I am trying to get the UK CSF pack installed and working. We’re UK based, but never needed it installed before as we didn’t do enough international trade to need the Intrastat reporting that seemed to be the only thing the CSF pack delivered, until now. Like all other UK companies, we need to report tax digitally using the MTD functionality.
Install seemed to all go OK, no issues reported. The key menu item that it delivers is “Electronic Tax Reporting UK”. When trying to open this menu, the client flashes between the screen (which is now locked and unable to click anything), and a small dialog in the middle of the screen saying “Epicor is offline”:
I do have an open case with support (CS0001498305), but thought I’d reach out here to see if anybody else has had the same issue, or whether somebody recognises anything about the way it’s trying to connect. I spoke with the MTD Product Manager today, who said that it was spec’d in the UK and written in Russia. Also learned that the UI should be exactly the same as any others - if it’s a normal UI dll, I can’t understand why it’s saying that it can’t reach the server. All other UIs load and work as expected. To me it looks like this UI is trying to connect in a different manner (REST or Kinetic or something else I’m not even aware of).
Version 10.2.300.15
Tagging @MikeGross and @dvfoster as I see you guys have raised another forum post related to MTD, and wondered how you were getting on.
Ah good to know - I’ll pass that ticket number to my support rep, if you do the same with the number I posted I think it’ll help as it shows it’s not an isolated issue.
I solved it myself - found that it wasn’t copying some of the required files from the Epicor_CSF_UnitedKingdom_10.2.300.cab file to the relevant location the server.
Open the cab file using a proper zip editor - it should show the structure like this:
I had previously copied the Csfuk.data.model.dll file into Server\Assemblies because that file didn’t get copied by the installer. Picked up this as being an issue after installing the CSF pack, and being unable to save or edit a PO. CSF pack also has come integration for construction industry payment scheme, and so something gets added to the Vendor BO I think.
The thing that fixed the error with the screen flashing, and saying Epicor is offline was the BO files. Copy the CSFUK folder from within the Server folder in the CAB, to the same place on the server under inetpub folder.
You need to recycle app pool, then it should be good to go!
I ran into the same issue a week ago, I’m afraid we all fell into the same trap of skipping over a step of the install guide …
UK CSF Install guide, page 7, step 4 has you set the install path for 1 of the solutions to the relevant location on the server such that these files can be automatically installed:
If that step is skipped those files will end up in a ‘Server’ subfolder of your Deployment share where they will do absolutely no good to anyone.
It does make me feel better to realise I wasn’t alone in making this mistake, cheers!
Ah ha. Takes another pair of eyes to see it sometimes! Now that you say that, I’ve found the folder. I went the long way round and worked out myself which files were needed to be where from the cab file, and when I got them in the correct places then it worked!
Easy mistake to make, because the default path that appears in the solution workbench installer screen looks legit!
Sorry I didn’t see this until now (been on holiday) but couldn’t have offered any help. We’re on 10.2.300.9 and going to 10.2.300.15 next weekend - so you have actually saved ME from falling in the same trap! thanks!!
Thanks to @dmaclucas too! I seem to always skip over a crucial step in the install guide
I must admit I did laugh when I found this thread: it was somehow reassuring to see that I wasn’t alone in skipping over the crucial step!
Sadly I suspect most of us see a detailed list of 10 steps which at first glance appear to be a process we know already (install something via Solution Workbench) and skip over them without realising.
Of course it wouldn’t be the first time that following Epicor install guides too closely resulted in strange errors, so there’s really just no way to win
LOL! So True. I could not agree more Derek. Follow it perfectly and something breaks. Follow it ‘like we know what we’re doing’ and something doesn’t work…
And sometimes I wonder why epicor decides to leave a little thing out of the automatic installation scripting and forces us to do it manually…
