Shared Application vs Synchronised Application

Shared Application vs Synchronised Application
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Can I use a Shared Application folder for Great Plains?

It is possible to have a central shared application folder however, this is normally only used in a Terminal Server environment. To use this configuration in a LAN environment could cause performance and network congestion issues due to the additional network traffic required.

You will need to do an initial CD installation on each workstation as this will add the system and registry components of the install as well as the client itself.

Once you have a client installed, you can copy the application dictionaries and DYNAMICS.SET file between workstations (as long as the install folder is the same).

The Runtime files *.exe, *.dll, *.tlb and Dex.dic can be copied between workstations.

Custom report and forms dictionaries can be shared, but I prefer to keep them local as well and copy them between workstations.

VBA code must be local to each application install and the *.VBA files can be copied only if all external references are the same for all machines. So if you use any DLLs place them in the same path (usually the application folder) for all workstations. Otherwise you will need to export and import packages.

My preferred configuration is to have everything local to each workstation and then use a login script to synchronise from a central Update area.

This has the following benefits.

1) Never being locked out of report writer or modifier because others users are in the system.

2) Reduces chances of corruption the custom dictionaries.

3) Improves performance as base resources and customised resources are read from local drive rather than network.

4) Decreases network traffic as base resources and customised resources are read from local drive rather than network.

5) Allows customisations to be fully tested before being deployed.

6) VBA has to be stored locally in .VBA files anyway.

If you want more info, let me know and I can send you the details of how to do this.


David Musgrave [MSFT]
Senior Development Consultant
MBS Services - Asia Pacific

Microsoft Business Solutions
http://www.microsoft.com/BusinessSolutions

Any views contained within are my personal views and
not necessarily Microsoft Business Solutions policy.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties,
and confers no rights.