Converting from Sage Abra Suite
This chapter discusses the procedures for converting your HR-only Visual FoxPro database in Sage
Abra Suite to SQL Server database in Sage HRMS. Only Sage Abra Suite version 9.2 can be converted to Sage HRMS 2012. Once Sage HRMS 2012 is installed, you can upgrade to Sage HRMS 2015.
Important!
Due to the complexity of converting your Sage Abra Suite data to Sage HRMS, it is critical that you get help from Sage HRMS Professional Services Group or your certified business partner with this process. Customer Support cannot assist with this conversion process. If you attempt this process without help from a certified consultant or Sage Professional Services Group (PSG), it is outside of the scope of supported installations.
The conversion procedures consist of installing Sage HRMS, converting your existing Sage Abra Suite
Visual FoxPro data to Sage HRMS SQL Server data, and changing the data source for custom reports from Abra Data Access to Sage HRMS Data Access.
To convert from Sage Abra Suite version 9.2
Note:
You must have administrator rights to install this upgrade and perform the conversion.
1.
Install Sage HRMS. See
.
o
You must install the server as well as all remote clients.
o
You can install Sage HRMS on the same server machine as your Sage Abra Suite version
(this is called a side-by-side).
2.
When server and client installations are complete, you must now upsize your data. This converts your HR-only database from Visual FoxPro to SQL Server. See
.
3.
If you are using Abra Link or custom Visual FoxPro databases (such as for third-party applications), you must now upsize your Abra Link and custom data. See
.
4.
If you created custom reports in Sage Abra Suite, you must update the reporting data source from Sage Abra Suite Data Access to Sage HRMS Data Access. See
.
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Upsizing FoxPro database to SQL Server
The Sage HRMS Data Upsizing Wizard converts an HR and Time Off-only Sage Abra Suite (Visual
FoxPro) database to a SQL Server or SQL Server Express Edition database. If your system includes
Sage Abra Suite Payroll, the Upsize Wizard updates the payroll data for archival purposes and the data cannot be used “as is” in Sage HRMS Payroll. Contact Sage HRMS Professional Services Group or your certified business partner for assistance with converting your payroll database to Sage HRMS.
Database structure changes
When you run the Data Upsizing Wizard, the structure of the database changes as follows: n
An integer type field named ID_Col is added to all tables that are automatically populated. The field value increments by one each time a new record is added.
n
All date types are converted to date/time types.
n
To avoid conflict with T-SQL, all field names that are T-SQL-reserved words (desc, rule, table, and group), are converted to fdesc, frule, ftable, and fgroup.
When upsizing to a SQL Server or SQL Server Express database: n
The Custom Details tables in the custom folder (such as TKSCREEN.DBF and TKTABLES.DBF) are added to the database.
n
If any errors occur during the upsize, a message is displayed when the upsize is finished.
n
If the table already exists in the target database, it is dropped and upsized again.
The table below shows the data type conversions from Visual Fox Pro to SQL Server.
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VFP data type
character numeric integer date logical memo general
SQL Server data type
char float int date/time (All empty dates are converted to
NULLs) bit text image
To run the Data Upsizing Wizard
1.
Contact Sage HRMS Customer Support to request the Data Upsizing Wizard application.
2.
Once you have the .exe file, right-click and Run as Administrator to launch the Upsizing
Wizard.
3.
Select SQL Server as the database destination.
4.
In the Database folder to upsize from field, select the location of the database folder you want to convert.
5.
In the Temporary working folder field, select the location of the folder to use for the intermediary files needed during the conversion. The default is C:\Temp\UpsizeWiz\.
6.
Enter the following information and then click Test SQL Connection to make sure the connection is valid. Note that the defaults display as a result of the installation, but you can change them if necessary.
o
Server. This is stored in the Abrawin.ini file.
o
Database name.This is the Live database name stored in the Abrawin.ini file.
o
User ID. This is stored in the DBAccount.ini file.
o
Password. This is stored in the DBAccount.ini file and is displayed as asterisks.
o
Select the Photo Settings tab and set the location for your employee photos.
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Converting from Sage Abra Suite
7.
Click Start to begin the upsize process. The progress of the data upsizing is conveyed by two status bars. The first one represents the specific table being converted; the second one represents all tables in the database being converted.
8.
When upsizing is complete, click OK.
Upsizing Sage Abra Suite custom reports
This section applies to custom reports created with Sage Abra Suite. When you upgrade to Sage
HRMS, you must change the data source for each report and save it to a new folder.
Before you upsize reports
n
You must have Sage HRMS and SAP Crystal Reports® 2011 installed.
SAP Crystal Reports® 2011 Designer is provided as a component of Sage HRMS 2015. The
Designer version provides the option to create, modify, and use custom and ad hoc reports in
Sage HRMS. Without installing this additional component, you can still view and print standard reports in Sage HRMS but you cannot modify them.
To install SAP Crystal Reports®, visit the
Knowledgebase
(
https://support.na.sage.com
) and search for article ID 50162. Follow the steps in the article to download and install the program.
n
You must have already used the Data Upsizing Wizard to upsize your HR and Time Off data.
Changing the data source
1.
Log on to Sage HRMS. You must also log on to Sage Abra Suite, because the data source in the reports you are upgrading still references the ADA (Abra Data Access).
2.
From the Sage HRMS Quick Launch toolbar, click Crystal > Crystal Reports to launch SAP
Crystal Reports®. The Welcome to Crystal Reports window opens.
3.
Open one of your custom reports.
4.
From the SAP Crystal Reports® main menu, select Database > Set Datasource Location. The
Set Datasource Location window opens.
Note:
If Sage HRMS Data Access has been created under OLE DB (ADO), select Sage HRMS
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Converting from Sage Abra Suite
Data Access, and click Update. Repeat for subreports if needed. If a field name has changed, proceed to the
section of this document.
5.
In the Replace With section, click the plus sign to expand Create New Connection.
6.
Click the plus sign to expand OLE DB (ADO).
7.
Double-click Make New Connection.
8.
The OLE DB (ADO) window opens. Click once to highlight Sage HRMS Data Access (OLE DB
Provider).
9.
Click Finish. The Set Datasource Location window opens.
10.
In the Replace With section, click once to highlight Sage HRMS Data Access.
11.
In the Current Data Source section, click once to highlight Abra Data Access.
12.
Click Update to update the old Sage Abra Suite data source with the new Sage HRMS data source.
Note:
In the top section, you must select the data source to change from, and in the bottom section you must select the data source to change to before you Update.
13.
In the Create New Connection/OLE DB folder, right-click Sage HRMS Data Access and select
Add to Favorites.
14.
Repeat Steps 3 through 13 for each custom report and subreport. Depending on the complexity of your report, you may also need to change field names that are T-SQL reserved words, such as desc, rule, table, and group, and check for empty dates.
Field name changes
In order to continue using your SAP Crystal Reports® custom reports, you must change the field name for all fields that conflict with keywords in T-SQL. The new fields are named the same as the old, but with an
F prefix. The table below shows the field name changes in the Sage HRMS database.
Table Sage HRMS field name T-SQL reserved word
HBEPLAN FDESC
SYREPORT FGROUP
SYSCHED FDESC
DESC
GROUP
DESC
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Table Sage HRMS field name T-SQL reserved word
HRTABLES FDESC
HRTABLES FRULE
HRTABLES FTABLE
TKTABLES FDESC
GENEMAIL FDESC
OEBEPLAN FDESC
DESC
RULE
TABLE
DESC
DESC
DESC
If your report requires field name changes, when you update the data source the Map Fields window opens.
1.
Click once to highlight the old field name in the Unmapped Fields section. In the right box, click once to highlight the new field name. For example, if your report uses desc, select desc in the left box and fdesc in the right box.
2.
Click Map.
3.
Preview the report. If you receive a message stating that one or more database tables have changed, click OK.
Checking for empty dates
In Sage HRMS, all date fields without a specific date assigned are now
NULL
. If you have any reports in which you check for an empty date in a selection formula using the
EMPTY() function, you need to now use the
ISNULL() function. The example below shows selecting benefit records in the HBENE table.
Before:
{hbene.b_beneid} in ["S", "I"] and {hrpersnl.p_active} = "A" and
(EMPTY({hbene.b_expdate}) or {hbene.b_expdate} > CurrentDate)
After:
{hbene.b_beneid} in ["S", "I"] and {hrpersnl.p_active} = "A" and
(ISNULL({hbene.b_expdate}) or {hbene.b_expdate} > CurrentDate)
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