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Bulk Insert (delivered with SQL Server) is a great way to quickly import data into SQL Server tables.  The input file format does not need to match the column definition on the table.  You can use import file definitions for that.

To create an import file definition, first go to the SQL server where the database table resides.  Run the command bcp <database>.<owner>.<tablename> format nul -c -f <local path>\<filename>.fmt -t, -T

(For clarity, best practice is to name the file the same as the table name).

Edit the format file (if needed) in a text editor to accommodate for any differences between the input file and the database table.  The first column is the order of fields in the input file.  The 5^th column provides the delimiter between fields.  The 6^th column maps to the appropriate field in the database table.  The number at the top (below the version “10.0”) describes how many fields are in the input file.  If you are not using all the fields from the input file, you must adjust this number accordingly.  If you say it is looking for 20 fields, it will be looking for 20 fields and will error if 20 fields aren’t found.

CSV files are a little tricky, as you need to accommodate for double quotes.

Note that the files must be accessible by a local path on the SQL Server machine.

The Bulk Insert command is:

BULK INSERT <table name>

FROM ‘<full path to import file>

WITH (FORMATFILE = ‘<full path to format file>’, FIRSTROW = <first row of data in the import file>)

 

Internet Explorer 11 is losing Microsoft’s support on June 15, 2022.

 

What does this mean?

In a nutshell, IE11 will no longer be secure after June 2022. Vulnerabilities will not be fixed after this date. You’ll also experience more issues as other applications get updates while IE11 does not.

 

How will this affect Lawson users?

As Infor updates their Landmark, Mingle, Portal applications, (especially cloud-based apps), IE11 will run into more and more issues and most importantly will be vulnerable to security threats such as phishing and malware. This will be the same story with third-party applications that integrate into IE such as MHC’s Image Express.

 

What should my organization do?

First, use a modern browser like Chrome or Microsoft Edge and make sure you’re on a supported version of Windows.

Your organization should also look into getting on a supported version of Lawson if they are not already. Update third-party and customized Lawson applications to use modern browsers.

If your in-house Lawson team is not well-equipped to perform mass Lawson upgrades/migrations, it is best to hire a Lawson Managed service consultant team to assist in getting your organization up-to-date. They often are more agile with a wider range of resources and expertise. Additionally, if your company has migrated from Lawson but still have historical data taking up space in your servers, you should look at archiving solutions that can give you the freedom to completely eliminate all Lawson footprint from your organization.

Nogalis can help with both your Lawson managed services and Lawson data archiving plans. Schedule a meeting with a Nogalis representative and let’s discuss your long term plans for your Lawson environment.

To configure MSCM 10.x for ADFS, update the mscm.filter.properties file.  Set the service.name.param to the thick client identity, or you can set it to both thick client and SSOP delimited by a comma (i.e. SSOP, THICKCLIENTLDAPLS).  Also, set the lawson.username to the UPN (i.e. [email protected]).

Run an updateconfig to set the changes.

NOTE: All MSCM users in Lawson Security must have a thick client identity configured before making these changes.  Otherwise, the user synchronization task will fail in MSCM.

You can validate the change by checking the USER_IDENTITY table in your MSCM database.  This should show records for each user for each identity configured.

 

The Web Run node can be used to make different types of web calls, whether it be to external APIs or internal Infor Lawson commands.

The first step to setting up a Web Run node, is to configure the Web Run Connection in your IPA configuration set.  For Internal Lawson commands, this will be your Lawson configuration set (usually “main”).  For external connections, you will want to create a new configuration set.

If your organization is using ADFS for authentication to Lawson, make sure you set up the Web Run Connection using the Lawson thick client site.

Once you have a Web Run connection, you can set the properties of the node.  The “Configuration name” should be the configuration set for which you just set up the Web Run Connection.  The default is “main”.  If this is an internal Lawson connection, select “Infor Lawson”.  Otherwise, select “External”.  Provide the Web program that you are running.  The Web Run node can be used internally with Lawson to run batch jobs or add attachments/comments to Lawson forms.

See this article to read more about making external API calls with IPA.

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