February 22, 2011 — The DDMS 8.26 maintenance release is ready for download now. It includes dozens of software changes to flow and usability to help you work more efficiently and increase the speed of business to keep pace with advances in technology:
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For All Dealers
Corrected! DDMS Supports 64-Bit Windows 2008 Servers (# 57464)
We've added support for Microsoft® Windows® 2008 64-bit operating systems for DDMS Server, as well as multiple 64-bit Client operating systems. For more details, see System Requirements.
This support will be helpful for dealers who are planning to upgrade hardware, especially since the Windows® Server 2008 R2 operating system is less expensive in the 64-bit platform than in the 32-bit x86 Itanium platform. (DDMS 8.18 and higher has installed on 32-bit Windows Server 2008 since May 2009.)
The 64-bit platform also provides a modest increase in performance over the 32-bit version.
For DDMS servers (installed as a stand-alone, member server, not a domain controller), we now support:
- both 64-bit and 32-bit Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard Edition
both 64-bit and 32-bit Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition SP2
For DDMS client workstations, we now support:
- both 64-bit and 32-bit Windows 7 Pro
- both 64-bit and 32-bit Windows Vista™ Business Edition
- both 64-bit and 32-bit Windows® XP Professional or higher
Microsoft ended its support for Windows 2000 on July 13, 2010. If your server still runs Windows 2000, DDMS 8.26 will operate as usual. However:
- You won't be able to take advantage of certain features.
- Your system is more vulnerable to threats since Microsoft no longer provides patches.
- Your ECi technical support team is limited in its ability to support DDMS software still installed on this older operating system.
- ECi developers are enhancing DDMS to leverage technology that only exists in Windows Server 2003 and 2008.
- DDMS 10.0 and higher will not install on Windows 2000 machines.
See our Alert: DDMS 8.26 Will Be Last Version to Load on Windows 2000.
DDMS Supports XNET Text-Based Client Software for Win'08
Terminal emulation software has long been used with DDMS to access text-based screens for parameters, reports, and utilities.
For the Windows 2008 Server and Windows 7 operating systems, Microsoft has increased requirements for terminal emulation.
In response to the new Microsoft requirements, DDMS developers have upgraded the terminal emulation software to XNET. We have also made some additional changes to DDMS software to communicate properly with XNET:
- 57385 - Updated XNet client to allow using basic windows shortcuts familiar to many DDMS users, including Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V, and so forth. Client XNet session windows now allow for pasting data from the clipboard into the XNet screen, as well as highlighting and copying data in the XNet screen to the clipboard
- 57137 - Updated the XNet client theme for Microsoft Window 7 operating systems to be deep enough to display the bottom line of DDMS text-based screens. Previously the last line was not shown, which would prevent client users from seeing prompts and messages.
- 57322 - Updated TBLXNet so that if the dealer has roaming user profiles for load balancing, DDMS will save the tblxnet initialization file preferences in the users profile. On login, the INIFileLocation will locate the XNet .ini file either from the executing directory (usually the C:\ drive) or from the user's application data location.
While XNET is principally for Windows 2008 Servers and Windows 7 client workstations, it can also be used on Windows 2003 Servers running DDMS and all other supported Windows clients. See System Requirements.
If you are running DDMS on a Windows 2008 Server, be sure to install the updated XNET server and client software when you install DDMS 8.26. After downloading and extracting the DDMSInstall, you will find the new installers in the same D:\Downloads folder as Launch.exe.
- To install the server software, double-click xNetServer.exe.
- To install the client software, make a copy of xNetClient.exe either on a USB drive or a network share folder, and install it on each client workstation.
Other Changes For All Dealers
- 56875 - Corrected so the system properly handles credit card numbers when writing them to the ECi Card Comm log.
- 57037 — Corrected graphical Purchasing to properly report errors instead of just an empty red X, and to write the error number to the log file on both the client and the server, and the ELF file will have more details on such errors.
- 57206 — Corrected logic to update the inventory location display on the header portion of the O/E History screen whenever a line item row is selected.
- 57209 — Corrected Purchasing to be able to look up dash number tickets not only sequenced -1 through -9 and -A through -Z, but also lower case -a through -z.
- 57240 — Corrected Point of Sale Order Entry to display the item description and price on the display post when you key in the UPC code when Honeywell scanner is in use.
- 57317 — Corrected Order Entry's Order Notes so that when you hover over "End of Order" notes, it properly displays "to print at the END of a ticket/invoice." Previously, this said "ZZZ Special to print at the start of a ticket/incoice."
- 57330 - Corrected so when using barcode scanner, the system uses the proper contract pricing from the sales flyer for the item.
- 57337 - Corrected so the system does not use the route stored in the C-SHIPTO file as the default route. This was causing issues when dealers tried to assign a different route in O/E.
- 57351 - Corrected so when using the text based software, the system splits the lines on the order and allows the item quantity to appear on different purchase orders.
- 57358 - Corrected so when using the EBS to import customers and sales order detail, the system creates the correct shipto address for the order when a default shipto is set for the customer account.
- 57359 - Corrected so when adding new tickets to an existing manifest the system does not display an Unhandled Exception error message.
- 57388 - Corrected so the system properly displays invoice deposit information in the Executive Dashboard Bank Audit window.
- 57402 — Corrected TBL.exe to show file version, company name, date created, description and size in a popup when mouse is hovered over the TBL.exe icon and also in the Properties screen for TBL.exe.
- 57403 — Corrected the copyright information in the Help About screen to say “Copyright ©1998-2011 eCommerce Industries, Inc.”
- 57406 - Corrected by preparing SQL 2008 for DDMS version 10.0 software. To enable this transition, the SQL language in the installation program had to be updated to read commands acceptable in both SQL 2005 and SQL 2008.
- 57407 — Custom print to file project.
- 57411 - Corrected so when loading ECi DDMS reports, all XML's located at the '\DDMS\Reporting\eci2' location show '\eci2' at the end of every instance that shows 'source=QCNT5'.
- 57424 - Corrected so when syncing sales order and customer data, the EBS tools properly complete the task.
- 57434 - Enhanced EBS to properly work with SQL 2008. Previously when installing EBS to a SQL 2008, an error message appeared.
- 57444 - Corrected so existing DDMS software installations leaves the original MTSInst.ini file and copies the updated .ini file in the same Client folder as the DDMSMTSInst.ini file. When installing DDMS software on a new machine, the installation places the updated .ini file as MTSInst.ini and DDMSMTSInst.ini in the Client folder. The .ini file now has 3,000,000 set as its memory limit.
- 57453 - Corrected the EBS error message "User Does Not Have Permission to Alter Database" when the user attempted installing DDMS software version 8.25.1005.
- 57454 - Corrected so after installing DDMS version 8.25.1005 software on a Windows 2003 Server, the system properly opens graphical Order Entry.
- 57457 - Corrected so when logging in as a user who does not currently have a DDMS folder in the User Path Application Data folder, the system now creates the DDMS folder and places the .ini file in the folder.
- 57460 -Corrected so the user does not receive the "Unsupported Operation Was Attempted" error message when logging into the TBL Configuration.
- 57468 — Enhanced the wholesaler communications programs to send the maximum number of characters that the wholesaler allows when the shipto is coming from the AAAA shipto lines specials marked "See Below". This corrects an issue when processing EDI orders with lengthy shiptos, which previously caused part of the shipto address to be truncated when sending to the wholesaler.
- 57384 - Updated TBL Server to supports changes for the latest XNet enhancements made for DDMS software version 8.26.0.
- 57182 - Updated XNet client shared memory settings to be able to run more than two sessions at one time without corrupting the processes running concurrently in multiple sessions.
- 57435 — Updated the (ET) screen so that it no longer places a period in the 81st block when xeroxing a contract over 4000 lines. This allows XNET clients on Windows Server 2008 to xerox large contracts.
- 57493 - Corrected so new system users do not receive the error message "XNet on Server Failed" when using XNet 1.2.0.
- 57506 - Corrected to update the DDMS software version 8.26.0 expiration date to allow use for a full year.
- 57527 - Corrrected to add the column in the JO-GLOBAL file to the VER-FILE so it can be compressed during the software installation.
- 57543 — Corrected a codebase object that creates temp files during EBS Synchronization so that it properly releases the files. This prevents an EBS Scheduler error noting that the temp file is being used by another process. The EBS Import Service can delete affected temp files properly.
For Supplies Dealers
Automate ECinteractive Guest User Account Creation in DDMS (57310)
With the automatic guest registration in your ECinteractive or is.D-Force 2 Web storefront, you can:
Automate the manual process involved in creating new Web shopping accounts
Eliminate bottlenecks that may prevent prospective customers from shopping on your site.
In your Web storefront's Admin Control Panel, Site Preferences gives you the option to allow Customer Registration for your guest shoppers.
When a Web shopper who has not logged in attempts to visit the secure Checkout page on your site, the Login page prompts them as usual to enter their credentials before proceeding. Guest shoppers can also be set up to require only an email address for order confirmation and a credit card for payment. You can also give them the option to create an account, or specify an existing account number to add the new shopper's shipping/billing address as needed.
Previously, the DDMS business system software did not fully automate the creation of a Customer Account with all fields. Now, the system fully automatically creates both the online and back-end Account. In DDMS 8.26, the Customer record properly populates the entry date with the current date, just as when a user manually creates a Customer record in DDMS.
For details on how to set up Customer Registration options in your Web storefront, and a walkthrough of your customers' experience, see Guest User Checkout and Order History (pdf) and User Types and Self-Registration (pdf).
Other Changes for Supplies Dealers
- 57278 — Corrected the ConTblUpdate so that custom Optimized programs are no longer overwritten during software updates.
- 57313 - Corrected issues when using the Customer Additional Volume Discount feature. Previously, if you created an order for a customer with the additional volume discount feature enabled and then placed the order on hold, the system applied the volume discount again when adding new items to the order. The system is no longer applying the discount twice.
For Furniture Dealers
- 56511 - Corrected so the Furniture Delivery/Install Marking and Partial Billing windows save the column size when modified to more easily view the data.
- 57203 - Corrected so the system uses the proper login and password information when communicating with Kimball.
- 57361 - Corrected so the user does not receive a "Path/File Access Error" on HMI PSN transmission communications. This error occurred after installing DDMS version 8.24.1011 client software.
- 57462 Corrected the Furniture Work in Progress window to display the proper totals by location when viewing both Detail and Summary level information.
- 57512 Corrected so the user can add a salesperson's name in the DSR Name 1 box and click Next when communicating with Allsteel. This allows the P/O transmission to be sent and completed.
For Machine and Equipment Dealers
Dealer-Requested Updates to BEI Reports (57383 and 57425)
In response to dealer requests, we have updated the FIXSERV, FIXMETER, and FIXPARLA files that some dealers use to report machine service and performance data to BEI Services (www.beiservices.com).
The BEI Service allows dealers to compare their performance with other dealers of the same type, geographic location, or other criteria. In addition, the generated report is used by BEI to determine rewards in their Intense Tech compensation program.
Here is a summary of the changes:
1. Only calls with a completed date in the month being exported are included in the monthly export. (FIXSERV & FIXMETER & FIXPARLA)
2. Removed the calls that have no time associated with them from the export. (FIXSERV & FIXMETER & FIXPARLA)
3. The meter in the FIXPARLA file is now marked as the meter reading when the part was installed.
4. Meter reading in FIXMETER is now updated based on the call extension. The logic has been changed to build the FIXMETER & FIXPARLA files whenever the FIXSERV is built. You can no longer build those two separately. The data in those files tie directly to the FIXSERV.
5. In FIXSERV, we have re-set the "Customer number" to the 10 character customer account number on the call. This was the original design, but BEI said to change it to the machine location, and dealers more recently confirmed that it should be changed back to the DDMS customer account number.
6. In FIXPARLA, we have set the "Install Date" to the call's completion date in cases where there are parts in Z-P-SUPP for the call but the install date in Z-P-SUPP does not match the call completion date.
If you already use BEI Services, no changes are needed to implement these updates; just update your software. If you need detailed instructions on setting up and using this feature, see Sending Data to Business Equipment Information (BEI) Services (pdf).
Other Changes for Machine Dealers
- 56239 — Corrected the Machine Monitor flex grid to use as much screen real estate as possible running as a window or full screen. If the user changes window size and column widths or positions, user settings will automatically be saved. Previously, the column widths were stretched out.
- 57364 — Corrected the Machine Meter History flex grid so that if the user changes window size and column widths or positions, user settings will automatically be saved. Previously, the column widths were stretched out. If the user wishes to save changes made to grid column width while the screen is maximized, the window will resize to normal before saving the width.
More Info On Recent DDMS Version 8 Releases
