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Consulting and Upgrades

Sage 100cloud Upgrade Master Checklist and Guide

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Revised April 23, 2018 – While we strive to keep the information on our site current, you should verify that the content below is applicable to your version of Sage 100cloud.

You may wish to use this link which is an Evernote document containing the most current version of the information below but formatted in a slightly more readable manner.

 

Please read these instructions through prior to beginning your upgrade testing. If you have any questions please let us know. These instructions are meant to cover the most frequently asked questions and there may be additional information we provide or we may advise that your upgrade is performed in a modified way.

 

Before starting your upgrade please consult with your IT Advisor or Sage Business Partner. In most cases you should have them assist you with the upgrade process.
Generally, you will want to break your upgrade down into stages and take time at each stage to review and test before deciding to perform a final upgrade.
OUR STANDARD SAGE 100CLOUD UPGRADE APPROACH IS FOUR STAGES
These four stages can occur over a period of time and are designed so you have adequate time to test each step of the upgrade.
  1. Configure and load new version
  2. Test convert and review
  3. Go-Live
  4. Post Go-Live
Legend:
  1. (Critical) – Very important – management, accounting, IT review
  2. (FYI) – management, accounting review
  3. (IT Dept) – IT department review
BEFORE EVERYONE LEAVES FOR THE NIGHT
  • Unless instructed otherwise, have all data entry updated
  • Do not have anyone logged into the system overnight (check Master Console before leaving for the day)
  • Disable any integrated solutions ( Sage Integration Server, Third-Party Integrations)
  • Make a full backup
BEFORE THE UPGRADE BEGINS
CHECK THESE THINGS BEFORE YOU START THE UPGRADE TESTING
  • (Critical) Ensure any 3rd party integrations are compatible with the version of Sage 100 being upgraded to
  • (Critical) Verify all servers and workstations meet or exceed minimum hardware and operating requirements established by Sage – https://goo.gl/Zh7AzP
  • (Critical) If you are using Sage 100 Payroll ensure that you are enrolled in a Payroll Subscription. Read more here – Sage Payroll FAQ Existing Customers.pdf
  • (Critical) Schedule any 3rd party assistance required (ie. Starship, Scanco, Scanforce, Sage CRM, Sage Intelligence)
    • We generally recommend having the 3rd parties perform their upgrades alongside our Sage 100 upgrade (additional fee to 3rd party may apply)
    • FRX is no longer supported by Microsoft. In most cases, it will work but we cannot guarantee it and before you create any time consuming or costly new reports we think you should consider migrating to a supported report writer such as Sage Intelligence, BizNet or FYISoft (fka RenovoFYI).
  • (FYI) About the timing of your go-live
    • Ensure your key people – including IT – will be in the office on go-live date as we need them to login to the network and test
    • IT resources should be available in case of questions. Generally, they do not have to be in the building so long as they are reachable within a reasonable time
    • Do NOT schedule a go-live for a date with other mission critical reporting or meetings due
  • (FYI) You may only upgrade to a version of Sage 100 to which you have a valid license. Ensure you are enrolled in a valid license with Sage.
  • (FYI) Read and agree to the Sage EULA – https://goo.gl/lBiSWK .
    • During the upgrade we will need to accept it on your behalf while installing the program.
    • If there is anything you disagree with please bring it to our attention immediately.
    • You agree that we are instructed to enter through and agree to the EULA on your behalf during the upgrade.
  • (FYI) If you are on Sage 100 perpetual licensing you may want to consider whether Sage 100c and a platform change to Advanced or Premium (SQL) is advisable
  • ( IT DEPT) Check the network location for the new version of Sage 100 and ensure you have adequate disk space.
    • A good rule of thumb is have at least 100 GB remaining after the installation of the new version. The goal is to have enough remaining after the upgrade that you are relatively assured of not running out of space mid-year.
  • (IT DEPT) If using Sage 100 Advanced or Premium ensure that you are using a DOMAIN Administrator equivalent account to run the service – https://goo.gl/hPNlkM
  • (IT DEPT) If the upgrade is to a new server, be sure you modify your backup procedure to include the new server folder (typically \Sage 100 (formerly Mas90) and all subfolders) as well as any additional Sage data (ie. Paperless Office).
  • (IT DEPT) Sage Users must have full rights to the \MAS90 and all sub-folders. If they do not they will receive a licensing related message and be prohibited from starting Sage.
    • You (or your IT department) are responsible for creating required Sage 100 shares and establishing permissions. If you encounter difficulties or have questions on how to create the noted permissions please contact your IT support as we do not advise on security or IT configurations as part of our upgrade.
  • (IT DEPT) Exclude the following folders and file extensions from anti-virus scanning on your server – DCL, DD, DDE, DDF, LIB, M4D, M4L, M4P, M4T, PRM, PVC, PVX, RPT, SOA, XEQ.
    • In our experience, Anti-Virus and Malware scanners are the most common culprits responsible for slow performance.
    • See the following Sage knowledge article for a complete list of file exclusions – https://goo.gl/7kB7X8
TESTING (BEFORE GOING LIVE)
  1. In most cases we have no issues with data conversion. It’s always good to double check your data as soon as possible. Don’t wait several weeks to do this because if you find a discrepancy it’s likely too late to restore from a backup.
  2. Ensure all users can
  3. Login to Sage 100
  4. Navigate freely through Sage 100
  5. Print from Sage 100
  6. Access customary
    1. Forms
    2. Reports
    3. Data imports
    4. Third-party integrations
THE NIGHT BEFORE GO-LIVE
  1. Ensure you have a full system backup – if your backup kicks off overnight you may need to start it earlier in the day so you have a good backup prior to final data conversions that happen in the evening.
    1. Instructions on what files to backup – https://goo.gl/L7QiBl
  2. Ensure that your key people will be in the office
    1. We need them to login with their network credentials to test
  3. Before leaving for the day, have everyone log completely out of Sage 100 – do not leave any open sessions in remote desktop/Citrix/Terminal Server (if applicable). Verify this by looking at the Sage 100 master console which should display no logins except your own.
  4. Have all transactions posted in all modules
  5. Print key reports from each company as applicable. You should agree these totals to the new version on the day you go live.
    1. General ledger trial balances
    2. Accounts payable aging (last page)
    3. Accounts receivable aging (last page)
    4. Inventory valuation report (last page)
    5. Open Sales Order report (last page)
    6. Open Purchase Order report (last page)
  6. Additional reports for other modules – PR, JC, WO, – as needed to agree to post-conversion data
GO LIVE
  1. Compare reports printed from prior step for accuracy. Generally you only need to compare totals unless there is a reason to suspect other inaccuracy.
  2. Test all functions again – imports, forms, reports, third-party integrations
  3. If there is an issue with data your goal is to catch is ASAP
COMMON ERROR MESSAGES
In most cases you will not experience any error messages. However, here is a list of common errors (and their causes) so that you can be familiar with them and if needed make the required correction.
  • Cannot open ACTIVATION key file / NO VALID ACTIVATION FOUND!!
    Typically caused by one of the following:
    • You don’t have rights to \MAS90\HOME\LIB\KEYS on the where the Sage registration is stored
    • You are running on terminal server / citrix and need to copy the key into the local folder using these instructions – https://goo.gl/RNBl6S
  • UNLOCK REGION FAILURE (less common)
  • Speed seems slow or slower than prior Sage 100
    • Review and apply file exclusions for anti-virus and/or malware (this is almost always the cause) – https://goo.gl/7kB7X8
    • Ensure that remote users are only coming in via a remote solution such as RDP (Remote Desktop), Citrix, Terminal Server. Technically you can setup Sage 100 Advanced to run over a thin client but some tasks like printing will be unacceptably slow for remote users.
  • Message “Cannot connect to Sage Exchange Desktop” when attempting to either process credit card or add/retrieve credit card information from a customer account in Accounts Receivable. Beginning with Sage 100 v2017+ you must now install Sage Exchange Desktop 2.0 separately from workstation setup. This can be done from your \mas90\wksetup\autorun.exe (be sure to right-click and “run as administrator” to ensure you have proper user rights to install).
WHAT’S NEW IN SAGE 100?
Everyone uses Sage 100 differently. We have found there is no “one size fits all” answer to “what’s new”. Use the guides below to determine what new features of the latest release of are interest to your company.
OTHER FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The links below lead to the Sage knowledgeable where you may view answers to the specific question.
(c) 2017 Schulz Consulting LLC – https://s-consult.com – Please send corrections, additions, changes to wayne@s-consult.com. This information was compiled from information deemed accurate at the time of creation. Please consult your consultant prior to implementing. Always make a backup of your data prior to beginning the update process.

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