AFR Replication Installation Guide

AFR Replication Installation Guide
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Disclaimer
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Revision: June 23, 2014 12:41 a.m.
Total pages: 13
sys.ditaval
Contents
Contents
1 Welcome and Introduction.................................................................................................4
2 Pre-Installation Steps...........................................................................................................5
2.1 Verify Prerequisite Software is Installed.......................................................................................................5
2.2 Download Latest AFR Replication Installation Package................................................................................5
3 Install AFR Replication.........................................................................................................7

3.1 Install AFR Replication................................................................................................................................7
3.2 Create Folder for Snapshot Scripts.............................................................................................................7
4 Post Installation...................................................................................................................9
4.1 Re-create Replication Tasks (If Previous Version).........................................................................................9
4.2 Create Replication Tasks..........................................................................................................................10
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Welcome and Introduction
1 Welcome and Introduction

Welcome to the Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting (AFR) Replication Installation Guide. This document is
intended as a starting point to install or upgrade Epicor AFR Replication. If you want to upgrade from an earlier
version of AFR Replication, you need to perform the instructions marked as "If Previous Version" in addition to
general installation process.
AFR Replication includes the Replication Monitor application from which you can access Replication Wizard. AFR
Replication Wizard creates SQL replication tasks which provide data synchronization between your ERP and AFR
systems. AFR Replication Monitor displays information about active replication tasks and their statuses.
Use the following graphic to review the installation and configuration process flow:
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Pre-Installation Steps
2 Pre-Installation Steps
Complete the following steps before you start the Epicor AFR Replication installation.
2.1 Verify Prerequisite Software is Installed

Use these steps to verify the necessary software versions are installed.
1. Verify you have SQL 2008 R2, or SQL 2012 (Standard or Enterprise) with the latest service packs and with
enabled SQL Server Replication feature installed on machines which host the ERP application and the AFR
financial databases.
Important AFR does not support case-sensitive SQL Server.
2. Verify you have AFR 9.05.701A or later installed. Earlier versions do not support the databases created with
AFR Replication.
3. For the workstation, verify you have the following installed:
Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2012 with the latest service packs
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 or later
2.2 Download Latest AFR Replication Installation Package

Use these steps to download the latest AFR Replication installation package.
Depending on the ERP system you use, select one of the following options:
1. For Epicor ERP:
a. Log on to EPICweb and go to the customer portal website. Navigate to Products > Epicor ERP version
10 > Downloads.
You can use this link: https://epicweb.epicor.com/products/epicor-erp/downloads.
b. Navigate to Epicor AFR > Version 10.0 .
Important If AFR installation package is available on EPICWeb, you must use those files to install
AFR. Installation package from EPICWeb supercede files on the AFR DVD.
c. Download the latest AFR installation package to your report server. For example, download the Epicor
ERP Version 10 Advanced Financial Reporting.zip file.
2. For Prophet 21:
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Pre-Installation Steps
a. Navigate to <TBA>.
b. Download the latest AFR installation package to your report server. For example, download the
AFR_Replication_10.zip file.
3. For iScala:
a. Log on to EPICweb and navigate to Products > iScala > Downloads. You can use this link:
https://epicweb.epicor.com/products/iscala/downloads.
b. Navigate to Other > Financial Reporting > Epicor AFR for iScala.
c. Download the latest AFR installation package to your report server. For example, download the
AFR_Replication_10.zip file.
4. Extract the .zip file contents.
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Install AFR Replication
3 Install AFR Replication

Use the following steps to install AFR Replication.
3.1 Install AFR Replication

Use these steps to install AFR Replication to your workstation.
1. Go to the directory where you extracted the Epicor ERP Version 10 Advanced Financial Reporting.zip
file from EPICweb. Open the Replication Monitor directory. Based on your server environment, select the
x64 (64 bit) or x86 (32 bit) directory.
2. Double-click the setup.exe file to start the AFR Replication installation.
Note If you have a previous version of AFR Replication installed, the system prompts you to upgrade
of remove the application. To install the new version of AFR Replication, click the Upgrade button.
3. On the Welcome dialog, click Next.

4. Accept the default destination folder, or click Change to select a different folder. Click Next.
5. To begin the installation, click Install.
6. When complete, click Finish. The Epicor AFR Replication installation wizard closes.
3.2 Create Folder for Snapshot Scripts

Snapshot Scripts folder is automatically created during AFR Replication installation, however, if you use a SQL
Server instance with a source database that is located on a different workstation from where the AFR Replication
is installed, you must follow these steps to create a folder for the snapshot scripts:
Note Epicor recommends to create the folder for snapshot scripts on the workstation that hosts SQL Server
with source database, however, you can create it on any workstation in the network. To use it for storing
replication snapshot scripts, you should share it for everyone and set it as a destination folder when you
initialize replication. Review the Create Replication Task section for more information.
1. Navigate to the workstation which hosts the SQL Server with source database.
2. Create a SnapshotScripts folder.
3. Right-click the SnapshotScripts folder and select Share with > Specific People.
4. In the drop-down list, select Everyone and click Add.
5. In the Permission Level column, click the Read permission to the right of the Everyone name and select
Read/Write.
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Install AFR Replication
6. Click Share.
7. Click Done.
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Post Installation
4 Post Installation
Use this section to complete steps after the installation.
4.1 Re-create Replication Tasks (If Previous Version)

When you upgrade AFR Replication from AFR 9.05, you also need to re-create replication tasks if you want to
work with new functionalities introduced in AFR 10, such as the ability to use unposted balances or to create
the date based report with the numbers of the same granularity as period based numbers. Use these steps to
re-create replication tasks.
Important These steps are for Epicor ERP users only.
1. Login to the AFR Replication Monitor. To do this, select Start > Programs > Epicor Software > Advanced
Financial Reporting > Replication Monitor.
2. Enter the connection details to the SQL Server that hosts the AFR financial database.
Note The specified SQL Server account must have sysadmin role in SQL Server which hosts the
selected AFR database.
3. Select a database created in the previous version of AFR. To do this:

a. In the Connect to AFR financial DB window, select the Show previous versions check box.
Note You should select the Show previous versions check box even if you have already upgraded
the database you want to select in the AFR application.
b. In the Database drop-down list, select a database created in the previous version. Click OK.
c. Click Yes to the upgrade confirmation message.
d. Specify Task Security details and click OK. The application upgrades replication tasks.
4. Replication Monitor displays the replication tasks for the database you selected. All these tasks have Epicor
9.05 as ERP Type. If you want to use the AFR 10 functionality with your database, you first need to delete
replication tasks for this database. To do this:
a. Select the tasks in the grid.
b. Click the Delete button on the Toolbar.
5. Re-create replication tasks for your database using the Epicor ERP plugin. Refer to the Create Replication
Tasks section later in this guide for more details.
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Post Installation
4.2 Create Replication Tasks

Use the following steps to create replication tasks:
1. Login to the AFR Replication Monitor. To do this, select Start > Programs > Epicor Software > Advanced
Financial Reporting > Replication Monitor.
2. Enter the connection details to the SQL Server that hosts the AFR financial database.
Note The specified SQL Server account must have sysadmin role in SQL Server which hosts the
selected AFR database.
3. Select an AFR database from the Database drop-down list or select Create New and click OK to create a
new database. You can also select a database created in the previous version of AFR. To do this:
a. In the Connect to AFR financial DB window, select the Show previous versions check box.
Note You should select the Show previous versions check box even if you have already upgraded
the database you want to select in the AFR application.
b. In the Database drop-down list, select a database created in the previous version. Click OK.
c. Click Yes to the upgrade confirmation message.
d. Specify Task Security details and click OK. The application upgrades replication tasks.
Note The tasks upgraded from Epicor 9.05 display in the Replication Monitor grid with the Epicor
9.05 Source ERP type. You may need to delete and re-create these tasks if you want to use new AFR
10 functionality with your database. For more information, review the Re-create Replication Tasks
section earlier in this guide.
4. In Replication Monitor, click the Subscribe button to start AFR Replication Wizard.
5. In the Source ERP Type field, select the type of ERP database from which you are replicating. Your selection
determines which plugin the program uses. The options are:
Epicor ERP - When you select this option, Epicor ERP source databases suitable for replication - both
Epicor 9.05 and Epicor 10 - are available for selection in the next window. Select this plugin to create
AFR 10 financial database if you want to work with new features introduced in AFR 10, such as the
ability to use unposted balances or to create the date based report with the numbers of the same
granularity as period based numbers.
Epicor 9.05 - When you select this option, only Epicor 9.05 source databases are available for selection
in the next window. If you select this option, the AFR Replication system creates AFR 9.05 financial
database with which you cannot use the new AFR 10 features.
Prophet 21 - When you select this option, only Prophet 21 source databases are available for selection
in the next window.
iScala - When you select this option, only iScala source databases are available for selection in the next
window.
Enterprise - When you select this option, only Enterprise control databases are available for selection
in the next window.
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Post Installation
6. In the AFR Replication Wizard - From window, specify connection details to the SQL Server that hosts your
source ERP application database.
Note This can be different from the server where the AFR financial database resides.
7. Select your ERP application database from the Database drop-down list. Click Next.
8. In the AFR Replication Wizard - Company and book filter window, select companies and books to replicate.
Click Next.
9. Define granularity. AFR recommends you to split business data if you have a large database. Splitting tasks
by companies, books or fiscal years allows you to re-initialize them separately in Replication Monitor, which
is less time-consuming. Use the following windows to select if you want to create separate tasks for
companies, books and fiscal years:
a. In the Re-initialization options section select how you want to split tasks for books and companies.
Available options include:
All companies together
Each company independently from others
Each company and book independently from others
Note For Prophet 21 database replication, Epicor recommends you to select the All companies
together option.
b. Select the Include all new companies in replication check box if you want the companies added to
the source database after you create replication task.
Note Skip this step if you create replication tasks for iScala.
c. Select the Include all new books in replication check box if you want the books added to the source
database after you create replication task.
Note Skip this step if you create replication tasks for iScala.
d. Click Next.
e. In the Replicate from year drop-down list, select the fiscal year from which you want to start replication.
f. In the Re-initialization options section select how you want to create tasks for fiscal years. Available
options include:
All years together
Each year independently from others
Note For Prophet 21 database replication, Epicor recommends you to select the All years together
option.
g. Select the Include all new years in replication check box if you want the fiscal years added to the
source database after you create replication task.
h. Click Next.
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Post Installation
10. If you selected Epicor ERP as source ERP type, the AFR Replication Wizard - Type of aggregation window
displays for you to define granularity for daily balances replication:
Select the AFR 9.05 behavior option if you want to aggregate daily balances using the full accounting
string from transaction lines.
If you want to use ERP balance segment settings, select Aggregate using Balance Segment settings
in Epicor ERP.
Note Only Epicor ERP users need to select the type of daily balances aggregation. If you select other
source ERP type for replication, this window does not display.
Click Next.
11. In the AFR Replication Wizard - Miscellaneous window, enter the Replication task name prefix.
Note The prefix includes the plugin name, for example Epicor ERP or P21. When created, each
replication task uses the prefix, followed by a unique numerical identifier. This is the task ID used by
SQL Management Studio in the publisher and subscriber servers.
12. In the Select path to shared folder field, the path to Snapshot Scripts folder created during AFR Replication
installation displays by default. Click the browse button to the right of the field to specify other folder where
to store replication snapshot scripts. Create the Snapshot Scripts folder before you initialize replication. You
can store this folder on any workstation in the network, but you should make sure windows account which
runs Snapshot Agents has access to it. Epicor recommends to share the Snapshot Scripts folder for everyone
to avoid security issues.
Note For information on how to create and share SnapsotScripts folder, refer to the Create a Folder
for Snapshot Scripts section earlier in this guide.
13. Select the Start replication immediately check box if you want the source database to be replicated on
the instant. Click Next.
Note You can also initialize replication later from Replication Monitor.
14. In the AFR Replication Wizard - Task Review window, review or edit the selected options. Click Next.
15. In the AFR Replication Wizard - Task Security window, specify credentials for task creation. The user specified
in the Windows account name field runs SQL Server agents, so make sure the user has access to the
SnapshotScripts and Snapshots folders.
16. Click Next. The AFR Replication Wizard - Configuring SQL Replication window with detailed information
on the replication processes displays. When progress is 100%, click Done.
17. Review the tasks and statuses using Replication Monitor.
For more information on how to create and handle replication tasks, review the Application Help.
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Additional information is available at the Education and

Documentation areas of the EPICweb Customer Portal. To access
this site, you need a Site ID and an EPICweb account. To create an
account, go to http://support.epicor.com.

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