Data Replication LS Retail Series Part 4:- What are replication Counters?

Replication Counters

Replication counters are nothing but a Integer field which acts like a counter to track till which record replication has been completed. 

What does LS Retail says about Replication counter?

This field contains the number of the field that is used as a replication counter for the From-Table ID in the replication process.

The Replication Counter allows the replication process to recognize the records that have been inserted or updated in the database being replicated from since the last replication took place to the same location, and replicate these records only.

When the Replication Method of the data exchange is Normal, the Replication Counter is a number of a field in the From Table that is given a value when a record in the table is inserted or modified. The value is a number one higher than the Replication Counter number that was given to the last record inserted or modified in the table. With this method, it is not possible to keep track of records that have been deleted.

If you want to replicate only records that have been inserted or modified, you need to select the by Normal Replication Method and add a Replication Counter field to the table. The field must be of type number (integer) for the replication to function.

Replication Counter in the Transaction Header (99001472)

*Replication counter increases by one after record is inserted on the Transaction Table

In the Schedular Job Card the Last replication counter table wise is maintained

Data Replication LS Retail Series Part 3- Transaction Jobs

 

Transaction Jobs

This is the 3rd part in the series of the data replication in LS Central/LS Retail brought you by Triknow Innovations. We are going to discuss about the Transaction Jobs replication. 

What are transaction Jobs?

Transaction jobs are used to replicate the Transactional data from store database to the HO database. Since LS Central architecture is distributed one company can have multiple stores and general transactions happen in the individual database for the respective stores. So each store can have its own database and the end of day or as when transactions replication is scheduled the transaction is replicated from store to HO database.

Example of Transaction Job

Refer to the below image which shows you job in the LS Central standard database having multiple transactional table which would replicate.

Why Transaction Subjobs are Normal?

There are several tables which are inculded in the Transaction Jobs. Those are kept normal and replication happen with help of replication counter. Replication counter is nothing but the integer field which keeps on updating as soon as data is inserted in the table. We have table called Transaction header (Table ID: 99001472), in this table there is field with ID no. 1002(Replication Counter). This is a increment counter which is updated by 1 for each record added on the table. 

Next article we would learn in detail about the replication counter and about the Sub-Jobs. Stay tuned to our blog.

Last 2 articles in the series can be refered from the below link.

Part 1:- https://navlsretail365.blogspot.com/2021/06/data-replication-ls-retail-series-part-1.html

Part 2:- https://navlsretail365.blogspot.com/2021/06/data-replication-ls-retail-series-part.html

Data Replication LS Retail Series Part 2- Sub Jobs is LS Retail/LS Central

 Sub Jobs is LS Retail/LS Central

Subjobs in LS retail are used to define the tables from where data replication takes place. Sub jobs are attached to Job in the Data Replication TAB.

1. Go to Schedular Jobs and Navigate to the Data replication TAB to put the SubJobs.

2. Now you can select any Sub Job to view the setting of Sub Job

3. Subjob card will have replication method Normal/Actions. Normal Replication method replicate all the data to the destination to the same table. If Replication method is Action then only the changes are replicated from last time. System keeps track of all the changes on the table and replicate only those data which are not replicated not full record. Job by Action is faster job and used in the live enivronment.

Data Replication LS Retail Series-Part 1

Data Replication LS Retail Series-Part 1

In LS Retail/LS Central, we are required to run Jobs. Jobs are nothing but are schedular which run based on the specific interval of time. There are so many jobs which are required to be run on the LS Central DB, like the data replication from Head Office to Store DB or Transactional data from Store DB to Head office. There are certain setting which needs to be done in order for the Job to run correctly.

1. Go to the Distribution Location and create a New distribution if it is not created. 

2. Distribution locations are the place where we defined the IP address, the Database name & company name, Sql user id and sql password. This helps to replicate data from one distribution location to another. 

3. Make sure the Test connection works.

    Few reasons when test connection doesn't work

a. Firewall blocking it

b. TCP is not enabled on the SQL configuration tool

c. IP is not correct

Stay tuned in for the Part 2 of the series to understand the complete replication, Jobs and Subjobs

Ghost Dining Table(Table Locked) - Microsoft Dynamics Business Central/LS Retail

 

Ghost Tables - Microsoft Dynamics Business Central/LS Retail

When you use hospitality module in the LS retail, you bound to use the Dining Table Management. Dining Table Management is a fundamental part of LS Hospitality. It helps you run your dining table service with ease and accuracy.

There are certain instances which make the dining table stuck on the layout, it means you can not take orders. 

It looks something like this.

I am not sure why this happens and this generally happens randomly. This may be because of the bug or setup issue. We tried to report to LS to with regards to this. I didn't reach any conclusion. 

We decided to temporary fix the issue by providing the button on the page. Clear table clears the dining table status table to unlock the table again,

What are replication counters in LS Retail/LS Central?

Replication Counters

Replication counters is the field which are present in the transaction tables in LS Retail. This is a type of integer field which updates when data on the transaction table is inserted or modified. Please find the base code on Transaction Header (Table ID:- 99001472) table in LS Retail. 

Replication counter gets updated on every record insert or modify. Next question comes into my mind why replication counter needs to be updated?

As you know from my previous post, Transaction data gets replicated from Store to HO.There would be continously transaction getting inserted in the transaction tables like Trans. Sales Entry, Trans. Payment entry Etc. Replication counters helps LS to understand from where the data needs to replicated to the HO. 

Example

Consider there is only 1 store and 1 HO. The transactional data flows from store to HO. As all the sales happens in the store. On the daily basis LS transfers data from Store to HO. In order to transfer only new records on daily basis, LS updates Replication counter on the transaction tables in store and the same replication counter system maintains in the Scheduler replication counter table(99001593). This way system know which are the new records which needs to transferred.

What are Distribution Location? Microsoft Dynamics LS Central/LS Retail

Distribution Locations

This blog i am writing, remembering the time when i commenced the learning of LS Central(Earlier LS Retail). First question which popped in my mind was what are distribution locations and how are the different from the Normal Navision/Business central locations? 

LS Retail/LS Central has distributed architecture, it means one company who is using the LS Central/LS Retail may have more than 1 database depending on the number of stores they have. Let us take example that there is Fashion Store which sells items like Fashion accessories, Fashion clothes, Shoes etc. 

Company Name:- Fashion House LLC.

Number of Fashion Stores:- 2

No of Head Office:- 1

Fashion House LLC wants to implement the LS Central as the ERP system for their company. Fashion House LLC are into retail operations. In Order to implement the LS Central they need to have in total 3 databases. 

Store 1:- Store 1 DB

Store 2:- Store 2 DB

Head Office:- HO DB

Distributed Architecture looks like below

If you refer to the above figure you would understand that data needs to be transferred between different databases. In Order to know the details of the Databases, their IP address etc are defined in the distribution locations in HO database. Distribution Location holds the database name, company name, IP address and user ID, pwassword where data transfer would happen.

Refer to the below screen shot of the distribution location in the business central

 

Conclusion

Distribution locations is nothing but the place where we define the Company name, Database name, User ID and password to exchange data with store or Head office.

LS Central Website says:- https://help.lscentral.lsretail.com/Content/Fields/T_99001512.htm

 

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Regards

Sameer Virmani