NewHaven Software Wiki - User contributions [en]

CMS Use

2016-02-26T18:55:26Z

Rob parkes:

:1. [[CMS Use]] (37)
::1.1. Order Entry (44)
:::1.1.1. [http://updates.newhavensoftware.com/videos/CMS-Contact-Manager-and-Basic-Order-Entry/CMS-Contact-Manager-and-Basic-Order-Entry.htm CMS Contact Manager and Basic Order Entry] (44)
::1.2. Customer Management (44)
:::1.2.1. [[CMS_Customer_Filter_for_customers_with_a_specific_item_on_Back_Order]] (44)
:::1.2.2. [[Customer_Searches]] (44)
:::1.2.3. [[Exporting_customer_list_from_CMS]] (44)
::1.3. Product management (44)
:::1.3.1. [[Kit_Builder]] (44)
::1.4. Address Verification (44)
:::1.4.1. [http://site.newhavensoftware.com/video-tutorials/address-validation-module-demonstration Address Validation Module] (44)
:::1.4.2. [[Address_Validation_Module]] (44)
:::1.4.3. [[Address_Matching_in_CMS]] (44)
::1.5. Fulfillment (44)
:::1.5.1. [[Package_Creation_Logic]] (44)
:::1.5.1. [http://updates.newhavensoftware.com/videos/CMS-Overview-Fulfillment/CMS-Overview-Fulfillment.htm CMS Fulfillment Overview] (44)
::1.6. Advertising Analysis (44)
:::1.6.1. [[NCOA]] (44)
::1.7. CMS reports (44)
:::1.7.1. [[End_of_Year_Reporting]] (44)

CMS Use

2016-02-26T18:55:06Z

Rob parkes:

:1. [[CMS Use]] (37)
::1.1. Order Entry (44)
:::1.1.1. [http://updates.newhavensoftware.com/videos/CMS-Contact-Manager-and-Basic-Order-Entry/CMS-Contact-Manager-and-Basic-Order-Entry.htm CMS Contact Manager and Basic Order Entry] (44)
::1.2. Customer Management (44)
:::1.2.1. [[CMS_Customer_Filter_for_customers_with_a_specific_item_on_Back_Order]] (44)
:::1.2.2. [[Customer_Searches]] (44)
:::1.2.3. [[Exporting_customer_list_from_CMS]] (44)
::1.3. Product management (44)
:::1.3.1. [[Kit_Builder]] (44)
::1.4. Address Verification (44)
:::1.4.1. [http://site.newhavensoftware.com/video-tutorials/address-validation-module-demonstration/ Address Validation Module] (44)
:::1.4.2. [[Address_Validation_Module]] (44)
:::1.4.3. [[Address_Matching_in_CMS]] (44)
::1.5. Fulfillment (44)
:::1.5.1. [[Package_Creation_Logic]] (44)
:::1.5.1. [http://updates.newhavensoftware.com/videos/CMS-Overview-Fulfillment/CMS-Overview-Fulfillment.htm/ CMS Fulfillment Overview] (44)
::1.6. Advertising Analysis (44)
:::1.6.1. [[NCOA]] (44)
::1.7. CMS reports (44)
:::1.7.1. [[End_of_Year_Reporting]] (44)

CMS Use

2016-02-26T18:54:46Z

Rob parkes:

:1. [[CMS Use]] (37)
::1.1. Order Entry (44)
:::1.1.1. [http://updates.newhavensoftware.com/videos/CMS-Contact-Manager-and-Basic-Order-Entry/CMS-Contact-Manager-and-Basic-Order-Entry.htm | CMS Contact Manager and Basic Order Entry] (44)
::1.2. Customer Management (44)
:::1.2.1. [[CMS_Customer_Filter_for_customers_with_a_specific_item_on_Back_Order]] (44)
:::1.2.2. [[Customer_Searches]] (44)
:::1.2.3. [[Exporting_customer_list_from_CMS]] (44)
::1.3. Product management (44)
:::1.3.1. [[Kit_Builder]] (44)
::1.4. Address Verification (44)
:::1.4.1. [http://site.newhavensoftware.com/video-tutorials/address-validation-module-demonstration/ Address Validation Module] (44)
:::1.4.2. [[Address_Validation_Module]] (44)
:::1.4.3. [[Address_Matching_in_CMS]] (44)
::1.5. Fulfillment (44)
:::1.5.1. [[Package_Creation_Logic]] (44)
:::1.5.1. [http://updates.newhavensoftware.com/videos/CMS-Overview-Fulfillment/CMS-Overview-Fulfillment.htm/ CMS Fulfillment Overview] (44)
::1.6. Advertising Analysis (44)
:::1.6.1. [[NCOA]] (44)
::1.7. CMS reports (44)
:::1.7.1. [[End_of_Year_Reporting]] (44)

CMS Use

2016-02-26T18:54:10Z

Rob parkes:

:1. [[CMS Use]] (37)
::1.1. Order Entry (44)
:::1.1.1. [http://updates.newhavensoftware.com/videos/CMS-Contact-Manager-and-Basic-Order-Entry/CMS-Contact-Manager-and-Basic-Order-Entry.htm] CMS Contact Manager and Basic Order Entry] (44)
::1.2. Customer Management (44)
:::1.2.1. [[CMS_Customer_Filter_for_customers_with_a_specific_item_on_Back_Order]] (44)
:::1.2.2. [[Customer_Searches]] (44)
:::1.2.3. [[Exporting_customer_list_from_CMS]] (44)
::1.3. Product management (44)
:::1.3.1. [[Kit_Builder]] (44)
::1.4. Address Verification (44)
:::1.4.1. [http://site.newhavensoftware.com/video-tutorials/address-validation-module-demonstration/ Address Validation Module] (44)
:::1.4.2. [[Address_Validation_Module]] (44)
:::1.4.3. [[Address_Matching_in_CMS]] (44)
::1.5. Fulfillment (44)
:::1.5.1. [[Package_Creation_Logic]] (44)
:::1.5.1. [http://updates.newhavensoftware.com/videos/CMS-Overview-Fulfillment/CMS-Overview-Fulfillment.htm/ CMS Fulfillment Overview] (44)
::1.6. Advertising Analysis (44)
:::1.6.1. [[NCOA]] (44)
::1.7. CMS reports (44)
:::1.7.1. [[End_of_Year_Reporting]] (44)

CMS Use

2016-02-26T18:53:17Z

Rob parkes:

:1. [[CMS Use]] (37)
::1.1. Order Entry (44)
:::1.1.1. [http://updates.newhavensoftware.com/videos/CMS-Contact-Manager-and-Basic-Order-Entry/CMS-Contact-Manager-and-Basic-Order-Entry.htm| CMS Contact Manager and Basic Order Entry] (44)
::1.2. Customer Management (44)
:::1.2.1. [[CMS_Customer_Filter_for_customers_with_a_specific_item_on_Back_Order]] (44)
:::1.2.2. [[Customer_Searches]] (44)
:::1.2.3. [[Exporting_customer_list_from_CMS]] (44)
::1.3. Product management (44)
:::1.3.1. [[Kit_Builder]] (44)
::1.4. Address Verification (44)
:::1.4.1. [http://site.newhavensoftware.com/video-tutorials/address-validation-module-demonstration/ Address Validation Module] (44)
:::1.4.2. [[Address_Validation_Module]] (44)
:::1.4.3. [[Address_Matching_in_CMS]] (44)
::1.5. Fulfillment (44)
:::1.5.1. [[Package_Creation_Logic]] (44)
:::1.5.1. [http://updates.newhavensoftware.com/videos/CMS-Overview-Fulfillment/CMS-Overview-Fulfillment.htm/ CMS Fulfillment Overview] (44)
::1.6. Advertising Analysis (44)
:::1.6.1. [[NCOA]] (44)
::1.7. CMS reports (44)
:::1.7.1. [[End_of_Year_Reporting]] (44)

CMS Use

2016-02-26T18:44:33Z

Rob parkes:

:1. [[CMS Use]] (37)
::1.1. Order Entry (44)
:::1.1.1. [http://updates.newhavensoftware.com/videos/CMS-Contact-Manager-and-Basic-Order-Entry/CMS-Contact-Manager-and-Basic-Order-Entry.htm/ CMS Contact Manager and Basic Order Entry] (44)
::1.2. Customer Management (44)
:::1.2.1. [[CMS_Customer_Filter_for_customers_with_a_specific_item_on_Back_Order]] (44)
:::1.2.2. [[Customer_Searches]] (44)
:::1.2.3. [[Exporting_customer_list_from_CMS]] (44)
::1.3. Product management (44)
:::1.3.1. [[Kit_Builder]] (44)
::1.4. Address Verification (44)
:::1.4.1. [http://site.newhavensoftware.com/video-tutorials/address-validation-module-demonstration/ Address Validation Module] (44)
:::1.4.2. [[Address_Validation_Module]] (44)
:::1.4.3. [[Address_Matching_in_CMS]] (44)
::1.5. Fulfillment (44)
:::1.5.1. [[Package_Creation_Logic]] (44)
:::1.5.1. [http://updates.newhavensoftware.com/videos/CMS-Overview-Fulfillment/CMS-Overview-Fulfillment.htm/ CMS Fulfillment Overview] (44)
::1.6. Advertising Analysis (44)
:::1.6.1. [[NCOA]] (44)
::1.7. CMS reports (44)
:::1.7.1. [[End_of_Year_Reporting]] (44)

CMS Use

2016-02-26T18:44:14Z

Rob parkes:

:1. [[CMS Use]] (37)
::1.1. Order Entry (44)
:::1.1.1. [https://updates.newhavensoftware.com/videos/CMS-Contact-Manager-and-Basic-Order-Entry/CMS-Contact-Manager-and-Basic-Order-Entry.htm/ CMS Contact Manager and Basic Order Entry] (44)
::1.2. Customer Management (44)
:::1.2.1. [[CMS_Customer_Filter_for_customers_with_a_specific_item_on_Back_Order]] (44)
:::1.2.2. [[Customer_Searches]] (44)
:::1.2.3. [[Exporting_customer_list_from_CMS]] (44)
::1.3. Product management (44)
:::1.3.1. [[Kit_Builder]] (44)
::1.4. Address Verification (44)
:::1.4.1. [http://site.newhavensoftware.com/video-tutorials/address-validation-module-demonstration/ Address Validation Module] (44)
:::1.4.2. [[Address_Validation_Module]] (44)
:::1.4.3. [[Address_Matching_in_CMS]] (44)
::1.5. Fulfillment (44)
:::1.5.1. [[Package_Creation_Logic]] (44)
:::1.5.1. [http://updates.newhavensoftware.com/videos/CMS-Overview-Fulfillment/CMS-Overview-Fulfillment.htm/ CMS Fulfillment Overview] (44)
::1.6. Advertising Analysis (44)
:::1.6.1. [[NCOA]] (44)
::1.7. CMS reports (44)
:::1.7.1. [[End_of_Year_Reporting]] (44)

FedEx Ship Manager

2015-12-18T19:33:50Z

Rob parkes:

=Overview=
When shipping via FedEx Ship Manager, we are able to integrate with it to help streamline your shipping procedures and keep your shipping staff from having to type in any address or package information. This article will describe how to setup the integration between CMS and FedEx Ship Manager.

*FedEx Integration Import: This connects FedEx Ship Manager to your CMS database so you can type or scan in a CMS package number in FedEx Ship Manager and it will retrieve the necessary package information from your CMS database. CMS can either pass the weight of the package to FedEx Ship Manager, you can have an electronic scale attached, or you can key in the weight into FedEx Ship Manager. For fast and accurate shipping we recommend using an electronic scale.

'''DISCLAIMER: FedEx prefers to have one of their technology specialists onsite at your location to setup any integrations with their software. These instructions and the corresponding integration file are provided as guidance for your FedEx representative to facilitate a quick and easy setup. While you may be able to do it on your own, we don't recommend it as we do not offer technical support for their software. Instead, you should contact your FedEx Representative http://www.fedex.com/us/customersupport/index.html?cc=us for an appointment. Once you have that appointment, please notify us of the time/date so we can also commit to have one of our support techs available to assist your rep.'''

=FedEx Integration Import=
==Setup (FOR YOUR FEDEX REP) ==
The following is a list of instructions for first-time setup of FedEx Ship Manager with CMS.

# Copy the following Files from your CMS network drive to your C:\Documents Settings\All Users\ApplicationData\FedEx\Integration\Profiles folder on the FedEx computer. (Older versions used a different directory: \FedEx\Integration\Assistant\Profiles)
#* CMSFedExIntegration.xml
#* ''(NOTE: You may or may not see the .xml at the end of the file name, depending on your system configuration.)''
# Create a new DSN record in the ODBC Data Source Administrator that will allow the CMS System to communicate directly with FedEx Ship Manager. This is found by clicking the Windows Start button, then Settings, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, and then Data Sources (ODBC).
#* Once opened, select the System DSN tab, and then click the Add button.
#* Select SQL Anywhere 12.0, and then select Finish.
#* On the ODBC tab, enter '''CMSPackages''' for the Data source name, paying close attention to this CASE SENSITIVE name. It is important that this DSN be named exactly as it must match up with an existing FedEx Ship Manager map.
#* On the Login tab, enter '''CMSUser''' for the User ID and the password for that account. The Password field will display only asterisks AND is case sensitive.
#* On the Database tab, the Server name is the CMS Sybase Server Name, not the server’s Windows name. The default name is '''NHSDataServer'''. The Database name is the CMS database, which is usually your company name.
#* Select OK.
# Repeat the steps above for another DSN named '''CMSPackagesExport'''.
# Next open FedEx Ship Manager.
# Select the Integration menu
# Select CMSFedExIntegration profile
# A small dialog should pop up asking for the package number (similar to doing Keyed Import in UPS Worldship). If it doesn’t, hitting the ‘Clear Fields’ button on the bottom usually does the trick.
# Enter in the Order number - Invoice Number - Package Number of the package you would like to import (example 15602-1-1)

Congratulations you are now setup to use our FedEx Ship Manager integration.

Error999

2015-12-14T16:39:58Z

Rob parkes:

=Overview=

This article discusses how to resolve or prevent an error (Error999) when sending a Crystal form (e.g. invoice) via email or exporting it out to PDF.

=What is causing this error?=

We have identified a problem with Windows Update KB3102429 and its interaction with Crystal Reports. Specifically, if this Windows update is present on your system, attempting to send a Crystal form as an email attachment, or export to PDF, from CMS you may see the following error message:

'''Error999 Error in File (Path to file name) Operation not yet implemented Execute <PEStartPrintJob>'''

=Do I need this Windows update?=
This Windows update adds support for the Azerbaijani Manat and the Georgian Lari currency symbols. If those currency symbols are not important to you, you don't need to install the update. If you've already installed it, the related Windows update can be safely uninstalled.

While there is no obvious reason for this Windows update to impact Crystal, it appears Microsoft has also updated/replaced many of their fonts, including Ariel, as part of the currency symbol update. We believe this is causing the problem with Crystal. We're trying to get additional information from Microsoft and SAP (Crystal) about how to solve or work around this problem more permanently.

NOTE: In some editions of Windows this is flagged as an optional Windows update so would never have been automatically installed. In others, however, it is flagged as an "Important" update so will continue to appear in your list of recommended updated. Thankfully Microsoft allows you to hide unwanted updates (see below).

More information about this update can be found on Microsoft's site - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3102429

=How to fix the problem=
'''To fix''' this issue you will need to uninstall this one particular Windows Update from your system. To do so please follow the instructions below:

* Open Installed Updates by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Programs, and then, under Programs and Features, clicking View installed updates.
* In the Search Bar at the top right type in KB3102429
* Select the update KB3102429 and then click Uninstall. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

Once this Windows update is removed, you'll be able to send your emails with attached invoices as well as export forms/reports to PDF again.

=How to prevent the problem=
'''To prevent''' Windows from prompting you to install this update in the future you will want to "hide" this update. This is a right-click option and is explained in the Microsoft article - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ff382716.aspx

Control Panel > Windows Updates > View Important Updates > Right click on the Update > Select Hide Update.

===Disclaimer===
The issue and fix described here are related to Crystal Reports, a third-party reporting solution deployed with CMS, and your Windows operating system. The issue is not caused by CMS nor can it be resolved by modifications to CMS (i.e. a CMS update).

The instructions to resolve this conflict between Windows and Crystal are derived from the Microsoft page http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/remove-update#1TC=windows-7 and this information is provided as-is. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO BACKUP YOUR SYSTEM before uninstalling a Windows update. If you have any issue with uninstalling this update, please contact Microsoft directly.

[[Category:Published]]

Dazzle

2015-12-11T18:25:26Z

Rob parkes:

=Endicia Account Creation=
Here is a link to setting up a new account with Endicia's Dazzle Softwarare - https://account.endicia.com/?billingtype=PM&referredby=pnhv

This link also automatically prompts you to sign up at the proper subscription level (Premium, currently 15.95/mo).

=Configuring CMS for use with Endicia/DaZzle=
# To access the Shipping Choices, select the Setup button, select the Shipping Tab, and select the Shipping Choices button (or from the main menu select Admin, Setup, Shipping, Shipping Choices).
# On the Shipping Choices Screen, click on Endicia under the Category section.
# Make sure the “Use Endicia for printing labels?” box is checked
# Click on the Browse button to locate where the Dazzle.exe software is installed.
# Double click in the Layout Location next to each Ship Method to locate where the desired label definition is (these are .lyt files installed with Dazzle, typically under Users\Public\Public Documents\Endicia\DAZzle). In earlier versions of Dazzle, you used to have to define a layout for each shipping method used. This is no longer required. You can now use the same label layout for all domestic labels and Dazzle will get the proper shipping method from CMS.
# Select the “Test Mode” box in CMS until sure labels are printing correctly. Then return to Setup, and uncheck the “Test Mode” box. Please contact Endicia’s support if you require any assistance with the installation, setup or configuration of their software or labels.
# Select the “Auto Close After Printing Label” box. If you notice a delay in printing the labels, you can uncheck the “Auto Close After Printing Label” box. If CMS times out waiting for a response from Dazzle, increase the "read delay" value up from 2 (default).

*Screenshots of a recommended setup (exluding workstation specific settings) - http://screencast.com/t/PUUmUGBRoYC
==International Configuration==
CMS does support international shipping with Endicia. International shipping requires some additional configuration and that you have added customs information to your products. The [http://updates.newhavensoftware.com/v803release_notes.htm#link-1-2 CMS 8.0.3 Release Notes] details these settings and capabilities.

==Customizing Endicia Labels==
http://www.endicia.com/Support/TechNote/LabelCustomization/

=Using Endicia=
Once setup is complete, your USPS (and UPS) shipping can be performed in the CMS Manifest screen found in Fulfillment>Manifest. There you just add the package by package number, entering or scanning, or you can add a range, and then verify the weight and click on the Endicia button to immediately print the label. Once printed the ship date is set on the package/invoice and the delivery confirmation is imported into the package’s tracking number field.

CMS is capable of high levels of shipping automation with UPS and USPS if properly configured. This can be as fast and simple as placing a package on the scale, scanning its bar-code, and the label will print out. This requires a compatible scale and scanner, a list of which can be found on our [http://wiki.newhavensoftware.com/index.php/CMS_System_Requirements System Requirements] page. Please contact NHS Support for assistance with setting up these peripherals and related automation options.

=Support=
=== Endicia Errors ===
*When sending a shipment to Endicia via the CMS manifest, this error comes up: '''Error creating printer device context, cannot print'''. This is because there is no printer set up for the current layout. To fix:
# Click OK on the error dialog.
# Click '''File->Printer Setup...'''.
#* Note that the Printer, Paper Feed Source, and Printer Paper Size fields are blank.
# Select the appropriate printer from the drop-down.
# Select a paper source from the list.
# Select a Printer Paper Size that matches the destination media.
# Check the box labeled "Save Printer Information with Layout".
# Click OK.
# Click '''File->Save Layout'''.
Export the order from CMS again - this time it should print normally.

*Endicia reports it is in '''Test Mode'''
#Start by confirming that CMS is not in Test Mode by verifying the checkbox in Setup>Shipping>Shipping Choices>Endicia
#If that is confirmed to be off and you've restarted CMS, there is likely a problem with the template in DaZzle. Someone has likely edited it or not set it up correctly so it does not match the shipping type setup in CMS, for example. Remember that CMS requires you to use a unique DaZzle layout for each USPS service type (shipping method) and each layout's method must match the method in CMS it has been associated with.

*Here are possible error responses Dazzle may report back and their meanings (per the Dazzle integration docs)
'''Value Description'''
‐3 Address Verification failed (return code less than 25)
‐4 Unsupported mail class for international mail or invalid weight/rate values
‐6 USPS Delivery Confirmation error – denied, service unavailable or communication error
‐7 USPS Express Mail error – denied, service unavailable or communication error
‐8 USPS Customs Forms error – denied, service unavailable or communication error
‐9 International Mail Shipping Label (large or small) processing error
‐10 CONFIRM service error – denied, service unavailable or communication error
‐11 Express Mail International, Priority Mail International, or First‐Class Mail International Error–no “to phone” for mail addressed to P. O. Boxes.

NCOA

2015-07-22T15:41:58Z

Rob parkes:

=Overview=
NCOA is the common acronym used for [http://www.peachtreedata.com/ncoa/ National Change of Address]. This service is provided by companies licensed by the United States Postal Service (USPS) to provide address hygiene services. While NCOA is most commonly used, and is a requirement, for any bulk mail discounts, it a good service for everyone to use to ensure your mail list is clean and up to date. NewHaven Software has partnered with Peachtree Data, a USPS licensee, to provide NCOA services. You'll find Peachtree Data to be fast, friendly and reasonably priced. This article will elaborate on the benefits and details of NCOA processing.

=Benefits=
NCOA processing with CMS and Peachtree Data will provide the following benefits:

*For anyone who has moved, NCOA will provide their current address (as filed with USPS)
*For all addresses submitted, even those that have not moved, [http://www.melissadata.com/enews/articles/1005/8.htm CASS] processing will be performed to update the address to USPS standards including appending the +4 to your zips
*Rural Routes will be converted to standard addresses ([http://www.usps.com/ncsc/addressservices/addressqualityservices/lacsystem.htm LACS])
*Missing Suite numbers will be appended to business addresses
*Addresses validated as deliverable
*Meets USPS requirements for list updates if performed within 95 days of any discounted bulk mailing

When you import the NCOA response file, you will have a chance to review reports indicating all of the matches and address updates Peachtree Data was able to provide. These results can be reviewed before applying the changes to your mail list. After you have reviewed and continue with the import, CMS will not only update your customer records with the new addresses but will also flag customers with flags to indicate:

*NCOA - Your customer has moved and their address has been updated
*Undeliverable - USPS cannot provide a deliverable address for this person
*No Zip+4 - USPS could not find a +4 for this address
*May Have Moved - Someone moved from this address but they cannot be sure if that person matched the name you passed (previously known as NIXIE)

The above flags can be found under the Flags & Financials tab in the Customers section of CMS. These flags are useful both for visual referencing as well as mail list filtering. For example, it is a common practice to reach out to your "May Have Moved" customers to verify their addresses. In a few seconds you can create a filter based on this flag, run the filter in Quick Count, and double click on each name to contact them and update their record as appropriate. You might also want to exclude customers with the Undeliverable flag from any mailing. See our article on [[Compound Mail List Filters]] for more information on creating include and exclude criteria in your mail filters.

=Solution=
Please note that CMS will only work with Peachtree Data and your export to Peachtree Data must be generated from the Address Correction section of CMS. While there are other companies that provide NCOA services, CMS relies on Peachtree Data's specific file format and response codes to ensure proper data updates. NewHaven Software cannot support files processed from other NCOA service providers.

To obtain NCOA service please contact Clint Farmer at Peachtree Data and identify yourself as a NewHaven Software customer. Make sure to request the following format: '''Peachtree Original Layout for CMS'''.

Clint Farmer Peachtree Data, Inc. 2905 Premiere Pkwy Ste 200 Duluth, GA 30097-5240 cfarmer@peachtreedata.com (800) 477-3224 x4670 www.peachtreedata.com

=Additional Help=
You can find step by step instructions for NCOA processing in your CMS Help file by pressing F1 from anywhere in CMS and typing in NCOA under the Index tab. Please contact NewHaven Technical Support if you require further assistance.

NCOA

2015-07-22T15:40:19Z

Rob parkes:

=Overview=
NCOA is the common acronym used for [http://www.peachtreedata.com/ncoa/ National Change of Address]. This service is provided by companies licensed by the United States Postal Service (USPS) to provide address hygiene services. While NCOA is most commonly used, and is a requirement, for any bulk mail discounts, it a good service for everyone to use to ensure your mail list is clean and up to date. NewHaven Software has partnered with Peachtree Data, a USPS licensee, to provide NCOA services. You'll find Peachtree Data to be fast, friendly and reasonably priced. This article will elaborate on the benefits and details of NCOA processing.

=Benefits=
NCOA processing with CMS and Peachtree Data will provide the following benefits:

*For anyone who has moved, NCOA will provide their current address (as filed with USPS)
*For all addresses submitted, even those that have not moved, [http://www.melissadata.com/enews/articles/1005/8.htm CASS] processing will be performed to update the address to USPS standards including appending the +4 to your zips
*Rural Routes will be converted to standard addresses ([http://www.usps.com/ncsc/addressservices/addressqualityservices/lacsystem.htm LACS])
*Missing Suite numbers will be appended to business addresses
*Addresses validated as deliverable
*Meets USPS requirements for list updates if performed within 95 days of any discounted bulk mailing

When you import the NCOA response file, you will have a chance to review reports indicating all of the matches and address updates Peachtree Data was able to provide. These results can be reviewed before applying the changes to your mail list. After you have reviewed and continue with the import, CMS will not only update your customer records with the new addresses but will also flag customers with flags to indicate:

*NCOA - Your customer has moved and their address has been updated
*Undeliverable - USPS cannot provide a deliverable address for this person
*No Zip+4 - USPS could not find a +4 for this address
*May Have Moved - Someone moved from this address but they cannot be sure if that person matched the name you passed (previously known as NIXIE)

The above flags can be found under the Flags & Financials tab in the Customers section of CMS. These flags are useful both for visual referencing as well as mail list filtering. For example, it is a common practice to reach out to your "May Have Moved" customers to verify their addresses. In a few seconds you can create a filter based on this flag, run the filter in Quick Count, and double click on each name to contact them and update their record as appropriate. You might also want to exclude customers with the Undeliverable flag from any mailing. See our article on [[Compound Mail List Filters]] for more information on creating include and exclude criteria in your mail filters.

=Solution=
Please note that CMS will only work with Peachtree Data and your export to Peachtree Data must be generated from the Address Correction section of CMS. While there are other companies that provide NCOA services, CMS relies on Peachtree Data's specific file format and response codes to ensure proper data updates. NewHaven Software cannot support files processed from other NCOA service providers.

To obtain NCOA service please contact Clint Farmer at Peachtree Data and identify yourself as a NewHaven Software customer. Make sure to request the following format: **"Peachtree Original Layout for CMS"**.

Clint Farmer Peachtree Data, Inc. 2905 Premiere Pkwy Ste 200 Duluth, GA 30097-5240 cfarmer@peachtreedata.com (800) 477-3224 x4670 www.peachtreedata.com

=Additional Help=
You can find step by step instructions for NCOA processing in your CMS Help file by pressing F1 from anywhere in CMS and typing in NCOA under the Index tab. Please contact NewHaven Technical Support if you require further assistance.

Product Costs

2014-12-05T19:48:02Z

Rob parkes: Created page with '"Costs" are discussed typically in three contexts: *Cost of goods sold *Value of inventory on hand *Cost to be used when ordering from your vendor or receiving stock This articl…'

"Costs" are discussed typically in three contexts:
*Cost of goods sold
*Value of inventory on hand
*Cost to be used when ordering from your vendor or receiving stock

This article will expand on each of these.

=Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)=
These are set in the Itemsord record at the time the item was sold. The field is t_cost which represents the total cost for the line item (qty ordered x unit cost).

==Stocked==
The t_cost is equal to the sum of the lot_item records which detail what stock was pulled from which lots and at what cost.

==Non-inv==
If this item was non_inventory, CMS will instead set the itemsord.t_cost using the Expected Cost field from the Product setup.

==Dropship==
For dropships CMS will initially set the itemsord.t_cost to the Expected Cost value. If a dropship PO is created, that PO will use the cost as described in the section below. When the dropship PO is confirmed (received) it will update the itemord.t_cost to whatever cost was entered during confirming/receiving. This last step is provided to allow for a true cost to be set based on what invoice/confirmation you receive from the drop shipper, should it differ from the cost you ordered at.

Note: if the items is both stocked AND dropshipped, something CMS allows but we do not support, the t_cost will = SUM(lot + expected cost). This is true both before and after the po confirm.

=Value of Inventory on Hand=
This is figure is useful at the end of year or accounting period where you would need to tell your accountant the value of all of the inventory you have on hand. This value is shown in the Lot Summary and Order Processing Summary reports and is calculated but looking at the available quantity in each lot and multiplying that by the unit cost for that lot. (each lot may have a different cost). CMS does not use average costs as some other systems do and thus is a strength of CMS.

=Costs for Purchasing and Receiving=
==Purchasing==
When adding an item to a PO, CMS will use costs in the following order based on the presence of data:

#Vendor SKU Cost
#Expected Cost
#Last Lot Cost

Vendor Cost: This is the Cost field found in the Vendor SKU record (click + button from the Inventory sub-tab under Price/Inventory.

Expected Cost: CMS will use this field when no Vendor SKU is associated with a product. Its primary purpose is for Drop ship and non-inventory items that would never have lots. This is field is updated by the closing of received PO's but is otherwise set and maintained manually.

Last Lot Cost: This cost is associated with the cost of the last lot received. If no Vendor or Expected cost is found, CMS will use the cost from the last lot found when adding the item to a PO. This field is updated and created when a lot is received its value is set by either the expected cost (if no vendor cost exists), by Vendor Cost, or hand entered when the lot is created.

===PO Receiving===
The receiving of a PO will create a lot for each item received and CMS will set the unit cost in the lot equal to the cost the PO was received at (which may differ from the cost ordered at and can include "landed fees" like shipping and tax.) When the PO is closed, the costs for all associated lots will be updated as it is common for actual costs to be set some time after the PO was received (e.g. invoice for the order arrives by mail to your accounting office some time after the shipment was received.) Also worth noting is that in the PO the item cost can be padded with landing fees so the lot unit cost includes associated shipping or other charges. NOTE: As of 9.0.5, if you edit a closed PO, that cost will now update its corresponding lots and itemsord records (this only used to happen at the time you closed.)

==Receiving (manually)==
Using Stock Manager to receive stock, including increasing stock with 'Adjust All Inventory', CMS will set the unit cost based on the most recently received lot. This is our most recent and best known landed cost.

It will not consider Vendor or Expected cost as those two are designed to be used in conjunction with Purchasing and they do not include the landed/padded costs as Lot costs do (see paragraph above.)

==Return Lots==
In CMS 8.0 we added a feature called [http://wiki.brodieware/wiki/index.php/RT26172 Return Lots]. You can read more about these including the conditions under which they are created and how their cost is determined in the linked article.

Shipping Station Best Practices

2014-08-22T15:58:20Z

Rob parkes:

=Overview=
In 2014 a team of our finest went on the road to visit clients all over the country. One of the biggest things we learned is how much room there is for improved efficiency in the shipping department. The great news is that there are quick and easy solutions.

=My Shipping Dept is Fine, Thank You=
All of our clients have been shipping long enough to have reliable processes in place...but that doesn't mean they're efficient. Consider some of the benefits of enhancing those processes:

*fewer shipping errors
*reduced hours/employees needed to ship each day
*have scalability to ship higher volumes of packages with your existing staff
*offer your customers a later cut-off time for same day shipping

Any of that sound interesting? Read on!

=Feeding the Warehouse=
Are you still printing orders one at a time as they save? That may be okay if you're processing 20 orders a day, but most of our clients are doing much more than that and would benefit from printing in selective batches. Use the Fulfillment>Batching option to either release a select number of orders to the warehouse (first-in, first-out) or create invoice filters to prioritize your fulfillment in other ways such as by shipping method, price category (retail vs. wholesale), products on the order, or most any other criteria you can define. These options can ensure your most important and time-sensitive orders get handled first. Most important is that you could gain efficiencies by having the warehouse picking certain types of orders as part of the same batch instead of scattered throughout the day.

=Shipping Best Practices=
There are several things you can do to improve. Based on our decades of experience, here is a list of our recommended improvements and the order in which you might consider implementing them.

==Entry Level==
*Shipping station in warehouse - First and foremost, you'll want at least one CMS workstation set up in your warehouse. If you're still printing shipping labels in the office and carrying them out to the warehouse, it's time to move that operation out to the warehouse.

==Good==
*Get a [http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/sri/wor150.html thermal printer from UPS] so you can print 4x6 thermal shipping labels. In our experience, this same printer, if converted to using the stock manufacturer's driver instead of UPS's driver, can be set up to also work with Dazzle so you'll have one label printer for both carriers.
*Use the Manifest screen in CMS to ship with both UPS and USPS. This screen provides you with an identical shipping process for both carriers including a single click to add packages to your shipment when more are needed than CMS projected. Just click the Label button and CMS will trigger the appropriate label to print from UPS Worldship or Endicia's Dazzle software (USPS.) In CMS 10.0 we've also added dimensions to the Manifest which will be required for more packages in 2015.

==Better==
*Scale - Connect an electronic scale to your shipping workstation so weights don't have to be typed in, avoiding errors and saving time.
*Bar codes - Add a package number bar code to your CMS invoice or pick ticket (e.g.InvoiceTemplate-MS-BC.rpt) to make adding a package to the Manifest a snap.

With the scale and scanner in place, you can just place the package on the scale and scan the bar code to have the package added to the Manifest and the weight automatically brought in from the scale. Easy, fast, and accurate! See our [http://wiki.newhavensoftware.com/index.php/CMS_System_Requirements CMS System Requirements] page for information on the scales and scanners CMS supports.

==Best==
*International - International shipping doesn't have to be chore! In fact, it can be just as easy as a domestic shipment with the right setup. Just scan and print. CMS supports international shipping with USPS and our Endicia/Dazzle integration; and in CMS 10.0, we'll support it for our UPS Worldship XML integration as well. Take the time to set up each product’s custom data (weight and country of origin, at least) to facilitate this automation. If you need to set this for hundreds or thousands of products/SKUs, call us and we can help by importing data or using SQL queries to help set them for you.
*Automated Label Printing - An option you can enable in CMS Setup is for automatic label printing on scan. This setting will use the weight from the scale (described above), or the CMS calculated weight if no scale is in place, to automatically print the appropriate shipping label as soon as the package bar code is scanned. Couldn't faster or easier. In cases where you know you'll want to make changes to the shipment such as adding packages or changing shipping methods, you can type the package number into the Manifest instead and it will quickly bring up the package details without auto-printing the label.

=Summary=
Implementing the above best practices will allow you to maximize the efficiency and throughput of each shipping station. After implementing these solutions, we've seen companies reduce their number of shipping stations in the warehouse from four down to just one. You may still want to set up an additional shipping station so you have a backup and scalability.

Shipping Station Best Practices

2014-08-11T20:42:34Z

Rob parkes: Created page with 'Test'

Test

Creating a Database Backup

2014-06-06T23:32:50Z

Rob parkes:

=Overview=
This article covers how to create a Database backup in CMS 8.0 or later.

==Setting up CMS to create a daily backup==

To have CMS automatically create a backup of your database to a specified folder, please follow the instructions below.

#Log into your PCI Administration account
#Select the PCI Administration drop down menu
#Select Administration
#Select Daily Backup
#Select 'Perform the daily backup at the time and in the folder specified below'
#Under Time to Backup, set the time you wish the backup to be created at.
#Check mark 'Truncate the log'
#Under 'Folder in which to create backup image' select Browse
#Highlight the folder you wish to create the backup in (Please note: The Sybase service, which by default runs as LocalSystem, cannot access network drives, only local.)
#Select Ok
#Select Save these settings now.

CMS will now create a backup to that specified folder, every day, at the time you have specified.

==How to have CMS create an immediate backup of your database==

#Log into your PCI Administration account
#Select the PCI Administration drop down menu
#Select Administration
#Select Daily Backup
#Under 'Folder in which to create backup image' select Browse
#Highlight the folder you wish to create the backup in (Please note: CMS can NOT Create a backup to a networked drive, only local drives)
#Select Ok
#Select 'Immediately create a Backup Image in the specified folder'

CMS will create a backup to the folder you have specified.

Divisions

2014-05-19T18:02:47Z

Rob parkes: Created page with '='''Overview'''= HY, in addition to running a company and eCMS store under their own name, also runs MH's and WH's. There is a strong need to share inventory between the companie…'

='''Overview'''=
HY, in addition to running a company and eCMS store under their own name, also runs MH's and WH's. There is a strong need to share inventory between the companies as many of the same products are sold by two or more of these companies. To manage this it currently requires duplication of products, receiving, etc. HY has requested modifications to CMS to facilitate the sharing of inventory between all companies to streamline their inventory management.

We find that all three companies are run in the same building, serviced by the same staff and their orders processed in the same warehouse. While all report to different GL codes, it is even desirable to have payment processing under the same account. In fact, as we look at the requirements, there is more similar between the companies than there is different.

Instead of maintaining separate databases for each company, as is done now, the proposed solution is to combine the three databases into one (meaning one customer list, product list, etc.) To properly categorize sales as being for the proper company, we propose to add a new field to CMS called “Division”. Detailed below is the functional specification for this request including a listing of what may optionally be done, external dependencies and remaining questions.

='''Custom Programming Specification'''=

==Covered Services==
* Define list of Divisions in CMS Setup.
* Select Division in Order Entry (combo added to Tracking tab).
* Set Division automatically for imported orders (In CMS Setup, association between order source (store)
and (Division).
* Catalog requests – Catalog setup expanded to indicate which Division a catalog is for. When a catalog
request is created, user can choose from active catalogs and see which division each is for. Catalog
request processing screen expanded to include catalog filter (allowing user to choose which catalog to
print/export).
* Customer record shows which Division(s) they have ordered from – Under the History tab, the grid will
be expanded to include a Division column which will indicate which Division an order or catalog request
is from.
* Shipping integration’s modified to indicate the division as the Ship-From name/address so shipping labels
can indicate the proper division.
* Print task/merge field for Division so Division name can be included in CMS forms and emails.
* Email confirmations sent by Division email account – Setup options to associate which email account for
confirmations is to be used for which Division(s).
* Enhancement to make selecting a Division required for save.

==Exclusions==
* Divisions are not associated to ad codes (one does not affect the other).
* Product selection in Order Entry is not limited by the order’s Division.
* A single shipper account will be used for each carrier.
* A single merchant account will be used for all Divisions.
* Reports – any reports required for modification will be contracted separately.
* Merging CMS Databases (Data Conversion) – any data conversion services will be contracted separately.

='''Data Conversion Specification'''=
This is a specification of the data being converted into one CMS database.

==Covered Services (List of Converted Data)==
The challenges unique to converting multiple databases into one, vs converting from one system into another, should be illustrated and considered so informed decisions can be made on if/how to merge data.

For every list/table we are converting (e.g. vendors, products, ads, etc.) there are important questions that must be answered, most by the client, on how to deal with duplicates and merging. For clarity, the premise we're working on is that one database (HY?) is the primary/master and other databases are merged. For each table/list one of the following options must be selected and, for those tables being merged, this may need to be assessed for each field:

*Append only - add to the main list if not there
*Skip - If a matching record is found in the main db, don't merge
*Update - If a matching record is found, and this is where it is potentially really complex, update (e.g. three db's all with the same product code but they have different prices...which do you use? Same question for product reporting groups, web text, check-box settings, etc.)
*Replace - Replace the current record with one from database A if present, B otherwise
*Rename - If, for exmaple, the same adcode was found in both db's, duing the merge the duplicate ad code name could
*Don't convert - In many cases we think it will be more practical for the client to start updating their primary database now to include all of the information needed from all databases (Employees is a good example, perhaps products and others)

Also, for any data being brought in from another database, we must also consider if any coding should be done to indicate the record came from X database.

The Customer list requires special mention. If the same customer exists in all three db's, how do we determine they are a match, which address do we keep, which source code, etc? This can be extremely complex. The best solution might be to simply merge all lists, just giving new customer numbers to the non-HY customers and let HY agents determine if and how dupes are merged on an individual basis.

Listed below are the various sections of CMS outlining what we propose will and won't be converted. The approach taken here was to retain as much critical information while letting go of some less critical data in the interest of reduced issues, complexity, and expense. Should the client wish to expand the list of what is converted, anything is possible, it will just require more analysis, planning, and conversion time.

===Setup===
Sections labeled as 'Skip' or those omitted are the responsibility of the client to manually maintain/merge. A comprehensive list is below under the heading of Configuration.

*Accounting
**Vendors - Append

*Advertising
**Ad Codes - Append

*Company - Skip

*Customers
**Call Reasons - Append
**Customer Description Codes - Append
**Letters - Append
**Paragraph - Append

*Fulfillment - Skip all

*General - Skip all

*Inventory
**Price Catagories - Append
**Products (see below)
**Product Groups - Append
**Adjustment Reasons - Append

*Order Entry - Skip

*Payments - Skip

*Shipping - Skip

===Contact Manager/Customer Info===
Append/Renumber
*Customer numbers from non-primary database(s) will be be saved as 'Alt ID' and a new sequential customer number will be assigned (we could alternately retain the original customer number and assign a prefix like MH0000123)
====Fields Converted====
*Primary Notes, Mailing Address Info (Honorific, First Name, Last Name, M.I., Degree, Title, Company, Flag for Address is Commercial, Mailing Address Line 3, 2, and 1, City, State, Zip/Postal, County, Country, Salutation, Email, Website, and Phone Numbers/Ext/Type), Billing Address Info (same as Mailing, except for phone number - only Billing Phone), Shipping Address Info (same as Billing, except replace with Shipping phone), Customer Description Codes, ToDo history (excluding orders and not identified by division)
*Flags/Financials
**Flags (0-9) will be converted
**Financials including Price Category, Terms, Discount %, Credit Limit, Owes, and Credit Available
*Exclusions - No Order History, No User-Defined Fields (Including Lead Status, Salesperson, Birthdate, Age, Gender, Expiration, and Alternate ID)

===Inventory===
====Products====
APPEND
Specifics of fields/data converted except where noted:
*Product Code, Invoice Description, Tax Category, General Product Options (checkboxes)
*Price/Inventory
**SKU (Sizes/Colors), Price (Per Price Category), Per Product Shipping/Handling (Per Price Category), Discount Percentages, Discount Percentage Date Ranges (or No Expiration Date), Discount Quantities, Discontinued Flag, Active (SKU only), UPC Number, Weight
**Warehouse Location/Name, Stock Quantity, On B/O, On Order, Bin location, Resupply At, Restock To, In Multiples of, Minimum Order, Vendor Sku, Expected Cost, Next Delivery
****Vendor SKU
*****Vendor Name, Vendor SKU, Qty Per Unit, Total Unit Cost, Lead Time, Description
*Vendor
*Report/Print
**Related Customer Descriptions - Skip
**Product Reporting Groups - Skip
**Custom Fields - Skip
**Revenue and Returns account
**Printable Product - skip
*Picture - All
*Upsells - All
*Tech Info - All
*Shipping - All
*Catalog Web

====Lots====
All lots from all systems including inactive. For each lot:
*Qty Received, Vendor's Lot #, Received Date, Vendor Name, Warehouse Location, Cost per Unit, Last SKU Cost

==Exclusions==
*Orders - This data conversion does not contain any order history (invoices, line items on orders, payments, and so on.).

='''Configuration (HY's Responsibility)'''=
This includes a list of items Hartford MUST configure in the CMS database and is NOT included in the data conversion.

==CMS Setup==
The following sections of CMS will be managed by the client. Having all of these sections completed is a prerequisite to performing the data merge. Many of the data merges will rely on these settings being in place (e.g. Chart of Accounts must be in place before products are merged in that reference those accounts)

*PCI Administration

*Accounting
**Chart of Accounts
**Bank List

*Advertising
**Catalogs
**Magazines
**Promotion/Ads
**Response Curves

*Company - All sections

*Customers
**Customer Fields
**Information Requests

*Fulfillment - All sections

*General - All sections

*Inventory
**Product Defaults
**Product Tax Categories
**Warehouses

*Order Entry - All sections

*Payments - All sections

*Shipping - All sections

==Divisions Setup==
These are the steps to correctly configure Divisions in your CMS Database.

*Primary setup - http://screencast.com/t/9tsUHYvtm
*Assigning to each import order source - http://screencast.com/t/nrROrlSeUcX
*Assigning to catalogs for catalog requests - http://screencast.com/t/lsohm4Na6GF

='''Challenges/Questions'''=

==Products==
*Do you use Product Groups?
*Do you use Kits?
*Is one product in one database a simple product code (SAMPLE123) and in another database a Kit or Product Group for the same product?
*Do you use Product Images in CMS? If so, does this need to be converted?
*If the same product exists in all three databases but has different prices, or invoice descriptions, or etc...what product do we use?
*In line with the question above, is there a master database we should use as the baseline?
*Do you use Commission Status, Cost of Goods Account, or Inventory Account?
*How do we handle bin locations in the conversion if the same item (by sku/size/color) exists both in HY and MH but are currently in separate bin locations?

==Warehouse/Inventory/Purchase Orders==
*Do we need to convert purchase orders? If the answer is No, then inventory per product should equal Zero for On Order.
*Do we need to convert inactive lots?

==Customers==
*Do we merge customers? What is the criteria? Should we customer records separate and not merge? If the same customer exists in all three db's, how do we determine they are a match, which address do we keep, which source code, etc. Our inclination is to leave them as separate records and let Hartford York merge the customers manually as you run across them. If we keep separate, how should we handle customer numbers?
*Do you need to know where the customer originated from beyond the source code? Meaning, do we need to flag each customer with what database they originated in? How do we flag these customer records (CDC, User-Defined Field, etc.)?
*Do you use Linked Billing?
*Do you need Credit/Refund History converted from Flags and Financials? Do you use Carrier Account Numbers or Purchase Card Information on the customer records (Flags and Financials)?
*Do we need to convert Spending, Frequency, First Contact, First Order, Last Order, and Last Modified from the Customers History section? This is not reliant on doing a data conversion.
==Orders==
If we do not convert order or purchase order history, here are a list of concerns or workarounds that Hartford York needs to be informed of.

*Fulfillment - Backorders, Future Ships, On Order Purchase orders, etc. - by the time the customer goes live there can be no on-going fulfillment of orders or purchase orders in previous databases.
*Returns/Exchanges - CMS has the ability to do Unlinked Returns. Unlinked Returns are those processed in CMS without being processed against the original order. You start a return for a customer, add items to it, and save...so the -1 invoice for the order is a return. Compromises in using Unlinked Returns is you don't know the price originally paid (would have to look it up in the other database) and when you save the return it will create a lot without a cost. If this is a concern, you would need to alter the cost in Stock Manager after saving the return.
*Batch Printing - Do you batch printing? If so, do any of the filters needs to be converted?

==Mail List Management==
*Do you use mail list filters in CMS? Do they need to be convert over?

='''Report Modifications'''=
Here are a list of reports Steve uses and categorized by Divisional (Required Division parameter) and Non-Divisional (less likely to have a Divisions Parameter):

==Divisional==
*Fulfillment
**Batch Status
**Invoices Captured and Unshipped
**Invoices Not Printed/Shipped
*Order Processing
**Gross Demand by Volume
**Order Processing Summary (all reports) - This potentially could be a big change because this report is made of 26 reports.
*Sales
**Product Sales By Volume

==Non-Divisional==
*Ad Codes
**Ad Codes
*Customers
**No reports regularly used
*Inventory
**Inventory Analysis
**Physical Inventory
*Money
**Open Invoices
**Credit Card Transaction List
**Credit Card Capture
*Purchasing
**Receiving
**PO Summary

==Custom Reports==
I believe none of these reports need a Divisional parameter, but we should double check.

*PayPal Fulfilled Status
*Product Demand by Choice
*Amazon Fulfilled Status
*Product Gross Demand No Prg's
*Product Sales Return Analysis by Vendor

9.0 Upgrade Plan

2013-08-14T21:38:03Z

Rob parkes:

=Prep=
*Review the [http://updates.newhavensoftware.com/v905release_notes.php 9.0 Release Notes]
*Do you have custom reports or forms? If so, please consider installing a test version of 9.0 to confirm they will work with 9.0 and its [http://wiki.newhavensoftware.com/index.php/CMS_Version_9.0_Database_Changes many database changes]. If there are any issues, please contact NewHaven Software Support to contract any necessary fixes.
*Do you have custom integrations? NewHaven will keep all standard integrations current including those with UPS, FedEx, Endicia, Peachtree, and payment gateways. If you have developed any integrations of your own, please consider installing a test version of 9.0 to confirm they will continue to work. Please contact NewHaven Support if you'd like assistance with setting up or updating your test environment.
*Fulfill all pending catalog requests
*Download the 9.0 update and get your v9 release code from [https://updates.newhavensoftware.com/ Support Downloads]

=Install=
#Get everyone out of CMS (TIP: delete the file CMSNET.dat to confirm all users are logged out)
#Update your server - This process should take ~10 min when upgrading from 8.0. It will take much longer for upgrades from 7.0. Upgrades from versions earlier than 7.x are not supported and, in such cases, an intermediate update to 8.0 will be necessary.
##Verify you can log into CMS without error
#Update workstations (required if updating from v7, optional for v8 but recommended to update Help file)
##Update Help - If not performing workstation updates, you should instead copy the file CMS.chm to all workstations' \NewHaven Software directory from \NewHaven Software on your server

=After Install=
==Required==
*If you accept catalog requests you'll need to:
#Tell CMS which of your catalogs are active if you have more than one defined (all are marked as active during the 9.0 upgrade and you may want to make some inactive so users cannot select them when entering a catalog request)
#If you import catalog requests, you'll need to tell CMS which of your catalogs to associate with each import order source - Setup>Fulfillment>Import Sources and Plug-Ins>Import Options
==Recommended==
Settings to consider which will enable new 9.0 features:
*Arrival Dates and Cheapest - http://screencast.com/t/neoCUVPEeE
*Package Exceptions - If you have shipping methods that you use but do not want CMS to offer as a suggested shipping method (when the method you've selected is invalid for the destination/date), you may check the "Exclude from Cheapest" checkbox on any such shipping methods. CMS is looking for the cheapest alternative when the method you've selected is not appropriate for the ship-to address (or arrival date) so choosing this option will keep CMS from its cost comparisons - http://screencast.com/t/4EQwfO0RrVr
**The Package Exceptions feature can be disabled in Order Entry Options>Shipping if desired but we strongly encourage you to get it configured to work properly for you as it can save you a lot of money and improper shipments. Let us know if there are adjustments to this feature that we should consider to make it work better for you.
*S&H applied per recipient - http://screencast.com/t/yQy3y4vMdlF
*Remove prompt from label processing in Manifest - http://screencast.com/t/N7ZQHBPGL
*Add print task 481 to shipment confirmation email in place of task 480 - Example: http://screencast.com/t/mczAmACLDEvE
*Configure what non-shipping days you have (at least check the boxes for Sat and Sun) - http://screencast.com/t/Faisw8nPW
*Update Zonedays data to change CMS defaults if/when desired - http://screencast.com/t/dmGefU0Q6w8Z

CMS System Requirements

2013-08-02T21:22:33Z

Rob parkes:

CMS system requirements are fairly meager considering the capabilities of today's machines. As such, most anything you buy or even already own today will be more than adequate. You do, however, want to make sure you're meeting the following system requirements.

=64-bit vs 32-bit=
This option affects both your hardware and software. Some Windows operating systems are available in either a 32-bit or 64-bit version. Either will work with CMS and CMS's database server software - SQL Anywhere. The 64-bit version does not offer any benefits to CMS over its 32-bit counterpart. Sybase, on the other hand, would stand to benefit to some degree from a 64-bit OS, at least in its support of additional RAM. If you're looking at running Windows XP Pro, Vista or 2003 Server we'd recommend sticking with the 32-bit editions. If you're considering Windows 7 or 2008 Server you may opt for either the 32 or 64-bit editions. Note that Windows Server 2008 R2 is only available in 64-bit.

=Hardware=
==Servers==
This section applies to machines that are operating as pure servers or for stand-alone installations which are acting as both a server and workstation.

'''Minimum Requirements'''
* Pentium 4 - 1.8 GHz or faster CPU
* 1 Gigabyte RAM
* 20 GB Hard Drive with 2 GB available
* CD-ROM or CD-R/RW Drive
* SVGA Monitor

'''Database Server Additional Recommendations'''
#The best things you can do to improve the performance of your CMS server is maximize your RAM and purchase fast hard drives. The speed and number of processors has less to do with CMS performance than does I/O (disk read/write speed) and being able to cache some or all of the database into RAM. This should be your first goal when purchasing a new server or optimizing and existing server. Read more about [http://wiki.newhavensoftware.com/index.php/CMS_System_Requirements#What_is_.22database_caching.22.3F database caching] options below to make the most of your available RAM.
#Solid State Drives (SSD) can be an attractive option/addition to your server. They are essentially RAM and are extremely fast.
#Isolate your CMS database onto its own drive so it is not sharing a drive with your operating system or other server files.
#The CMS database server (Sybase) can make use of dual processors but, as a rule, processing speed does not play a huge role in performance. Consider this nice to have but not a necessity and lower in priority than the RAM and fast drive recommendations above.
#Fast network cards - Especially useful if you run a lot of reports from your workstations.
#[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID RAID] 6 or other drive array. Priority of redundancy over striping if going with a different RAID configuration. Your server is at the heart of your company's operation and you need to make sure you can keep it going. Redundancy will help you sleep at night.
#Backups - While not a performance issue, this is an important consideration for a new server. You'll want to have an automated system in place to move the nightly CMS backup (must be turned on and configured) to other storage locations. Ideally you'd have a rolling backup routine that allows you to store backups for each night without overwriting the previous backups and then move the last backup of the week off-site (DVD, tape or online backup location). This way even if your place of business was in a natural disaster or your server was stolen, you would reasonably be able to recover. We unfortunately had a customer of ours go out of business because they were unable to recover when their server was lost in a fire. Protect yourself from the same fate.

'''Configuration'''

When running directly on a Windows server (2003 and up), CMS will not be able to make web service calls until the following configuration change is made. This can impact some CMS integrations so the following setting should be made on your server:

*'''Server 2003:''' Go into Control Panel->System->Advanced->Performance->Settings
*'''Server 2008:''' Go into Control Panel->System & Security->System->advanced System Settings->Performance->Settings
*Choose the Data Execution Prevention tab.

The default setting is Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select, and there is no reason to change it for CMS. However, you need to add CMS to the exception list, which will then allow CMS to communicate with web services.

*Themes - CMS 8.0 and later requires Windows Themes be enabled if you are running CMS on your server (including Terminal Services).

==CMS workstations==
Workstations are those machines that are running CMS from a server on your network. If you are running CMS on only one machine or that machine is your server, please see the Server requirements above.

'''Minimum Requirements'''
* Pentium III 500 MHz or faster
* 1 GB RAM
* CD-ROM Drive
* 20GB Hard Drive with 2GB available
* SVGA Monitor
* 10Mbps Network Card(s) or faster

'''CMS Workstation Recommendations'''

Very little processing, disk space or hardware is required to run CMS on a workstation. Most everything takes place on the server so your workstation requirements are reasonably small. Our only recommendation beyond the minimums is to maximize your RAM and consider faster network cards.

==[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripheral Peripherals]==
CMS will work with most any peripheral (e.g. printers) as long as the manufacture still supports it and offers drivers for your operating system. If the manufacture does not support your device and offer drivers for your operating system, NewHaven Software cannot assist you with it. It may work with CMS but, if not, you must upgrade your device to a currently supported model.

While this may seem like we're just washing our hands of supporting older hardware, there is really more to it. CMS, like most other Windows applications, relies on Windows to operate as an intermediary with its peripherals. In other words, CMS communicates to Windows and then Windows communicates with the peripheral. If Windows does not have a current driver, that communication may fail or operate in unexpected ways. In other words, any problems with the peripheral are outside of our software and control.

===[[POS Module]]===
The only place where CMS has more specific hardware requirements are the peripherals used with its POS Module. The Point of Sale Module only supports specific models of printers, cash drawers, credit card swipes and UPC bar code scanners.

*Printers - Most any Windows compatible printer should work but the following are the 80 column thermal printers we have tested and can support:
**Star TSP143II
**Samsung SRP-350
*[[Barcode Scanners]] - CMS requires USB serial emulation mode. Contact Support for a programming guide suitable for your model of scanner. If you are not purchasing these models through NewHaven Software, '''be sure that you are supplied with a proper cable to allow USB serial emulation'''.
**Honeywell (HandHeld) 3800G
**Honeywell (Metrologic) Fusion MS3780
**Honeywell (Metrologic) Voyager 9540
(Honeywell's 1300 is also known to work but is not officially supported)
*Cash Drawer
**APG 320 MultiPro
**MMC 225151644204
*Credit card swipe/reader - Magtek model 21040102 (many look the same but are not, it must be this model)

Other hardware may work with CMS but these are the only models we have tested and can support or offer configuration instructions for. The credit card reader, however, is unlikely to work unless you have the specific model we have recommended.

NHS recommends [http://www.posworld.com/ POS World] for your POS hardware. Sharp people, great service, prices and support. Contact Rich King there and identify yourself as a CMS user and he will make sure you get the right equipment. rking@posworld.com , 1.888.801.7282 x678 , www.posworld.com

===Shipping Manifest===

====Barcode scanners====
CMS supports the USB/serial scanners listed above under POS Module and also can work with any keyboard wedge style scanner albeit with reduced capability. Read this article on [[Barcode Scanners]] for more information.

====Scales====
*CMS version 7 or earlier - CMS will work with most any scale that connects via a serial connection and can emulate a Mettler Toledo (models 8213 or PS60) or the UPS Fairbanks scale.
*CMS 8.0 or later - USB connections are supported for the Toledo models PS60 and PS90 (in addition to supporting serial connections for the scale models mentioned above.)
*[http://updates.newhavensoftware.com/v9release_notes.htm#link-1-9 CMS 9.0.5] or later - Any of the above plus the Adam brand scale - CPWplus models (serial connection)

Other scanners or scales may work with CMS but these are the ones we support and can assist you with configuration. Please contact us if you'd like us to evaluate other hardware (typically requires shipping a unit to us for testing.)

=Operating Systems=
The following are operating systems currently supported by Microsoft and NewHaven Software for use with CMS.
==Servers==
*Windows Server 2003 SP2 - Server 2003 is expected to continue to work with CMS for the foreseeable future but for new servers we recommend Server 2008 since [http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/lifecycle Microsoft has announced Server 2003 is End of Life] (EoL) on April 8th, 2014 (also true for Windows XP)
**Server 2003 Editions supported - Standard, Small Business Server, Enterprise
*Windows Server 2008
**Server 2008 R2 Editions supported - Standard, Small Business Server, Enterprise

Windows Server 2012 is currently in testing and in use by NewHaven Software as well. Official support for Server 2012 is expected early 2013.

==Workstations or CMS Solo (i.e. single-user)==
*Windows XP Pro (must be SP3) - XP Pro SP3 is expected to continue to work with CMS for the foreseeable future but for new machines we recommend Windows 7 since [http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/lifecycle Microsoft has announced XP is End of Life] (EoL) on April 8th, 2014 (also true for Server 2003)
*Vista Business Edition SP2
*Vista Ultimate SP2
*7 Professional
*7 Ultimate
Windows 8 is currently being tested and we expect to announce official support for it in our CMS 10.0 release early 2014. Early indications are that CMS should install and work fine but testing is not yet complete. If you need to purchase new computers before we've announced support for Windows 8, sites like Dell.com offer the option to choose your operating system and Windows 7 will remain available for some time (as was Windows XP during the Windows Vista launch.)

NOTE: Microsoft ended support for Windows 2000 Professional on July 13, 2010. Windows 2000 is also not compatible with CMS version 7.0 or later. For more information please refer to the article [[Windows 2000 and CMS]]

=Remote Connections=
There are many options available to you when wanting to run CMS remotely. The core issue that must be observed is that CMS must be running on a machine that is connected locally to its database server. As long as that is true, you'll have no troubles running CMS remotely. You cannot, however, have CMS running locally on your workstation and connect to a remote server. The following are some remote access solutions and tips.

==Remote Access Software==
Software like TeamViewer, LogMeIn, and GoToMyPC are inexpensive remote access tools that allow you to connect to your PC via their website, thus from any other PC. Performance is a little slower than other solutions but is low cost, flexible and easy to use.

==[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_Desktop_Services Remote Desktop and Terminal Server]==
*Our preferred method is to use Windows' built-in remote access options. Remote Desktop allows you to connect to your work machine with CMS on it and control it remotely. To do this you must first establish a virtual private network (VPN) connection.
*Terminal Services is also an option that will allow you to VPN into your server and create/run a remote session right on the server and without the need for a dedicated workstation. This is also a popular option but does require purchasing Windows client access licenses (CALs). Note: Running CMS 8.0 or later on terminal services will require that you enable Windows themes.

==Cloud Computing==
While there are many appeals to moving to the cloud, there is still a great deal of uncertainty in how this will affect your PCI DSS compliance. It appears the PCI Council is currently wrestling with issues surrounding cloud and mobile computing so more information and regulation may be coming soon. We will be testing cloud computing alternatives to prepare but we will hold back recommending any such solutions until the PCI Council has announced their stance.

=Virtual Machines=
NewHaven Software will support CMS running on a virtual machine as long as the operating system (OS) running in the virtual machine is also supported. However, if NHS is unable to reproduce an issue, the customer may be asked to reproduce the problem running natively on the supported OS, outside the virtual environment. NHS does not explicitly test or certify products running in a virtual environment.

In other words, NHS can support CMS running in virtual environments but not the environments themselves. We strongly recommend that if you decide to pursue running virtual machines that you have someone with related expertise to assist with the setup and administration of these, much the same as you would network administration.

==Recommendations==
CMS can run on a virtual machine/server as long as it is provided enough resources (e.g. disk space, memory, processor). We in fact run CMS here at NewHaven Software on a virtual server and have had great success with it. We have been using VMware ESXi v4.0 and have also had successful tests with Xen Server 5.6 Feature Pack 1 although have yet to run CMS in production on Xen Server.

We also hope to look at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_virtualization VDI] in the future. We do have some CMS customers running live on a virtual server presently as well.

As a rule, CMS and the database server will run with no particular technical issues although performance is not as good as running on a dedicated non-virtual server. Reinforcing what has been said above, lots or RAM and fast drives (read/write) are the biggest factors that impact CMS performance. Our recommendations for running CMS on a virtual server simply are to ensure that sufficient resources are allocated.

If you think virtualization is in your future, please contact us for assistance in setting up a test environment. Before deploying into production we of course strongly recommend testing. You'll want to validate that performance is acceptable and that all connectivity, including from peripherals, and all integrations are working and performing at acceptable levels.

=3rd Party Software=
Many 3rd party software solutions can be used in conjunction with CMS for reporting, but it is important to note, we do not support these software solutions. Examples of this 3rd party software are Crystal Software, Microsoft Access, Mapforce, etc. The NHS technical staff is not responsible for answering any questions about features/functionality or bugs within these software programs. Please view your Software License and Support Agreement for details.

We are however, happy to provide assistance as a professional service. For more details, please contact your account manager.

=FAQ's=
==Do I really need a new machine?==
Probably not. The operating system is far more important than your hardware. If your operating system is no longer supported, you may be able to update it or reinstall a current operating system on your current machine. Please consult Microsoft for their minimum requirements for the operating system your selecting. Generally if it meets Microsoft's requirements for their operating system, it will be good enough for CMS as well. From there, you need to decide if good enough is really good enough and that will be clear in the performance of Windows, CMS or other applications.

==My operating system is currently supported, do I need a new machine?==
Hardware is rarely an issue with CMS and you could be running old machines and still experience reasonable performance. If you're satisfied with the speed of CMS, you're able to run a supported operating system without errors, and you have adequate disk space, you may choose to continue to run on your existing machine(s).

If you were to do only one thing, it should be to max the amount of RAM your machine will take. RAM is cheap, too cheap to not have plenty of it.

Secondarily, a CMS server needs a lot of disk space not just for its database but it may require additional free gigabytes of space for temp files that the database server creates and destroys through normal usage. You should never have less than 2Gig of free space on your server. If that is a problem, and you're not going to upgrade your server, at least move onto new hard drives. Here too, drive space is too cheap for this to be a limiting factor.

There may be other compelling reasons to upgrade your machines, be it for speed, other applications or compatibility with other new technologies. New machines that are capable of running 64-bit operating systems, for example, are capable of handling more than 4 Gigabytes of RAM. While this would rarely be a CMS consideration for a workstation, if you have a database (.db file) that is larger than 2 Gig, you should seriously consider a server with more than 4G of RAM.

As a rule, the performance you need from CMS is merely a factor of hardware. As your company grows, CMS can scale perfectly well with you but may require improved hardware to keep up with the increased server load. Evaluating CPU/memory usage and free disk space during the heat of the day will give you an indication of how well your server is handling the load and if more resources are needed.

==Why can't I continue to use an older operating system?==
Even if has worked fine with CMS for years, if Microsoft no longer supports it, you really don't want to be using it. Once they stop offering security patches, as they just have stopped doing for Windows 2000, you become vulnerable to new threats (viruses, hacks, etc.) and you may find that CMS will no longer work. Such is the case with Windows 2000 as it does not contain the components need for CMS to run properly. [http://wiki.newhavensoftware.com/index.php/Windows_2000_and_CMS This link] provides more information on this subject.

PCI requirements also dictate that your systems must be kept up to date with current security patches.

==What is "database caching"?==
One of the great features of your CMS database is that it requires little to no maintenance. There is no re-indexing, server administration, etc. It largely just takes care of itself.

One thing you can do, however, to maximize your database performance is to use a setting for database caching. This option requires more RAM but RAM is cheap and the performance gains are worthwhile. With this option, you can force Windows to allocate a specific amount of RAM to your database to allows some or all of your database to be loaded into memory and thus can have significant affects on your server performance.

Limitations (applicable to v8 thru v12) are as follows:

*Maximum cache size for (Win32) Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional, Windows Server 2003 Web Edition, Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition, Windows 2008, Windows 7 - '''1.8 Gb'''

*Maximum cache size for (Win32) Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition, Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows Vista Enterprise, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Home Basic - '''2.7 Gb'''

*Maximum cache size (Win 64) limited by physical memory on 64-bit engines - ''NOTE: Our experience to date has shown that caching beyond 1.8G is not possible even with 64bit operating systems.''

Source - http://infocenter.sybase.com/help/index.jsp?topic=/com.sybase.help.sqlanywhere.12.0.0/dbadmin/da-limits.html

To update your cache size, you'll want to modify the registry key for the service (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\ASANYs_NHSDataService\Parameters) like this:
-n NHSDataServer "C:\NewHaven Software\Data\Company\Company.db" -c 1800M -ti 0 -tl 0

The above is a cache of 1800 Meg (1.8 Gig.) K, M and G are recognizable increments and they must be in caps. It does not accept decimals however so if you want 1.5G you should do 1500M as shown in the above example. You can experiment with other or higher values but if the service doesn't start you may need to back your number down or revert to an earlier setting.

If you're interested in this option and have enough RAM, please contact NewHaven Technical Support for information on how to enable this option.

==What about my network?==
Our recommendations here are pretty generic. If you're still on the old 10mbps cards you should consider upgrading. 1Gbps is pretty standard these days. CMS doesn't need a lot of bandwidth but could benefit from 100mbps over 10mbps...depending on what other network traffic you might expect. If you have hubs or old switches, that would be a good place to look at upgrading.

==Will CMS work with wireless?==
Yes, although CMS must maintain a constant connection with its database and even momentary interruptions in that connection can be enough to cause errors. As such, we do not recommend running CMS over a wireless network connection. You can, however, use Remote Desktop via wireless to connect to a machine that is on your physical network and, in that scenario, you would not be subject to disconnect issues.

==Can I run CMS remotely?==
Yes, but it must be done using RDP (remote desktop), terminal services or remote access software like Logmein. CMS must be running on the same network/domain as its database server. You'll need to remote into Windows first and then run CMS from that machine. You cannot have CMS installed locally and connect to a remote network/server. See the section on [http://wiki.newhavensoftware.com/index.php/CMS_System_Requirements#Remote_Connections remote connections] above.

==Can NewHaven Software assist with purchasing or configuring my hardware/network?==
We can make recommendations, like we have in this article, but the actual purchase, configuration and maintenance of your hardware and network must be performed by someone at your location. This would either be done by someone on staff that is capable or a local contractor that can provide these services and expertise to you. We're happy to consult with your staff or contractors on any CMS related configurations.

CMS System Requirements

2013-08-02T21:14:29Z

Rob parkes:

CMS system requirements are fairly meager considering the capabilities of today's machines. As such, most anything you buy or even already own today will be more than adequate. You do, however, want to make sure you're meeting the following system requirements.

=64-bit vs 32-bit=
This option affects both your hardware and software. Some Windows operating systems are available in either a 32-bit or 64-bit version. Either will work with CMS and CMS's database server software - SQL Anywhere. The 64-bit version does not offer any benefits to CMS over its 32-bit counterpart. Sybase, on the other hand, would stand to benefit to some degree from a 64-bit OS, at least in its support of additional RAM. If you're looking at running Windows XP Pro, Vista or 2003 Server we'd recommend sticking with the 32-bit editions. If you're considering Windows 7 or 2008 Server you may opt for either the 32 or 64-bit editions. Note that Windows Server 2008 R2 is only available in 64-bit.

=Hardware=
==Servers==
This section applies to machines that are operating as pure servers or for stand-alone installations which are acting as both a server and workstation.

'''Minimum Requirements'''
* Pentium 4 - 1.8 GHz or faster CPU
* 1 Gigabyte RAM
* 20 GB Hard Drive with 2 GB available
* CD-ROM or CD-R/RW Drive
* SVGA Monitor

'''Database Server Additional Recommendations'''
#The best things you can do to improve the performance of your CMS server is maximize your RAM and purchase fast hard drives. The speed and number of processors has less to do with CMS performance than does I/O (disk read/write speed) and being able to cache some or all of the database into RAM. This should be your first goal when purchasing a new server or optimizing and existing server. Read more about [http://wiki.newhavensoftware.com/index.php/CMS_System_Requirements#What_is_.22database_caching.22.3F database caching] options below to make the most of your available RAM.
#Solid State Drives (SSD) can be an attractive option/addition to your server. They are essentially RAM and are extremely fast.
#Isolate your CMS database onto its own drive so it is not sharing a drive with your operating system or other server files.
#The CMS database server (Sybase) can make use of dual processors but, as a rule, processing speed does not play a huge role in performance. Consider this nice to have but not a necessity and lower in priority than the RAM and fast drive recommendations above.
#Fast network cards - Especially useful if you run a lot of reports from your workstations.
#[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID RAID] 6 or other drive array. Priority of redundancy over striping if going with a different RAID configuration. Your server is at the heart of your company's operation and you need to make sure you can keep it going. Redundancy will help you sleep at night.
#Backups - While not a performance issue, this is an important consideration for a new server. You'll want to have an automated system in place to move the nightly CMS backup (must be turned on and configured) to other storage locations. Ideally you'd have a rolling backup routine that allows you to store backups for each night without overwriting the previous backups and then move the last backup of the week off-site (DVD, tape or online backup location). This way even if your place of business was in a natural disaster or your server was stolen, you would reasonably be able to recover. We unfortunately had a customer of ours go out of business because they were unable to recover when their server was lost in a fire. Protect yourself from the same fate.

'''Configuration'''

When running directly on a Windows server (2003 and up), CMS will not be able to make web service calls until the following configuration change is made. This can impact some CMS integrations so the following setting should be made on your server:

*'''Server 2003:''' Go into Control Panel->System->Advanced->Performance->Settings
*'''Server 2008:''' Go into Control Panel->System & Security->System->advanced System Settings->Performance->Settings
*Choose the Data Execution Prevention tab.

The default setting is Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select, and there is no reason to change it for CMS. However, you need to add CMS to the exception list, which will then allow CMS to communicate with web services.

*Themes - CMS 8.0 and later requires Windows Themes be enabled if you are running CMS on your server (including Terminal Services).

==CMS workstations==
Workstations are those machines that are running CMS from a server on your network. If you are running CMS on only one machine or that machine is your server, please see the Server requirements above.

'''Minimum Requirements'''
* Pentium III 500 MHz or faster
* 1 GB RAM
* CD-ROM Drive
* 20GB Hard Drive with 2GB available
* SVGA Monitor
* 10Mbps Network Card(s) or faster

'''CMS Workstation Recommendations'''

Very little processing, disk space or hardware is required to run CMS on a workstation. Most everything takes place on the server so your workstation requirements are reasonably small. Our only recommendation beyond the minimums is to maximize your RAM and consider faster network cards.

==[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripheral Peripherals]==
CMS will work with most any peripheral (e.g. printers) as long as the manufacture still supports it and offers drivers for your operating system. If the manufacture does not support your device and offer drivers for your operating system, NewHaven Software cannot assist you with it. It may work with CMS but, if not, you must upgrade your device to a currently supported model.

While this may seem like we're just washing our hands of supporting older hardware, there is really more to it. CMS, like most other Windows applications, relies on Windows to operate as an intermediary with its peripherals. In other words, CMS communicates to Windows and then Windows communicates with the peripheral. If Windows does not have a current driver, that communication may fail or operate in unexpected ways. In other words, any problems with the peripheral are outside of our software and control.

===[[POS Module]]===
The only place where CMS has more specific hardware requirements are the peripherals used with its POS Module. The Point of Sale Module only supports specific models of printers, cash drawers, credit card swipes and UPC bar code scanners.

*Printers - Most any Windows compatible printer should work but the following are the 80 column thermal printers we have tested and can support:
**Star TSP143II
**Samsung SRP-350
*[[Barcode Scanners]] - CMS requires USB serial emulation mode. Contact Support for a programming guide suitable for your model of scanner. If you are not purchasing these models through NewHaven Software, '''be sure that you are supplied with a proper cable to allow USB serial emulation'''.
**Honeywell (HandHeld) 3800G
**Honeywell (Metrologic) Fusion MS3780
**Honeywell (Metrologic) Voyager 9540
(Honeywell's 1300 is also known to work but is not officially supported)
*Cash Drawer
**APG 320 MultiPro
**MMC 225151644204
*Credit card swipe/reader - Magtek model 21040102 (many look the same but are not, it must be this model)

Other hardware may work with CMS but these are the only models we have tested and can support or offer configuration instructions for. The credit card reader, however, is unlikely to work unless you have the specific model we have recommended.

NHS recommends [http://www.posworld.com/ POS World] for your POS hardware. Sharp people, great service, prices and support. Contact Rich King there and identify yourself as a CMS user and he will make sure you get the right equipment. rking@posworld.com , 1.888.801.7282 x678 , www.posworld.com

===Shipping Manifest===

====Barcode scanners====
CMS supports the USB/serial scanners listed above under POS Module and also can work with any keyboard wedge style scanner albeit with reduced capability. Read this article on [[Barcode Scanners]] for more information.

====Scales====
*CMS version 7 or earlier - CMS will work with most any scale that connects via a serial connection and can emulate a Mettler Toledo (models 8213 or PS60) or the UPS Fairbanks scale.
*CMS 8.0 or later - USB connections are supported for the Toledo models PS60 and PS90 (in addition to supporting serial connections for the scale models mentioned above.)
*[http://updates.newhavensoftware.com/v9release_notes.htm#link-1-9 CMS 9.0.5] or later - Any of the above plus the Adam brand scale - CPWplus models (serial connection)

Other scanners or scales may work with CMS but these are the ones we support and can assist you with configuration. Please contact us if you'd like us to evaluate other hardware (typically requires shipping a unit to us for testing.)

=Operating Systems=
The following are operating systems currently supported by Microsoft and NewHaven Software for use with CMS.
==Servers==
*Windows Server 2003 SP2 - Server 2003 is expected to continue to work with CMS for the foreseeable future but for new servers we recommend Server 2008 since [http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/lifecycle Microsoft has announced Server 2003 is End of Life] (EoL) on April 8th, 2014 (also true for Windows XP)
**Server 2003 Editions supported - Standard, Small Business Server, Enterprise
*Windows Server 2008
**Server 2008 R2 Editions supported - Standard, Small Business Server, Enterprise

Windows Server 2012 is currently in testing and in use by NewHaven Software as well. Official support for Server 2012 is expected early 2013.

==Workstations or CMS Solo (i.e. single-user)==
*Windows XP Pro (must be SP3) - XP Pro SP3 is expected to continue to work with CMS for the foreseeable future but for new machines we recommend Windows 7 since [http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/lifecycle Microsoft has announced XP is End of Life] (EoL) on April 8th, 2014 (also true for Server 2003)
*Vista Business Edition SP2
*Vista Ultimate SP2
*7 Professional
*7 Ultimate
Windows 8 is currently being tested and we expect to announce official support for it in our CMS 10.0 release early 2014. Early indications are that CMS should install and work fine but testing is not yet complete. If you need to purchase new computers before we've announced support for Windows 8, sites like Dell.com offer the option to choose your operating system and Windows 7 will remain available for some time (as was Windows XP during the Windows Vista launch.)

NOTE: Microsoft ended support for Windows 2000 Professional on July 13, 2010. Windows 2000 is also not compatible with CMS version 7.0 or later. For more information please refer to the article [[Windows 2000 and CMS]]

=Remote Connections=
There are many options available to you when wanting to run CMS remotely. The core issue that must be observed is that CMS must be running on a machine that is connected locally to its database server. As long as that is true, you'll have no troubles running CMS remotely. You cannot, however, have CMS running locally on your workstation and connect to a remote server. The following are some remote access solutions and tips.

==Remote Access Software==
Software like TeamViewer, LogMeIn, and GoToMyPC are inexpensive remote access tools that allow you to connect to your PC via their website, thus from any other PC. Performance is a little slower than other solutions but is low cost, flexible and easy to use.

==[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_Desktop_Services Remote Desktop and Terminal Server]==
*Our preferred method is to use Windows' built-in remote access options. Remote Desktop allows you to connect to your work machine with CMS on it and control it remotely. To do this you must first establish a virtual private network (VPN) connection.
*Terminal Services is also an option that will allow you to VPN into your server and create/run a remote session right on the server and without the need for a dedicated workstation. This is also a popular option but does require purchasing Windows client access licenses (CALs). Note: Running CMS 8.0 or later on terminal services will require that you enable Windows themes.

==Cloud Computing==
While there are many appeals to moving to the cloud, there is still a great deal of uncertainty in how this will affect your PCI DSS compliance. It appears the PCI Council is currently wrestling with issues surrounding cloud and mobile computing so more information and regulation may be coming soon. We will be testing cloud computing alternatives to prepare but we will hold back recommending any such solutions until the PCI Council has announced their stance.

=Virtual Machines=
NewHaven Software will support CMS running on a virtual machine as long as the operating system (OS) running in the virtual machine is also supported. However, if NHS is unable to reproduce an issue, the customer may be asked to reproduce the problem running natively on the supported OS, outside the virtual environment. NHS does not explicitly test or certify products running in a virtual environment.

In other words, NHS can support CMS running in virtual environments but not the environments themselves. We strongly recommend that if you decide to pursue running virtual machines that you have someone with related expertise to assist with the setup and administration of these, much the same as you would network administration.

==Recommendations==
CMS can run on a virtual machine/server as long as it is provided enough resources (e.g. disk space, memory, processor). We in fact run CMS here at NewHaven Software on a virtual server and have had great success with it. We have been using VMware ESXi v4.0 and have also had successful tests with Xen Server 5.6 Feature Pack 1 although have yet to run CMS in production on Xen Server.

We also hope to look at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_virtualization VDI] in the future. We do have some CMS customers running live on a virtual server presently as well.

As a rule, CMS and the database server will run with no particular technical issues although performance is not as good as running on a dedicated non-virtual server. Reinforcing what has been said above, lots or RAM and fast drives (read/write) are the biggest factors that impact CMS performance. Our recommendations for running CMS on a virtual server simply are to ensure that sufficient resources are allocated.

If you think virtualization is in your future, please contact us for assistance in setting up a test environment. Before deploying into production we of course strongly recommend testing. You'll want to validate that performance is acceptable and that all connectivity, including from peripherals, and all integrations are working and performing at acceptable levels.

=3rd Party Software=
Many 3rd party software solutions can be used in conjunction with CMS for reporting, but it is important to note, we do not support these software solutions. Examples of this 3rd party software are Crystal Software, Microsoft Access, Mapforce, etc. The NHS technical staff is not responsible for answering any questions about features/functionality or bugs within these software programs. Please view your Software License and Support Agreement for details.

We can provide assistance via a professional service and we ask you to contact your Account Manager, if you want more details.

=FAQ's=
==Do I really need a new machine?==
Probably not. The operating system is far more important than your hardware. If your operating system is no longer supported, you may be able to update it or reinstall a current operating system on your current machine. Please consult Microsoft for their minimum requirements for the operating system your selecting. Generally if it meets Microsoft's requirements for their operating system, it will be good enough for CMS as well. From there, you need to decide if good enough is really good enough and that will be clear in the performance of Windows, CMS or other applications.

==My operating system is currently supported, do I need a new machine?==
Hardware is rarely an issue with CMS and you could be running old machines and still experience reasonable performance. If you're satisfied with the speed of CMS, you're able to run a supported operating system without errors, and you have adequate disk space, you may choose to continue to run on your existing machine(s).

If you were to do only one thing, it should be to max the amount of RAM your machine will take. RAM is cheap, too cheap to not have plenty of it.

Secondarily, a CMS server needs a lot of disk space not just for its database but it may require additional free gigabytes of space for temp files that the database server creates and destroys through normal usage. You should never have less than 2Gig of free space on your server. If that is a problem, and you're not going to upgrade your server, at least move onto new hard drives. Here too, drive space is too cheap for this to be a limiting factor.

There may be other compelling reasons to upgrade your machines, be it for speed, other applications or compatibility with other new technologies. New machines that are capable of running 64-bit operating systems, for example, are capable of handling more than 4 Gigabytes of RAM. While this would rarely be a CMS consideration for a workstation, if you have a database (.db file) that is larger than 2 Gig, you should seriously consider a server with more than 4G of RAM.

As a rule, the performance you need from CMS is merely a factor of hardware. As your company grows, CMS can scale perfectly well with you but may require improved hardware to keep up with the increased server load. Evaluating CPU/memory usage and free disk space during the heat of the day will give you an indication of how well your server is handling the load and if more resources are needed.

==Why can't I continue to use an older operating system?==
Even if has worked fine with CMS for years, if Microsoft no longer supports it, you really don't want to be using it. Once they stop offering security patches, as they just have stopped doing for Windows 2000, you become vulnerable to new threats (viruses, hacks, etc.) and you may find that CMS will no longer work. Such is the case with Windows 2000 as it does not contain the components need for CMS to run properly. [http://wiki.newhavensoftware.com/index.php/Windows_2000_and_CMS This link] provides more information on this subject.

PCI requirements also dictate that your systems must be kept up to date with current security patches.

==What is "database caching"?==
One of the great features of your CMS database is that it requires little to no maintenance. There is no re-indexing, server administration, etc. It largely just takes care of itself.

One thing you can do, however, to maximize your database performance is to use a setting for database caching. This option requires more RAM but RAM is cheap and the performance gains are worthwhile. With this option, you can force Windows to allocate a specific amount of RAM to your database to allows some or all of your database to be loaded into memory and thus can have significant affects on your server performance.

Limitations (applicable to v8 thru v12) are as follows:

*Maximum cache size for (Win32) Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional, Windows Server 2003 Web Edition, Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition, Windows 2008, Windows 7 - '''1.8 Gb'''

*Maximum cache size for (Win32) Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition, Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows Vista Enterprise, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Home Basic - '''2.7 Gb'''

*Maximum cache size (Win 64) limited by physical memory on 64-bit engines - ''NOTE: Our experience to date has shown that caching beyond 1.8G is not possible even with 64bit operating systems.''

Source - http://infocenter.sybase.com/help/index.jsp?topic=/com.sybase.help.sqlanywhere.12.0.0/dbadmin/da-limits.html

To update your cache size, you'll want to modify the registry key for the service (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\ASANYs_NHSDataService\Parameters) like this:
-n NHSDataServer "C:\NewHaven Software\Data\Company\Company.db" -c 1800M -ti 0 -tl 0

The above is a cache of 1800 Meg (1.8 Gig.) K, M and G are recognizable increments and they must be in caps. It does not accept decimals however so if you want 1.5G you should do 1500M as shown in the above example. You can experiment with other or higher values but if the service doesn't start you may need to back your number down or revert to an earlier setting.

If you're interested in this option and have enough RAM, please contact NewHaven Technical Support for information on how to enable this option.

==What about my network?==
Our recommendations here are pretty generic. If you're still on the old 10mbps cards you should consider upgrading. 1Gbps is pretty standard these days. CMS doesn't need a lot of bandwidth but could benefit from 100mbps over 10mbps...depending on what other network traffic you might expect. If you have hubs or old switches, that would be a good place to look at upgrading.

==Will CMS work with wireless?==
Yes, although CMS must maintain a constant connection with its database and even momentary interruptions in that connection can be enough to cause errors. As such, we do not recommend running CMS over a wireless network connection. You can, however, use Remote Desktop via wireless to connect to a machine that is on your physical network and, in that scenario, you would not be subject to disconnect issues.

==Can I run CMS remotely?==
Yes, but it must be done using RDP (remote desktop), terminal services or remote access software like Logmein. CMS must be running on the same network/domain as its database server. You'll need to remote into Windows first and then run CMS from that machine. You cannot have CMS installed locally and connect to a remote network/server. See the section on [http://wiki.newhavensoftware.com/index.php/CMS_System_Requirements#Remote_Connections remote connections] above.

==Can NewHaven Software assist with purchasing or configuring my hardware/network?==
We can make recommendations, like we have in this article, but the actual purchase, configuration and maintenance of your hardware and network must be performed by someone at your location. This would either be done by someone on staff that is capable or a local contractor that can provide these services and expertise to you. We're happy to consult with your staff or contractors on any CMS related configurations.

CMS System Requirements

2013-08-02T21:10:02Z

Rob parkes:

CMS system requirements are fairly meager considering the capabilities of today's machines. As such, most anything you buy or even already own today will be more than adequate. You do, however, want to make sure you're meeting the following system requirements.

=64-bit vs 32-bit=
This option affects both your hardware and software. Some Windows operating systems are available in either a 32-bit or 64-bit version. Either will work with CMS and CMS's database server software - SQL Anywhere. The 64-bit version does not offer any benefits to CMS over its 32-bit counterpart. Sybase, on the other hand, would stand to benefit to some degree from a 64-bit OS, at least in its support of additional RAM. If you're looking at running Windows XP Pro, Vista or 2003 Server we'd recommend sticking with the 32-bit editions. If you're considering Windows 7 or 2008 Server you may opt for either the 32 or 64-bit editions. Note that Windows Server 2008 R2 is only available in 64-bit.

=Hardware=
==Servers==
This section applies to machines that are operating as pure servers or for stand-alone installations which are acting as both a server and workstation.

'''Minimum Requirements'''
* Pentium 4 - 1.8 GHz or faster CPU
* 1 Gigabyte RAM
* 20 GB Hard Drive with 2 GB available
* CD-ROM or CD-R/RW Drive
* SVGA Monitor

'''Database Server Additional Recommendations'''
#The best things you can do to improve the performance of your CMS server is maximize your RAM and purchase fast hard drives. The speed and number of processors has less to do with CMS performance than does I/O (disk read/write speed) and being able to cache some or all of the database into RAM. This should be your first goal when purchasing a new server or optimizing and existing server. Read more about [http://wiki.newhavensoftware.com/index.php/CMS_System_Requirements#What_is_.22database_caching.22.3F database caching] options below to make the most of your available RAM.
#Solid State Drives (SSD) can be an attractive option/addition to your server. They are essentially RAM and are extremely fast.
#Isolate your CMS database onto its own drive so it is not sharing a drive with your operating system or other server files.
#The CMS database server (Sybase) can make use of dual processors but, as a rule, processing speed does not play a huge role in performance. Consider this nice to have but not a necessity and lower in priority than the RAM and fast drive recommendations above.
#Fast network cards - Especially useful if you run a lot of reports from your workstations.
#[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID RAID] 6 or other drive array. Priority of redundancy over striping if going with a different RAID configuration. Your server is at the heart of your company's operation and you need to make sure you can keep it going. Redundancy will help you sleep at night.
#Backups - While not a performance issue, this is an important consideration for a new server. You'll want to have an automated system in place to move the nightly CMS backup (must be turned on and configured) to other storage locations. Ideally you'd have a rolling backup routine that allows you to store backups for each night without overwriting the previous backups and then move the last backup of the week off-site (DVD, tape or online backup location). This way even if your place of business was in a natural disaster or your server was stolen, you would reasonably be able to recover. We unfortunately had a customer of ours go out of business because they were unable to recover when their server was lost in a fire. Protect yourself from the same fate.

'''Configuration'''

When running directly on a Windows server (2003 and up), CMS will not be able to make web service calls until the following configuration change is made. This can impact some CMS integrations so the following setting should be made on your server:

*'''Server 2003:''' Go into Control Panel->System->Advanced->Performance->Settings
*'''Server 2008:''' Go into Control Panel->System & Security->System->advanced System Settings->Performance->Settings
*Choose the Data Execution Prevention tab.

The default setting is Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select, and there is no reason to change it for CMS. However, you need to add CMS to the exception list, which will then allow CMS to communicate with web services.

*Themes - CMS 8.0 and later requires Windows Themes be enabled if you are running CMS on your server (including Terminal Services).

==CMS workstations==
Workstations are those machines that are running CMS from a server on your network. If you are running CMS on only one machine or that machine is your server, please see the Server requirements above.

'''Minimum Requirements'''
* Pentium III 500 MHz or faster
* 1 GB RAM
* CD-ROM Drive
* 20GB Hard Drive with 2GB available
* SVGA Monitor
* 10Mbps Network Card(s) or faster

'''CMS Workstation Recommendations'''

Very little processing, disk space or hardware is required to run CMS on a workstation. Most everything takes place on the server so your workstation requirements are reasonably small. Our only recommendation beyond the minimums is to maximize your RAM and consider faster network cards.

==[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripheral Peripherals]==
CMS will work with most any peripheral (e.g. printers) as long as the manufacture still supports it and offers drivers for your operating system. If the manufacture does not support your device and offer drivers for your operating system, NewHaven Software cannot assist you with it. It may work with CMS but, if not, you must upgrade your device to a currently supported model.

While this may seem like we're just washing our hands of supporting older hardware, there is really more to it. CMS, like most other Windows applications, relies on Windows to operate as an intermediary with its peripherals. In other words, CMS communicates to Windows and then Windows communicates with the peripheral. If Windows does not have a current driver, that communication may fail or operate in unexpected ways. In other words, any problems with the peripheral are outside of our software and control.

===[[POS Module]]===
The only place where CMS has more specific hardware requirements are the peripherals used with its POS Module. The Point of Sale Module only supports specific models of printers, cash drawers, credit card swipes and UPC bar code scanners.

*Printers - Most any Windows compatible printer should work but the following are the 80 column thermal printers we have tested and can support:
**Star TSP143II
**Samsung SRP-350
*[[Barcode Scanners]] - CMS requires USB serial emulation mode. Contact Support for a programming guide suitable for your model of scanner. If you are not purchasing these models through NewHaven Software, '''be sure that you are supplied with a proper cable to allow USB serial emulation'''.
**Honeywell (HandHeld) 3800G
**Honeywell (Metrologic) Fusion MS3780
**Honeywell (Metrologic) Voyager 9540
(Honeywell's 1300 is also known to work but is not officially supported)
*Cash Drawer
**APG 320 MultiPro
**MMC 225151644204
*Credit card swipe/reader - Magtek model 21040102 (many look the same but are not, it must be this model)

Other hardware may work with CMS but these are the only models we have tested and can support or offer configuration instructions for. The credit card reader, however, is unlikely to work unless you have the specific model we have recommended.

NHS recommends [http://www.posworld.com/ POS World] for your POS hardware. Sharp people, great service, prices and support. Contact Rich King there and identify yourself as a CMS user and he will make sure you get the right equipment. rking@posworld.com , 1.888.801.7282 x678 , www.posworld.com

===Shipping Manifest===

====Barcode scanners====
CMS supports the USB/serial scanners listed above under POS Module and also can work with any keyboard wedge style scanner albeit with reduced capability. Read this article on [[Barcode Scanners]] for more information.

====Scales====
*CMS version 7 or earlier - CMS will work with most any scale that connects via a serial connection and can emulate a Mettler Toledo (models 8213 or PS60) or the UPS Fairbanks scale.
*CMS 8.0 or later - USB connections are supported for the Toledo models PS60 and PS90 (in addition to supporting serial connections for the scale models mentioned above.)
*[http://updates.newhavensoftware.com/v9release_notes.htm#link-1-9 CMS 9.0.5] or later - Any of the above plus the Adam brand scale - CPWplus models (serial connection)

Other scanners or scales may work with CMS but these are the ones we support and can assist you with configuration. Please contact us if you'd like us to evaluate other hardware (typically requires shipping a unit to us for testing.)

=Operating Systems=
The following are operating systems currently supported by Microsoft and NewHaven Software for use with CMS.
==Servers==
*Windows Server 2003 SP2 - Server 2003 is expected to continue to work with CMS for the foreseeable future but for new servers we recommend Server 2008 since [http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/lifecycle Microsoft has announced Server 2003 is End of Life] (EoL) on April 8th, 2014 (also true for Windows XP)
**Server 2003 Editions supported - Standard, Small Business Server, Enterprise
*Windows Server 2008
**Server 2008 R2 Editions supported - Standard, Small Business Server, Enterprise

Windows Server 2012 is currently in testing and in use by NewHaven Software as well. Official support for Server 2012 is expected early 2013.

==Workstations or CMS Solo (i.e. single-user)==
*Windows XP Pro (must be SP3) - XP Pro SP3 is expected to continue to work with CMS for the foreseeable future but for new machines we recommend Windows 7 since [http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/lifecycle Microsoft has announced XP is End of Life] (EoL) on April 8th, 2014 (also true for Server 2003)
*Vista Business Edition SP2
*Vista Ultimate SP2
*7 Professional
*7 Ultimate
Windows 8 is currently being tested and we expect to announce official support for it in our CMS 10.0 release early 2014. Early indications are that CMS should install and work fine but testing is not yet complete. If you need to purchase new computers before we've announced support for Windows 8, sites like Dell.com offer the option to choose your operating system and Windows 7 will remain available for some time (as was Windows XP during the Windows Vista launch.)

NOTE: Microsoft ended support for Windows 2000 Professional on July 13, 2010. Windows 2000 is also not compatible with CMS version 7.0 or later. For more information please refer to the article [[Windows 2000 and CMS]]

=Remote Connections=
There are many options available to you when wanting to run CMS remotely. The core issue that must be observed is that CMS must be running on a machine that is connected locally to its database server. As long as that is true, you'll have no troubles running CMS remotely. You cannot, however, have CMS running locally on your workstation and connect to a remote server. The following are some remote access solutions and tips.

==Remote Access Software==
Software like TeamViewer, LogMeIn, and GoToMyPC are inexpensive remote access tools that allow you to connect to your PC via their website, thus from any other PC. Performance is a little slower than other solutions but is low cost, flexible and easy to use.

==[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_Desktop_Services Remote Desktop and Terminal Server]==
*Our preferred method is to use Windows' built-in remote access options. Remote Desktop allows you to connect to your work machine with CMS on it and control it remotely. To do this you must first establish a virtual private network (VPN) connection.
*Terminal Services is also an option that will allow you to VPN into your server and create/run a remote session right on the server and without the need for a dedicated workstation. This is also a popular option but does require purchasing Windows client access licenses (CALs). Note: Running CMS 8.0 or later on terminal services will require that you enable Windows themes.

==Cloud Computing==
While there are many appeals to moving to the cloud, there is still a great deal of uncertainty in how this will affect your PCI DSS compliance. It appears the PCI Council is currently wrestling with issues surrounding cloud and mobile computing so more information and regulation may be coming soon. We will be testing cloud computing alternatives to prepare but we will hold back recommending any such solutions until the PCI Council has announced their stance.

=Virtual Machines=
NewHaven Software will support CMS running on a virtual machine as long as the operating system (OS) running in the virtual machine is also supported. However, if NHS is unable to reproduce an issue, the customer may be asked to reproduce the problem running natively on the supported OS, outside the virtual environment. NHS does not explicitly test or certify products running in a virtual environment.

In other words, NHS can support CMS running in virtual environments but not the environments themselves. We strongly recommend that if you decide to pursue running virtual machines that you have someone with related expertise to assist with the setup and administration of these, much the same as you would network administration.

==Recommendations==
CMS can run on a virtual machine/server as long as it is provided enough resources (e.g. disk space, memory, processor). We in fact run CMS here at NewHaven Software on a virtual server and have had great success with it. We have been using VMware ESXi v4.0 and have also had successful tests with Xen Server 5.6 Feature Pack 1 although have yet to run CMS in production on Xen Server.

We also hope to look at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_virtualization VDI] in the future. We do have some CMS customers running live on a virtual server presently as well.

As a rule, CMS and the database server will run with no particular technical issues although performance is not as good as running on a dedicated non-virtual server. Reinforcing what has been said above, lots or RAM and fast drives (read/write) are the biggest factors that impact CMS performance. Our recommendations for running CMS on a virtual server simply are to ensure that sufficient resources are allocated.

If you think virtualization is in your future, please contact us for assistance in setting up a test environment. Before deploying into production we of course strongly recommend testing. You'll want to validate that performance is acceptable and that all connectivity, including from peripherals, and all integrations are working and performing at acceptable levels.

=3rd Party Software=
Many 3rd party software solutions can be used in conjunction with CMS for reporting, but it is important to note, we do not support these software solutions. Examples of this 3rd party solutions are Crystal Software, Microsoft Access, Mapforce, etc. The NHS technical staff is not responsible for answering any questions about features/functionality or bugs within these software programs. Please view your Software License and Support Agreement for details.

We can provide assistance via a professional service and we ask you to contact your Account Manager, if you want more details.

=FAQ's=
==Do I really need a new machine?==
Probably not. The operating system is far more important than your hardware. If your operating system is no longer supported, you may be able to update it or reinstall a current operating system on your current machine. Please consult Microsoft for their minimum requirements for the operating system your selecting. Generally if it meets Microsoft's requirements for their operating system, it will be good enough for CMS as well. From there, you need to decide if good enough is really good enough and that will be clear in the performance of Windows, CMS or other applications.

==My operating system is currently supported, do I need a new machine?==
Hardware is rarely an issue with CMS and you could be running old machines and still experience reasonable performance. If you're satisfied with the speed of CMS, you're able to run a supported operating system without errors, and you have adequate disk space, you may choose to continue to run on your existing machine(s).

If you were to do only one thing, it should be to max the amount of RAM your machine will take. RAM is cheap, too cheap to not have plenty of it.

Secondarily, a CMS server needs a lot of disk space not just for its database but it may require additional free gigabytes of space for temp files that the database server creates and destroys through normal usage. You should never have less than 2Gig of free space on your server. If that is a problem, and you're not going to upgrade your server, at least move onto new hard drives. Here too, drive space is too cheap for this to be a limiting factor.

There may be other compelling reasons to upgrade your machines, be it for speed, other applications or compatibility with other new technologies. New machines that are capable of running 64-bit operating systems, for example, are capable of handling more than 4 Gigabytes of RAM. While this would rarely be a CMS consideration for a workstation, if you have a database (.db file) that is larger than 2 Gig, you should seriously consider a server with more than 4G of RAM.

As a rule, the performance you need from CMS is merely a factor of hardware. As your company grows, CMS can scale perfectly well with you but may require improved hardware to keep up with the increased server load. Evaluating CPU/memory usage and free disk space during the heat of the day will give you an indication of how well your server is handling the load and if more resources are needed.

==Why can't I continue to use an older operating system?==
Even if has worked fine with CMS for years, if Microsoft no longer supports it, you really don't want to be using it. Once they stop offering security patches, as they just have stopped doing for Windows 2000, you become vulnerable to new threats (viruses, hacks, etc.) and you may find that CMS will no longer work. Such is the case with Windows 2000 as it does not contain the components need for CMS to run properly. [http://wiki.newhavensoftware.com/index.php/Windows_2000_and_CMS This link] provides more information on this subject.

PCI requirements also dictate that your systems must be kept up to date with current security patches.

==What is "database caching"?==
One of the great features of your CMS database is that it requires little to no maintenance. There is no re-indexing, server administration, etc. It largely just takes care of itself.

One thing you can do, however, to maximize your database performance is to use a setting for database caching. This option requires more RAM but RAM is cheap and the performance gains are worthwhile. With this option, you can force Windows to allocate a specific amount of RAM to your database to allows some or all of your database to be loaded into memory and thus can have significant affects on your server performance.

Limitations (applicable to v8 thru v12) are as follows:

*Maximum cache size for (Win32) Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional, Windows Server 2003 Web Edition, Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition, Windows 2008, Windows 7 - '''1.8 Gb'''

*Maximum cache size for (Win32) Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition, Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows Vista Enterprise, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Home Basic - '''2.7 Gb'''

*Maximum cache size (Win 64) limited by physical memory on 64-bit engines - ''NOTE: Our experience to date has shown that caching beyond 1.8G is not possible even with 64bit operating systems.''

Source - http://infocenter.sybase.com/help/index.jsp?topic=/com.sybase.help.sqlanywhere.12.0.0/dbadmin/da-limits.html

To update your cache size, you'll want to modify the registry key for the service (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\ASANYs_NHSDataService\Parameters) like this:
-n NHSDataServer "C:\NewHaven Software\Data\Company\Company.db" -c 1800M -ti 0 -tl 0

The above is a cache of 1800 Meg (1.8 Gig.) K, M and G are recognizable increments and they must be in caps. It does not accept decimals however so if you want 1.5G you should do 1500M as shown in the above example. You can experiment with other or higher values but if the service doesn't start you may need to back your number down or revert to an earlier setting.

If you're interested in this option and have enough RAM, please contact NewHaven Technical Support for information on how to enable this option.

==What about my network?==
Our recommendations here are pretty generic. If you're still on the old 10mbps cards you should consider upgrading. 1Gbps is pretty standard these days. CMS doesn't need a lot of bandwidth but could benefit from 100mbps over 10mbps...depending on what other network traffic you might expect. If you have hubs or old switches, that would be a good place to look at upgrading.

==Will CMS work with wireless?==
Yes, although CMS must maintain a constant connection with its database and even momentary interruptions in that connection can be enough to cause errors. As such, we do not recommend running CMS over a wireless network connection. You can, however, use Remote Desktop via wireless to connect to a machine that is on your physical network and, in that scenario, you would not be subject to disconnect issues.

==Can I run CMS remotely?==
Yes, but it must be done using RDP (remote desktop), terminal services or remote access software like Logmein. CMS must be running on the same network/domain as its database server. You'll need to remote into Windows first and then run CMS from that machine. You cannot have CMS installed locally and connect to a remote network/server. See the section on [http://wiki.newhavensoftware.com/index.php/CMS_System_Requirements#Remote_Connections remote connections] above.

==Can NewHaven Software assist with purchasing or configuring my hardware/network?==
We can make recommendations, like we have in this article, but the actual purchase, configuration and maintenance of your hardware and network must be performed by someone at your location. This would either be done by someone on staff that is capable or a local contractor that can provide these services and expertise to you. We're happy to consult with your staff or contractors on any CMS related configurations.

CMS System Requirements

2013-08-02T21:07:14Z

Rob parkes:

CMS system requirements are fairly meager considering the capabilities of today's machines. As such, most anything you buy or even already own today will be more than adequate. You do, however, want to make sure you're meeting the following system requirements.

=64-bit vs 32-bit=
This option affects both your hardware and software. Some Windows operating systems are available in either a 32-bit or 64-bit version. Either will work with CMS and CMS's database server software - SQL Anywhere. The 64-bit version does not offer any benefits to CMS over its 32-bit counterpart. Sybase, on the other hand, would stand to benefit to some degree from a 64-bit OS, at least in its support of additional RAM. If you're looking at running Windows XP Pro, Vista or 2003 Server we'd recommend sticking with the 32-bit editions. If you're considering Windows 7 or 2008 Server you may opt for either the 32 or 64-bit editions. Note that Windows Server 2008 R2 is only available in 64-bit.

=Hardware=
==Servers==
This section applies to machines that are operating as pure servers or for stand-alone installations which are acting as both a server and workstation.

'''Minimum Requirements'''
* Pentium 4 - 1.8 GHz or faster CPU
* 1 Gigabyte RAM
* 20 GB Hard Drive with 2 GB available
* CD-ROM or CD-R/RW Drive
* SVGA Monitor

'''Database Server Additional Recommendations'''
#The best things you can do to improve the performance of your CMS server is maximize your RAM and purchase fast hard drives. The speed and number of processors has less to do with CMS performance than does I/O (disk read/write speed) and being able to cache some or all of the database into RAM. This should be your first goal when purchasing a new server or optimizing and existing server. Read more about [http://wiki.newhavensoftware.com/index.php/CMS_System_Requirements#What_is_.22database_caching.22.3F database caching] options below to make the most of your available RAM.
#Solid State Drives (SSD) can be an attractive option/addition to your server. They are essentially RAM and are extremely fast.
#Isolate your CMS database onto its own drive so it is not sharing a drive with your operating system or other server files.
#The CMS database server (Sybase) can make use of dual processors but, as a rule, processing speed does not play a huge role in performance. Consider this nice to have but not a necessity and lower in priority than the RAM and fast drive recommendations above.
#Fast network cards - Especially useful if you run a lot of reports from your workstations.
#[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID RAID] 6 or other drive array. Priority of redundancy over striping if going with a different RAID configuration. Your server is at the heart of your company's operation and you need to make sure you can keep it going. Redundancy will help you sleep at night.
#Backups - While not a performance issue, this is an important consideration for a new server. You'll want to have an automated system in place to move the nightly CMS backup (must be turned on and configured) to other storage locations. Ideally you'd have a rolling backup routine that allows you to store backups for each night without overwriting the previous backups and then move the last backup of the week off-site (DVD, tape or online backup location). This way even if your place of business was in a natural disaster or your server was stolen, you would reasonably be able to recover. We unfortunately had a customer of ours go out of business because they were unable to recover when their server was lost in a fire. Protect yourself from the same fate.

'''Configuration'''

When running directly on a Windows server (2003 and up), CMS will not be able to make web service calls until the following configuration change is made. This can impact some CMS integrations so the following setting should be made on your server:

*'''Server 2003:''' Go into Control Panel->System->Advanced->Performance->Settings
*'''Server 2008:''' Go into Control Panel->System & Security->System->advanced System Settings->Performance->Settings
*Choose the Data Execution Prevention tab.

The default setting is Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select, and there is no reason to change it for CMS. However, you need to add CMS to the exception list, which will then allow CMS to communicate with web services.

*Themes - CMS 8.0 and later requires Windows Themes be enabled if you are running CMS on your server (including Terminal Services).

==CMS workstations==
Workstations are those machines that are running CMS from a server on your network. If you are running CMS on only one machine or that machine is your server, please see the Server requirements above.

'''Minimum Requirements'''
* Pentium III 500 MHz or faster
* 1 GB RAM
* CD-ROM Drive
* 20GB Hard Drive with 2GB available
* SVGA Monitor
* 10Mbps Network Card(s) or faster

'''CMS Workstation Recommendations'''

Very little processing, disk space or hardware is required to run CMS on a workstation. Most everything takes place on the server so your workstation requirements are reasonably small. Our only recommendation beyond the minimums is to maximize your RAM and consider faster network cards.

==[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripheral Peripherals]==
CMS will work with most any peripheral (e.g. printers) as long as the manufacture still supports it and offers drivers for your operating system. If the manufacture does not support your device and offer drivers for your operating system, NewHaven Software cannot assist you with it. It may work with CMS but, if not, you must upgrade your device to a currently supported model.

While this may seem like we're just washing our hands of supporting older hardware, there is really more to it. CMS, like most other Windows applications, relies on Windows to operate as an intermediary with its peripherals. In other words, CMS communicates to Windows and then Windows communicates with the peripheral. If Windows does not have a current driver, that communication may fail or operate in unexpected ways. In other words, any problems with the peripheral are outside of our software and control.

===[[POS Module]]===
The only place where CMS has more specific hardware requirements are the peripherals used with its POS Module. The Point of Sale Module only supports specific models of printers, cash drawers, credit card swipes and UPC bar code scanners.

*Printers - Most any Windows compatible printer should work but the following are the 80 column thermal printers we have tested and can support:
**Star TSP143II
**Samsung SRP-350
*[[Barcode Scanners]] - CMS requires USB serial emulation mode. Contact Support for a programming guide suitable for your model of scanner. If you are not purchasing these models through NewHaven Software, '''be sure that you are supplied with a proper cable to allow USB serial emulation'''.
**Honeywell (HandHeld) 3800G
**Honeywell (Metrologic) Fusion MS3780
**Honeywell (Metrologic) Voyager 9540
(Honeywell's 1300 is also known to work but is not officially supported)
*Cash Drawer
**APG 320 MultiPro
**MMC 225151644204
*Credit card swipe/reader - Magtek model 21040102 (many look the same but are not, it must be this model)

Other hardware may work with CMS but these are the only models we have tested and can support or offer configuration instructions for. The credit card reader, however, is unlikely to work unless you have the specific model we have recommended.

NHS recommends [http://www.posworld.com/ POS World] for your POS hardware. Sharp people, great service, prices and support. Contact Rich King there and identify yourself as a CMS user and he will make sure you get the right equipment. rking@posworld.com , 1.888.801.7282 x678 , www.posworld.com

===Shipping Manifest===

====Barcode scanners====
CMS supports the USB/serial scanners listed above under POS Module and also can work with any keyboard wedge style scanner albeit with reduced capability. Read this article on [[Barcode Scanners]] for more information.

====Scales====
*CMS version 7 or earlier - CMS will work with most any scale that connects via a serial connection and can emulate a Mettler Toledo (models 8213 or PS60) or the UPS Fairbanks scale.
*CMS 8.0 or later - USB connections are supported for the Toledo models PS60 and PS90 (in addition to supporting serial connections for the scale models mentioned above.)
*[http://updates.newhavensoftware.com/v9release_notes.htm#link-1-9 CMS 9.0.5] or later - Any of the above plus the Adam brand scale - CPWplus models (serial connection)

Other scanners or scales may work with CMS but these are the ones we support and can assist you with configuration. Please contact us if you'd like us to evaluate other hardware (typically requires shipping a unit to us for testing.)

=Operating Systems=
The following are operating systems currently supported by Microsoft and NewHaven Software for use with CMS.
==Servers==
*Windows Server 2003 SP2 - Server 2003 is expected to continue to work with CMS for the foreseeable future but for new servers we recommend Server 2008 since [http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/lifecycle Microsoft has announced Server 2003 is End of Life] (EoL) on April 8th, 2014 (also true for Windows XP)
**Server 2003 Editions supported - Standard, Small Business Server, Enterprise
*Windows Server 2008
**Server 2008 R2 Editions supported - Standard, Small Business Server, Enterprise

Windows Server 2012 is currently in testing and in use by NewHaven Software as well. Official support for Server 2012 is expected early 2013.

==Workstations or CMS Solo (i.e. single-user)==
*Windows XP Pro (must be SP3) - XP Pro SP3 is expected to continue to work with CMS for the foreseeable future but for new machines we recommend Windows 7 since [http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/lifecycle Microsoft has announced XP is End of Life] (EoL) on April 8th, 2014 (also true for Server 2003)
*Vista Business Edition SP2
*Vista Ultimate SP2
*7 Professional
*7 Ultimate
Windows 8 is currently being tested and we expect to announce official support for it in our CMS 10.0 release early 2014. Early indications are that CMS should install and work fine but testing is not yet complete. If you need to purchase new computers before we've announced support for Windows 8, sites like Dell.com offer the option to choose your operating system and Windows 7 will remain available for some time (as was Windows XP during the Windows Vista launch.)

NOTE: Microsoft ended support for Windows 2000 Professional on July 13, 2010. Windows 2000 is also not compatible with CMS version 7.0 or later. For more information please refer to the article [[Windows 2000 and CMS]]

=Remote Connections=
There are many options available to you when wanting to run CMS remotely. The core issue that must be observed is that CMS must be running on a machine that is connected locally to its database server. As long as that is true, you'll have no troubles running CMS remotely. You cannot, however, have CMS running locally on your workstation and connect to a remote server. The following are some remote access solutions and tips.

==Remote Access Software==
Software like TeamViewer, LogMeIn, and GoToMyPC are inexpensive remote access tools that allow you to connect to your PC via their website, thus from any other PC. Performance is a little slower than other solutions but is low cost, flexible and easy to use.

==[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_Desktop_Services Remote Desktop and Terminal Server]==
*Our preferred method is to use Windows' built-in remote access options. Remote Desktop allows you to connect to your work machine with CMS on it and control it remotely. To do this you must first establish a virtual private network (VPN) connection.
*Terminal Services is also an option that will allow you to VPN into your server and create/run a remote session right on the server and without the need for a dedicated workstation. This is also a popular option but does require purchasing Windows client access licenses (CALs). Note: Running CMS 8.0 or later on terminal services will require that you enable Windows themes.

==Cloud Computing==
While there are many appeals to moving to the cloud, there is still a great deal of uncertainty in how this will affect your PCI DSS compliance. It appears the PCI Council is currently wrestling with issues surrounding cloud and mobile computing so more information and regulation may be coming soon. We will be testing cloud computing alternatives to prepare but we will hold back recommending any such solutions until the PCI Council has announced their stance.

=Virtual Machines=
NewHaven Software will support CMS running on a virtual machine as long as the operating system (OS) running in the virtual machine is also supported. However, if NHS is unable to reproduce an issue, the customer may be asked to reproduce the problem running natively on the supported OS, outside the virtual environment. NHS does not explicitly test or certify products running in a virtual environment.

In other words, NHS can support CMS running in virtual environments but not the environments themselves. We strongly recommend that if you decide to pursue running virtual machines that you have someone with related expertise to assist with the setup and administration of these, much the same as you would network administration.

==Recommendations==
CMS can run on a virtual machine/server as long as it is provided enough resources (e.g. disk space, memory, processor). We in fact run CMS here at NewHaven Software on a virtual server and have had great success with it. We have been using VMware ESXi v4.0 and have also had successful tests with Xen Server 5.6 Feature Pack 1 although have yet to run CMS in production on Xen Server.

We also hope to look at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_virtualization VDI] in the future. We do have some CMS customers running live on a virtual server presently as well.

As a rule, CMS and the database server will run with no particular technical issues although performance is not as good as running on a dedicated non-virtual server. Reinforcing what has been said above, lots or RAM and fast drives (read/write) are the biggest factors that impact CMS performance. Our recommendations for running CMS on a virtual server simply are to ensure that sufficient resources are allocated.

If you think virtualization is in your future, please contact us for assistance in setting up a test environment. Before deploying into production we of course strongly recommend testing. You'll want to validate that performance is acceptable and that all connectivity, including from peripherals, and all integrations are working and performing at acceptable levels.

=3rd Party Software=
Many 3rd party solutions can be used in conjunction with CMS for reporting, but it is important to note, we do not support these software solutions. Examples of this 3rd party solutions are Crystal Software, Microsoft Access, Mapforce, etc. The NHS technical staff is not responsible for answering any questions about features or functionality within the software. Please view your Software License and Support Agreement for details.

We can provide assistance via a professional service and we ask you to contact your Account Manager if help is needed.

=FAQ's=
==Do I really need a new machine?==
Probably not. The operating system is far more important than your hardware. If your operating system is no longer supported, you may be able to update it or reinstall a current operating system on your current machine. Please consult Microsoft for their minimum requirements for the operating system your selecting. Generally if it meets Microsoft's requirements for their operating system, it will be good enough for CMS as well. From there, you need to decide if good enough is really good enough and that will be clear in the performance of Windows, CMS or other applications.

==My operating system is currently supported, do I need a new machine?==
Hardware is rarely an issue with CMS and you could be running old machines and still experience reasonable performance. If you're satisfied with the speed of CMS, you're able to run a supported operating system without errors, and you have adequate disk space, you may choose to continue to run on your existing machine(s).

If you were to do only one thing, it should be to max the amount of RAM your machine will take. RAM is cheap, too cheap to not have plenty of it.

Secondarily, a CMS server needs a lot of disk space not just for its database but it may require additional free gigabytes of space for temp files that the database server creates and destroys through normal usage. You should never have less than 2Gig of free space on your server. If that is a problem, and you're not going to upgrade your server, at least move onto new hard drives. Here too, drive space is too cheap for this to be a limiting factor.

There may be other compelling reasons to upgrade your machines, be it for speed, other applications or compatibility with other new technologies. New machines that are capable of running 64-bit operating systems, for example, are capable of handling more than 4 Gigabytes of RAM. While this would rarely be a CMS consideration for a workstation, if you have a database (.db file) that is larger than 2 Gig, you should seriously consider a server with more than 4G of RAM.

As a rule, the performance you need from CMS is merely a factor of hardware. As your company grows, CMS can scale perfectly well with you but may require improved hardware to keep up with the increased server load. Evaluating CPU/memory usage and free disk space during the heat of the day will give you an indication of how well your server is handling the load and if more resources are needed.

==Why can't I continue to use an older operating system?==
Even if has worked fine with CMS for years, if Microsoft no longer supports it, you really don't want to be using it. Once they stop offering security patches, as they just have stopped doing for Windows 2000, you become vulnerable to new threats (viruses, hacks, etc.) and you may find that CMS will no longer work. Such is the case with Windows 2000 as it does not contain the components need for CMS to run properly. [http://wiki.newhavensoftware.com/index.php/Windows_2000_and_CMS This link] provides more information on this subject.

PCI requirements also dictate that your systems must be kept up to date with current security patches.

==What is "database caching"?==
One of the great features of your CMS database is that it requires little to no maintenance. There is no re-indexing, server administration, etc. It largely just takes care of itself.

One thing you can do, however, to maximize your database performance is to use a setting for database caching. This option requires more RAM but RAM is cheap and the performance gains are worthwhile. With this option, you can force Windows to allocate a specific amount of RAM to your database to allows some or all of your database to be loaded into memory and thus can have significant affects on your server performance.

Limitations (applicable to v8 thru v12) are as follows:

*Maximum cache size for (Win32) Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional, Windows Server 2003 Web Edition, Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition, Windows 2008, Windows 7 - '''1.8 Gb'''

*Maximum cache size for (Win32) Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition, Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows Vista Enterprise, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Home Basic - '''2.7 Gb'''

*Maximum cache size (Win 64) limited by physical memory on 64-bit engines - ''NOTE: Our experience to date has shown that caching beyond 1.8G is not possible even with 64bit operating systems.''

Source - http://infocenter.sybase.com/help/index.jsp?topic=/com.sybase.help.sqlanywhere.12.0.0/dbadmin/da-limits.html

To update your cache size, you'll want to modify the registry key for the service (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\ASANYs_NHSDataService\Parameters) like this:
-n NHSDataServer "C:\NewHaven Software\Data\Company\Company.db" -c 1800M -ti 0 -tl 0

The above is a cache of 1800 Meg (1.8 Gig.) K, M and G are recognizable increments and they must be in caps. It does not accept decimals however so if you want 1.5G you should do 1500M as shown in the above example. You can experiment with other or higher values but if the service doesn't start you may need to back your number down or revert to an earlier setting.

If you're interested in this option and have enough RAM, please contact NewHaven Technical Support for information on how to enable this option.

==What about my network?==
Our recommendations here are pretty generic. If you're still on the old 10mbps cards you should consider upgrading. 1Gbps is pretty standard these days. CMS doesn't need a lot of bandwidth but could benefit from 100mbps over 10mbps...depending on what other network traffic you might expect. If you have hubs or old switches, that would be a good place to look at upgrading.

==Will CMS work with wireless?==
Yes, although CMS must maintain a constant connection with its database and even momentary interruptions in that connection can be enough to cause errors. As such, we do not recommend running CMS over a wireless network connection. You can, however, use Remote Desktop via wireless to connect to a machine that is on your physical network and, in that scenario, you would not be subject to disconnect issues.

==Can I run CMS remotely?==
Yes, but it must be done using RDP (remote desktop), terminal services or remote access software like Logmein. CMS must be running on the same network/domain as its database server. You'll need to remote into Windows first and then run CMS from that machine. You cannot have CMS installed locally and connect to a remote network/server. See the section on [http://wiki.newhavensoftware.com/index.php/CMS_System_Requirements#Remote_Connections remote connections] above.

==Can NewHaven Software assist with purchasing or configuring my hardware/network?==
We can make recommendations, like we have in this article, but the actual purchase, configuration and maintenance of your hardware and network must be performed by someone at your location. This would either be done by someone on staff that is capable or a local contractor that can provide these services and expertise to you. We're happy to consult with your staff or contractors on any CMS related configurations.

ECommerce Integrations

2013-06-05T18:32:48Z

Rob parkes: Created page with '=Overview= For companies with low daily volumes of web orders, they may choose to just hand enter them into CMS. However, chances are that you have enough orders coming via your …'

=Overview=
For companies with low daily volumes of web orders, they may choose to just hand enter them into CMS. However, chances are that you have enough orders coming via your websites to warrant at least some form of automation. Here we have listed several options available to improve the efficiency of managing your orders and other data with your sites.

==File Importing==
Usually the first step for a smaller business wanting to get away from hand entering orders is to import orders into CMS. CMS has options available for:

*importing orders and catalog requests in an XML format (contact us for details and specification)
*order files from Yahoo stores
*order files from the 1ShoppingCart system

In these cases the process is simply to download a file of your orders from your site and point CMS to that file to import those orders. Contact us for additional information on our XML specification if needed.

==Integration with your Website==
Most companies using CMS have a significant volume of orders coming from their websites and will benefit from further automation and integration. With such integrations you'll bypass the file import method and can have CMS communicate directly with your site. These communications can include order and catalog request downloads, posting updating product information including pricing and stock availability, and uploading order status updates. We have developed a module for CMS called eCMS to address the requirements of these more robust eCommerce integrations. No files to download or sites to log into, just click of a button or configure CMS to run these automatically on a schedule.

You can purchase our eCMS module and use one of our stock Plug-ins for either [http://www.commercev3.com/ CommerceV3] or [http://www.magentocommerce.com/ Magento] or you can use our API (see below) to build a custom Plug-in that will work with the cart/site of your choosing.

==High Volume==
Any way you get your orders imported into CMS, they still need to be reviewed and released from the Verify Imports section of CMS before becoming a real order. This Verify Imports screen was designed to quickly let you review and save an order but, if you have hundreds or thousands of orders to do in a day, as many of our clients do, you may need more automation here too. This automation comes in the form of our Automated Imports module which lets you define a set of rules to establish which orders should be allowed to automatically converted to real orders and which should be reviewed by a member of your staff. More about this module can be found in our wiki article - [http://wiki.newhavensoftware.com/index.php/Automated_Imports_Module Automated Imports Module].

=eCommerce API=
This [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Api API] is a published specification, really a programmer's guide, of how to design a Plug-in (.dll) to handle eCommerce communications with CMS. This Plug-in sits between CMS and your site and manages not only URLs to connect to and logins but also translation of data to ensure both CMS and your cart are getting what they need and in the right format.

Please contact your Account Manager if you are interested in receiving a copy of the API. From there you can assess whether the development of the Plug-in is something you would like to pursue in-house, with your own contractor, or contract with us. Please keep in the mind, our API specification was designed for a programmer, not a web developer.
==Supported Plug-In's==
===[http://www.commercev3.com/ CommerceV3]===
This was the very first plug-in built with CMS and we have a long standing relationship with CV3. This CommerceV3 Plug-in allows CMS to communicate with your store on order downloads, product/inventory uploads, and order status uploads.

===[http://www.magentocommerce.com/ Magento] (beta)===
We have written a CMS Plug-in for Magento that works with our API system. This Magento Plug-in allows CMS to communicate with your Magento store for order downloads, product/inventory uploads, and order status uploads. (Catalog requests do require that a third party extension be added to Magento.)

Magento is an open source solution available in [http://www.magentocommerce.com/product/compare different editions] to suit your needs and budget. You can host it on your own web server and use the free Community edition or use the inexpensive hosted [http://go.magento.com/tour/ Go] edition. Which ever edition you choose, the CMS Magento Plug-in will handle the communications with your Magento site. We also expect the Plug-in will work with Magento's hosted Enterprise version (pending further testing and partnership).

===Custom===
If you wish to have your site connect to our API (Plug-in not listed above) you may pursue develop a Plug-in in-house, with your own contractor, or contract with us. Please contact your Account Manager for more details.

ECMS Sub Products

2011-04-29T22:53:35Z

Rob parkes:

'''Look and Feel:'''

Using the eCMS shopping cart platform there are many ways to display your products on your new website. This wiki article will show you how to use Sub Products in eCMS in conjunction with CMS.

Here is an example of a product page with Sub Products:

[[File:ECMS_Sub_Product_-_Main.png]]

This feature allows you to display multiple products in a concise and clear fashion under similar product header. Some customers prefer this format instead of displaying multiple products each with their own picture and content.

In the example I provided above 'Boudin' can be misinterpreted as Category when in reality 'Boudin' is a Product. We like to call this a 'Parent Product' which is used to assign the appropriate Sub Products. Savoie's Pork Boudin (Item #04-01), Poche's Pork Boudin (Item #04-14), etc each are their own products and are used as Sub Products. The main image that is slightly cut off in the screen shot above is assigned to the Parent Product Boudin, and the relevant content as illustrated below in my screen shot are also assigned to Boudin.

[[File:ECMS_Sub_Products_-_Images_and_Content.png]]

The premise behind this is to allow our customers to sell their products one page without being redundant on images and content.

Here is another example of how Sub Products are displayed:

[[File:ECMS_Sub_Products_-_Crows_Nest_Example.png]]

----

'''Setup:'''

You have two choices on how you want to setup the 'Parent Products'. You can set them up in CMS and use the product upload feature to eCMS, or you can take CMS out of the equation and setup the products in the eCMS interface. This preference can be made by the customer, but we recommend setting up the product in eCMS only. Why? Considering the 'Parent Product' is not being sold we are inclined to leave this product out of CMS to avoid confusion in your product list and order entry. The Sub Product is a web only feature and task of setting up these products should be kept to the web. However, if you see the content changing frequently (Web Text and Web Description) and want to manage in one place like the rest of your products you can do so in CMS. I will outline the steps below on setting up products in eCMS and CMS.

'''eCMS:'''

* Click All Products under Inventory in the eCMS interface.
* Click Add Products
* Product Type is 'Regular', Add a Name, and Add SKU
* Add a URL Name (i.e, boudin)
* Under Product Display the Product Template is 'Default'
* Add a Description Header.
* Add a Full Description.
* Stock Status is 'In Stock' (Does not affect anything).
* Retail Product should be selected.
* Site Search Keywords, Meta Keywords, Meta Title, and Meta Description are optional, but recommended.
* Images - See Below.
* Categories - The 'Dummy Product' should be assigned the appropriate category. The first example I showed is from http://louisianaliving.com and the 'Parent Product' Boudin is assigned to the category Fresh Foods.
* Nothing should be set under Retail.
* Under Options > Options select the Product Type as 'Has Sub-Products'. This is key.
* Click Save and Close

'''CMS:'''

Create a new product in CMS. If you do not know how to create a product in CMS please use the online help menu in CMS by click F1.

Key Notes to consider -

* Product Code in CMS matches the SKU name in eCMS.
* Invoice Description in CMS matches the Name of the product in eCMS.
* Web Description in CMS matches the Description Header in eCMS.
* Web Text in CMS matches the Full Description in eCMS.
* Mark Product in CMS as a Non-Inventory item.
* No Price is needed (Remember...this is a Dummy Product).
* Check eCMS Product on the Inventory-Warehouse-Vendor tab.
* Once complete upload to the website.

Customer Service Disclaimer: These products are NOT for sale. The products will display in the Order Entry drop down, so please make your operators aware these are not to be selected. You can avoid this by the Product Code you choose and providing the proper training to your customer service reps.

You now have instructions for adding the 'Parent Products' in eCMS or CMS. You are now set to add the Sub Products to the 'Parent Product'.

'''Adding Sub Products:'''

* You will see the product available for viewing under 'All Products' with a link to click on Sub Products.
* The products you are assigning to the 'Dummy Product' should be in CMS and already uploaded to eCMS. This means 'Add New Product' in this section should not be used.
* Click on Move Products.
* Via the Product ID Finder you can find the Product ID's.
* In the 'Move Products' field you add the Product ID via comma's. For example, 113, 118, 115, etc.
* Click Save and Return.
* You will now see the products available for viewing. Please set the sort order in which they appear on the website.
* Name, Price, etc. will carry over.

'''Images:'''

ECMS Sub Products

2011-04-29T16:53:20Z

Rob parkes:

'''Look and Feel:'''

Using the eCMS shopping cart platform there are many ways to display your products on your new website. This wiki article will show you how to use Sub Products in eCMS in conjunction with CMS.

Here is an example of a product page with Sub Products:

[[File:ECMS_Sub_Product_-_Main.png]]

This feature allows you to display multiple products in a concise and clear fashion under similar product header. Some customers prefer this format instead of displaying multiple products each with their own picture and content.

In the example I provided above 'Boudin' can be misinterpreted as Category when in reality 'Boudin' is a Product. We like to call this a 'Parent Product' which is used to assign the appropriate Sub Products. Savoie's Pork Boudin (Item #04-01), Poche's Pork Boudin (Item #04-14), etc each are their own products and are used as Sub Products. The main image that is slightly cut off in the screen shot above is assigned to the Parent Product Boudin, and the relevant content as illustrated below in my screen shot are also assigned to Boudin.

[[File:ECMS_Sub_Products_-_Images_and_Content.png]]

The premise behind this is to allow our customers to sell their products one page without being redundant on images and content.

Here is another example of how Sub Products are displayed:

[[File:ECMS_Sub_Products_-_Crows_Nest_Example.png]]

----

'''Setup:'''

You have two choices on how you want to setup the 'Parent Products'. You can set them up in CMS and use the product upload feature to eCMS, or you can take CMS out of the equation and setup the products in the eCMS interface. This preference can be made by the customer, but we recommend setting up the product in eCMS only. Why? Considering the 'Parent Product' is not being sold we are inclined to leave this product out of CMS to avoid confusion in your product list and order entry. The Sub Product is a web only feature and task of setting up these products should be kept to the web. However, if you see the content changing frequently (Web Text and Web Description) and want to manage in one place like the rest of your products you can do so in CMS. I will outline the steps below on setting up products in eCMS and CMS.

'''eCMS:'''

* Click All Products under Inventory in the eCMS interface.
* Click Add Products
* Product Type is 'Regular', Add a Name, and Add SKU
* Add a URL Name (i.e, boudin)
* Under Product Display the Product Template is 'Default'
* Add a Description Header.
* Add a Full Description.
* Stock Status is 'In Stock' (Does not affect anything).
* Retail Product should be selected.
* Site Search Keywords, Meta Keywords, Meta Title, and Meta Description are optional, but recommended.
* Images - See Below.
* Categories - The 'Dummy Product' should be assigned the appropriate category. The first example I showed is from http://louisianaliving.com and the 'Parent Product' Boudin is assigned to the category Fresh Foods.
* Nothing should be set under Retail.
* Under Options > Options select the Product Type as 'Has Sub-Products'. This is key.
* Click Save and Close

'''CMS:'''

Create a new product in CMS. If you do not know how to create a product in CMS please use the online help menu in CMS by click F1.

Key Notes to consider -

* Product Code in CMS matches the SKU name in eCMS.
* Invoice Description in CMS matches the Name of the product in eCMS.
* Web Description in CMS matches the Description Header in eCMS.
* Web Text in CMS matches the Full Description in eCMS.
* Mark Product in CMS as a Non-Inventory item.
* No Price is needed (Remember...this is a Dummy Product).
* Check eCMS Product on the Inventory-Warehouse-Vendor tab.
* Once complete upload to the website.

Customer Service Disclaimer: These products are NOT for sale. The products will display in the Order Entry drop down, so please make your operators aware these are not to be selected. You can avoid this by the Product Code you choose and providing the proper training to your customer service reps.

You now have instructions for adding the 'Parent Products' in eCMS or CMS. You are now set to add the Sub Products to the 'Dummy Product'.

'''Adding Sub Products:'''

* You will see the product available for viewing under 'All Products' with a link to click on Sub Products.
* The products you are assigning to the 'Dummy Product' should be in CMS and already uploaded to eCMS. This means 'Add New Product' in this section should not be used.
* Click on Move Products.
* Via the Product ID Finder you can find the Product ID's.
* In the 'Move Products' field you add the Product ID via comma's. For example, 113, 118, 115, etc.
* Click Save and Return.
* You will now see the products available for viewing. Please set the sort order in which they appear on the website.
* Name, Price, etc. will carry over.

'''Images:'''

ECMS Sub Products

2011-03-29T17:48:06Z

Rob parkes:

'''Look and Feel:'''

Using the eCMS shopping cart platform there are many ways to display your products on your new website. This wiki article will show you how to use Sub Products in eCMS in conjunction with CMS.

Here is an example of a product page with Sub Products:

[[File:ECMS_Sub_Product_-_Main.png]]

This feature allows you to display multiple products in a concise and clear fashion under similar product header. Some customers prefer this format instead of displaying multiple products each with their own picture and content.

In the example I provided above 'Boudin' can be misinterpreted as Category when in reality 'Boudin' is a Product. We like to call this a 'Dummy Product' which is used to assign the appropriate Sub Products. Savoie's Pork Boudin (Item #04-01), Poche's Pork Boudin (Item #04-14), etc each are their own products and are used as Sub Products. The main image that is slightly cut off in the screen shot above is assigned to the Dummy Product Boudin, and the relevant content as illustrated below in my screen shot are also assigned to Boudin.

[[File:ECMS_Sub_Products_-_Images_and_Content.png]]

The premise behind this is to allow our customers to sell their products one page without being redundant on images and content.

Here is another example of how Sub Products are displayed:

[[File:ECMS_Sub_Products_-_Crows_Nest_Example.png]]

----

'''Setup:'''

You have two choices on how you want to setup the 'Dummy Products'. You can set them up in CMS and use the product upload feature to eCMS, or you can take CMS out of the equation and setup the products in the eCMS interface. This preference can be made by the customer, but we recommend setting up the product in eCMS only. Why? Considering the 'Dummy Product' is not being sold we are inclined to leave this product out of CMS to avoid confusion in your product list and order entry. The Sub Product is a web only feature and task of setting up these products should be kept to the web. However, if you see the content changing frequently (Web Text and Web Description) and want to manage in one place like the rest of your products you can do so in CMS. I will outline the steps below on setting up products in eCMS and CMS.

'''eCMS:'''

* Click All Products under Inventory in the eCMS interface.
* Click Add Products
* Product Type is 'Regular', Add a Name, and Add SKU
* Add a URL Name (i.e, boudin)
* Under Product Display the Product Template is 'Default'
* Add a Description Header.
* Add a Full Description.
* Stock Status is 'In Stock' (Does not affect anything).
* Retail Product should be selected.
* Site Search Keywords, Meta Keywords, Meta Title, and Meta Description are optional, but recommended.
* Images - See Below.
* Categories - The 'Dummy Product' should be assigned the appropriate category. The first example I showed is from http://louisianaliving.com and the 'Dummy Product' Boudin is assigned to the category Fresh Foods.
* Nothing should be set under Retail.
* Under Options > Options select the Product Type as 'Has Sub-Products'. This is key.
* Click Save and Close

'''CMS:'''

Create a new product in CMS. If you do not know how to create a product in CMS please use the online help menu in CMS by click F1.

Key Notes to consider -

* Product Code in CMS matches the SKU name in eCMS.
* Invoice Description in CMS matches the Name of the product in eCMS.
* Web Description in CMS matches the Description Header in eCMS.
* Web Text in CMS matches the Full Description in eCMS.
* Mark Product in CMS as a Non-Inventory item.
* No Price is needed (Remember...this is a Dummy Product).
* Check eCMS Product on the Inventory-Warehouse-Vendor tab.
* Once complete upload to the website.

Customer Service Disclaimer: These products are NOT for sale. The products will display in the Order Entry drop down, so please make your operators aware these are not to be selected. You can avoid this by the Product Code you choose and providing the proper training to your customer service reps.

You now have instructions for adding the 'Dummy Products' in eCMS or CMS. You are now set to add the Sub Products to the 'Dummy Product'.

'''Adding Sub Products:'''

* You will see the product available for viewing under 'All Products' with a link to click on Sub Products.
* The products you are assigning to the 'Dummy Product' should be in CMS and already uploaded to eCMS. This means 'Add New Product' in this section should not be used.
* Click on Move Products.
* Via the Product ID Finder you can find the Product ID's.
* In the 'Move Products' field you add the Product ID via comma's. For example, 113, 118, 115, etc.
* Click Save and Return.
* You will now see the products available for viewing. Please set the sort order in which they appear on the website.
* Name, Price, etc. will carry over.

'''Images:'''

File:ECMS Sub Products - Crows Nest Example.png

2011-03-29T17:47:24Z

Rob parkes:

File:ECMS Sub Products - Images and Content.png

2011-03-29T17:46:55Z

Rob parkes:

File:ECMS Sub Product - Main.png

2011-03-29T17:46:23Z

Rob parkes:

ECMS Sub Products

2011-03-29T17:27:16Z

Rob parkes: Created page with ''''Look and Feel:''' Using the eCMS shopping cart platform there are many ways to display your products on your new website. This wiki article will show you how to use Sub Prod…'

'''Look and Feel:'''

Using the eCMS shopping cart platform there are many ways to display your products on your new website. This wiki article will show you how to use Sub Products in eCMS in conjunction with CMS.

Here is an example of a product page with Sub Products:

[[File:ECMS_Sub_Product_-_Main.png]]

This feature allows you to display multiple products in a concise and clear fashion under similar product header. Some customers prefer this format instead of displaying multiple products each with their own picture and content.

In the example I provided above 'Boudin' can be misinterpreted as Category when in reality 'Boudin' is a Product. We like to call this a 'Dummy Product' which is used to assign the appropriate Sub Products. Savoie's Pork Boudin (Item #04-01), Poche's Pork Boudin (Item #04-14), etc each are their own products and are used as Sub Products. The main image that is slightly cut off in the screen shot above is assigned to the Dummy Product Boudin, and the relevant content as illustrated below in my screen shot are also assigned to Boudin.

[[File:ECMS_Sub_Products_-_Images_and_Content.png]]

The premise behind this is to allow our customers to sell their products one page without being redundant on images and content.

Here is another example of how Sub Products are displayed:

[[File:ECMS_Sub_Products_-_Crows_Nest_Example.png]]

----

'''Setup:'''

You have two choices on how you want to setup the 'Dummy Products'. You can set them up in CMS and use the product upload feature to eCMS, or you can take CMS out of the equation and setup the products in the eCMS interface. This preference can be made by the customer, but we recommend setting up the product in eCMS only. Why? Considering the 'Dummy Product' is not being sold we are inclined to leave this product out of CMS to avoid confusion in your product list and order entry. The Sub Product is a web only feature and task of setting up these products should be kept to the web. However, if you see the content changing frequently (Web Text and Web Description) and want to manage in one place like the rest of your products you can do so in CMS. I will outline the steps below on setting up products in eCMS and CMS.

'''eCMS:'''

* Click All Products under Inventory in the eCMS interface.
* Click Add Products
* Product Type is 'Regular', Add a Name, and Add SKU
* Add a URL Name (i.e, boudin)
* Under Product Display the Product Template is 'Default'
* Add a Description Header.
* Add a Full Description.
* Stock Status is 'In Stock' (Does not affect anything).
* Retail Product should be selected.
* Site Search Keywords, Meta Keywords, Meta Title, and Meta Description are optional, but recommended.
* Images - See Below.
* Categories - The 'Dummy Product' should be assigned the appropriate category. The first example I showed is from http://louisianaliving.com and the 'Dummy Product' Boudin is assigned to the category Fresh Foods.
* Nothing should be set under Retail.
* Under Options > Options select the Product Type as 'Has Sub-Products'. This is key.
* Click Save and Close

'''CMS:'''

Create a new product in CMS. If you do not know how to create a product in CMS please use the online help menu in CMS by click F1.

Key Notes to consider -

* Product Code in CMS matches the SKU name in eCMS.
* Invoice Description in CMS matches the Name of the product in eCMS.
* Web Description in CMS matches the Description Header in eCMS.
* Web Text in CMS matches the Full Description in eCMS.
* Mark Product in CMS as a Non-Inventory item.
* No Price is needed (Remember...this is a Dummy Product).
* Check eCMS Product on the Inventory-Warehouse-Vendor tab.
* Once complete upload to the website.

Customer Service Disclaimer: These products are NOT for sale. The products will display in the Order Entry drop down, so please make your operators aware these are not to be selected. You can avoid this by the Product Code you choose and providing the proper training to your customer service reps.

You now have instructions for adding the 'Dummy Products' in eCMS or CMS. You are now set to add the Sub Products to the 'Dummy Product'.

'''Adding Sub Products:'''

* You will see the product available for viewing under 'All Products' with a link to click on Sub Products.
* The products you are assigning to the 'Dummy Product' should be in CMS and already uploaded to eCMS. This means 'Add New Product' in this section should not be used.
* Click on Move Products.
* Via the Product ID Finder you can find the Product ID's.
* In the 'Move Products' field you add the Product ID via comma's. For example, 113, 118, 115, etc.
* Click Save and Return.
* You will now see the products available for viewing. Please set the sort order in which they appear on the website.
* Name, Price, etc. will carry over.

Custom SQL Filters

2010-03-03T22:16:56Z

Rob parkes:

In addition to the standard invoice and mail list filter options provided in CMS, you also have the option to use a 'Write Own SQL' option. This is useful for when you'd want to create a filter that is beyond the standard options available through the CMS interface.

It is important to note that when you select the 'Write Own SQL' checkbox, it then is the only valid option on the filter screen. You cannot combine it with other checkboxes. You can however customize a mail filter created in CMS.

For the Mail List Filter section you have the option of creating a filter using the checkboxes to get as close as you can to your desired filter. Once saved you would then click on View SQL to see the resulting SQL CMS has created based on the options selected. You cannot edit that SQL there but you can copy it and create a new filter with 'Write Own SQL' and paste/edit it there.

This can be very handy and easy to do as often times the only change desired is a change in Boolean values. For example, if you create a filter based on two customer description codes (CDC's) the default Boolean is 'OR'. In other words, customers will qualify for this filter if they have one code OR the other. If you only wanted customers who had both codes, you would create a custom filter, paste in the SQL from the original filter and change the OR to an AND.

Syntax is very important in these filters so if you are writing one from scratch, please pay attention to these examples for guidance on what you selects should look like (namely the use of DISTINCT and which tables are being referenced):

=Mail List Filter requirements=

<source lang="sql">
SELECT DISTINCT C.*
FROM CUST C
WHERE ...
</source>

=Invoice Filter requirements=

<source lang="sql">
SELECT DISTINCT I.* FROM INVOICE I, ORDERHDR O
where ...
and I.order_id = O.order_id
</source>

==Invoice filter examples==

*Target invoices shipping to Canada
<source lang="sql">
Select Distinct I.* from Invoice I, Address A, Orderhdr O
where I.SHIP_ID = A.ADDRESS_ID
and A.COUNTRY = '001'
and I.order_id = O.order_id
</source>

*Target invoices with packages shipping via a specific method (useful with Best Shipping since the order/invoice no longer have a shipping method)
<source lang="SQL">
SELECT DISTINCT I.* FROM Invoice I, Package P, Orderhdr O
where I.order_id = P.order_id and I.invoice_id = P.invoice_id
and I.order_id = O.order_id
and P.ship_via in
(select ship_code from SHIPMETH
where SEL_LETTER = 'P')
</source>

==Products Purchased==

*Target customers on products purchased within a date range (3 examples). Date range is based off of the fulfill date, and these filters also exclude returned/canceled items.

*Between a Date Range
<source lang="SQL">
SELECT DISTINCT C.*
FROM CUST C, ITEMSORD I
WHERE (I.PROD_CODE = '1'
AND I.FULFILL_DT between '2010-01-31' and '2010-03-31'
AND ((I.CUR_RETURN + I.CUR_CANCEL) < I.CUR_SENT))
AND (I.CUST_NUM = C.ID)
</source>

*Greater than a specified date
<source lang="SQL">
SELECT DISTINCT C.*
FROM CUST C, ITEMSORD I
WHERE (I.PROD_CODE = '1'
AND I.FULFILL_DT > '2010-01-31'
AND ((I.CUR_RETURN + I.CUR_CANCEL) < I.CUR_SENT))
AND (I.CUST_NUM = C.ID)
</source>

*Ordered in the last 30 days
<source lang="SQL">
SELECT DISTINCT C.*
FROM CUST C, ITEMSORD I
WHERE (I.PROD_CODE = '1'
AND I.FULFILL_DT > (TODAY(*) - 30)
AND ((I.CUR_RETURN + I.CUR_CANCEL) < I.CUR_SENT))
AND (I.CUST_NUM = C.ID)
</source>

Custom SQL Filters

2010-03-03T22:14:13Z

Rob parkes:

In addition to the standard invoice and mail list filter options provided in CMS, you also have the option to use a 'Write Own SQL' option. This is useful for when you'd want to create a filter that is beyond the standard options available through the CMS interface.

It is important to note that when you select the 'Write Own SQL' checkbox, it then is the only valid option on the filter screen. You cannot combine it with other checkboxes. You can however customize a mail filter created in CMS.

For the Mail List Filter section you have the option of creating a filter using the checkboxes to get as close as you can to your desired filter. Once saved you would then click on View SQL to see the resulting SQL CMS has created based on the options selected. You cannot edit that SQL there but you can copy it and create a new filter with 'Write Own SQL' and paste/edit it there.

This can be very handy and easy to do as often times the only change desired is a change in Boolean values. For example, if you create a filter based on two customer description codes (CDC's) the default Boolean is 'OR'. In other words, customers will qualify for this filter if they have one code OR the other. If you only wanted customers who had both codes, you would create a custom filter, paste in the SQL from the original filter and change the OR to an AND.

Syntax is very important in these filters so if you are writing one from scratch, please pay attention to these examples for guidance on what you selects should look like (namely the use of DISTINCT and which tables are being referenced):

=Mail List Filter requirements=

<source lang="sql">
SELECT DISTINCT C.*
FROM CUST C
WHERE ...
</source>

=Invoice Filter requirements=

<source lang="sql">
SELECT DISTINCT I.* FROM INVOICE I, ORDERHDR O
where ...
and I.order_id = O.order_id
</source>

==Invoice filter examples==

*Target invoices shipping to Canada
<source lang="sql">
Select Distinct I.* from Invoice I, Address A, Orderhdr O
where I.SHIP_ID = A.ADDRESS_ID
and A.COUNTRY = '001'
and I.order_id = O.order_id
</source>

*Target invoices with packages shipping via a specific method (useful with Best Shipping since the order/invoice no longer have a shipping method)
<source lang="SQL">
SELECT DISTINCT I.* FROM Invoice I, Package P, Orderhdr O
where I.order_id = P.order_id and I.invoice_id = P.invoice_id
and I.order_id = O.order_id
and P.ship_via in
(select ship_code from SHIPMETH
where SEL_LETTER = 'P')
</source>

==Products Purchased==

*Target customers on products purchased within a date range (3 examples). Date range is based off of the fulfill date, and these filters also exclude returned/canceled items.

*Between a Date Range
SELECT DISTINCT C.*
FROM CUST C, ITEMSORD I
WHERE (I.PROD_CODE = '1'
AND I.FULFILL_DT between '2010-01-31' and '2010-03-31'
AND ((I.CUR_RETURN + I.CUR_CANCEL) < I.CUR_SENT))
AND (I.CUST_NUM = C.ID)

*Greater than a specified date
SELECT DISTINCT C.*
FROM CUST C, ITEMSORD I
WHERE (I.PROD_CODE = '1'
AND I.FULFILL_DT > '2010-01-31'
AND ((I.CUR_RETURN + I.CUR_CANCEL) < I.CUR_SENT))
AND (I.CUST_NUM = C.ID)

*Ordered in the last 30 days
SELECT DISTINCT C.*
FROM CUST C, ITEMSORD I
WHERE (I.PROD_CODE = '1'
AND I.FULFILL_DT > (TODAY(*) - 30)
AND ((I.CUR_RETURN + I.CUR_CANCEL) < I.CUR_SENT))
AND (I.CUST_NUM = C.ID)