, we have to wait.  I am quite eager to be able to extend EPDM
inquiries to the plant floor on thin clients, instead of limiting it to a
couple PCs placed in fairly clean offices.  (Plus the ability to put
certain apps out on the web.)  I am curious as to how much AS/400
horsepower will be required.  We had to add an addition 500MB of memory to
my existing 1GB of memory in my AS/400 to get acceptable response time
with CSM and MDCC, all allocated to QSERVER.

I noticed a comment earlier on this thread about not wanting to move to
"obsolete" technology like Browser or R7?   I must be missing something
there - I think that the move to Java for R7 (with EZ-Link, too!) is
pretty darn current!  We are quite pleased with how current MAPICS has
stayed, especially with all the user exits and off-line loads that let you
hang custom stuff on and off MAPICS without modification of base code. And
the new COM_Net, woo-hoo sweet!  Now with the free enhancements MAPICS is
offering, like off-line shipping to take care of the (in my opinion)
cumbersome pick-pack-ship process, it's even better.  (No, I don't work
for MAPICS, just use it a lot....)

Incidentally, I also don't understand why MAPICS keeps the old PDM files
as actual physical files after you implement EPDM.  It would seem to me
that they should be able to convert them to logical files and just use the
actual EPDM files for the data.  Then the other apps that use the
ITEMASA/B/C, PSTRUC, ROUTNG, and so on would just use the EPDM databases
via the logicals.  Of course, not being personally conversant with the
couple million lines of code using the PDM files, I don't know how
reasonable that is.

Dale Gindlesperger @ Fleetwood






Connie Webb <cwebb@grahamwhite.com>
Sent by: mapics-l-admin@midrange.com
04/30/02 10:29 AM
Please respond to mapics-l


        To:     "'mapics-l@midrange.com'" <mapics-l@midrange.com>
        cc:
        Subject:        Upgrade Issue


Has anyone moved to REL 7 or have immediate plans to do so?

I am interested in the resources you consider necessary to move from
different releases of MAPICS. Do you migrate with internal resources? Do
you
have programmers on site?  When did you move from REL 4 to REL 6?
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