Migrating to Caliach Vision from CaliachMRP
Reference Contents > Introduction > Migrating to Caliach Vision from CaliachMRP
These brief notes are designed to assist a user seeking to migrate from CaliachMRP to the Caliach Vision advanced manufacturing management system.
While these notes apply generally, specific issues may additionally apply to some user sites.
Planning the Migration
Read this note in full and familiarise yourself with the activities that must be undertaken. Then develop a clear plan. As most users will be running live with CaliachMRP, a minimum of downtime should be planned for so that business disruption can be kept to a minimum.
There are a number of tasks that can be undertaken on paper before any attempt is made to migrate:
- The security system now boasts Users and Groups. After conversion from CaliachMRP, you will have to enter a User/Group structure. This does not take long but it is good to have a pre-planned structure ready to go.
- The general ledger in vision has an account group and cost centre structure. On conversion, there is only one 0000 cost centre. A Special Function Utility option allows you to re-code your G/L account codes. Although this can be done at any time after conversion, it will be cleaner to plan for that conversion to be done as part of the migration process.
Preparing your CaliachMRP data
Caliach Vision will automatically convert CaliachMRP V2.60 data when the program is first attached to it. The data file can then never be accessed again by CaliachMRP or any associated Omnis 7 library. Because of this you must be confident that you can take the process through to completion before taking this step.
If you are not currently running with CaliachMRP V2.60 with Omnis 73 V7.1 or later, you must upgrade accordingly.
The automatic conversion is one process but internally three operations take place. First the data file is technically converted into an Omnis Studio data file, then it is reorganised to accommodate structural changes and finally the data logically re-structured to accommodate Caliach Vision standards. The first two operations are relatively fast, the final can take a great deal of time depending on the extent of certain data. Many internal files are re-structured but in particular the following are the most significant:
- Parts
- Bills of Material
- Additional Addresses
- Marketing contacts
- Sales and Purchase History
- General Ledger
- Account Transactions and History
NOTE: If you are migrating to Caliach Vision V1.0100 or later some files are upgraded more than once. Do not be alarmed if it appears to be repeating itself, it is simply performing version upgrades one by one. I.E. First upgrading the data to V1.0000, then V1.01, etc.
The data file will generally physically expand by about 10-20% on conversion, although again this will vary depending on the data contents.
Migration to Caliach Vision gives you the opportunity to clean up your data so it is recommended that you complete the following BEFORE attempting a data file conversion.
- Carry out File — System Manager — Period Routines to archive and delete unwanted history.
- Carry out File — System Manager — Reset Data Files to delete other unwanted data.
- Complete any Frozen Stocktake activities (this data is not converted).
- Complete any MRP Results data considerations (this data is not converted).
- If you have Ledgers, check that the A/R and A/P control analysis shows consistency with the control account and make sure the G/L is in balance.
- If you have Ledgers, you should ensure that all currency re-valuations are made for all foreign currencies.
- It is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED that you carry out a data file re-build in Caldafix.lbs [CalMRP Data Fix] (see Data File Repair in the CaliachMRP Reference Book). The Caliach Vision conversion may not complete if there is internal data structure damage or index corruption.
- If the physical data file size is greater than 200Mb and there is no second or higher segment, use Utilities to add a segment .df2.
Converting data to Caliach Vision
Firstly, it is important to understand what will NOT automatically convert to Caliach Vision:
- User access profiles and user preferences
- Ad Hoc Reports
- Any customised formats in your Cal_opton.lbs [CalMRP Options]
- Any customised strings or help maintained in Caladmin.lbs [CalMRP Help Administrator]
- Custom data structure changes, unless prepared for in Caliach Vision
- Any data prepared for import or used in exporting
- Other than those added as standard features no Customer Options have been converted. Those user sites needing special options must order this customisation from Caliach in advance.
Other interfaces may need to be amended or re-written:
- ODBC queries into your data
- Mailmerge exports
Once you have prepared your data file in CaliachMRP carry out the following steps to migrate the data to Caliach Vision:
- Backup the data file.
- Copy the data into a new directory. It is recommended that you have this on your computer rather than the network and have no other programs running to give maximum resources over to the conversion. Use your highest performance machine with plenty of spare disk space.
- Do not copy the .kwd keyword file (it will need to be rebuilt anyway).
- Discard any Cal_cod?.usa and .upt files (these are only applicable to CaliachMRP).
- Prepare Caliach Vision with any customised classes (with Caliach’s help as needed).
- Launch Caliach Vision and attach to the data file.
- You will be asked to confirm that conversion can take place.
- You will be warned that there were no users found and a single user SYS will be created with no password.
- At the user login, enter SYS with no password and confirm.
- The data conversion will then take place. This may take a good deal of time depending on the size and extent of data and should not be interrupted. If it is interrupted, you must re-load the backup and start again. Do not under any circumstances attempt to continue the data conversion or otherwise user the incompletely converted data file. First the structure of the datafile is re-organised. The process then carries out a number of version-specific data logic upgrades and finally it scans through each file (in alphabetic order) that needs upgrading to populate new fields with appropriate initial values.
- When conversion is complete, exit Caliach Vision and backup the virgin converted data file.
- The migration will expand record space allocation, so for optimum performance after migration it is recommended that a future data file rebuild is performed within Caliach Vision using File — Advanced — Data Fix Utility, then Data Fix Utility — Data Check and Repair.
Now you need to carry out some simple tasks to make sure the data is in good shape and complete. Inherited data errors will be corrected.
|
Menu Path |
Activity |
|---|---|
|
File — Advanced — Keyword System Settings… |
Either Load Default Settings or adjust the File and Field inclusion list to replace NOMFILE:NOMUSER,NOMDESC with GLAFILE:GLAUSER,GLADESC. Save Changed Settings and then Rebuild Keyword File. The Keyword system will then be active and a new .kwd file will be created. |
|
File — Advanced — Re-set Data Files |
It is recommended that you Reset Part Process Quantities, Reset Customer Current Values and Reset Supplier Current Values for all parts, customers and suppliers. This will ensure you are starting with reliable balances. (Reset General Ledger and Bills of Material will have been automatically processed during conversion, so don’t bother with them). |
|
Ledgers — General Ledger — Review Accounts List… |
Check that the General Ledger is in balance. Caliach Vision has a different structure for handling foreign currency transactions and on conversion some rounding errors may have come to light. Correct with a non-balancing transaction if needed. |
|
File — System Manager — Privileges and Settings… |
Click on the System tab and complete the settings tab panes within it. In particular you need to set up the Scratchpads. Also set up any options. Options are an extended alternative to the old 4000 string controls and are listed on another conversion document. |
|
File — System Manager — Privileges and Settings… |
Give the user SYS who is an administrator a password. You need to create your Groups and Users and set up all menu and window tab panes for them. A sensible group structure will save you time in setting individual user privileges. The basic rule is: Only ever set a user privilege in exceptional circumstances. |
|
File — Advanced — ODBC File Access… |
You should set up any ODBC File Access groups and settings. Note that user memberships of ODBC groups are set in File — System Manager — Privileges and Settings… |
|
File — Advanced — Special Functions Utility, then Special Functions — Change General Ledger Account Codes… |
If you are intending to re-structure your G/L account codes, first setup Cost Centres in Ledgers — Ledger Manager — Cost Centres…, then use the Special Function to convert account codes. |
|
Masters — Global Changes — Customers and Suppliers |
The old index code method (e.g. ZZZZ) of preventing use of customers or suppliers now uses a ‘Do not use’ control on the master data record. These must be set up using global changes. |
Caliach Vision has a number of additional features and data structures that you may wish to exploit and some may need to be set up:
|
Topic |
Notes |
|---|---|
|
Parts: Byproduct |
There is now a specific field for Byproduct. It is located in the Planning pane of the parts maintenance window. This was implemented differently in CaliachMRP. |
|
Quality Assurance System |
This is a development of the old optional quality system but old quality data will not automatically convert. A quality regime must be set up for each part subject to testing. |
|
Serial Number Hierarchical Structure |
To exploit this new system you need to set up master structures in the Masters — Bills of Material — Set up Serial Number Structure… function. |
|
Cheque Books |
General Ledger Bank Accounts now have a Cheque Book that needs to be initiated before the Cheque printing facilities can be exploited. |
|
A/R and A/P Transaction Allocations |
The new system of credit allocation will take effect immediately. However, to enable full use of the system recent credits on accounts may need to be de-allocated and then allocated again to make the new allocations effective. |
You should also review the What’s New documents in this section to determine whether any feature enhancements since V1.0000 are relevant.
Compiled in Program Version 5.10. Help data last modified 4 Jun 2012 04:47:00.00. No class.
Reference Contents > Introduction > Migrating to Caliach Vision from CaliachMRP
