Using Professional Services Tools Library (PSTL) To Change Key Fields in Dynamics SL

More by

With the release of Dynamics SL 2011 and greater, Microsoft includes a free tool to change key fields in the SL database.  It’s called PSTL (Professional Services Tools Library).  You can use this tool to modify or merge Vendor IDs, Customer IDs, Inventory Items, Accounts, Subaccounts, and many more.  It changes all tables, including transactions and history, as if that was the original ID used and set up.

Here’s how to use it:

  1. If you don’t have PSTL, visit our support page and we can help you get the files and keys needed.
  2. (Skip this step if PSTL is already installed in your system.)  Verify that everyone is logged out of the database in Dynamics SL, then open the software.  When you first log in, enter the SQL Server Name, System Database, and login credentials.
  3.  (Skip this step if PSTL is already installed in your system.)  Click on the Help tab and register the software.  The keys are always the ones shown here:
  4. (Skip this step if PSTL is already installed in your system.)  Enter the keys and click the “Register” button.  Then click back on the Login/Logout tab.
  5. In PSTL, highlight each database, one at a time, and click the “Create Stored Procs and Views” button.  This will create the required procs and views in the database.
  6. To modify or change a key field, click on the “Modifier” tab.  This will change all fields in all tables that use that key field.  Below are the key fields you can change:
  7. Click on the field you are modifying, and then enter the old value and the new value.  (You can copy and paste the values from Excel.

    You cannot enter an Old Vendor ID that is not valid in the system.  You also cannot enter a new Vendor ID that already exists in the system.
  8. Use the “Combiners” tab to combine two fields into one.  For example Vendor A and Vendor B become Vendor B.  Or, Vendor A and Vendor B become Vendor C.    This will combine and merge all tables for those vendors in the system.

Hints and Tips when using PSTL:

  • Take a backup of the database before you use the tool.
  • Run key reports before and after running the tool.
  • Think logically through the processing order.  If five accounts are becoming the same new account, run a modifier for the first account.  Then start over and run a combiner of the second account and the new account.  Then start over again and run a combiner of the third account and the new account, etc.
  • You cannot modify key fields to an already existing value.
  • Between databases, log out and back into PSTL, it will free up the memory and run more quickly.

If you have questions or need some assistance, visit our support page for more help.

Leave a Reply