Well here goes…I am not sure why I am doing this other than I just needed a reason to dive deeper into a few areas of Sage ERP X3. This gives me reason to do so and goal to meet. So it may not be that useful for some of you that have been using this for longer than I have. I have picked 14 consecutive days since that is the window of time that I have on my calendar that I am able to commit to accomplishing this feat at this time. I am writing this blog based on Sage ERP X3 version 6.2.
In this initial blog in my sequence, I am will be providing just a base set of Definitions according to my interpretation related to Sage ERP X3. This is one of the areas that took me a while to become comfortable. It is mostly due to Semantics that took me a while to grasp. This is in no way an all-inclusive list nor is it an all-inclusive definition for these items. The definitions are to provide a basis for the follow-up blogs.
- SAFE X3 – Sage Application Framework for Enterprise
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Servers for X3 (this is an n-tier application that can run on Windows, Linx or Unix operating system)
- Database – where the X3 database is deployed, Sage ERP X3 supports Microsoft SQL Server as well as ORACLE
- Application – this manages connection and processing to the Database Server, this is where the X3V6 Folder is located, the X3V6 Folder is sometimes referred to as the Reference Folder
- Connection – this is also referred to as the Process Server, this manages the user session connections, this can be optional depending on the size of your installation, you can deploy multiple Connection Servers to scale for additional users
- Print – this is used to host up report requests from the client
- Web – this is used to host Sage ERP X3 Web Services, Sage ERP X3 Automated Data Collection(ADC)
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Folders – this is used to define, manage and process the following, this does not mean one Company
- Rules – Access rights, signatures, accounting, etc
- Parameters – Company/Site structures, workflow, general parameters, etc
- Dictionaries – Tables, Screens, Windows, Objects, etc
- Developments – Programs, specific screens, tables, etc
- Data – Customers, Products, Sales Orders, Invoices, Journals, etc
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Company – this represents each business entity you configure
- You can have more than one Company in a Folder if you prefer
- A company can have multiple Sites
- Site – this represents a sub-entity within a company, this can relate to a location, a warehouse, etc
- Entry Transaction - is more about the Form related to entry of a transaction type than the actual module transactions, it defines the UI settings and the Default Form
- Legislation – this is much more than a Chart of Accounts, it refers to the ability to flag records and settings to specific legislations, this allows for unique regional processing (e.g. you can have UK terms codes that can only be used on UK transactions, etc)
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Activity Code – this is very important, this can be used to track changes that are made to the Sage ERP X3 installation
- You define the Activity Code then you assign these at any stage of changes you make to your system including tables, fields, screens, etc
- You may decide to create your own Activity Code per Customer to keep track of them
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The written, but not enforced naming convention for changes should start with X, Y or Z
- X is used for US Created, vertical uses an X as well
- Y is used for what you create for a customer as a Partner (they use one activity code per customer no matter how many mods)
- Z is used for a customer to use for anything they make for themselves
- Localization changes will begin with 'K'
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Screen – this is the visual portion of the user interface, you define the form size, text, fields, tab order, etc in this area
Calling order of code on the screen (you have these on Object and Window as well)
- Specific Processing (SPE)
- Vertical Processing (SPV)
- Standard Processing (SUB, TRT, CNS)
- Object – this is where you describe the environment, this can contain tables, fields, order, relationships, etc
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Window –this reminds me of a master container in that it can
- You can attach an Object to a Window but it is not required
- Parameters – the settings that define how Sage ERP X3 functions and is structured, it also establishes default settings for various transactions and usability, these can be defined by Folder, Company, Site and User
- Validation – This is used a lot in the Development module. This is basically used to validate and compile the code
Thank you for your patience on this first blog. I hope you enjoyed this limited outline. I did not mean to make it this long but I needed to get some of this out for the remaining blogs. Check back as I will now begin to use these definitions as I outline additional functionality.
