6
Support and maintenance
7
=======================
9
It's when you actually use your ERP that you will obtain value from your investment. For that reason
10
maintenance and support are critical for your long term success.
12
* Support aims to ensure that end users get the maximum productivity from their use of Open ERP by
13
responding to their questions on the use of the system. Support can be technical or functional.
15
* Maintenance aims to ensure that the system itself continues to function as required. It includes
16
system upgrades, which give you access to the latest functionality available.
18
Some partners offer preventative maintenance. This makes sure that all the specific developments for
19
your system are revised and tested for each new version so that they remain compatible with the base
22
Tiny themselves have changed their support strategy from time to time. At the time of writing
23
they propose a maintenance contract supplied either direct to the end user or through partners
24
that guarantees a quick fix to any faults discovered in the covered code. Although you can
25
expect these fixes to become available to all users of the code in time, maintenance
26
guarantees quick attention. And you're likely to get quicker migration support to new upgrades.
28
If you haven't anticipated your needs with a preventive maintenance contract, the costs of migration
29
after a few years can become significant. If special modules that you developed have been allowed to
30
become too old you may eventually need a new development to your specifications.
39
There are four sources of code change for Open ERP:
41
* patches supplied by Tiny to correct faults: after validation these patches shouldn't cause any
44
* minor updates, which gather the fault corrections together in one package, and are generally
45
announced with a modification of the version number, such as from 5.0.0 to 5.0.1,
47
* upgrades, which bundle both the fault corrections and the improvements to the functionality in a
48
major release such as from 5.0.3 to 5.2.0.
50
* new functions generally released in the form of new modules.
52
You should establish a procedure with your supplier to define how to respond to changes in the
55
For simple updates your maintenance team will evaluate the patches to determine if they are
56
beneficial to the use of your Open ERP. These patches should be tested on an offline instance of
57
Open ERP before being installed in your live production version.
59
The maintenance team would also take charge of regular updates to the software.
61
Patches and updates can only be installed if you have the necessary access to the Open ERP server.
62
You must first install the patch or update and then restart the server using the command line: \
65
Once Tiny has released a new upgraded version your response should be a cautious one. If you're
66
perfectly satisfied with the existing system it would be best to not touch the new version. If you
67
want to have access to the new functionality supplied by an upgraded version, you have a delicate
68
operation to carry out. Most upgrades require your data to be migrated because the databases before
69
and after the upgrade can be a little different.
77
Open ERP has a system to manage migrations semi-automatically. To update specific modules, or the whole
78
database, you only need to start the server with the argument:–\ ``update=NAME_OF_MODULE``\ or \
79
``–update=all``\ (that's minor module changes).
81
New stable versions of Open ERP sometimes require operations that aren't provided in the automated
82
migration. Tiny, the creator and maintainer of Open ERP, has a policy of supporting migration from
83
all official stable releases to the latest. Scripts are provided for each new release of a stable
84
version. These carry out the upgrade from the previous major version to the new major version.
86
Managers responsible for the migration between two versions of Open ERP will find the
87
documentation and the necessary scripts in the directory \ ``doc/migrate``\ of the Open ERP
90
The changes between version 4 and 5 made the migration process more difficult than in the past
91
so there was a greater delay in the provision of migration assistance and more manual work
94
The procedure for migrating runs like this:
96
#. Make a backup of the database from the old version of Open ERP
98
#. Stop the server running the old version
100
#. Start the script called \ ``pre.py``\ for the versions you're moving between.
102
#. Start the new version of the server using the option –\ ``update=all``\
104
#. Stop the server running the new version.
106
#. Start the script called post.py for the versions you're moving between.
108
#. Start the new version of the server and test it.
110
A migration is never an easy process. It may be that your system doesn't function as it did before
111
or that something requires new developments in the functionality of the modules that have already
112
been installed. So you should only move to a new version if you have a real need and should engage a
113
competent partner to help if the version that you use differs greatly from the basic version of
116
Similarly you should take care that this migration does not incorrectly change any setting
117
that has already been made. The main menu structure might have been modified in place
118
without proper recording of the changes.
119
So you could find that you're making the wrong assumptions about that structure
120
when later loading data in that was recorded with the Module Recorder.
122
.. Copyright © Open Object Press. All rights reserved.
124
.. You may take electronic copy of this publication and distribute it if you don't
125
.. change the content. You can also print a copy to be read by yourself only.
127
.. We have contracts with different publishers in different countries to sell and
128
.. distribute paper or electronic based versions of this book (translated or not)
129
.. in bookstores. This helps to distribute and promote the Open ERP product. It
130
.. also helps us to create incentives to pay contributors and authors using author
131
.. rights of these sales.
133
.. Due to this, grants to translate, modify or sell this book are strictly
134
.. forbidden, unless Tiny SPRL (representing Open Object Press) gives you a
135
.. written authorisation for this.
137
.. Many of the designations used by manufacturers and suppliers to distinguish their
138
.. products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book,
139
.. and Open Object Press was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been
140
.. printed in initial capitals.
142
.. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher
143
.. and the authors assume no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages
144
.. resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
146
.. Published by Open Object Press, Grand Rosière, Belgium