IMPORTANT ISSUES
1. Do not attempt this upgrade without first securing the recommended hot fixes. The CD version of RMS 2.0 is 2.0105 (manufacturer date of December 2006). You should not run on this version for any reason, and you should never update the RMS database in Administrator while running this version. Recommended versions of RMS include 2.0.0155, 2.0.1006 and 2.0.2004.
2. Floating registers go away in RMS 2.0. If you are in the habit of closing a register station to use POS at another PC on your network, you will lose this ability after upgrading to v2.0. Product keys included with RMS 2.0 can only be used ONCE on each designated register PC and the POS program will only run on that PC afterwards. This also prevents you from using a laptop as a temporary register at an event, parking lot sale, etc. You will need to purchase another POS lane license for the laptop.
WARNING: Make sure you have the correct number of product keys required before you install the 2.0 upgrade. You will be prompted to enter the key the first time you run POS on the register station.
3. Backup your RMS database and all sub-folders under Program Files, Microsoft Retail Management System, Store Operations (or HeadQuarters). Example: Reports, Labels, etc.
4. If you are using the integrated card processing in RMS, make sure to settle any open EDC batches (Manager, Utilities, Settle EDC Batch). Failure to do so will result in loss of funds.
5. We suggest that you do NOT install SQL 2005 Express until you confirm the minimum amount of RAM is installed (1G minimum, 2G recommended). A dual processor is also suggested especially if the PC will be used for multi-tasking other programs.
WARNING #1: Do NOT install SQL 2005 Express without a strong password. This means using a combination of letters and numbers and preferably upper and lower case letters. If your current MSDE password does not meet this requirement, change the password under Database, Change Password BEFORE upgrading to SQL 2005 Express.
WARNING #2: When you install SQL 2005 Express, immediately apply SQL SP2 via Windows Update (55 meg download). The RMS 2.0 CD only includes SP1 for SQL. Also see "named instance" notes in the readme.txt.
WARNING #3: If you elect to upgrade to SQL 2005 Express on your RMS server, you will need to install this upgrade on all your RMS workstations. Otherwise, your workstations may not connect to your RMS database. The alternative is to skip SQL 2005 Express installation on workstations, and instead install SQL 2005 Native Client and Backward Compatibility tools.
6. If Internet access is not available for RMS V2 product activation, you may activate over the phone. IMPORTANT: Do NOT enter a product key on a PC that won't be used for POS. This will prevent you from entering that key on another PC.
7. Be prepared to contact us for support should you run into any issues during the upgrade process.
8. Run Windows Update on every PC as many times as necessary to bring the PC up to date. RMS 2.0 will not install if .NET 2.0 is not installed. If .NET is not found, you will be prompted to install it. This can add 10-15 minutes to the installation time (per PC). If you elect to install SQL Express 2005 you will need to run Windows Update AGAIN after installing RMS 2.0. This will add SP2 for SQL 2005 (50 meg update). You can then upgrade the SQL instance to Express 2008 R2 (required for Windows10).
9. If you are running DRS add-ins you will need to re-install the latest version of these programs after you upgrade to RMS 2.0. This includes Bicycle Bundle, RMS Toolkit, Matrix Master, SO Tracker, Serial Editor, SWAT Search, or AutoGen. To reinstall, download the appropriate installer and install over the top of your existing installation. New registration keys will be required.
IMPORTANT: If you use AutoGen you will need to run AutoGen on your RMS server and click Generate to update the triggers for 2.0 compliance. Failure to do so will result in an "ambiguous column error" while running RMS 2.0.
10. HQ users must stop HQ Server for the duration of the upgrade process at all stores and HQ. Worksheets will accumulate in the queue during this time. You must also stop HQ Client from running at each store location when the upgrade is being installed. Otherwise, the upgrade (and hot fix) will skip HQ Client and subsequent 401 connections will fail with errors. When completed, all stores should be running the same version of RMS including HQ Server and HQ Client. You can then resume normal communications.
INTRODUCTION
This article describes how to upgrade from Microsoft Retail Management System Store Operations 1.x to Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS) 2.0 Store Operations.
Note: Before you follow the instructions in this article, make sure that you have a complete backup copy of the database that you can restore if a problem occurs.
Prerequisites
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Before you start the upgrade process, follow these steps:
1. We strongly recommend that you perform the upgrade process when the store is closed or when all the computers can be shut down.
2. Settle all the open Electronic Draft Capture (EDC) batches.
3. Settle all the open Store Operations POS batches.
4. Make a backup copy of the Program Files\Microsoft Retail Management System folder.
Note: You can use this backup copy to restore data if a problem occurs during the upgrade process. You can delete this backup copy after you verify that Microsoft Dynamics RMS 2.0 Store Operations works as expected and any custom reports, templates, or labels have been restored.
5. Exit all Microsoft Retail Management System applications on all workstations. Begin your upgrade on your RMS server.
6. Make sure you have the correct number of product keys required for each POS lane before you install the 2.0 upgrade.
Upgrade the Application
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To upgrade from Store Operations 1.x to Store Operations 2.0, follow these steps:
1. Insert the Microsoft Dynamics RMS installation CD into the CD drive.
2. Click Install Store Operations.
Note: For more information about how to install Microsoft Dynamics RMS Store Operations, click Getting Started Guide.
3. On the Scanning for Required Components page, click Next.
4. If you are using Microsoft SQL Server Desktop Engine (also known as MSDE 2000), you will be prompted to upgrade from MSDE 2000 to Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition. If you are using Microsoft SQL Server 2000, go to step 6.
5. Follow the appropriate step:
• To upgrade from MSDE 2000 to SQL Server 2005 Express Edition, click Upgrade.
• To skip the upgrade process, click Skip.
• This upgrade process upgrades all the MSDE 2000 databases to SQL Server 2005 Express Edition. This upgrade is not reversible.
• If you upgrade to SQL Server 2005 Express Edition, you must install SQL Server 2005 Express Edition on every client computer. The installation process installs additional features that enable client computers to connect to a server that was upgraded to SQL Server 2005 Express Edition.
IMPORTANT: After the install, you need to update each offline database if your are using this feature (not recommended). You will also need to run Windows Update to install SQL 2005 Service Pack 2 (56 meg) on each machine. Expect PCs with low RAM (256-512 meg) to operate much slower with SQL 2005 installed.
6. On the Store Operations - Installation Wizard page, click Next.
7. Review and then accept the licensing agreement. Then, click Next.
8. Type the user name and the organization name in the appropriate boxes.
9. In the Install this application for area, click Anyone who uses this computer (all users), and then click Next.
10. To accept the default destination folder, click Next.
11. To start the installation, click Install.
12. To complete the installation, click Finish.
Upgrade the Database
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You cannot start any Microsoft Dynamics RMS 2.0 applications until you upgrade the database to Microsoft Dynamics RMS 2.0. Note: This database upgrade process is not reversible.
WARNING: Do NOT proceed with this step without first installing the latest RMS 2.0 hot fixes.
To upgrade the database to Microsoft Dynamics RMS 2.0, follow these steps:
1. In Store Operations Administrator, click Connect on the File menu.
2. Enter the server name, enter the Microsoft SQL Server password, and then click OK.
3. On the Database menu, click Upgrade.
Note: The Upgrade Database dialog box displays the current database version, the date when the database was last upgraded, and the upgrade version that is available.
4. If the database was already upgraded to the most recent database version, you receive the following message in the Upgrade Database dialog box:
Database is up to date
If you receive this message, click Cancel to stop the database upgrade process.
5. If you have to upgrade the database, click 2.0 in the Upgrade database to version box, and then click OK.
6. Click Yes to confirm that you want to upgrade the database from Microsoft Retail Management System 1.x to Microsoft Dynamics RMS 2.0.
Note: This upgrade process may take several minutes.
7. Click OK when the upgrade is complete.
Repeat Upgrade the Application steps on each workstation.
Skip Upgrade the Database on your workstations unless Offline Terminal mode is installed on the workstation. If so, and you elected to install SQL 2005 Express on your RMS server, you do NOT need to upgrade the workstation's offline database unless the register PC is also being used as a backup server. Keep in mind the suggested minimum RAM for a SQL 2005 Express server is 1G.
IMPORTANT: If you recently downloaded a DRS add-in upgrade prior to 8/3/07, you will need to download the installer again. After you have reinstalled the DRS add-in, run AutoGen on your RMS server and click Generate to update the triggers for 2.0 compliance. Failure to do so will result in an "ambiguous column error" while running RMS 2.0. If new registration keys are required, next run an application such as Power Ops and select About, Register. Click the envelope icon to request a new registration key for your 2.0 database.
STORE LOGO: If you have a store logo named storelogo.bmp in the Store Operations, Pictures folder, it will be overwritten with the default PC logo when RMS 2.0 is installed. To restore this file copy the backup copy to the Pictures folder after the upgrade. Repeat at each workstation. In most cases we store a copy of your original logo in the MRMStransfer folder on your RMS server. If you have misplaced this file, the logo must be a black and white monochrome bitmap to work with a thermal receipt printer (no wider than 225 pixels).
DONGLE: RMS 2.0 does not rely on a license dongle and it may be removed.
Dave J
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