Copying Portal Bookmarks

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Procedure to Copy Lawson Portal Bookmarks from/to Different Servers or Environments

 

Bookmark data is stored in three places:

-Database tables in the LOGAN product line (listed below)

-LAWDIR/persistdata/lawson/portal/data/users/<user>.xml files

-LAWDIR/persistdata/lawson/portal/data/roles/<role>.xml files

 

Reminder that the <user>.xml files in LAWDIR/persistdata/lawson/portal/data/users contain references (bookmark subscriptions and/or locks) to the bookmark IDs in the original bookmark data. You must EITHER delete the “to” environment or copy from the “from” environment to the “to” environment, before you begin. Skipping this step will lead to orphaned references within the .xml files, errors in the Preferences > Content screen.

 

Also, the Portal role files in the “Manage Roles” screen under Portal Administration in Portal/Ming.le must EITHER have all bookmark locks removed in the “to” environment, or the files should be copied from the “from” environment to the “to” environment, because they contain references to the bookmark IDs in the original bookmark data.

 

PROCEDURES

 

Update the <user>.xml files in the “to” environment:

 

Copy the <user>.xml files from LAWDIR/persistdata/lawson/portal/data/users directory to the “to” environment. Or you can remove all of the <user>.xml files in the “to” environment; they will be recreated when the user logs in and receives or assigns content. DO NOT DELETE THE default.xml file in LAWDIR/persistdata/lawson/portal/data/users.

 

Update the <portalrole>.xml files in the “to” environment:

 

Copy the <portalrole>.xml files from LAWDIR/persistdata/lawson/portal/data/roles directory to the “to” environment. Or you can remove all of the bookmark locks in the “to” environment’s <portalrole>.xml files and reapply the locks later.

 

Backup and delete existing data in the “to” environment:

 

Perform the following tasks in the “to” environment, where the bookmark data will be copied to.

 

Back up and delete the LOBKMARK records (in the LOGAN product line/data area).

Back up and delete the LOGRPBKMRK records (in the LOGAN product line/data area).

Back up and delete the LOUSRBKOPT records (in the LOGAN product line/data area).

Back up and delete the LOUSRBKMRK records (in the LOGAN product line/data area).

Back up and delete the LOBKCONFIG records (in the LOGAN product line/data area).

Back up and delete the SISETUP records (in the LOGAN product line/data area).

 

Create dump files of the existing data in the “from” environment:

 

Perform the following tasks in the “from” environment, where the bookmark data will be copied from.

 

dbdump -d logan lobkmark > lobkmark.dmp

dbdump -d logan lobkconfig > lobkconfig.dmp

dbdump -d logan sisetup > sisetup.dmp

dbdump -d logan logrpbkmrk > logrpbkmrk.dmp

dbdump -d logan lousrbkmrk > lousrbkmrk.dmp

dbdump -d logan lousrbkopt > lousrbkopt.dmp

 

If the “from” and “to” environments are on separate servers, copy the .dmp files to the “to” server.

 

Load the data from the dump files in the “to” environment:

 

Perform the following tasks in the “to” environment, where the bookmark data will be copied to.

 

dbload logan lobkmark lobkmark.dmp

dbload logan lobkconfig lobkconfig.dmp

dbload logan sisetup sisetup.dmp

dbload logan logrpbkmrk logrpbkmrk.dmp

dbload logan lousrbkmrk lousrbkmrk.dmp

dbload logan lousrbkopt lousrbkopt.dmp

 

Update the <portalrole>.xml files in the “to” environment:

 

Reapply bookmark locks if you removed them previously. If you copied the files over, you can skip this step.

 

Refresh the IOS cache:

 

Run IOSCacheRefresh (“Refresh IOS Cache” admin task).

 

Verify bookmark data is not corrupt:

 

Log into Portal and go to Bookmark Manager (“Manage Bookmarks” admin task). Add a new Top-Level bookmark. Then verify that you can see it at the top of the list of bookmarks in the Bookmark Manager. This is confirmation that the bookmarks are loaded properly and the data is not corrupted. If you don’t see it at all or it was added under another bookmark, then your bookmark data is corrupt and Support should be engaged.

 

Test the data from a user perspective:

 

Log into Portal as a user (or have a user test) and verify that the bookmarks in the “to” environment look the same as the “from” environment. If you copied the <user>.xml files over, the user shouldn’t notice any differences.

Reflecting on the Top Technology Trends in Retail

Perhaps the biggest adjustments we as consumers had to make at the start of the 2020 pandemic was learning how to gain access to essentials such as healthcare and groceries during times where we were advised not to leave our homes. Since then, in the grocery retail space, technology has become a huge player in the sector. Melissa Kress, Executive editor at Convenience Store News, shares how the top technology trends this year affected convenience and grocery stores for the both the business and consumer sides – and for the better.

Enhanced Mobile Apps. “One thing that stands out is that many convenience store retailers upped their mobile game.”

New Checkout Options. “Making the shopping experience more convenient for the time-strapped consumer is a main priority for c-store operators, and some began investing in checkout-free technology to provide a seamless c-store trip.”

Change on the Forecourt. “The electric vehicle (EV) industry received a boost this summer when the Biden Administration set a goal to create a national network of 500,000 EV chargers by 2030. As we all know, c-stores are uniquely positioned to take advantage of this market. Some operators are taking big steps now to prepare.”

Kress concludes that more and more retailers are embracing these technology trends, fast becoming the new normal for your shopping experience. This, Kress notes, is just the beginning for technology retail.

 

For Full Article, Click Here

Four Ways ERP Is Changing to Keep Up with Manufacturers Evolving Needs

If the current pandemic taught businesses anything it was to rediscover the need to be agile and resilient. Learning to adapt to changes and having a plan are what weeded out the strong businesses from the unprepared. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) has become the key solution for agility, adaptability, and resiliency. As technology is evolving […]

Read more

Listing IPA Scheduled Processes

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If you are like me, you find it frustrating that you can only see the scheduled IPA processes that you created.  As an administrator, this can make tracking down process triggers quite difficult.  It is also difficult to determine which process is triggered by which schedule in the front-end Rich Client.  I have created a query that can show all schedules, and which process is triggered by the schedule.  Feel  free to take this and make it useful to you!

 

ORACLE

SELECT NAME, SUBSTR(AAR.ACTIONPARAMETERS, INSTR(AAR.ACTIONPARAMETERS, ‘<field name=”FlowName” id=”FlowName”><![CDATA[‘)+46,

INSTR(AAR.ACTIONPARAMETERS, ‘]]>’, INSTR(AAR.ACTIONPARAMETERS, ‘<field name=”FlowName” id=”FlowName”><![CDATA[‘)) –

            (INSTR(AAR.ACTIONPARAMETERS, ‘<field name=”FlowName” id=”FlowName”><![CDATA[‘)+46)) FLOW,

SCHEDULEWEEKDAY,SCHEDULEHOUR,SCHEDULEMINUTE,TIMETOEXEC

from LMK_LAWSON.ASYNCACTIONREQUEST ASYNCACTIONREQUEST INNER JOIN

LMK_LAWSON.S$AAR AAR ON AAR.ASYNCACTIONREQUEST = ASYNCACTIONREQUEST.ASYNCACTIONREQUEST

WHERE “GROUP” = ‘pfi’

ORDER BY NAME

SQL SERVER

SELECT NAME, RIGHT(LEFT(AAR.ACTIONPARAMETERS, CHARINDEX(‘]]>’, AAR.ACTIONPARAMETERS, CHARINDEX(‘<field name=”FlowName” id=”FlowName”><![CDATA[‘, AAR.ACTIONPARAMETERS)+46)-1),

CHARINDEX(‘]]>’, AAR.ACTIONPARAMETERS, CHARINDEX(‘<field name=”FlowName” id=”FlowName”><![CDATA[‘, AAR.ACTIONPARAMETERS)+46) –

(CHARINDEX(‘<field name=”FlowName” id=”FlowName”><![CDATA[‘, AAR.ACTIONPARAMETERS)+49)),

SCHEDULEWEEKDAY,SCHEDULEHOUR,SCHEDULEMINUTE,TIMETOEXEC

from LMKPRODGEN.ASYNCACTIONREQUEST ASYNCACTIONREQUEST INNER JOIN

LMKPRODGEN.S$AAR AAR ON AAR.ASYNCACTIONREQUEST = ASYNCACTIONREQUEST.ASYNCACTIONREQUEST

WHERE “GROUP” = ‘pfi’

ORDER BY NAME

 

Nogalis would love to assist with all your IPA needs!  We have some great resources on hand who can provide managed services of your system, training, and project work.  Check out our managed services program today!

Saudi Diesel Embraces Cloud-based ERP to Support Equipment and Power Generation Market

Saudi Diesel Equipment Co. (SDEC), the Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia-based leader in diesel power generation, transportation and support equipment manufacturing, recently announced their decision to migrate its existing deployment of Infor M3 on-premises to Infor CloudSuite Equipment. This would enable them to improve and automate business processes raise efficiency, and boost its ability to innovate. Moving to the cloud is part of SDEC’s wider digital transformation project, Digi-Step, as the company scales its operations to support strong demand for equipment, machinery, and power generators across a range of sectors in Saudi Arabia. Per the press release, SDEC had been using an on-premises version of Infor M3 as its ERP (enterprise resource planning) solution for more than 12 years, but wanted to migrate to Infor CloudSuite Equipment powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS). The company will benefit from using Infor’s OS cloud operating platform while also consolidating its processes around a more comprehensive CloudSuite solution, which includes the Infor Birst business intelligence data analytics solution. Additionally, moving to the cloud and replacing various legacy systems from other vendors with Infor solutions allows SDEC to simplify, automate, and gain visibility of business processes including supply chain management, production, financial management, stock taking, and after-sales service. This, in turn, will transform the company’s ability to work efficiently and integrate with partners including original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to deliver the specific solutions customers want. Further, the move to a multi-tenant cloud environment also will allow SDEC to benefit from integrating with other Infor products and continuous innovation from Infor, with software updates and upgrades taking place automatically as soon as Infor implements them, without the need to perform manual updates at set intervals.

 

For Full Article, Click Here

Creating custom IPA triggers using 4GL

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With Infor Process Automation, there are several ways to trigger a Process.  This article will discuss how to trigger a custom process using 4GL.

First, create your Process.  Test it and upload it to the Process Server.

Next, in IPA Rich Client (or the LPA Admin tool), you must create a Service Definition (Process Server Administrator > Administration > Scheduling > By Service Definition) and attach a Process to it.  There, you will configure any variables that should be passed to the process.

Now, let’s create the trigger in the 4GL program.  This will be either a custom program your organization has created, or an existing Lawson form.

The first step is to initialize the WF SERVICE.

INITIALIZE WFAPI-INPUT

INITIALIZE WFAPI-OUTPUT

 

MOVE <serviceNameString> TO WFAPI-I-SERVICE

 

PERFORM 1000-WF-SERVICE

***Verify that the return code != 0 (anything other than 0 indicates error)

IF (WFAPI-O-RETURN-CODE NOT = ZEROS)

GO TO 600-END

Next, create the Work Unit

MOVE WFAPI-O-SERVICE TO WFAPI-I-SERVICE

MOVE <workTitleString> to WFAPI-I-WORK-TITLE

INITIALIZE WFAPI-OUTPUT

PERFORM 1000-WF-CREATE-SETUP

 

Now, populate your variables.  You can have an unlimited number of variables per Service Definition, but you must populate them in groups of 10 (i.e. perform the 1000-WF-ADD-VAR-SETUP for each group of 10)

INITIALIZE WFAPI-INPUT

 

MOVE WFAPI-O-WORKUNIT TO WFAPI-I-WORKUNIT

MOVE “company” TO WFAPI-I-VARIABLE-NAME (1)

MOVE HR11F1-EMP-COMPANY TO WFAPI-I-VARIABLE-VAL  (1)

MOVE “I” TO WFAPI-I-VARIABLE-TYPE (1)

 

MOVE “employee” TO WFAPI-I-VARIABLE-NAME (2)

MOVE HR11F1-EMP-EMPLOYEE TO WFAPI-I-VARIABLE-VAL  (2)

MOVE “I” TO WFAPI-I-VARIABLE-TYPE (2)

 

INITIALIZE WFAPI-OUTPUT

PERFORM 1000-WF-ADD-VAR-SETUP

 

Finally, release the Work Unit

INITIALIZE WFAPI-INPUT

MOVE WFAPI-O-WORKUNIT TO WFAPI-I-WORKUNIT

INITIALIZE WFAPI-OUTPUT

PERFORM 1000-WF-RELEASE-SETUP

 

Nogalis would love to assist with all your IPA needs!  We have some great resources on hand who can provide managed services of your system, training, and project work.  Check out our managed services program today!

4 Mind-Boggling Technology Advances In Store For 2023

Technological innovation continued to make its presence known in 2022 and the trend continues to move at an increasing pace coming into the new year. This year and in recent years impactful tech such as the Internet of  Things, 5G, and Augmented Reality (AR) paved the way. Chuck Brooks, Global Thought Leader in Cybersecurity and Emerging Tech, shares an article on Forbes of some mind-boggling technology advances we should look forward to in 2023.
  1. Artificial Intelligence (AI). “We are now on the cusp of AI emergence and AI is no longer just found in science fiction movies. AI systems seek to replicate human traits and computational capabilities in a machine, and surpass human limitations and speed. It is already happening. Artificial synapses that mimic the human brain will likely direct the next generation of computing. The components may differ, it may be analog or digital, and it may be based on transistors, chemicals, biological, photonics, or possibly quantum components.”
  2. Cognitive Computing Technologies. “Futurist Ray Kurzweil said that mankind will be able to “expand the scope of our intelligence a billion-fold” and that “the power of computing doubles, on average, every two years. Recent breakthroughs in physics, nanotechnologies, and have brought us into a cognitive computing reality that we could not have imagined a decade ago.”
  3. Robotics. “Robotics are often viewed as the face of emerging technology, especially with the growth of capabilities in humanoid type machines that captivate our attention. They have also been used for decades in automating manufacturing, farming, warehouse functions, hospitals, security, etc. for mostly routine programmable functions. Now aided by machine learning, machine vision, AI and advanced sensors, robotics has become transformative in many industry verticals.”
  4. Advanced Materials Science and 3-D Printing. “Applications for advanced materials are part of the new world of discovery enabled by AI, and advanced analytics. As with AI, it applies to the fusion of working in concert with other emerging technologies. New materials are now being developed that can be stronger, lighter, handle extreme environments, and often can function at a higher rate of efficiency. They include, (among other categories) electric materials, biological materials, composites, polymers, and nanotech.

The societal, scientific, and economic impact of these 4 technology areas will be harvested in the coming year and into the foreseeable future. I have just provided a glimpse of a few of their potential applications. It could be a very promising, likely disruptive, and probably a wild ride in the quest for actualizing new technologies of the Fourth Industrial Era.

 

For Full Article, Click Here

4 Ways Technology Can Support A Culture Of Innovation

Innovation is a key formula to maintaining success in today’s business landscape. One of the easiest way to bring about innovation to your company is utilizing technology and the many advancements its given to businesses of every sector. While a business leader may be hesitant to bring about technological change because they don’t quite fully understand the right technology to introduce to their companies, they can still lay a technological foundation to invite change. Many times, it’s about having the right minds and leaders on your team. Daragh Mahon, Forbes Technology Council Member and EVP and CIO of Werner Enterprises, shares an article describing how technology can support a culture of innovation for your business.

  1. Position IT as collaborators. “Because innovation and tech are so intertwined, your IT department will play a crucial role in driving your innovation culture. They will be the builders of departmental designs and solutions, so their expertise in providing recommendations will be vital.”
  2. Invest in diverse tech leadership. “Technology is the primary tool of the modern world, and leaders need to have a solid understanding of how it can best benefit their business.”
  3. Reassess and revise your tech. “Legacy technology has been a stumbling block for many organizations as they try to modernize. Many businesses opt for building intermediate solutions between old and new solutions as a quick workaround. However, long-term costs need to be considered as well. Time and labor spent creating solutions to integrate with older systems are resources taken away from any forward-looking innovation. Newer talent may not be versed in an older system’s framework or language, making them harder to maintain as time goes by.”
  4. Create an idea-testing process. “Developing a standardized process for creating, building and testing ideas—whether technical or not—is imperative for an innovative culture. You must set clear boundaries around time, budget, resources, testing and scalability.”

 

For Full Article, Click Here

Lawson CSV Read Error – Bad Field Data Format for Fld: 5 on Record Nbr 1

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Common error with conversion upload file: “CSV Read Error: Bad Field Data Format for Fld: 5 on Record Nbr 1”.

 

This could happen for example when running say PR530 in Lawson.

 

There are a couple ways to resolve this issue:

 

Resolution #1:

Fix the headers of the file by removing spaces or bad characters that the program doesn’t like in the file you’re using for upload.

Also keep in mind that if there are problems with the header records, you will be able to see the exact errors in the examine log after you run the job (Job Scheduler > Completed Queue > click on completed job and then select ACTIONS from the menu and highlight Examine Log). This gives more detail as to the exact CSV Header Read errors.

 

Resolution #2:

For the job that’s throwing this error, in LID, go to jobdef and enter the username and jobname

Move down to the form field >> F6 >> C. CSV File Attributes (PR530 is the example below):

Turn off File Header and Xlt Header Names and save.

When you run the job again, it will ignore the headers and process the data so make sure the columns are correct. This has to be done per user that runs the job.

 

Good luck!

Snellman Chooses Infor Cloud ERP System

Infor recently announced that Snellman, the Finnish and Swedish ready-made food and meat processor, will implement their cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) system built on Amazon Web Services (AWS) to support its future growth and new business development. Per the press release, Infor CloudSuite Food & Beverage will help simplify Snellman’s IT environment and improve the use of in-house resources. This new CloudSuite system includes automated version updates, secure maintenance and scalability of the cloud environment, as well as the ease and straightforward ability to add modular extensions as needed. Additionally, it was the industry-specific ERP system for the food industry and the advantages brought by a genuine multi-tenant cloud solution that helped Snellman chose to move from Infor M3 on-premises to the Infor cloud. Snellman will also use the Infor Factory Track functionality for logistics automation and the Infor Birst BI solution that comes with the Infor OS platform for presenting and analyzing operational data.

 

For Full Article, Click Here