PMC overview (CE)

This chapter provides an overview of the Product Maintenance and Control (PMC) module.

This chapter contains the following sections:

  • PMC Architecture
  • Where to find the PMC module
  • Dependencies
  • Individual Solutions
  • PMC Distributor functionality
  • PMC Recipient functionality
PMC Architecture

The software developer creates or updates software components in the Data Dictionary of the developer’s ERP system. Software is packaged by the PMC distributor and stored in the PMC Registry.

PMC recipient builds or updates the PMC Registry on the customer's ERP system. Software in the customer's PMC Registry can be imported in the customer's data dictionary.

Where to find the PMC module

The PMC module is part of Infor Enterprise Server (Tools). The software supplier is the distributor of the solutions, and the user or customer of the applications is the recipient. The PMC module contains functionality and sessions for both the distributor and recipient role.

To navigate to the recipient part of the PMC module, complete these steps:

  1. Log on to LN.
  2. On the ERP Menu Browser, click Tools --> Software Installation --> Miscellaneous --> Recipient.
  3. Click Setup, Operational, and Miscellaneous.

Alternatively, complete these steps to navigate to the recipient part of the PMC module:

  1. Log on to LN.
  2. On the ERP Menu Browser, click Tools --> Application Development --> Product Maintenance and Control --> Recipient.
  3. Click Setup, Operational and Miscellaneous.

To navigate to the distributor part of the PMC module, complete these steps:

  1. Log on to LN.
  2. On the ERP Menu Browser, click Tools --> Application Development --> Product Maintenance and Control --> Distributor.
  3. Click Setup and Operational.
Dependencies

When the PMC recipient installs software updates, the recipient checks the presence of the required depending solutions.

Three dependency types exist:

This diagram shows a pre-requisite dependency: solution 1 must be installed before solution 2.

[...]

The following section describes a customer scenario.

Individual solutions

A PMC Distributor creates and publishes individual solutions.

After you download and scan a solution, the PMC recipient checks the dependencies with other solutions. In some cases, other dependent solutions might be missing at the installation system and must be downloaded and scanned, as well. The process to install individual solutions can take a long time if many dependent solutions must be downloaded and scanned.

You can use the Multilevel Download functionality to download all the dependent solutions, without user interaction, to simplify and speed up the download process.

PMC Distributor functionality

The software developer generates additional software and makes software changes on the existing LN software packages.

The supplier of the LN software uses the PMC Distributor functionality to manage the software updates and prepares those updates for delivery to the customers.

The following is a process overview of the PMC Distributor module.

Create individual solutions

  1. Define a unique identifier for the solution and a brief description.
  2. Link one or more software components to the solution.
  3. Define or generate the dependencies on other solutions.
  4. Export the solution, the software dumps are now created.
  5. Release the solution, the solution is now ready for delivery.
PMC Recipient functionality

Customers use the PMC Recipient module to install the LN software updates on their ERP system.

The following is an overview of the PMC Recipient module.

  • Scan and connect solutions
    The solution files can be scanned. In other words, the user must extract and store the solutions into the PMC registry. The extracted solutions are also connected to an update VRC.
  • Process solutions
    1. Check to install. Report the following: Pre- and post-installation instructions, customized components, and missing dependent solutions.
    2. Install the solutions: Store the software components in the data dictionary, report additional post-installation instructions.
  • Additional recipient functionality
    • Uninstall
    • Compare installed solutions
    • Solution History
    • View installation runs.