#GPPT Protecting Mission Critical Custom Code

GP Power Tools is a subscription based product. This means it needs current, valid Registration Keys to stay operational.

If you have written Mission Critical Custom Code using GP Power Tools – Developer Tools module, you will want to ensure that those triggers and scripts stay active at all times and if the registration fails for any reason that you are notified immediately.

GP Power Tools has a number of methods of ensuring that you will know if there is a problem with the registration and our processes aim to give plenty of warning when subscription keys are due to expire.

Below is a list of these methods and processes, please be sure to use them to protect your Mission Critical Custom Code:

Registration Settings

• Make sure that the Registration Keys are automatically updated the day after they are renewed. From the Registration window (while logged in as an administrator user) ensure that the Automatically check for updated keys setting is set to Once per day.

• Make sure that users are warned if the Registration Keys have failed for any reason. You can force Standard Users to exit, while an Administrator User can login to check what is happening. From the Registration window (while logged in as an administrator user) ensure the When Registration has failed or expired setting is set to Warning Displayed and exit.

Software Settings

• Use Administrator Settings and set a color theme for every company (not just test companies), so that if a window ever shows without custom colors you know that there is an issue.

Software Expiry Behavior

• 45 days before the subscription is due to expire, the system will start to check if new keys are available. This should happen once per day (default setting) unless the setting has been changed or disabled. See first bullet point above.
• 30 days before the subscription is due to expire, the system will display an expiry warning dialog to Administrator users. This can be dismissed for a number of days.

• Once the subscription has expired, a 30 day grace period will begin, during this period the system will stay registered and functional.
• During the 30 day grace period, the system will display an expired warning dialog to all users. This can be dismissed for a number of days.
• During the grace period do not mess with the registration keys in the system as the grace period will stop if the keys are removed, and expired keys cannot be reentered.
• Once the 30 day grace period has expired, the software will stop functioning.
• If the subscription does expire, you can start a free 30 day trial period to keep the system operational while the subscription renewal gets paid. Click on the individual key icons for each module on the registration window to request a trial period. If you have already used the trial period, contact support to get the previous trial reset.

Renewal Systems

• Renewal Notice emails are sent to partners and direct customers starting 5 months before the subscription expiry.
• Invoices are generated automatically 4 months before the subscription expiry.
• The due date on the invoices is set to 1 month before expiry.
• So if the invoice is paid by the due date, the subscription will be updated over the internet before the first expiry warning dialogs are even shown.

As you can see there are a lot of systems in place to ensure that subscriptions do not expire without warning and that even if they do for some reason you can be notified immediately of the issue.

Examples of Mission Critical Custom Code would be projects such as:

• #GPPT Obscuring Bank Account Numbers in Microsoft Dynamics GP
• #MSDynGP New NACHA Data Security Requirements coming up on 30-Jun-2022

Also, see this article showing how to prevent the Customization Status window from disabling your code:

• #GPPT Ensuring Custom Triggers Cannot Be Disabled

Hope this helps

David

15-Dec-2022: Added article on preventing the Customization Status window disabling custom code.
03-Jan-2023: Added more information on how to start a trial period if required.

This article was originally posted on http://www.winthropdc.com/blog.