Questions and Answers

Q: This article provides answers for frequently asked questions regarding Sage Pro ERP with Microsoft SQL Server.

A: The following is a list of frequently asked questions regarding Sage Pro installations with SQL Server:

1. Which versions of SQL Server are supported with Sage Pro?
   Sage Pro is certified with SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 2 and above.
2. Which editions of SQL Server 2000 does Sage Pro support?
   Sage Pro is certified with SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition.Important
   Please visit the Sage Certification Matrix for up-to-date certification information about Sage Pro and SQL Server.
3. What are the advantages of implemented SQL Server with Sage Pro?
   SQL Server has several key advantages, such as the following:
   • Data Backup
     SQL Server can create a backup of every table in real time. In the event of a table failure, the backup table can be restored
   • Data Security
     The Sage Pro tables cannot be freely opened; permission must be granted.
   • Data Size
     SQL Server is necessary if the VFP tables have grown past the 2 GB limit.
   • Robust Data Handling
     SQL Server powerfully maintains tables and indexes.
4. How does Sage Pro handle SQL Server data security? Is it possible to open SQL Server tables outside of Sage Pro?
   Sage Pro uses a user password encryption technique that allows access to SQL Server data for that user only through Sage Pro; there is no direct access. When a user is created in Sage Pro, the user ID and password is encrypted and maintained in SQL Server. SQL Server cannot be directly accessed using the same user ID and password. This security feature prevents users from accessing tables from outside of Sage Pro, using tools such as Query Analyzer.In order to open SQL Server outside of Sage Pro, the SQL Server Administrator must create a SQL Server user ID and password for users who require this access. For Sage Business Partner applications that integrate with Sage Pro and require a login, the Sage Pro connection object found in the Sage Pro root folder can be called.
5. Can other industry applications access SQL Server tables like they did with Microsoft Visual FoxPro (VFP)?
   Sage Pro ERP has a SQL object layer that translates all Sage Pro code to be understood by either the SQL or VFP databases. Due to this design, the object layer permits SQL Server tables to be called using VFP style data calls.The “Sage Pro Technical Reference Guide” lists all the methods for the SQL object. They can be used when converting modifications from earlier versions of Sage Pro to Sage Pro SQL. This allows both VFP and SQL to be supported for modifications and partner applications from a single code base.

   Remote Views and SQL Pass-through can also be used to access Sage Pro tables in SQL. To obtain a connection with a Sage Pro user ID and password, the Sage Pro connection object must be used.

6. What is the difference between SQL Server and Sage Pro rollback?
   Sage Pro includes a rollback function that handles table updates when committing data in transactions. It helps avoid the majority of partial updates that occurred in earlier versions. SQL Server allows the ability store every transaction in a log file. This makes it possible to rollback data to a specific time.
7. Is Sage Pro cluster aware, using SQL Server?
   Not at this time.
8. How are SQL Server user licenses consumed in Sage Pro?
   Each Sage Pro concurrent user will require one user license for SQL Server.
9. What is the process for installing Sage Pro with SQL?
   First, install SQL Server 2000 and apply Service Pack 2 or later. Second, install Sage Pro using an activation code with SQL enabled. Enter the SQL Server name, location, and the system administrator ID and password for that server. The remainder of the installation is similar to previous versions of Sage Pro.
10. Is it possible to upgrade from VFP to SQL?
    Sage Pro is designed to upgrade from Sag Pro 3.2 to any version of Sage Pro SQL. This includes upgrading from Sage Pro 7.3 VFP to Sage Pro 7.3 SQL. Sage Pro can  also upgrade ACCPAC VisionPoint 10 (VP) to Sage Pro SQL. Earlier versions must first be converted to VP 10 before converting to Sage Pro SQL.
11. How long should the conversion take?
    When upgrading from Sage Pro VFP to Sage Pro SQL, the program first converts the data to Sage Pro VFP. The duration of the conversion depends on the data size and hardware. Once complete, the program allows the ability to stop the conversion and convert to SQL at a later time or continue on to the second step and convert to SQL immediately. The second step of converting from VFP to SQL takes two to three times longer than the first step, assuming an average data size and the same hardware. It is recommended that this conversion be performed on the Sage Pro server so the network is avoided.
12. How can Sage Pro SQL be converted to Sage Pro VFP?
    Sage Pro does not support this conversion process.

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