E-WMS

WMS and ICL (Intercompany Logistics) Services requirements

Introduction

This document describes the system requirements for the E-WMS and Intercompany Logistics (ICL) services.

Description

WMS services in general

The WMS services can perform the following tasks, depending on your settings and license:

Automatic sending of orders to be picked to a picking queue (Autoqueue service)
read-back of picked orders and transactions
validation of read-back transactions
processing of validated transactions
printing of delivery notes (Fulfillment service)

More details can be found in document WMS and ICL Services: purpose and specifics.

ICL services in general

The two ICL export services handle from one or more 'central' ICL databases also all linked ICL sales databases. When one of these sales databases also acts as a central database again, or you are using more than one central database, then the ICL services have to be configured to process multiple ICL central databases. From product update 405, the ICL services support multiple databases per service instance. Before release 405, each database acting as 'central' ICL company would need its own set of services running independently.

Hardware requirements

PC or server requirements:

The E-WMS services or ICL services must always be installed and running on a dedicated machine.
This machine must have no other roles (no SQL server, no IIS server, no workstation), due to the CPU usage of the services (SDK process) affecting other processes, or other processes affecting the services.
Operating system: Windows 7 (Professional, Enterprise or Ultimate; 32 bit or 64 bit), Windows 8, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows XP is no longer supported as from product update 409.
Multi core CPU; each installed service will put significant strain on the CPU when processing transactions, so the machine should be able to divide the workload when handling multiple services at the same time
This depends on the number of services that will be running, and the workload (number of transactions). When running all services, at least 4 cores are required (but more is better).
2Gb RAM or more, depending on requirements of the Windows installation without the services, and of the number of services that will be running. When running all services, 4Gb RAM should be enough.
Windows 7, Windows 2008, Windows 2012 or Windows 2012 R2 operating systems will require following changes:
- required: disable Windows UAC
- optionally required for troubleshooting: disable Windows DEP (use command line: 'bcdedit.exe /set nx AlwaysOff')
The Exact Globe Next workstation requirements apply
Exact Globe Next client workstation installation performed and kept up-to-date.
The WMS or ICL services need to be reinstalled (and reconfigured) on every Exact Globe Next update, when the WMS and ICL release version changed, also within the same product update.
LAN speed connection to the SQL server (no VPN or wireless)
When using E-WMS Automatic fulfillment to print delivery notes automatically:
- Automatic printing of delivery notes is not supported when using the Fulfillment service on a 64 bit machine and when the setting 'PDF generator' in [System,General,Settings,Documents settings] is set to 'NovaPDF'.
  Using ExactPDF or HTML attachment format did not show problems on a x64 machine.
- Windows printer for delivery notes configured and tested, by the 'service account':
  the account used in the Fulfillment service should have logged on once on the services PC, started Exact Globe Next, configured printer settings and used WMS fulfillment.
- Fulfillment and delivery notes tested by fulfillment processing through the service
- please read: E-WMS Fulfillment RF service seems frozen when automatically printing delivery notes
- please read: E-WMS 'Auto fulfillment' by the E-WMS Fulfillment RF service does not use expected printer

Services account

The account used as logon account for the services has to meet the following requirements:

must be local administrator on the PC or where the services are running
in some cases this user also needs to be member of domain administrators, depending on network security policies
must be a known user in SQL security, and with SQL 'sysadmin' rights
must be an active user in Globe, this user should be able to start Globe and open the company on the RF services PC (Globe administrator role preferred)
the services account must have Globe rights in all Globe warehouses used
A printer used for example for 'Automatic fulfillment', must be installed and accessible for the service account
log on once as the service account on the services machine fully, and check the Globe/E-WMS processes and printer configuration

ICL: using databases on separate SQL servers

When using Intercompany Logistics, at least two databases are involved. These databases can be located on the same SQL server, but can also be on SQL servers on different locations (site A and site B).

When using ICL involving two or more different servers, please note these points of interest.

Services
The ICL services have to be installed on a PC in the same LAN as where the SQL server for the ICL central databases is located, because that database is used as basis by the services. The services will then connect (SDK connection) to the remote SQL server. These remote servers and databases are configured in the central database in the ICL settings for 'accounts receivable' (for the intercompany debtors). This requires a service account with access to the remote Globe databases and to the ICL central database. Depending on the dedicated bandwidth of the (VPN) connection to the remote server, processing transactions can take some time, or can result in 'connection errors' from time to time. A LAN speed connection is advised and preferred.

Account management
When using SQL servers on different locations, separate local domains will probably be used, with local domain accounts. When using ICL, the account used to run the ICL services, or the account logged into Globe performing ICL functions, will access both the local and remote ICL database through the Exact Globe Next SDK or ICL queries. This means that this user must be a trusted Globe and SQL user in both domains. Either a 'top level domain account' can be used, or local domain accounts can be maintained with the same account name and same password (!) in all local domains involved. This account is to be used as service account for the ICL services, and also should be configured in ICL master data screens (button 'user' after using button ICL in maintenance of 'warehouse', 'accounts payable' or 'accounts receivable'). This account also has to be local administrator on PC where the ICL services are used. See section 'Services account' above.

Version management
The Exact Globe Next release version should be exactly the same, all sites should update at the same time with the same Exact Globe Next version (the same SDK and ICL version), and the same versions of any add-ons or customized software within Globe (specifically: the SQL scripts of all 'add-ons' should be of the same version script). If the central database is updated to a higher release and one or more sales databases are not, then error message 'Incorrect database version' will appear at every service interval in the Windows event log. Until a sales databases is updated to the higher release, it would be best to temporarily 'disable' this company as ICL sales database, in maintenance of 'accounts receivable' in the central company. This way, other (already updated) ICL sales databases can already be processed without having a lot of errors in the event log.

Whether databases are on the same release version and are compatible, can be tested by starting Exact Globe Next on site A and opening the database from location B, where the database should not start updating. That is what the services also try to do.

Back-up management
ICL uses it's own references (specific fields in the Exact Globe Next order tables) to maintain synchronization between the orders in the ICL databases. This means, when one database would be restored from a backup, these links will probably be inconsistent since one of the databases has been rolled back to a previous point in time. Idealistic, backup or restore should be done at the same time for all ICL databases. That will however likely be a problem when using ICL databases in different time zones, not mentioning a forced database restore for this reason only. It may be necessary to delete, re-enter and re-send all ICL orders, which have been created in the timeframe between making the backup and restoring the backup. This depends on what database is restored (central or sales database). There are no Exact tools available to restore this ICL consistency.

Network connection
Exact Globe Next (SDK/SQL) transactions are put from one server to another during ICL processing, this means that the network connection between the servers has to be a more than just a simple VPN connection; it has to be comparable to at least a 10Mbps LAN connection.

Usage requirements (IT Management)

General requirements for IT maintenance and usage of E-WMS and ICL services:

The services need to be reinstalled and reconfigured every time when updating Globe, when the release version of WMS or ICL changed, also within the same release
Changing the printer configuration in Windows or in Globe (using the service account) may affect the working of Automatic Fulfillment by the WMS Fulfillment service
Please make sure when you are using a specific SQL instance name, you also include the instance name in the service CONFIG file setting "server name" (server\instance)
In the ICL configuration screens (for example, the ICL button in warehouse maintenance) a 'User' button can be used to configure a specific account which is to be used to put transactions to the other database. This 'user' button will only be visible to Globe users who are member of the Globe role 'System administrator'.