ERS - What's the deal?

[NeWTRoG]

We have many applications written using ERS.
Many are merely front-ends for report production.
Others are complete applications.

Some years ago (when we were using Macola Progression 7.5.103f) we were told that the ERS lifecycle was finished and that Exact would no longer support it.

We have continued to use ERS (Version 5.0 Build 962) and had planned to convert our ERS projects to another development environment such as MS Visual Studio.

ERS Version 5.0 Build 962 gives us problems in Windows 2003 environments. Also Windows XP clients cannot run ERS unless they are given elevated privileges (made "power users") - not what we want.

We have recently installed Flexibility 7.6.400 and we were surprised, to say the least, to discover that the ERS application has been upgraded. It is now Version 76.400 Build 2.

This flies in the face of the earlier advice that ERS is finished and will no longer be developed or supported. Clearly this is not the case.

Further, A Flex install will install the ERS client (which since 7.6.300 used to be installed seperately - Flex 7.6.200 didn't even have an ERS client) complete with ERS menu shortcut and direct access to the ERS interface.

ERS will still not run unless a user has elevated privileges - we get the error message "Registration of Automation Interface Failed". It does however run fine when logged into the PC as administrator or when the user is made a (local) power user.

Can anyone advise please:

1. What do we need to do to enable ordinary users (not power users) to run ERS without getting the error message (see above).

2. What exactly is Exacts' position with respect to ERS?

3. If it doesn't have a future why is there still (recent)promotional literature available?

4. Will ERS still be available when Flexibility 7.7 is released and if so will it be further upgraded?

5. Is/will there any support available from Exact for ERS 76.400 build 2 and beyond. If not why is it still be developed?

 

[dgillz]

You are only the 2nd person I have heard of in 11 years as a Macola consultant using ERS. Early Flexibility projects used ERS to connect to the Macola database, and in fact Macola's Flexibility user guide still uses this method. My guess is this is why they have updated it, to allow older projects to run in newer environments.

Everything I have ever done in flex uses Microsoft ADO to connect to the database.

What are you doing with ERS that you could not do, and easier, with straight Flexibility?

I would ask these questions directly too Exact or your reseller and see what they say.

Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports

http://www.gainfocus.biz

"What version of URGENT!!! are you using?

 

[NeWTRoG]

Thanks for your response.

I'll ask our Analyst / Programmer to respond to that one.

 

[AndrewForrest]

When I joined the company in 2001 they had already taken the decision to use ERS to produce reports and other programs, I was informed that whilst it was not as pretty as crystal and VB it came with a lot less overhead. Both in bandwidth and deployment etc. (The database for our over seas company was here at the time and sending crystal reports down the line chewed bandwidth and interfered with Macola & other systems.).

We do use flexibility from several Macola screens; however ERS is used for reports and systems outside of Macola to do the thing Macola couldn’t or that we didn’t know about at the time, such as Bank transfer payments, EDI updates both from standard edi files and excel spreadsheets. Interfacing to machinery , Engineering system.

Whilst ERS has been unsupported for a number of years Macola still reference it in the flexibility manual and use it to front end their Crystal reports. The latest client installation from Macola instals ERS7 - go figure.

I am currently in the process of moving these programs to Crystal Reports and Visual Basic 2005, it will be a long process.

 

[dgillz]

Andrew,

Are you talking about v7.7? I have yet to install that.

Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports

http://www.gainfocus.biz

"What version of URGENT!!! are you using?

 

[NeWTRoG]

I believe he is talking about Flexibility 7.6.400 which installs ERS 76.400 build 2(note the period is in the right place).

Flexibility 7.7 has not been released (to my knowledge).

I have asked our reseller but haven't heard back from him.

 

[dgillz]

No it has not been released, I just dbl checked the Exact website. I have at least 2 customers chomping at the bit for this, the Vista thing is really starting to hit home.

I didn't realize we had so many night owls here at the tek-tips Macola forum.

Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports

http://www.gainfocus.biz

"What version of URGENT!!! are you using?

 

[AndrewForrest]

dgiltz,

It's 9:15 AM here in the “Land Down Under” the message date/time is supplied by Tek-tips sever not my reality.

 

[dgillz]

LOL I did not realize you were an Aussie...Are you one of Steve Henley's clients?

Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports

http://www.gainfocus.biz

"What version of URGENT!!! are you using?

 

[NeWTRoG]

Well I'm an Aussie, but the jury is still out on Andrew even though he sits at the desk next to mine.

No - Only kidding, we are both Aussies, but Andrew is a Pommy when England win something, which isn't often.

I shan't mention any names - he was here a few weeks back but has gone MIA.

 

[AndrewForrest]

I am a certified aussie, Newtrog was just born here. I only claim to be a pommy when it will piss him and the rest of the office/factory off.

Don't worry about the world coming to an end today.
It’s already tomorrow in Australia. - Charles Schulz

 

[NeWTRoG]

FYI - I downloaded an ERS.pdf from the web.

It's still being promoted as:

ERS 7.6

VIRTUALLY UNLIMITED REPORTING DEPTH AND DETAIL ARE ONLY A FEW CLICKS AWAY WITH EXACT SOFTWARE
NORTH AMERICA’S ENTERPRISE REPORTING SYSTEM (ERS), A POWERFUL CLIENT/SERVER SQL-BASED REPORTBUILDER
AND INFORMATION ANALYSIS TOOL.

Capitalization not mine.

 

[dgillz]

OK I'll bite. What the hell is a "pommy"?

Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports

http://www.gainfocus.biz

"What version of URGENT!!! are you using?

 

[NeWTRoG]

pom·my or pom·mie (pm)
n. pl. pom·mies
Australian & New Zealand Offensive Slang
Used as a disparaging term for a British person, especially a recent immigrant.

 

[AndrewForrest]

I was told originally it was an acronym for

Prisoner
Of
Mother
England

And was a derogator term used by the settlers and released prisoners for newly transferred prisoners from England to Australia, more recently it is used to refer to anyone from England.


"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today.
It’s already tomorrow in Australia." - Charles Schulz