I make sure that the databases back up from SQL to the file system and they are copied to a backup server nightly in case of such a catastrophe.

The Mistake

I occasionally make a copy of the web content drive figuring that most of our sites are dynamic or designed off-site and easily restored.

I was wrong.  It took me about 16 hours to get everything back up and running.

The community site gets new images almost every day.  The other dynamic sites had several new components added and other content as well.  These are changes to the files on the drive, not the SQL databases.  Most of the new files were available, but spread across several sources.  Some were lost altogether.

Websites such as ASPDotNetStorefront and Interprise Suite eCommerce are being updated constantly with new images, XML package changes, etc.  Remember, these changes are in the file system, not the SQL database.

The Solution

Make sure your backup procedures not only backup your SQL databases, but also the file system for the web content.  If I had simply made a copy of the web content drive nightly, the whole restore process would have taken an hour or so.

Please learn from my mistake and protect yourself.  It’s very simple and can save you hours of hassle and down-time.

By default, Windows 2003 runs IIS in 64 bit “mode” and won’t run 32 bit dll’s.  We got an error indicating the inability of loading one of the dll’s in the bin folder.

You’ll need to enable IIS to run in 32 bit mode.  

Step 1 – Make sure the 32 bit version of the .NET framework is installed

Look on your C: drive for:

C:\Windows\Microsoft.Net\Framework\v2.0.50727
C:\Windows\Microsoft.Net\Framework64\v2.0.50727

You should have both folders (could possibly be a newer version number).  If you don’t, go to “Add and Remove Programs” in the Control Panel and uninstall ASP.NET 2.0 and reinstall.  You’ll need to reboot your server after the install.  You should then have both folders.

Step 2 – Set IIS to run 32 bit applications

Open a DOS window and navigate to the IIS admin scripts folder which is usually at: C:\Inetpub\AdminScripts

Run the following command:

cscript.exe adsutil.vbs set W3SVC/AppPools/Enable32BitAppOnWin64 true

Note that “true” sets 32 bit mode, “false” will set it back to 64 bit.

Important Note!

IIS 6 does not support running both 64 and 32 bit applications at the same time.  In order to run the 32 bit Interprise Suite Web Service dll’s, you’ll have to set IIS to run in 32 bit mode.  You won’t be able to run other 64 bit apps on this server.

Step 3 – Reregister ASP.NET 2.0

Open a DOS window and navigate to the folder containing 32 bit version of the ASP.NET 2.0 framework:

C:\Windows\Microsoft.Net\Framework\v2.0.50727
(Note – could be a newer version)

Run the following command:

aspnet_regiis.exe -i

Step 4 – Enable the 32 bit web service extensions

Open Internet Information Services Manager and navigate to “Web Service Extensions”.  Check the list as it may show both:

ASP.NET v2.0.50727
ASP.NET v2.0.50727 (32-bit)

IIS Manager Showing Web Service Extensions

Note that the line that doesn’t indicate (32-bit) is the 64 bit extension.

Click on the 32 bit line and click “Allow”.  Then click on the 64 bit line (if it exists) and click “Prohibit”.

Step 5 – Restart IIS

Open a DOS window and type:

IISReset

This will stop and start IIS on your server.

Done!

You’re all set, your 32 bit Interprise Suite Web Services should be up and running!

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with placing drop ship orders from your basement.  You just don’t want it to be that obvious.  Also, a lot of business owners justify providing lack of contact information with such excuses as, “I don’t want spam,” or “I don’t have a business phone.”  My answers, “Is losing credibilty amongst your prospects and customers really worth avoiding some unwanted emails?”  “Don’t have a phone?  Go spend $25 on a prepaid cell phone.”

Credibilty goes a long way in gaining new business.  And the good news is, that it really does not take very much effort to create an updated and complete contact page.

The answer to this question lies in the knowledge that in Interprise Suite, like most accounting packages, information flows down into deeper levels of the program but doesn’t flow “uphill” very well at all.  Enter your transaction at the highest possible level so that if properly updates everything beneath it!

Interprise Suite Transaction Flow Diagram

As you can see from this diagram,  if I enter a customer’s payment received through a “Customer Receipt,” that transaction will write information down into my checking account register (Banking Module) as well as the General Ledger.

Same with a “Customer Invoice,” it writes down into the Inventory Module (reducing on-hand quantities, creating movement histories, etc.) as well as the General Ledger (sales, cost of goods, accounts receivable, inventory accounts).

Subsidiary Ledgers

Accounting systems are made up of a collection of lists or “Ledgers.”  The General Ledger is the “lowest common denominator” of all the lists and contains the information your financial reports are pulled from.  The other ledgers such as “Accounts Receivable” are known as “Subsidiary Ledgers” because they store secondary lists of the detailed transactions making up the information in that module and should balance with the information in the General Ledger.

Think about it…  The Accounts Receivable subsidiary ledger is a listing of all of your customers’ open transactions and should total the amount in the Accounts Receivable account in the General Ledger.  Same with Accounts Payable.  Same with the Inventory valuation.  Same with the bank transactions in a Bank Account matching their related asset account in the General Ledger.

It’s important that all of these ledgers stay in balance with their control accounts!

An Example of a Mistake

Consider this:  I want to refund my customer $25 so I write a hand check and create a Journal Entry to the General Ledger that credits the bank and debits Accounts Receivable.  Is this correct?

NO!  It would look right in the General Ledger, but the transaction wouldn’t write “uphill” into the Customer Module or the Banking Module.  My customer’s balance would be wrong.  I’d have no refund to allocate to an open credit memo.  My bank balance in the Banking Module would be wrong.  I’d have a mess!

What should I have done?

I should have gone into the Customer Module and entered a customer refund.  That would have updated my customer, my bank account, and the General Ledger all in one transaction.  Remember, information flows downhill.

The Cardinal Rule

How do I know if I’m entering a transaction in the wrong place?  Here is the most important piece of information to remember:

If you are in a place where you are selecting a General Ledger account and you are picking a “Control Account,” you are doing it wrong!

A control account is any Subsidiary Ledger balance.  For example: Accounts Receivable or Payable, a Bank Cash account or the Inventory Control account.  Even on initial setup, the opening balance tools create these balances using module transactions.

We spend a lot of time helping our customers find and correct entries that were made incorrectly in the system.  Remembering this simple rule can save you a lot of money and time!

Stay tuned!

Bill Dimes
www.dimesoftinc.com
www.interprisesuiteplugins.com