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Administrator Guide to Suddensource Software
Suddensource Ltd
Unit 6, Vulcan Way,
SANDHURST,
GU47 9DB
01252 871100
www.suddensource.com
Comments
Our software comes from a variety of sources and backgrounds, and is built on a variety of platforms.
Whilst the software we are writing today is generally being built using Microsoft technology, the systems
we have acquired, Proactis II and CRMsoft, are built on proprietary platforms, PowerBuilder and SQLBase
respectively. Products have varying installation methods, and each has its own system requirements.
This document has been written to give an overview of each product and its system and installation
requirements.
Products
Dream
Dream is an enterprise class client-server system designed for medium sized companies. It is basically a
finance system, though it does a lot more, and competes with Sage Line 200 and PS Financials, for example.
Dream is currently owned by Unit 4 Software, and was originally written by SquareSum Plc. Suddensource
does not own, write, supply or support Dream, but we offer chargeable consultancy services relating to
Dream’s finance functions. These consultancy services are only offered for Dream’s finance functions, and
not its purchasing functions.
We are one of about 6 companies who offer independent Dream consultancy services. If a client’s support
contract includes any ‘free days on site’ this time can be used for work on Dream instead of Proactis (see
below for further information about Proactis).
We are often asked to look at Dream errors and will often provide a small amount of support free of
charge, because we can often suggest a fix before Unit 4 have responded.
Dream requires:
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SQL Server version – see Annex at end of document
SQL Server client software (appropriate to the version of SQL Server in use)
Installation must be by an administrator and a valid Dream licence name and number is required during
installation. If you get a message along the lines of ‘Fatal Error – contact support’, then don’t. It means you
have entered the licence name and number incorrectly.
If other programs are going to ‘post’ details to Dream, the Dream ‘External DLL’ needs to be installed as
part of the setup. There is a gotcha here, in that to install the DLL, you need to select 2 nodes in the
installation options.
Dream does not install using Setup.exe on terminal servers, though the related MSI file runs perfectly well.
Dream 3.3.91 throws an error on Windows XP when you quit the program. Ignore it.
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Proactis II
Proactis II is an enterprise class client-server system, and its basic function is to manage purchasing, stock
and sales, though it also does a lot more. It comprises documents (sales orders, despatch notes, purchase
invoices, and so on) and items (product codes). The system is designed to record (or create) each such
document passing in and out of the business.
It exists in two forms: as a stand-alone system or as an add-on to Dream. The Dream version keeps its data
in its own tables within the Dream database, but under its own schema. The Dream version uses, and so
does not replicate, master data already held in Dream (customers, suppliers, currencies, financial periods,
cost codes, VAT periods, etc).
The stand-alone Proactis II database maintains its own master data, which obviously it can’t read from
Dream. The stand-alone database can be used as a base for bespoke systems.
Proactis II requires SQL Server 7 or later. It will run on SQL Server Express, but we do not recommend this.
Users can log on using SQL Server logins or using Windows authentication, though we find few users take
advantage of the latter. Users are in groups, to which permissions are assigned. In the Dream version, the
users and user groups are maintained only in Dream.
Proactis 2.10.1 or earlier:
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will use SQL Server up to 2008R2
requires each PC to have the SQL Server 2000 client connectivity components installed – it is built
on PowerBuilder 9.x, which does not recognise the SQL Native Client;
requires a database compatibility level of 80 or below.
Because of this, the Proactis 2.10.1 will only work with Dream 3.3 and earlier.
Proactis 2.10.2:
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will use SQL Server 2000 or later – it is built on PowerBuilder 11.x and uses ADO/OLEDB to connect
to the database;
will work with a database compatibility level up to 110.
Proactis II must be installed by an administrator. It requires a simple setup routine from CD or network.
Afterwards the ‘PowerBuilder Runtime’ must be installed. For Proactis 2.10.1 and earlier, this must be done
by the end user as a local machine administrator.
Proactis Extra
This product has been developed since 2008 to address two needs:
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to allow users to perform standard, routine and repetitive Proactis tasks without the need to install
the whole of Proactis II, which can be slow over remote connections;
to allow us to offer complex processes, where the development cost in Proactis II would be
prohibitive.
Proactis Extra is built using Microsoft .NET 2.0 technology, and allows us to develop functionality rapidly
because of the ease of using shared code. It makes use of SQL Server reporting controls, and a number of
third-party components such as Janus GridEx, SpreadsheetGear and PDFTechlib.
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System requirements are:
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Office 2003 or later c/w .NET programmability;
our own ‘prerequisites’ program, version 3.2.n;
access to our webservices (unless agreed otherwise).
Proactis Extra connects to the Proactis or Dream database using the same credentials as Proactis II.
Users must hold a Proactis licence and companies using Proactis Extra must be up to date with their
support contract payments.
Installation is by the user using their existing Windows profile, using Microsoft’s ClickOnce technology. This
ensures that all users are up to date with the latest version at all times. It is a user installation requiring no
administrator involvement.
Using the same technology, we have developed a number of other applications for individual customers
such as: Proactis Requisition Wizard (3.x), Seafood Trader (V3), Dream User Group Utilities, Suddensource
Service Control, Proactis Monitoring and Import, and the Lifecycle application.
Proactis Data Mining
This product is a VBA Excel Add-In that is installed on a user’s PC, and which uses a series of separate
program ‘modules’; these contain Excel VBA macro code. It has evolved from a single Excel Add-In written
in 1997 to a series of more than 100 modules. Some modules are ‘standard’ whilst others are developed on
a bespoke basis for particular clients.
The system can be installed completely on a user’s PC, but we recommend that only the program core,
known as the ‘Interface’, is installed on the PC, and that the modules are stored on a shared network drive.
Modules exist to report on Proactis and Dream, to upload Proactis master data, to carry out certain Proactis
system administration tasks, to create remittance advices and statements from Dream, to create Dream
journals based on Dream lookups and to carry out a few stand-alone tasks.
Proactis Data Mining connects to the Proactis or Dream database using the same credentials as Proactis II.
The current Interface version is 2.10.9 beta 2 (a quirk we are addressing). Module versions vary but must be
2.10.1 or greater. The module file properties dialog gives the version details.
Proactis Data Mining must be installed by an administrator. It requires a simple setup routine from CD or
network. If a complete installation is done on one PC, the modules so installed can be moved to a network
location after installation. Subsequent PCs require only an ‘Interface’ install. Bespoke modules have to be
copied manually from the installation CD.
Proactis Data Mining requires Excel to be installed, with macros enabled.
Proactis Data Mining 2.10.9 supports Office 2000 to Office 2010, but 2.10.10 will only support Office 2003
and later.
Using the same technology, VBA and Windows Forms 2.0, we have developed a number of other
applications, but we are not developing anything new on this platform, because the use of shared code is
messy, and any referenced DLLs need to be of the COM type, with all the associated versioning difficulties.
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Other such applications you may see include: Proactis Requisition Wizard (2.10.x), Petty Cash Return,
Forward profits Estimator.
Note that module files should never be opened directly. If they are supplied by email, they should be
moved around as files, not opened within Excel and ‘saved as’.
CRMsoft
CRMsoft is an enterprise class client-server CRM system, capable of handling customer contacts, diary,
marketing, opportunities and helpdesk systems.
It includes its own application builder, allowing a user company to design and implement its own bespoke
systems.
It has its own database that can reside on SQL Server or SQLBase. Users can set up ‘remote’ databases for
use on a laptop, and these can be segmented so that they only contain the user’s own data. Remote
databases are synchronised by email. Because the structure of the application (screens and tables) is stored
within the database, updates can be rolled out to users using synchronisation.
CRMsoft is built using SQLWindows. System requirements are:
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Office 2000 or later;
SQLBase 2.1 runtime (installed with the program);
SQLBase 2.1 desktop engine (for remote databases);
An ODBC datasource needs to be set up;
A SQL.INI file needs to be configured.
CRMsoft connects to its own database using the user’s own database credentials.
CRMsoft is installed (on a single user only basis) using a rather old-fashioned installation routine.
Other
We have developed a number of bespoke applications for individual customers. These include:
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Results Processor / Collector
Paper Planner
Insert Management
EDI Processor (2.x or 3.x)
Complaints Management (web-based)
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Integration
Native
The Dream version of Proactis and Proactis Extra integrate with Dream as follows:
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master data is read from Dream directly (some enhanced read permissions are required);
Proactis’ own data is saved to its own tables within the Dream database;
invoices and other financial documents such as stock issues are posted back to Dream using
Dream’s own ‘external DLL’.
In order to post to Dream, Dream must be installed including the ‘External DLL’ option. Additionally,
Proactis needs to be told where on the user’s PC the Dream program files are installed (Tools -> Options).
Some users have, in the past, been told (not by us) that they can copy Dream DLL files to other folders on
their PC. This is neither recommended nor supported.
Proactis Data Mining interfaces with Dream in a similar way to Proactis II where necessary.
None of our standard products write any data directly to Dream.
Integration between Proactis II and CRMsoft is achieved by the use of specific fields against customer and
supplier records in CRMsoft, linking to Dream or Proactis via a key field pair: Ledger and Account.
Tools
Our “WindowsService” is a tool we have in use on several sites. Each client requirement is added as a
function to the basic service. It runs as a Windows service on a server, and can do various tasks, such as:
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post suitable documents from Proactis to Dream;
monitor a mailbox and import XML or other attachments as Proactis documents;
monitor a folder and import new files as Dream budgets;
monitor a folder and import new files as CRM contacts;
monitor a folder and import SecPay data to Dream;
watch a database and copy new records to Proactis or Dream;
This product could be used to post data to other systems such as Sage, subject to development of
techniques.
Installation and Help
See our online help menu: http://www.suddensource.com/Help/help.htm.
Help is available for system requirements, installation, and in many cases, use of the software.
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Future Development and Plans
All our products are to be rebranded in 2013.
A schema to make Proactis II work with ‘PS Financials’ will be developed. This will use a separate Proactis
database in a way such that Proactis believes it to be a joint Dream/Proactis database.
Proactis Extra will be upgraded to .NET 4.0 at some point in 2013-14, and development will only continue
on this platform. This will require users to upgrade MS Office to version 2010.
We have recently developed a stationery wizard. This is being delivered as a . NET ‘COM Add-In’ for Word,
using VSTO (Visual Studio Tools for Office) technology. The first implementation is for a financial services
company with about 15 legal entities and 30 departments spread over 20 office locations. The wizard
allows a user to prepare a letterhead for any appropriate combination of the three. This is bedding in now,
and we are thinking of taking it to market.
CRMsoft is under test as a mobile application – an MVC web app as opposed to a native device application.
We are working on a common installer system for all our software except that which is delivered using
ClickOnce. We are aiming to have this ready during 2013.
Several products require Windows and other Microsoft system files that are no longer being installed by
default, for example Proactis 2.10.2 uses C++ 2003, which in turn requires some .NET 1.1 files. To counter
this we will add all the necessary files to our common installer.
We are developing a web-based interface called ‘B2B Portal’ allowing end-user clients to check stock levels
and to run selected reports. It runs on IIS7.5 and .NET 4.0. it is currently being tested with one client.
Lastly and probably most importantly, our reporting strategy is under review and all our reporting products
will be redeveloped during 2013 and beyond. At present our plans for reporting are:
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To make Proactis Data Mining 2.10 obsolescent;
To start issuing Data Mining III as a VSTO (Visual Studio Tools for Office) Excel 2010 .NET 4.0 Add-In
(it is under test at 1 site);
To add a list of all reports to the Proactis database;
To add a system for permissions on reports by user group;
To integrate this data with the B2B product (above);
To deliver common screens in Proactis Extra (once in .NET 4.0) and Data Mining III.
SQL Server Versions
Database System
SQL Server 7.0
SQL Server 2000
Dream
2.10 or earlier
3.3 or earlier
SQL Server 2005
3.4 or earlier
SQL Server 2008
3.2 or later
SQL Server 2012
3.2 or later
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Proactis II
2.10.1 or earlier with SQL Server 7 client
2.10.1 or earlier with SQL Server 2000 client
2.10.2 or later
2.10.1 or earlier with SQL Server 2000 client (compat = 80)
2.10.2 or later
2.10.1 or earlier with SQL Server 2000 client (compat = 80)
2.10.2 or later
2.10.2 or later
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