5 Patching Tips in Lawson v10

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These 5 tips could make applying patches that much less stressful and are also good practice in general.

 

Tip 1: Check existing patch logs to see if a patch has already been applied previously and current versioning. This is good to check after a patch has been applied as well.

These logs can be found and generated here in LID:

perl %GENDIR%\bin\patches_installed_report <productline>

perl %GENDIR%\bin\source_versions_report <productline>

 

Tip 2: Restart the LSF server (or services) to ensure no processes are being held up and when it boots up, turn off Websphere LSF Appserver service before applying a patch to ensure users cannot log on, especially if patch needs to be applied during or close to work hours.

 

Tip 3: Run dbdef command to make sure there is a connection to the database before patching

 

Tip 4: When activating or staging multiple patches, run this command to speed up the post compile process:

qcontrol -jlocal,4  – This will set the servers cores to 4 when processing form compiles. Set it back to 2 when done. You can also check the status of the compiled jobs with command: qstatus | head -5

 

Tip 5: If a Plus dictionary is created after patching, its typically good practice to compile the entire product line with the command: cobcmp (be aware this can take up to 20-30 minutes to complete, tip 4 helps with this). This ensures that all programs are functioning correctly before passed to testers.

 

Bonus Tip: Verify security is on before sent to the testers!  Hope these were helpful.

 

If you require assistance with applying patches for your v10 system, it is common for organizations to engage Lawson consultant teams for managed services, which are available at a fixed monthly rate. These consultant teams possess significant knowledge and expertise and are suitable for larger organizations. Additionally, smaller organizations that do not require a full-time Lawson employee on-site may also find this service advantageous. Nogalis offers this service, and you can contact us through our contact page for further details.

Top 4 Trends Reshaping IT And HR Collaboration

Workplace trends are constantly changing. The level of collaboration within departments of an organization are affected by these changes as well. An essential collaboration between two departments are IT and HR. Enterprise technology Clint Boulton shares an article on Forbes on the relationship between IT and HR and how the latest workplace trends greatly affect both departments. Workplace trends are evolving quicky, says Boulton, introducing more complexity into organizations. An explosion in data-centric technologies and other digital trends has heightened the importance of strong IT-HR collaboration. These latest trends are driving IT and HR to work together more closely, according to Boulton:

  1. Hybrid work. It’s no surprise that the hybrid workspace is a staple in today’s workspace. The COVID-19 pandemic saw many people switch to remote work. Since then, many organizations have adopted the hybrid work week. Boulton says of this trend: “IT leaders and HR managers have been huddling on technologies, processes and policies working in both corporate and home offices since hybrid work practices have proliferated. Social distancing policies, technical workarounds and accommodating optimal work-life balance once dominated these huddles. Increasingly, HR and IT are shifting focus to supporting employees in organizations where leaders are expecting to see more employees in corporate offices than they have in recent years.”
  2. AI/ML. “The biggest issue IT and HR must contend with includes concerns about workforce automation. Earlier AI tools gave employees working in back-office roles cause for pause. Generative AI is casting new light on how technology may be used to augment creative functions, which will require more conversations between HR and IT about how to manage associated concerns. IT and HR will have to educate employees about how using automation technologies can help them perform better in their roles. And as generative AI use grows in organizations, IT and HR will have to work closely to mitigate associated governance issues,” says Boulton.
  3. Data Analytics. For the organizations who have adopted hybrid work styles or even stayed fully remote, this decision was most likely made by information collected from employees and their input on the future of their work environment. “As hybrid policies reshape the world of knowledge work, business leaders are looking for data about how effective employees are at doing their job,” says Boulton. “This has given rise to an emerging category of data-crunching tools known as workplace analytics, which gauge such details as how long employees spend on work tasks, which tasks they are spending the most time on, as well as the output and outcomes of those workstreams. HR meanwhile may seek workplace analytics from IT that helps them measure the success of diversity and inclusion efforts by analyzing hiring practices and promotion rates. This can help HR pinpoint areas for improvement, as well as make changes that curb employee attrition.”
  4. Data protection and compliance. “Organizations naturally produce vast amounts of data, critical and trivial. As corporate stewards, IT and HR leaders have significant stakes in how information is generated, shared and used, as well as how it’s protected. Perhaps no area of focus has attracted the attention of HR and IT of late than the impact of AI consumption on corporate data. Of chief concern is the potential for leaks of proprietary corporate data and IP in these tools, many of which are easily available and unmonitored. Organizations must remind employees about best practices for safeguarding corporate data in the face of data privacy, security, bias and ethical issues. IT and HR have key roles working with compliance and other stakeholders to develop, implement and pass down such policies to the broader organization,” says Boulton.

The major takeaway to these trends, Boulton concludes, is that the workplace is evolving rapidly for IT leaders and their HR counterparts and they need to be ahead of the curve ready for these changes this year and beyond.

 

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Graduate Hotels Partners with Infor Hospitality

Infor recently announced that Graduate Hotels®, a collection of hand-crafted hotels located in dynamic university-anchored towns, has selected Infor Hospitality Management Solution (HMS) for its property management system (PMS) and will fully standardize on the Infor cloud-based platform. Per the press release, Graduate Hotels has been marking successful go-lives with Infor’s software at 31 properties since June 2022, with the most recent at its Eugene, Oregon, location. Infor’s HMS suite gives Graduate Hotels modern technology at its fingertips to unify and refine operations, deliver superior guest experiences, and implement and execute intelligent strategy. Moreover, Infor HMS being a fully integrated property management system built for the cloud with flexibility, security, efficiency, and mobile capabilities will help streamline the hotel group’s operations, maximize profitability, deliver great guest experiences, and keep the company prevailing in a competitive sector.

 

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How to resolve error: actor_does_not_support_run_as

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After an install or an update, you may experience an error “actor_does_not_support_run_as” on certain node types.

Caused by: com.lawson.security.authen.SecurityAuthenException: com.lawson.security.authen.LawsonUserContextImpl.security.authen.actor_does_not_support_run_as
at com.lawson.security.authen.LawsonUserContextImpl.setRunAsUserOnContext(LawsonUserContextImpl.java:1498)
at com.lawson.security.authen.LawsonUserContextImpl.setRunAsUserOnContext(LawsonUserContextImpl.java:1461)
at com.lawson.security.authen.LawsonUserContextImpl.setRunAsUserOnContext(LawsonUserContextImpl.java:1452)
at com.lawson.security.authen.LawsonUserContextImpl.setRunAsUserOnDuplicateContext(LawsonUserContextImpl.java:1593)
at com.lawson.security.authen.DataCtxUserCtxWrapper.setRunAsUserOnDuplicateContext(DataCtxUserCtxWrapper .java:432)
… 15 more

To mitigate this issue, log into ISS, and go to Manage Users.  Search for the lawson user and click the Edit button.  On the Basic tab, set “RunAs Enabled” to “YES” and click save.  Wait for the configuration to take effect, or run a stoplaw/adminlaw/startlaw.

 

 

If you are not using ISS, the Landmark command to set the RunAs is:

secadm actor enablerunas lawson

After running this command, run the stoplaw/adminlaw/startlaw.

 

Oostwegel Collection Implements Infor’s Suite of Hospitality Solutions

Oostwegel Collection, a Dutch group of historically authentic luxury hotels and restaurants, recently implemented Infor’s full suite of solutions for the hospitality industry. Oostwegel Collection is the first business globally to go live with all five of Infor’s hospitality-specific systems, implementing Infor Hospitality Management Solution (HMS), Infor Sales & Catering (SCS), Infor EzRMS revenue management, Infor Table Reservations Solution (TRS) and Infor Point of Sale (POS) across all of its properties. Per the press release, the hotel group has used Infor EzRMS since 2015 and was impressed with its functionality as well as the excellent customer service and support from Infor. After a thorough assessment of the market, Infor was the only vendor offering the full range of solutions that provided the functionality Oostwegel Collection was looking for, all in the cloud, which was crucial for the business. Moreover, having the full suite of solutions provides a single, fully integrated platform for the group, linking with other business systems to ensure data consistency and integrity across the hotel group. Oostwegel Collection can now view data across Infor solutions, which has led to significant efficiencies in data management.

 

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ISS: How to review logs after running an Infor Security Services (ISS) sync

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You will want to start by reviewing the security_provisioning.log(s) in your LAWDIR/system directory.

 

All transactions completed in ISS related to user maintenance, federation, and synchronization, are logged in the LAWDIR/system/security_provisioning.log(s).

Please note, the log may take a few minutes to complete after the sync completes in the browser. Once the logs have completed, best practice is to copy the log(s) to a new directory so that they are not overwritten while you are researching the sync errors.

Open the most recent provisioning log and go to the bottom of the log. If nothing has been done in ISS since the sync completed you should see a message similar to the one below followed by a list of records that failed:
Thu Apr 26 16:56:01.282 CDT 2018 – default-457261151: Sync Analysis for object type IDENTITY completed with status=true
Thu Apr 26 16:56:01.282 CDT 2018 – default-457261151: Sync Analysis successfully completed for object type IDENTITY
Thu Apr 26 16:58:52.073 CDT 2018 – 1360326122: Sync Execution successfully completed for Task ID[4,963] with failed transactions for Sync Records:

The list of records that failed is limited to one section of the sync. You will see a list of either roles, actors, services, domains, endpoints endpoint groups or identities, depending on which section of the sync had failed records. This is because once the sync completes the analysis or execution of the section with the failed records the sync process will not continue. You must address the failed records to continue the sync.

Alternately you can search the log for the word “completed” to find the most recent section of the sync process that completed. There will be a completed message for each section of the sync.

 

Examples of completed messages without failed records:

Thu Jan 28 10:50:29.536 GMT-06:00 2021 – default-1845137754 – L(4) : Sync Execution task for [ROLE] with Task ID [1207] started.
Thu Jan 28 10:50:29.536 GMT-06:00 2021 – default-1504145202 – L(4) : Setting progress percentage [-1]
Thu Jan 28 10:50:29.537 GMT-06:00 2021 – default-1504145202 – L(4) : Success updating task [1207]
Thu Jan 28 10:50:29.537 GMT-06:00 2021 – default-1504145202 – L(4) : Starting Sync Execution using pagesize [500] and Nthread [5]
Thu Jan 28 10:50:29.551 GMT-06:00 2021 – default-1504145202 – L(4) : Retrieved 0 ROLE for execution
Thu Jan 28 10:50:29.551 GMT-06:00 2021 – default-1504145202 – L(4) : Sync Execution Successful for ROLE
Thu Jan 28 10:50:29.551 GMT-06:00 2021 – default-1504145202 – L(4) : SyncExecution execution time for [ROLE] took [0] seconds to complete

Thu Jan 28 10:55:33.485 GMT-06:00 2021 – default-863748063 – L(4) : Sync Execution task for [DOMAIN] with Task ID [1219] started.
Thu Jan 28 10:55:33.500 GMT-06:00 2021 – default-1293059945 – L(4) : Setting progress percentage [-1]
Thu Jan 28 10:55:33.500 GMT-06:00 2021 – default-1293059945 – L(4) : Success updating task [1219]
Thu Jan 28 10:55:33.502 GMT-06:00 2021 – default-1293059945 – L(4) : Starting Sync Execution using pagesize [500] and Nthread [5]
Thu Jan 28 10:55:33.506 GMT-06:00 2021 – default-1293059945 – L(4) : Retrieved 0 DOMAIN for execution
Thu Jan 28 10:55:33.506 GMT-06:00 2021 – default-1293059945 – L(4) : Sync Execution Successful for DOMAIN
Thu Jan 28 10:55:33.506 GMT-06:00 2021 – default-1293059945 – L(4) : SyncExecution execution time for [DOMAIN] took [0] seconds to complete

 

Examples of completed messages with failed records:

Thu Jan 4 07:19:55.755 EST 2018 – default- 2123289590: SyncAnalysis for ACTOR have 2 error records
Thu Jan 4 07:19:55.755 EST 2018 – default- 2123289590: Sync Analysis for object type ACTOR completed with status=true
Thu Jan 4 07:19:55.842 EST 2018 – 2123289590: Sync Analysis completed for object type ACTOR with failed Sync Records:
ACTOR=user1;
ACTOR=user2;

Tue Apr 19 10:18:33.128 CDT 2018 – default-1441714547: SyncAnalysis for ENDPOINT have 7 error records
Tue Apr 19 10:18:33.128 CDT 2018 – default-1441714547: Sync Analysis for object type ENDPOINT completed with status=true
Tue Apr 19 10:18:33.130 CDT 2018 – 1441714547: Sync Analysis completed for object type ENDPOINT with failed Sync Records:
HTTPPORT=82,SSODOMAIN=CSEMSS_EXTERNAL,FQDN=WFHPROD-LSF01.COM,HTTPSPORT=1448;
HTTPPORT=81,SSODOMAIN=CS_INTERNAL,FQDN=WFHPROD-LSF01.COM,HTTPSPORT=443;
HTTPPORT=81,SSODOMAIN=CS_INTERNAL,FQDN=WFHPROD-LM01.COM,HTTPSPORT=1443;
HTTPPORT=85,SSODOMAIN=TC_LDAP_BIN_EXT,FQDN=WFHPROD-LSF01.COM,HTTPSPORT=1447;
HTTPPORT=85,SSODOMAIN=TC_LDAP_BIN_EXT,FQDN=WFHPROD-LM01.COM,HTTPSPORT=1447;
HTTPPORT=9080,SSODOMAIN=CS_INTERNAL,FQDN=WFHPROD-MSCM01.COM,HTTPSPORT=8443;
HTTPPORT=21442,SSODOMAIN=CS_INTERNAL,FQDN=WFHPROD-IES01.COM,HTTPSPORT=9443;

Tue Apr 3 10:51:21.774 EDT 2018 – default-471380075: SyncAnalysis for IDENTITY have 4 error records
Tue Apr 3 10:51:21.774 EDT 2018 – default-471380075: Sync Analysis for object type IDENTITY completed with status=true
Tue Apr 3 10:51:21.774 EDT 2018 – 471380075: Sync Analysis completed for object type IDENTITY with failed Sync Records:
IDENTITY=USER:DOMAIN\user1,SERVICE=SSOP,ID=user1;
IDENTITY=USER:DOMAIN\user2,SERVICE=SSOP,ID=user2;
IDENTITY=USER:user1@domain.com,SERVICE=THICKCLIENTLDAPLS,ID=user1;
IDENTITY=USER:user2@domain.com,SERVICE=THICKCLIENTLDAPLS,ID=user2;

To find the exceptions for the failed records you will need to search within the log(s) each failed record. For each failed record you will search for the value from the list without the semicolon at the end of the line:
For failed record ACTOR=user1; you will would search for “ACTOR=user1”
For failed record HTTPPORT=82,SSODOMAIN=CSEMSS_EXTERNAL,FQDN=WFHPROD-LSF01.COM,HTTPSPORT=1448; you would search for “HTTPPORT=82,SSODOMAIN=CSEMSS_EXTERNAL,FQDN=WFHPROD-LSF01.COM,HTTPSPORT=1448”
For failed record IDENTITY=USER:DOMAIN\user1,SERVICE=SSOP,ID=user1; you would search for “IDENTITY=USER:DOMAIN\user1,SERVICE=SSOP,ID=user1”

 

The Future of Retail: Top 6 Retail Technology Trends for 2023

Even before the start of the pandemic, the retail space has been integrating some technological tools here and there. Since then, we’ve seen this new normal of tech-infused shopping experiences. With the hottest technology trends being integrated in almost every industry, what will the future of retail look like? Rajendra Roul, Content Promotion Specialist at G2, along with retail experts around the globe, share 6 retail technology trends for 2023 and beyond

  1. AI, machine learning (ML), and generative AI. “AI and ML technologies have infiltrated all industries, including retail. In fact, the retail industry has been the testing ground for AI solutions for a long time. The most popular use of AI by a retailer is the recommendation engine released by Amazon over two decades ago. The ML algorithm recommends related products to customers based on their previous shopping history, location, and purchase habits of other similar customers. Going forward, retailers need to double down on AI and related technologies.”
  2. Automation. “Another area retailers must step up investments in 2023 is automation,  the process of using technologies to perform repetitive tasks with minimal human intervention. The ongoing labor gaps have fueled the need for automation in every area within the retail sector, from warehousing, inventory management, and order fulfillment to consumer-facing features like contactless payments, noted Gabriella Bock, director of editorial relations at Rethink Retail. The recent advancements in AI, ML, and robotics are powering a new age of intelligent automation where machines are capable of making data-driven decisions on their own.”
  3. Augmented reality (AR). “AR is the next big thing for retailers. It has been popular for quite some time now in the retail space. But after the pandemic, AR technology has become more important as shoppers try to bridge the gap between online and physical shopping. Augmented reality provides interactive experiences by adding computer-generated digital content to real-world objects. AR has many applications in retail such as product visualization, interactive in-store experiences, in-store navigation, and marketing campaigns.”
  4. RFID, QR codes, and other smart store technologies. “Adopting smart store technologies is paramount for brick-and-mortar retailers looking to enhance their omnichannel experience. DeAnn Campbell, chief strategy officer at Hoobil8, noted that a top priority among them for any brand should be tools to manage inventory, including radio-frequency identification (RFID) and QR codes. RFID and QR codes are technologies that help identify and track an item using tags and codes. It helps with real-time inventory checks. Cameras and sensors are also essential to other upcoming smart store technologies, like smart carts that help with automatic billing and smart shelves that track inventory.”
  5. Mobile technologies. “The ubiquity of smartphones makes mobile technologies like shopping apps, mobile payment systems, and personalized marketing via phones inevitable in retail. Two-thirds of shoppers use their phones to look for more product information while shopping in-store. Further, mobile commerce or m-commerce, the shopping that happens exclusively via mobile phones, is set to exceed 10%of all retail transactions in the U.S. by 2025.While the pandemic accelerated its adoption, Tim Koopmans, CEO and founder of Retail Rush, noted that mobile technologies have tremendous potential for enhancing customer experiences and optimizing store operations in the future. Mobile technology helps retailers promote special events and deliver pertinent information to customers, driving foot traffic. Combined with RFID, QR code, and other in-store technology, mobile technologies help with faster checkout, online order fulfillment, and better customer service.”
  6. Datafication. “To fully harness the power of technology, retailers must leverage robust retail data analytics and insights platforms. Problems like siloed data, legacy infrastructure, and the inability to share and receive data from different sources often hold back retailers from fully utilizing analytics today. Integrating granular store-level data collected from online and brick-and-mortar stores provides retailers with unprecedented insight, added Brad LaRock of Datasembly. These insights can be used for personalization, product management, price optimization, and  streamlining store and warehouse operations, driving more sales.”

 

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XM ER Not Showing – Expense Report

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Recently a user submitted an error that could be useful for anyone else who encounters it.

 

Problem

The user is reporting they are not seeing Expense Reports in Lawson XM. They are receiving emails.

 

Solution

While this could be an alerting problem, we have a quick fix for user error.

 

The user needs to log into Mingle. Once logged in and in XM, simply click on the filter option at the top right of the screen. Here, you must make sure you clear your filters as shown below:

Log back in and you should not have the missing error again.

Delta Plus Modernizes its Information System with Infor

Infor recently announced that Delta Plus, a manufacturer and distributor of a complete range of personal protective equipment (PPE) , has chosen Infor CloudSuite enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution to optimize its management processes. Additionally, Delta Plus will also deploy the following Infor products: Infor Factory TrackTM warehouse mobility functions, Infor CPQ configure price quote tool, and Infor IDM optical recognition software dedicated to the dematerialization of supplier invoices. These Infor-based tools will provide the group with a modern, more scalable and interoperable IS, all secured in a high availability cloud environment hosted at AWS (Amazon Web Services). Per the press release, the choice of Infor’s ERP solution was made following the decisive commitment of Delta Plus’s CIO, who supported Infor’s Value Engineering approach and involved the group’s general management, as well as all stakeholders in the project. Further, the project is scheduled to start this summer. An initial 1,000 users will benefit from Infor’s new solutions, mainly in the functional areas of sales, inventory and supply chain management, financial and analytical management, and budget consolidation. This number is expected to grow as the group deploys and acquires new solutions on a regular basis.

 

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Mute Selects Infor to Transform its Technology and Strengthen Overseas Expansion

In recent news Mute, a leading manufacturer of acoustic solutions for office spaces, has chosen Infor M3 CloudSuite™ ERP (enterprise resource planning) system to support the intensive development of the company, including its international expansion. Per the press release, eighty users in Mute will gain access to the Infor OS cloud platform and the Infor Birst data analytics system. The solutions will be delivered in a multi-tenant cloud powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS). Infor Poland partner iPCC will be responsible for the implementation. Mute employees will also gain access to Infor Birst, a cloud-native business intelligence (BI) and analytics platform. This platform allows personalization of reports and sharing data across the organization as well as information analysis supported by artificial intelligence and complete insight into business processes. The implementation started in April and is expected to be live in January 2024.

 

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