Xact Link for ACT! and MYOB Install & Setup Guide

Before Installation

Deciding on the best way to connect to your MYOB data file

It is advisable that you work out the best way to setup and deploy XLAM. There are multiple ways to connect ACT! to MYOB AccountRight, each method is ideal for certain environments. The following is a description of each connection method:

1. Local (direct connection to your Accounting data file), this method is best used in scenarios where both the MYOB AccountRight application and data file reside on the same machine where ACT! is (e.g. Single user setups or Terminal Server environments).
2. Remote through IIS, this connection method uses Internet Information Services and Windows Services to allow ACT! to connect to your AccountRight data file, this method is ideal for large organizations and for users who might require access to the accounting data file from outside of the organization (e.g. across the internet).
3. .Net Remoting, this method uses client / server architecture to connect ACT! to your AccountRight data file, it is similar to #2 however it is easier to setup and it is ideal for small workgroups and environments which are low on resources (e.g. small networks with 2-5 users and / or  no servers etc.).

Consult the installation section of the manual for further details on how to setup the link to work in each of the 3 scenarios above.

Preparing your ACT! database

It is advisable that you configure your database so that the integration between ACT! and MYOB AccountRight is setup correctly; this process involves creating 2 new  fields in your ACT! database which should be used exclusively by XLAM.

You can give these fields any name you like but typically they are created as MYOB Record Id (a Number field) and MYOB Card Id (a Character field), you can create these fields through your ACT! define fields window.

It is also recommended that you backup your database prior to introducing XLAM into your environment just in case something un-intentional happens and you decide that you want to revert to a previous copy of your database.

Preparing your MYOB Database

Before setting up the link you will need to create a new MYOB user with administrative privelages - call this user "ACT" and assign an appropriate password.

Note: you will need to use these log in details during the Installation phase.

Things to keep in mind when configuring the link

• When connecting to the AccountRight data file directly and when running windows vista / 7 you should run ACT! as an administrator as the AccountRight ODBC drivers require full un-restricted access to the system’s resources.
• In scenarios where there are other users connecting to your AccountRight data file across a network, make sure you use full UNC paths when navigating to the location of your accounting data file.
• The folder containing your Accounting data file should be shared with full access permissions to everyone.
• The installation folder of your MYOB application should also be shared and with full access permissions to everyone.
• If you are going to install the link on a client/server environment the link will consume 1 MYOB licence. Please take this into consideration when allocating your MYOB licences.
• If you are going to install the link on a client/server environment the link must be installed on the same server as your MYOB Application and MYOB data file.

The MYOB ODBC Drivers

In order to connect to your MYOB AccountRight data file XLAM uses the MYOB ODBC drivers which are usually provided as part of your AccountRight installation, there are different versions of the ODBC drivers, below is a table showing which version of the drivers corresponds to which version of AccountRight:

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