Moving c9 database server onto a different/new computer is reasonably straight forward.

IMPORTANT!!!

The critical thing to ensure is that you do not end up with a network where there are two databases running on the one network. Result of this can be disasterous.  So work through steps carefully and pay close attention to steps that are concerned with validating that the old server has indeed being removed

 On old server:

1. go into control panel/programs and uninstall c9 database installer
2. Make sure database is uninstalled by doing the following:
   • Confirm c9 can no longer run on the old server
   • Confirm there are no postgres.exe processes in process table (make sure you select show all processes in process table)
   • Perform both steps above after a reboot of old server
3. copy c:\c9db\ folder from old server to new server into a c:\c9db\ folder on new server
   • IMPORTANT: make sure you copy empty directories too! These are important and database will not start without them, some copy processes will skip over these, make sure you use a copy process that picks these up too. example folder that is usually empty: \c9db\8.4\data\pg_tblspc (there are many others too)

On new server:

1. download following from our website in downloads section (C9 database installer, contact us to confirm which version to download):  https://c8software.com.au/wp/downloads/
2. run the above
3. follow instructions on setup a new terminal on new server to verify c9 is working on server. (http://c8software.com.au/wp/2011/02/adding-a-new-terminal/)
4. For other terminals, follow steps 6 onwards in above 'how to add a new terminal' help page

Verification:

1. In c9 go and look at history/activity : in business -> activity, spares -> reprint invoices -> and/or workshop jobs to confirm everything looks like it should look and is up2date. That there are no missing invoices etc
2. Keep an eye on backup status in top right for next day or so.  If it goes from green to red let c9 know. Especially the verification status

• Tweaks to online unit rego query
  • Now works for Vic Cars/Trucks as well as Motorcycles
  • Added support for QLD and NSW rego query
• Workshop tweaks
  • Modify job, make it visually obvious that F10 saves job
  • Complete job, if user opts to cancel completion, ask them if they want to save changes made so far anyway (i.e. odo reading)
  • Estimates : allow user to change order of line items on estimate via modify estimate
• Other
  • Unit profit/spares report includes new ordering options to organise report by new/used, make/type and to summarise by clerk key who did the sale. Also permits only printing summary
  • F12 Magician, option to hide price incase customers are looking at the screen
  • Fixed contact details in help->about.

Includes database changes you'll need to log all terminals out during upgrade

Main feature in this release is Online unit detail fetch.  Type in rego number or VIN number and c9 will retrieve colour/rego expiry/vin/type/color/engine no etc.  Currently only works for bikes registered in Victoria.  If other state bodies (or suppliers) provide query tools, c9 can hook into these as well.

Other changes:

• Units
  • Select customer unit, ability to order or filter units by rego number. Useful for dealers that service large fleets, i.e. delivery/postie bikes.
  • Unit rego number lookup behaves like part numbers,  case insensitive and ignores dashes and spaces. i.e. AB-123 is same as AB123, same as AB 123
  • VicRoads rego query, as per above
• Other/System
  • Recent database updates caused problems for a couple of dealers.  Upgrade process could fail and leave database damaged if user tried to update c9 on two terminals simultaneously.  Generally rare, though a recent update conditions of this problem were reasonably likely to happen. Made changes so c9 enforces strict database locking and checking before proceeding with upgrade so terminals can verify whether or not an upgrade is already in progress and whether or not another terminal may of already performed the upgrade

Mostly tweaks in this milestone release of c9

Note one significant change is that clerk key required for no cash collected check is now permanently on.  There are a number of issues and concerns around no cash collected, specifically how no cash can be used by staff to potentially hide theft from within the business (of course other mechanisms are possible too, still the trust nature of no cash collected we feel demands special consideration).  Ideally I would like to remove no cash collected altogether, though last time I tried this some c9 users complained. There should be no legitimate reason for wanting to use this option anyway. Forcing clerk key check every time is seen as a reasonable compromise for introducing a change to c9 that will incur a regression-like behaviour change and resolving this security risk.  If you indeed have a legit need for no cash, i.e. you are a one man retail shop, contact Barney, he is able to tweak your c9 to regain this functionality if it is truly required.

• Workshop
  • Job cards/invoices/progress reports. Print checklists closer together to use paper more effectively
• Spares
  • Below RRP Report.  Show/print $ and % figures.
• Units
  • Show dealership units. Filter sold/tradein units to units sold/traded in in the last 3 months. You can change this filter date
• Other
  • Save as CSV now works via remote access
  • New print preview option : email as CSV
  • Ability to configure auto login: c9 on startup can jump straight in without username+password. (This is configured on login screen itself, under advanced tab)
  • No cash collected always requires a clerk key to approve.
  • Ability to open files which are opened by other programs. Some systems, for reasons I have not entirely isolated will not allow you, for example, have an excel file open and use c9's import generic on same file. Should now be fixed.
  • Tweak website structure so it is easier to move things around, especially when there are lots of things (i.e. after importing stock part meta data)
• Bugs
  • Any invalid delete (i.e. delete debtor spares parts txn), would cause system to enter invalid transaction state.

First for c9 users who are Yamaha dealers, c9 is now able to provide a very easy way to keep your price file for Yamaha up to date.

No more keying in pages of discount codes wrangling OPEA file from YDC Net.  C9 will automatically tell you when there is a new price file, push a couple of buttons in c9 and the price file changes will be downloaded from the net without any further stuffing about.

First Time Setup

Goto spares -> utilities -> Import price file.

Select Yamaha as your franchise.

Select import method as top option: c9 Central Repository Price files

Select appropriate price file for the franchise you selected, and continue.  Import will then proceed, no need to reference files or discount codes etc.

Later updates

Updates to price files after initial setup is even simpler.   Firstly c9 will let you know when any of your price files require updating. You update file Spares -> Utilities -> Update price files. This will show you price files you are using from c9's price file list and current status, whether or not your's are up to date. You can update one at a time or update them all from here. The system is smart enough to only download changes to parts since your last update, not the entire price file, making update process potentially very quick.

Includes database changes. You'll need to log c9 out during upgrade

Price file importing tweaks

• Bugfix with importing discount code, would not record discount code for new records but would record it for subsequent changes to existing records
• Bugfix with detecting changes on certain fields due to nulls in database, i.e. discount codes.
• Import generic : permit importing discount code from generic but not nag user to key in % if the csv file already contains independent info on stock/discount $/%
• Import from c9 repository : also import packqty/ order by pack flag and metadata if available

Includes database changes, you need to log all terminals out during upgrade

• Added created date to customer records. On upgrade system preset/estimate created date for existing customers by looking at first transactions/activity records/units owned etc.
• Workshop jobs : increase maximum size of job description to order number to 80 characters
• Bugfix with job notes and locations. Add/modify job note did not permit setting of location, meaning created notes would be invisible on terminals locked to a given location.
• Added new field to stocked items : when item was last stock taken. Intent is to help with managing inventory by being able to report on items not stocktaken for a while, to help hose out crap inventory data that has been present for years.
  • Under setup is a configuration option the automatically sets stock take date on stocked items whenever parts are received from suppliers to be stocked. This option (defaults to set) assumes restocker will verify and correct qty on hand from restocking sheets generated by c9 on receive/restock.
• New stock take methodology, freeform stock take.  See details below.

In c9 is a new stock take option which allows you to freeform stock take. The screen design is visually similar to point of sale but is geared towards stock taking.  System is designed for optimised use with barcode scanners, allowing you to either scan each item, incrementing the stock take, or scan once and manually key in new quantity.  System allows you to stock take stuff c9 doesn't think is currently in stock.

Spare Parts -> Free form spare parts.  Behavior should be reasonably intuitive/obvious.  For optimum use, configure your barcode reader to emit STX/ETX. See this post for more info.

http://c8software.com.au/wp/2014/08/point-of-sale-barcode-integration/

Bugfixes

• Manual Backup : Prior version 4.496 introduced a bug that caused manual backup to fail with an error message.   Now fixed.

Java 8 bugfixes

Java 8 has broken a couple of things in c9.

• Xero integration now fixed (generating security certificate in java 8 did not work, now fixed to support 8 and pre 8)
• Import fiche diagrams for Honda and Yamaha. Should now be working again. (also works natively in Linux and Mac now as well)

Inexplicably, infuriatingly, Java 8 removed a key piece of functionality (ODBC) used to talk to databases on windows platforms. Should never of happened but stuck with it. This has an ongoing issue with breaking integration with MYOB, at this time we are probably never going to fix this.  Oracle will argue that MYOB should provide a JDBC alternative, but MYOB will never do any such thing, Oracle should never of removed it. Long term plan is simply migrate to later versions of MYOB. If you need to run MYOB v19, you must stay with java 7.

Requires database changes, you'll need to log all terminals out of c9 before upgrading.

• Bugfix: Disallow selection of 'Spares' option when refunding via add transaction. use spares -> credit note instead if you want to refund parts
• view customer notifications, allow message info to be viewed from here
• Bugix: CSV export of times from miner tool broken. i.e. export of labour hours on job cards

This version includes a new feature when viewing customers you can quickly filter your customer list down by typing in pretty much anything connected to the customer, names, email address, prior invoice numbers, notes, comments, info from job cards etc. Example you search for 'andrew tappet'  and it will return all customers whose name is andrew who have word 'tappet' on their job card. Or, 'dickhead ktm vic', for all your customers who are dickheads that have KTMs and live in Victoria.  Searching for $ figures, like 19.95 will mostly work too, though the system is quite 'lose' about what it matches and may return a few more customers than you expect.  The performance should be instantaneous in shops whose database server is a reasonably modern computer with a decent amount of memory.

Fixed a complex subtle bug related to pickup received parts on order.  Recent changes to c9 allowed for situation where you can supply parts on order before receiving them into c9.  A certain combination of events could stuff this up.  The combination is as follows :  you F12 to receive part X,  part X although on order also has sufficient qty in stock to fulfill demand, you press F6 on part X to view its details.  Now if those events happen and you proceed to pickup the parts, c9 will preferentially supply parts from stock instead of received parts on order.  This is a rare situation except in the case of layby/reserve pickup later fulfillment. For such things it can actually happen quite often.  Modified to fix this bug and enforce following behaviour:

1. Always preferentially supply from received spares
2. If quantity on hand is sufficient to supply remainder after 1) then use these, but only if supply is sufficient
3. Flag unreceived parts as prematurely received if 1+2 above does not cover supplied qty
4. Use any available in stock to fulfill supplied qty not yet fulfilled by 1+2+3 above

Recent changes to partsmart broke partsmart integration. Now fixed

Bugfix for long standing bug with workshop. If you rollback a workshop invoice system would erroneously also rollback manual deposit withdrawals associated with that job.

Tweaked layout of print parts on order for detailed order sheets slightly. Was not formatting very well.