Microsoft maintains an updated system
requirements page for every Dynamics GP version. The following URL is
specific to Dynamics GP 2010 and requires access to either PartnerSource
or CustomerSource: https://mbs.microsoft.com/customersource/documentation/systemrequirements/MDGP2010_System_Requirements.
All of this information is updated as new versions
and service packs of products are released and certified, so it is
important to refer to the current information online when planning your
implementation.
The system requirements are broken out into several
categories: client requirements, server requirements and
recommendations, terminal server requirements, and additional notes. The
following sections will discuss each one in more detail.
Client requirements
The client requirements published by Microsoft are
typically the minimums needed to install and run Dynamics GP, and should
sometimes be taken with a grain of salt. If you have experience with
previous versions of Dynamics GP, keep in mind that Dynamics GP 2010 may
require more resources than previous versions.
The following are the published requirements for a computer running Dynamics GP:
|
Item
|
Requirement Published
|
Notes
|
|---|
|
Operating System
|
• Microsoft Windows 7 (Professional or Ultimate)
• Microsoft Windows Vista (Business or Ultimate)—SP 2 or later
• Microsoft Windows XP Professional—SP 3 or later
|
Neither Windows 7 nor Windows Vista guidelines mention the Enterprise
Edition. According to Microsoft this is supported, as the Enterprise
Edition includes everything that the Professional Edition has, plus some
additional features.
64-bit operating systems are supported for Dynamics GP 2010, however FRx
is not supported on 64-bit systems, thus a 32-bit system is the best
choice for any client computer that may need to run FRx.
|
|
Processor
|
One Dual Core or one Single Core Processor 2.6 GHz or higher
|
This requirement rules out many older computers. If buying a new computer, consider this a minimum.
|
|
Available Hard Disk Space
|
2 GB or more on the system root
|
Consider upgrading or freeing up additional space on any hard drive that does not have at least 10% of its total capacity free.
|
|
Minimum Available RAM
|
2 GB or more
|
Note that this requirement is labeled minimum available
RAM. The recommendation is for 4 GB for heavy Dynamics GP users, or
users that typically have many applications open at one time, and at
least 2 GB for all other Dynamics GP users.
|
|
Microsoft Office
|
• Microsoft Office 2007
• Microsoft Office 2010
|
The primary Office components needed for Dynamics GP users are Excel and
Word. Note that some of the new functionality in Dynamics GP 2010 may
not be compatible with an Office 2010 64-bit system.
|
|
Network Card
|
1 GB Ethernet
|
This is standard for most computers sold today.
|
|
Internet Explorer
|
• Internet Explorer 7.0
• Internet Explorer 8.0
|
This requirement may not be critical if not using any of the functionality integrating with Internet Explorer.
|
|
Adobe Acrobat
|
• Adobe 8.0
• Adobe 9.0
|
The full version of Adobe Acrobat (either Standard or Professional) is
needed to use some optional functionality in Dynamics GP, however this
is not a requirement for Dynamics GP.
|
Server requirements and recommendations
Application Structure and Licensing,
there is no application server needed for Dynamics GP. While most
companies choose to install the Dynamics GP application on the server to
assist with setup, testing, and troubleshooting.
On the Microsoft System Requirements for Dynamics GP 2010 web page: https://mbs.microsoft.com/customersource/documentation/systemrequirements/MDGP2010_System_Requirements
(requires access to either PartnerSource or CustomerSource), there are
four customer profiles illustrated to help determine the best server
recommendations to follow. Even though you may clearly fall into one of
the profiles, take a look at the recommendations for the profiles
following yours to see what upgrades may be needed as the organization
grows and more users or functionality are added to Dynamics GP. If you
feel that you are between the profiles, round up and go to the higher
profile.
The following are the minimum system requirements and supported versions for the Dynamics GP server:
|
Item
|
Requirement Published
|
Notes
|
|---|
|
Operating System
|
• Windows Server 2008 Standard or Enterprise—SP 2 or later, or R2
• Windows Server 2003 Standard or Enterprise—SP 2 or later, or R2
• Windows Small Business Server 2003 Standard or Premium—SP 2 or later, or R2
• Windows Small Business Server 2008 Premium—SP 2 or later
|
For all the server operating systems listed either 32-bit or 64-bit are
supported, however, not all Dynamics GP products or components may be
compatible with 64-bit systems.
|
|
SQL Server
|
• MS SQL Server 2005 SP3 or later—Express, Standard, Workgroup, or Enterprise
• MS SQL Server 2008 SP1 or later, or R2—Express, Standard, Workgroup, or Enterprise
|
Both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of SQL Server are supported, however,
not all Dynamics GP products or components may be compatible with 64-bit
systems.
|
|
Processor
|
One Dual Core or two Single Core Processors
|
This should be the minimum considered for processors and should go up
based on the number of users and complexity of the implementation.
|
|
Minimum Available RAM
|
2 GB or more
|
Note again the wording minimum available—even for the simplest Dynamics GP implementation it is recommended to have 4 GB of RAM or more on the server.
|
|
Network Card
|
1 GB Ethernet
|
This is standard for most servers sold today.
|
|
Disk Configuration
|
RAID 5 for operating system, applications, SQL database log, and data files
|
The disk configuration could vary greatly depending on the details of
the implementation. Follow general SQL Server guidelines for the number
of disks and arrays used.
|
The following are additional considerations and recommendations for configuring the Dynamics GP server:
For any implementations planning on 10 or
more concurrent users, it is recommended to have a dedicated Dynamics GP
server. Often the recommendations for configuring a server running SQL
Server are different from a server running other applications. For a
small number of users or small transaction volume, a server not
optimized for SQL Server may not result in much of a performance
difference, however in larger, more complex environments, the loss of
performance due to a less than optimal server configuration can be a
critical concern.
If a dedicated server
is not possible, a dedicated SQL Server instance is recommended for any
Dynamics GP implementation, because the SQL Server instance used by
Dynamics GP may need to be configured differently from other SQL Server
instances. In addition, having a separate SQL Server instance can allow
better allocation of server resources and easier maintenance and support
of the different applications using SQL Server.
While
Dynamics GP is supported on SQL Server Express edition for both SQL
Server 2005 and SQL Server 2008, this is not recommended for any
Dynamics GP environment with more than just a few users. Using SQL
Server Express will limit the performance of SQL Server, resulting in
slow performance of Dynamics GP and may very quickly need to be upgraded
to a different edition of SQL Server. There are also restrictions on
database size for SQL Server Express editions: a maximum of 10 GB for
SQL Server 2008 and 4 GB for SQL Server 2005.
As
a general rule, SQL Server performance will improve with the number of
disks and RAIDs. The minimum recommended is a RAID 5 for all files,
preferably with four drives. The next step would be RAID 1 for the
operating system, application files, and SQL Server log files and RAID 5
for SQL Server data. For larger implementations, multiple RAIDs are
recommended for optimal performance. Please note that this discussion
assumes hardware RAID, software RAID is not supported.
When
determining the disk storage size required for Dynamics GP, consider
that there may be a number of database and transaction log backups kept
locally on the server. Backup retention times may vary by company, but
it is not unusual to keep a week or more of backups locally for quicker
access. In addition, the server should have enough hard drive space for
at least two or three years of data growth. Taking whatever storage size
you think will be needed and doubling it is not an uncommon way to
decide on hard drive capacity.
In general, it is better to oversize rather than undersize a server.
Configuring the Dynamics GP server is a very
important decision. If you are unsure of the best approach, consult with
your IT resource, your Dynamics GP resource, and even a SQL Server
expert to get advice.
Terminal Server requirements
Remote access to Dynamics GP is only supported using a
Terminal Services environment. Connecting remotely using only a VPN
connection is not supported, nor recommended. An excellent explanation
of this can be found on the Developing for Dynamics GP blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/developingfordynamicsgp/archive/2010/07/28/why-cant-i-run-microsoft-dynamics-gp-via-odbc-over-a-wan.aspx. The following are the requirements for a Dynamics GP Terminal Server:
|
Item
|
Requirement Published
|
Notes
|
|---|
|
Operating System
|
• Windows Server 2008 Standard or Enterprise— SP 2 or later, or R2
• Windows Server 2003 Standard or Enterprise— SP 2 or later, or R2
|
32-bit and 64-bit systems are supported for Dynamics GP, but only 32-bit systems are supported for FRx.
|
|
Citrix (optional)
|
• Citrix Presentation Server 4.5
• Citrix XenApp
|
Citrix is only recommended for larger environments and when there is a
knowledgeable Citrix resource available for setup and ongoing
maintenance or support.
|
|
Processor
|
Two Dual Core or four Single Core Processors
|
This may greatly depend on how many users will be accessing the Terminal Server and what other applications will be used on it.
|
|
Disk Configuration
|
RAID 1 for operating system and applications (two disks)
|
There should be very limited data stored on the Terminal Server, so storage should not be an issue.
|
|
Minimum Available RAM
|
4 GB or more
|
RAM should depend on the number of Dynamics GP and other application
users planned, and may need to increase as the number of users and
applications increase.
|
|
Network Card
|
1 GB Ethernet
|
This is standard for most servers sold today.
|
|
Users
|
15—20 users per Terminal Server
|
This will depend on the specifications of the server, how many users are
connected to the Terminal Server concurrently, and what other
applications are being used.
|
Notes on planning for a Terminal Server:
The Terminal Server should be a dedicated
server. While it can certainly be used for other applications that need
to be accessed remotely, it should not be the Microsoft SQL Server or
any other critical server in the organization, for both performance and
security reasons.
If planning on using the TS RemoteApp
functionality in Windows Server 2008, refer to this URL for more
information on making it work with Dynamics GP:https://mbs.microsoft.com/customersource/support/selfsupport/hottopics/MDGP_RemoteAppIssue (requires access to either CustomerSource or PartnerSource).
Additional notes and considerations
There are a number of other factors to consider in
your infrastructure planning, including: virtual environments, 64-bit
versus 32-bit systems, and printers.
Virtual environments
Starting with Dynamics GP 10.0, Microsoft announced
support for Dynamics GP in virtual environments. This was great news for
many organizations that have been moving towards virtualization. Many
Dynamics GP partners and customers have been using virtual environments
for a long time for testing and development purposes. However, they had
not moved their Dynamics GP production environments to virtual
environments because it was not supported by Microsoft.
Now that virtual environment support is available, it
must still be evaluated carefully. The following are virtual
environments listed as supported for Dynamics GP 2010:
Hardware virtualization
Software virtualization
KnowledgeBase article 937629 is available to give more detail about Dynamics GP support in a virtual environment: https://mbs.microsoft.com/knowledgebase/KBDisplay.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;937629 (requires access to either PartnerSource or CustomerSource).
There is also a URL provided for a wizard to look at all virtual technology supported for various Microsoft applications: http://www.windowsservercatalog.com/svvp.aspx?svvppage=svvpwizard.htm.
If you already have a virtual environment and want to
implement Dynamics GP in it, even if it is listed as supported when you
go through this wizard, make sure you read the fine print. While a few
non-Microsoft virtual environments are supported, if there is an issue
that requires support, often the burden of proof will be on you. To
establish that there is really an issue you will need to reproduce the
problem in a non-virtual environment. This may not be a deal breaker and
may be an unlikely scenario, but absolutely must be acknowledged and
accepted as a potential risk for your implementation by the decision
makers in the organization.
Microsoft Support article 897615 offers more information on support for non-Microsoft virtualization: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;897615.
If you are just starting to plan your virtual
environment, consider using one of the Microsoft virtual environments to
reduce the possibility of any support issues for Dynamics GP.
64-bit or 32-bit
There are a number of Dynamics GP components and
add-ons that are not compatible with 64-bit systems. These are all
detailed in the Additional Information section on the Microsoft System Requirements for Dynamics GP 2010 web page: https://mbs.microsoft.com/customersource/documentation/systemrequirements/MDGP2010_System_Requirements
(requires access to either PartnerSource or CustomerSource). There is
also a KnowledgeBase article 918983 available with more detail and
resources for 64-bit support and Dynamics GP: https://mbs.microsoft.com/knowledgebase/KBDisplay.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;918983 (requires access to either PartnerSource or CustomerSource).
One of the most important products that is not supported by a 64-bit system is FRx. (Shown as Microsoft FRx Reporter 6.7
on the compatibility list). There are no plans to add 64-bit support
for FRx, as it is gradually being replaced by Management Reporter. While
there are some instances of FRx working fine on 64-bit operating
systems, there are also many reported issues. In addition, shared files
needed by FRx should be stored on a 32-bit operating system.
Given all this, the recommendations are as follows:
Clients: Any client computer that
will need to run FRx or other software/components not supported on
64-bit systems should be on a 32-bit operating system. If 64-bit client
computers are already present in the organization, it may be easier to
introduce a 32-bit Terminal Server for the users with 64-bit computers,
especially if there are already plans to use a Terminal Server for
Dynamics GP.
Server: As long as there are no plans
to use any components not supported on 64-bit systems on the Dynamics
GP server itself, a 64-bit operating system is fine and should provide
better performance and ability to access more RAM, all other things
being equal. In this case, the FRx shared files will need to be stored
somewhere other than this server.
Terminal Server: If users will need
to run any software/components not supported on 64-bit systems on the
Terminal Server, it should be 32-bit. Otherwise, 64-bit is fine for the
Terminal Server.
Printers
Prior to mid 2009, each version of Dynamics GP had a
published printer compatibility list. There were some inherent problems
with these lists, because it is virtually impossible to test every
printer, and printer models change so quickly that by the time printers
were tested and the list was released, most of the printer models on it
were already retired by the manufacturers.
An update was published by Microsoft in 2009 that
printer compatibility lists would no longer be published as, "most
printers should be compatible with Microsoft Dynamics GP". This notice
as well as some additional printer resources and links can be found at
the following URL: https://mbs.microsoft.com/customersource/documentation/systemrequirements/MDGP2010_Printer_Compatibility (requires access to either PartnerSource or CustomerSource).
In our experience, not all printers, and more
specifically not all printer drivers, will be compatible with Dynamics
GP. Possibly the only printer brand we have consistently not seen any
issues with is Hewlett-Packard. That is not to say that other printers
should not be considered, and if there are already existing printers in
the organization, you can easily test them once Dynamics GP is installed
to determine if there are any compatibility issues. If planning to
purchase new printers, you may want to ask your Dynamics GP partner or
Dynamics GP resource for recommendations or experiences with the
printers you are considering.
Additional considerations for printers with Dynamics GP:
If planning large or frequent checks runs,
many companies find it convenient to set up a dedicated printer for
printing checks. This allows the users printing checks to not have to
compete with other print jobs, and saves on check stock ruined by others
mistakenly printing on it. It also addresses potential issues with
lining up checks properly on different printers.
Depending
on the size of reports or check runs planned for with Dynamics GP,
older printers with limited memory may have issues printing the entire
check run or report. For example, a batch of 200 payables checks will
first create a file of approximately 7 to 8 MB and then send the entire
file to the printer. Newer printer models, even small personal printers,
typically have enough memory to handle this, but some older printer
models that may only have 4 MB of memory will not be able to handle this
size of check run.
Top load
printers are not very common anymore, but may also present a problem
when printing checks, because they tend to feed more unevenly than side
or front load printers. Top load printers also have a higher tendency to
feed more than one page at a time. For most reports this may not
present an issue, but when printing checks both of these are
considerable problems.
