This document is a step by step guide for setting up the Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains integration within BrightGauge.
Step 1 - Log in to your BrightGauge Account
If you haven’t created an account yet, go here to get started.
If you are logged in with a New Account:
From the account Overview page, click on the "Add a Datasource" button:
If you are logged in with an Existing Account:
Click on the "Data" menu at the top righthand corner of the screen, and select "Datasources" from the drop down menu:
Find the Microsoft Dynamics GP datasource under "All" or under the appropriate category:
Whether a new or existing account, you'll come to datasource settings screen below. Leave this page open as it will be used in Step 4. You can now proceed onto the next steps.
Step 2 - Download and Install BrightGauge Agent
Since Great Plains runs off a SQL database, you’ll need to download and configure the BrightGauge Agent. The link to download the BrightGauge Agent is on this screen (Item "A" above). Documentation to help setup configure the BrightGauge Agent can be found here. Make sure to install the BrightGauge agent on a machine somewhere within the same network as your MS-SQL database for Great Plains. If you have issues, there are some known issues here or email support@brightgauge.com for assistance. If you want to limit the firewall exception to inquiries from our IP addresses, you can see them above item "B" in the image above (blurred out here, login to see the addresses).
Step 3 - Create a SQL user within the Great Plains database
Once the agent is up and running, you’ll now need to create a SQL user within the Great Plains database. Great Plains runs off of MS-SQL, so here’s a guide on how to do that. Make sure to enable the user to log into the Great Plains databases. We'll need read (the permission is db_datareader) access to 2 databases in your setup:
- Dynamics
- your company's database. This is the important one. This one actually contains the information for your company. The name here differs for each setup, so make sure to use the one associated with the data you want to pull
Step 4 - Configure the Datasource Settings
Refer to the screenshot below and match the corresponding numbered fields:
1. Connection Name
Agent
2. The external IP address for the BrightGauge Agent on your network
3. Port Opened on your firewall
Database
4. Internal IP Address for the Database or Machine Name (if using multiple SQL instances, use the IP or machine name followed by a back slash and then the instance name: 192.168.1.100\instance or SQLServer\instance)
5. Database name. This is the company database referred to in step 3. This is NOT the dynamics database.
6. This field is for advanced SQL setups not using the default SQL port (1433). Enter the non-default port in this field. Leave BLANK if using the default SQL port (1433).
7. Username you created in the database
8. Password you created for that username
Step 5 - Test Connection
Once you've filled out all of the fields, make sure to test the connection. If successful, save the connection.
Please note, a common issue we have seen clients experience is with the "AutoFill" feature in web browsers inputting the wrong the credentials for the database user field. When a test connection is successful, the page is refreshed and the autofill takes effect automatically without the user realizing. The user then selects save, accidentally saving the autofilled credentials which are incorrect. A way to prevent this issue is to open a private browsing window (or incognito window) to fill out the datasource configuration page, or simply retyping the credentials after the test connection and clicking "Save".
Once you’ve saved the connection then the datasets and gauges will be added to your account.
For additional information, please check out our support forums here.
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