Do kinetic dashboards break when restoring database to another environment?

Kinetic ERP
1

I restored a copy of our prod database to a test environment, and in the test environment, kinetic dashboards won’t launch, I get the error. Application xxx is not accessaible, please contact your system administrator. Program: Ice.Services.Lib.MetaFX.dll
Method: GetApp
Table: undefined
Field: undefined

When I go to application studio to view my dashboard, “Published” is checked and I can open the dashboard, but there are no layers - the application map is just a blank screen, as if the dashboard has vanished, and if I try to preview the dashboard from application studio I get the same error as above.

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Now I have further muddied the waters by doing another restore and also applying a dot release update at the same time (2022.2.20). After the update:

xxxdef records in prod:
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xxxdef records in test:

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Has anybody else ran into this? We are using so few kinetic dashboards its hard for me to know if this is a problem with this particular dashboard or just kinetic dashboards in general.

2

Yup. I’ve seen that.

Redepoly it from the dashboard maintenance screen.

2 Likes
3

Can’t deploy the app from that screen, only from “Dashboard”, but when I do that I lose all my kinetic customizations. Yup just confirmed it wipes out the changes done in application studio although it does restore the dashboard.

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4

Alternate route, which I have not tried, is to grab the dll from the folder in production and plop it in the corresponding restore destination folder.

You get that initial message because the dll doesn’t exist in the restored location and when you deploy the dashboard, it’s generating that dll.

1 Like
5

I’ll keep that in mind to try the next time.

I would really like to understand Epicor’s thinking about kinetic dashboards. I haven’t found anything written about this and also didn’t get an answer when I asked at insights. It seems like Deploy App in Dashboard is not really akin to Deploy UI App, in that it is intended more as a one time migration to generate the kinetic version of the dashboard, and once migrated, the kinetic app is a totally separate and unrelated entity to the original dashboard. For example, unlike the Kinetic UIs which can be shared on the same menu item with the classic UIs and share the same dll, a kinetic dashboard can’t be added to the same menu item with it’s classic version.

1 Like
6

I mean, it makes sense if you’ve never deployed that dashboard in you restore destination environment. Classic dashboards did the same thing. Once it’s there the first time, though, it should continue to work from restores going forward, but I have not confirmed that. The dashboard dlls are saved in a directory, not the database, so a restore isn’t really going to be able to do much for you there.

I didn’t know that about the dashboards not being able to share a menu, though. That’s dumb.

7

I’m confused. The Kinetic version of the dashboard should not have a dll. Only json.

8

So sir. They generate dlls.
You can see that when you deploy it and choose Ice.UIDbd.DashboardName.dll for the program.

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9

Then what is it’s purpose?

10

I’m sure there’s, you know, actual logic in those?
The JSON files don’t store any code on how to run, just some schema and layout stuff.

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11

If I make one from scratch, there is no dll, the json holds all.

12

Right except that you don’t lose your customizations on a classic dashboard when you redeploy it. That’s where I’m baffled.

2 Likes
13

Aye, this is what’s weird. THOSE are JSON files and should not be overwritten when deploying. That doesn’t make sense.

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14

I… don’t think that’s true, but I’m willing to stand corrected.

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15

This is also part of my confusion - what is the difference between deploying an app from a dashboard and creating a new kinetic app (aka dashboard)? Are they the same thing? Are they not the same thing?

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16

It’s all inside, I’m building dynamically generated apps from json alone.

It’s possible that the dashboard builder is doing something different, but if you don’t use it to create a classic dashboard as well, you would think there would be no dll. Something is off.

1 Like
17

I thought so until you started this thread.
Now I’m confused.

18

Now we’re all confused. Good job @aosemwengie1. :joy::joy::joy:

I’m going back to my coffee. This is too much thinking for not enough caffeine.

2 Likes
19

I’m putting her on a list.

20

The birthday invitation list?