PMC overview

This section gives a short overview to become familiar with the Product Maintenance and Control (PMC) module.

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.

The 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:

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

Alternatively, navigate to the recipient part of the PMC module:

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

To navigate to the distributor part of the PMC module:

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

Dependencies

When the software updates are being installed by the PMC recipient, the presence of the required dependent solutions are verified.

These dependency types exist:

This diagram shows a prerequisite dependency: solution 1 must be installed before solution 2.

Individual solutions

This section describes a customer scenario.

A PMC Distributor creates and publishes individual solutions.

After you download and scan a solution, the PMC recipient checks the dependencies with other solutions. Sometimes, other dependent solutions might be missing at the installation system and must also be downloaded and scanned. 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.

This 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.

This 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 this: 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.