Epicor 10-architected-for-efficiency-whitepaper

An Epicor®
White Paper
Epicor ERP 10—
Architected for Efficiency

EpicorERP 10—Architected forEfficiency
i
Table of Content
Introduction...............................................................................................................1
How Epicor ERP 10 Is Built ....................................................................................2
System Architecture................................................................................................3
Performance and Scalability..................................................................................8
System Requirements...........................................................................................10
Conclusion: A Foundation for Success..............................................................11

1
Introduction
Today’s global business environment has transformed what enterprises need from their ERP
systems. Global competition has led to the development of extended value networks, with
facilities, suppliers, and partners in every part of the globe; moreover, it is much more nuanced
than was ever imagined. Change is constant. Innovation is accelerating. Competitive pressures
and customer expectations are higher. In this dynamic and challenging environment, technology
must support the goals of better collaboration, increased agility, real-time responsiveness, and
higher performance while reducing complexity in what is inherently a complex structure. Failing to
do so may hinder what technology is meant to drive: growth and opportunity.
Epicor ERP 10 has been built from the ground up to comprehensively respond to these needs
and provide the support organizations require to thrive in today’s competitive global business
landscape. Guided by the needs of today’s organizations, Epicor ERP 10 streamlines the use of
ERP across multiple devices while providing greater deployment choices, reduced complexity, and
remarkable ease-of-use. Built on agile technology to provide rich, global functionality, we believe
it is a truly inspired ERP solution, one that not only unleashes the full potential of ERP, but also
changes its role from necessary infrastructure to active facilitator of business growth
andsustainability.

2
How Epicor ERP 10 Is Built
Epicor ERP 10 is built on a server architecture fully optimized for Microsoft®
Windows®
Server and
Microsoft SQL Server®
. This helps make it simple to manage and very hardware effi Relatively
easy to deploy, the solution includes new features such as Epicor Social Enterprise and Epicor
Enterprise Search, while incorporating all the rich business capabilities and global functionality of
its predecessor suite, Epicor 9. In addition, Epicor Web Access, the browser client for Epicor ERP,
has been re-architected to improve speed and user friendliness.
Microsoft®
.NET®
4.51 and SQL Server combine to form the underlying platformfor Epicor ERP 10.
These platformcomponents were chosen not only for their proven reliability, but alsobecause the
stackhas a very low total cost of ownership (TCO). Microsoft SQL Server has long been a popular
database technologyfor Epicor customers, and ERP 10 doubles down on the Epicor commitment to
buildfast androbust applications that make the most of SQL Server’s capabilitiesinthe
enterprise. ERP 10 services are hostedonMicrosoft Internet Information Services(IIS), whichmeans
the entire architecture canbe managed andextended using commonly available technicalskills.
Generaly speaking, ERP 10 delivers twice the performance of Epicor 9 and scales more than four
times higher than the previous release. Most hardware confi cost less than $90 (USD)
per concurrent user. What’s more, ERP 10 is “by the book” architected for Windows Server and
SQL Server, which means all the management and monitoring tools familiar to IT staff can be
leveraged with little or no additional training—a real time and cost savings. The solution is highly
interoperable with all kinds of IT systems and supremely adaptable to unique and constantly
changing business environments.
Built on a comprehensive services architecture, Epicor ERP 10 is easy and fl to deploy,
either on premise or in the cloud. Consequently, it provides the fl and choice today’s
organizations need for deploying and managing multiple ERP instances.
Epicor has beenofferingERP as a subscription service (SaaS)since 2009 inthree editions: Express
and Standardfor small manufacturers anddistributors, andanEnterprise edition, whichincludes the
same functionalitysuite as onpremise Epicor ERP. Epicor does not dilute development, support,
or services resources bymanagingmultiple code lines for cloudand on premise deployments.
Epicor SaaS ERP 10 follows the same strategybut with a new architecture that provides cloud-
basedcustomers withbetter performance, higher reliability, and exceptional IT effi .

3
System Architecture
Epicor ERP 10 is completely built on the Microsoft .NET®
Framework using managed code, written
primarily inC#, along with state-of-the-art components such as Windows Communications
Foundation (WCF) and EntityFramework. This approach allows the Epicor ERP applications code
to run on any systemcompatible with Microsoft .NET 4.51 and the relevant extensions. ERP 10
relies onMicrosoft SQL Server for data storage, Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) for
reports, and Internet Information Services (IIS) for hosting.
ScaleUp or ScaleOut
Epicor ERP 10 was designed for Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), an exceptional
application server. IISis a proven, reliable, andscalable technology that includes a powerful
administration console and tools to confi e, secure, and troubleshoot application services.
Epicor ERP 10 alsoincludes a dedicatedmanagement systemfor deploying and managing ERP
instances. Once an ERP 10 release is installed, the Epicor Administration Console is used to easily
create and manage databases, migrate data and applications from previous versions of Epicor ERP,
bind ERP instances tolicensing, and manage users and sessions.
The Epicor ERP Administration Console, ERP 10 architecture, and IISall work together to provide
a highly available ERP system. ERP 10 services are fullymulti-threaded andloadresources on
demand, as they are needed. ERP services canbe hosted in a single process, a multi-process Web
garden (recommended), or by using load balancing across multiple application servers. Hardware-
basedload balancing is recommended for confi intended to support more than 200 to
300 users. (ERP 10’s Sizing Guide provides complete details.)
The solution is built as a collectionof more than 1,300 independent services and nearly 20,000
operations. All access to the application logic—whether from an Epicor client application or
any other enterprise system—is managed by callingone or more of these services. There are no
private APIs or application logic unavailable for IT to exploit. Eachapplication service has a number
of standardoperations for retrievingor updating entities suchas orders, customers, parts, and
manufacturing orders. There are a multitude of other utilityoperations, depending on the specifi
needs of user operations. Finally, ERP 10 supports other approaches to integration, including high-
speed imports using fl formats or EDI messaging.

4
The Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) is used to host Epicor ERP 10 services. By
default, three protocol endpoints are supported for each service. The fi is a binary Net.Tcp
protocol endpoint that uses an Epicor-specifi wire format, optimized and compressed for use by
the Epicor ERP client application. The Net.Tcp protocol is available for general-purpose access via
service contract assemblies that can be used in any .NET-based project.
Services Protocols Privacy Authentication
Interoperable access toservices generallyrequires use of SOAP, which is an XML-based messaging
protocol. ERP 10 supports two SOAP implementations: SOAP 1.1 and SOAP 1.2/WS-*. SOAP 1.1
is an earlier SOAP format with simply message formats. SOAP 1.2, along with a large number
of Web Services specifi (WS-*), is the predominant standard for sending interoperable
messages across systems and platforms. ERP 10 services are all declared as WCF service contracts
and non-scalar data types are defi as data contracts. This approach ensures maximum
interoperability because ERP 10 services accept/emit simple object graphs, without any proprietary
data containers.
1600IndividuallyAddressableServices
• Entity/document-oriented
• Extensible data andbehavior
• All provide “standard” operations plus any number of
service-specifi operations
EntityDocuments
• Hierarchical data containers for
non-scalar results
• Extensible for custom data

5
ERP SecurityPartitions
There are three aspects toERP service security: authentication, privacy, andauthorization. ERP 10
has two authentication providers: Windows single sign-on (SS0) and Epicor-defi username/
password tokens. The Windows single sign-on option is fullyintegratedwith the Windows
operating systemand Active Directory. Privacyensures that messages betweenERP services and
callers cannot be read by intercepting network traffi ERP 10 uses either a Windows domain or
secure socket layer (SSL) and X509 certifi to encrypt the communications channel.
Authorization defi which services and data the caller is allowed to access. Epicor ERP 10
includes a comprehensive access rights system, where users—or groups of users—are assigned
access rights to any table, fi form, menu
option, or service operation. Access rights can
be defi inclusively(explicitlyallowedaccess)
or exclusively(explicitlydisallowed access). In
addition, there are a number of ERP-specifi
securitypartitions supportedthrough the
system. These include companies, departments,
territories, andmanufacturingsites.
ERP Services are highly extensible. The
underlying data model can be extended
with custom fi and tables. These
fi are usable all the way through
the stack, including client applications.
Service behavior can be modifi or
extended usingEpicor Business Process
Management. Moreover, services and data
exchanges can be orchestrated with other
systems using Epicor Service Connect.
System Security
The foundation of any modern enterprise application is a well-designedphysical data model
coupled with a great database engine (e.g., Microsoft SQL Server). The Epicor ERP 10 data model
is comprised of about 2,000 well-normalized tables. Eachtable includes a declared
primary key, a GUID alternate key (with a SQL “row guide” attribute), and a row version column
(commonly called a “timestamp” value). These features make it much easier toenlist advanced
SQL Server replication and integration services. Eachapplication table has anintermediate
“shadow” companion defi that is used by master data management features as suspension
data containers. ERP 10 alsouses storedprocedures generated by the Internet Component
Environment (ICE) Framework SDK to optimize data access for standard operations and effi
data paging.

6
Supporting the applications code is the Epicor ICE Framework, which is an enterprise grade
application framework purpose-built for the Epicor ERP programming model. Epicor ICE
separates many technology aspects (e.g., hosting, data access, caching, protocols, security,
assemblymanagement) from the applications code. The ICE framework ensures that the 1,600+
services and hundreds of forms that make up ERP 10 are built and behave consistently. The ICE
Framework alsoserves to“separate concerns,” a software architecture approachthat ensures
that different areas of a large software set can evolve independently. The Epicor ICE Framework
can alsowork as a stand-alone systemproviding bridge services toexternal data and legacy
systems as well as business queries, dashboards, and searchindexing.
Most Epicor ERP users access the system using the Epicor ERP smart client application, which
is also architected for Microsoft .NET. Epicor ERP is highly regarded for the rich capabilities and
fl of the ERP Client application. Popular features include a consistent navigation across
hierarchical business information, stringusabilitydesign for “heads-down” data entry tasks, and
highly personalized stylingcapabilities. Application forms are comprised of multiple “tear-off”
information panels—eachrelatedto a data entity—that can be oriented or even removed to suit
the needs of the enterprise or individual users.
Most data entry forms represent information both infree form and as a spreadsheet-like grid.
Epicor ERP grid controls are powerful data entry tools. Columns can be rearranged, sorted, or
fi ed. Data can be collapsed into groups and all data entry is instantly refl in other views
contained in the same form. One of the most popular grid features is the instant export to
Microsoft Excel. Users can also paste/insert data directly from Excel into the data entry grid. This
capability is frequently used for creating orders, adding parts, or managing pricing.
Forms can be fullycustomized. The ERP 10 Client includes anembeddedintegrateddevelopment
environment (IDE) that allows controls tobe moved, dropped, or added. Developers candeclare
dynamic “row rules” to create data-drivenbehaviors suchas changingcolor or style. Additionally,
form logic can be createdinC# or VB.NET and assignedtoform, panel, or control events.
All customizations are managed andstoredas metadatathat is propagatedtodeployments
automaticallyandondemand. More importantly, the metadata-basedapproachfor customizing
Epicor ERP 10 is “non-invasive” toEpicorsupplied application resources. Inother words,
customizations donot touchbaseline code, whichmeans deployingservice packs is aneasyprocess.

7
Epicor Web Access (EWA) allows users access for ERP 10 forms using a browser. EWA renders
the client application content using pure HTM without dependencies on browser plug-ins. HTML
forms are derived directlyfrom the same metadata that defi ERP Client Application forms.
Many constructs supported by the Client Application customization tools are supported by EWA.
This means it is possible to customize Epicor ERP using the embedded IDE tools, and for those
changes to appear inbrowser versions of the form.
For ERP 10, Epicor has re-engineered the Web Access stackfor easier usability, muchfaster
performance, and intuitive navigation via touch-enabled devices. Rather than trying to faithfully
reproduce the “heads-down” ERP Client Application, EWA reimagines form navigation using
dynamic sections and touch-friendlyjump panels. This makes it easier for users carrying mobile
devices to access information and make decisions.

8
Performance and Scalability
There are three aspects to Epicor performance testing:
X Absolute responsiveness as measured (or perceived) by users running the Epicor
Client Application
X Server processing times under various load models
X Throughput testing that demonstrates how typical bulk load operations perform
Epicor development guidelines mandate that no service pack or release canever perform worse
than a previous product version, as measured by our standardized tests. Compliance to that
mandate is required even when functionalityis added to the system.
The approach Epicor takes to scale testingis simple: be accurate and report results truthfully.
Comprehensive load testingis complex and expensive. Epicor invests inload testingto understand
how products perform and how to make them better. It alsopublishes detailed results toprovide
customers with the best information to help plan capacity and system responsiveness. As of this
publication, Epicor ERP 10 is still in beta test; scale testing has been performed for interactive
loads up to 3,000 users, and throughput testing for distribution business scenarios.
Epicor ERP 10 shows good linear scalabilityfromone user through 3,000 users. More importantly,
database server utilization remains verylow, never exceeding 10 percent CPU utilization. SQL
batch requests at 3,000 concurrent users averaged about 6,940 per second, which refl about
12 percent of capacityfor typical hardware and well under Epicor guidelines of no more than fi
requests per second per user.

9
Transaction Per Hour
Order Lines 62778
Invoices 74658
Shipments 34662
Interactive load tests are modeled using real-world Epicor ERP logs collected from live customers
who are primarily manufacturers or distributors. The test results above are from a manufacturing
model tested at 200, 1,000, 2,000, and 3,000 user levels. Note: each load test is conducted
on hardware consistent with Epicor recommendations. (For example, the 200-user test was
conducted on a single machine. For the 1,000- and 2,000-user tests, the database server,
application server, anda reporting server were used. At 3,000 users, an additional application
server was added as a load-balanced cluster.)
Epicor throughput tests are designed to allow customers to model integration capacity. Initial
tests conducted on a beta release for Epicor ERP
10 show good throughput numbers in order
and shipping transactions, whichare typically
automated for distribution scenarios. The results
below were demonstrated on a singlemachine
solution. All three tests were running
simultaneously. Note: conditions for data loads
vary widely and much higher throughput is
possible when the systems and integrations are
tuned to matchthe business requirements.
Generallyspeaking, Epicor ERP 10 performs
twice as fast as Epicor 9 and scales more than
four times higher. With Epicor 9, achieving
high performance for large numbers of
concurrent users required rigidadherence
to infrastructure requirements, especially in
scale-out (multimachine) deployments with SQL Server. Epicor ERP 10 server processing times are
two to fi times faster than ERP 9 server response times. Some aspects, notably Business Activity
Queries, can be one or two orders of magnitude faster. Most server performance gains are the
result of massively reducing the number of SQL Server batch requests.
Epicor is constantly measuring the performance characteristics of Epicor ERP. Microsoft Windows
Server and SQL Server platforms make optimizing ERP 10 product performance easier because
these products are very well instrumented. Performance testing is now even more endemic to all
areas of Epicor because measuring resource impact through unit tests, standardized performance
tests, and load testing are integral parts of the tooling and practices that make up the Epicor
development process.

10
System Requirements
Epicor ERP 10 development is tied to two foundational technologies: Microsoft .NET Framework
and Microsoft SQL Server. This allows great fl for hosting and managing ERP 10 because
both .NET and SQL Server can run on hardware as small as a Microsoft Surface Pro tablet.
Certifying a platform for ERP 10 is an involved taskbecause of the large testingregimen and the
costs tomaintain each certifi environment for the QA and Product Support teams. As such, not
every combination of hardware, operating systemversion, and SQL Server versionthat ERP 10 is
able to successfullyrunwith will be formallycertifi
At release, Epicor has certifi two platform confi for Epicor ERP 10 server applications:
X Windows®
Server 2008R2 and Windows Server 2012 operating systems (all editions)
X SQL Server 2008 R2 and SQL Server 2014 Databases (all editions*)
SQL Server 2014 (all editions*, pending certifi is expected in Q2 2014. (*Express editions of
SQL Server are not recommended due to constraints on memory, CUP, and database size.)
Required prerequisites include Microsoft .NET Framework 4.51, Internet Information Services,
Windows Process Activation (HTTP and non-HTTP), TCP Port Sharing, and options required to
support the desiredsecurityconfi Epicor ERP 10 reports are renderedusing SQL Server
Reporting Services (SSRS). (See the Epicor ERP 10 Installation Guide for details.)Some companion
product features require Microsoft SharePoint Services or SharePoint Server.
The ERP 10 Client Application is alsobasedon Microsoft .NET Framework and will run any version
of Windows (other than Windows RT) supported by Microsoft. Windows XP is not supported
for the ERP 10 Smart Client. At least 1GB of available memory is recommended for running the
ERP 10 Smart Client. For Epicor Web Access, Mozilla®
Firefox®
, Google®
Chrome®
, and Internet
Explorer®
9 (and later) desktop browsers are all fully supported.
Hardware confi for ERP 10 are fullyexplained inthe Epicor ERP 10 Hardware Sizing
Guide. A single machine server can be scaled up to support 200 or more concurrent users.
Guidance for a 200-user system includes a 2x8 (16-core) Xeon machine with 96GB RAM and an
I/O accelerator (e.g., FusionIO) for SQL data storage. For scale out confi typical
applicationserver hardware includes 16 cores, 32GB RAM, and HDD storage. Database servers
require similar hardware, although FusionIO and 96GB RAM are both recommended. Scale out
confi have been testedto 3,000 concurrent users using one database server and three
application servers (one dedicatedfor generating reports).
SingleMachineConfi tions Scale OutConfi tions

11
Epicor ERP is fully compatible with VMware and Hyper-V virtualization technologies. (See the
Epicor ERP Guide to Virtualization for details and best practices.) Implementers need to pay special
attention when virtualizing the database server to avoid performance issues caused by slow I/O
performance.
Conclusion: A Foundation forSuccess
Epicor ERP 10 provides today’s organization with the core technological foundation to meet the
diffi and rapidly evolving challenges of today’s global competition. The fi principles of Epicor
ERP support this:
X Collaboration - In today’s extended value chains, collaboration is essential to drive
innovation, uncover opportunity, and respond to change in often-volatile markets. To
do this successfully, ERP must be accessible to everyone involved in a company’s value
chain, and business processes must be linked directly to that chain. Knowledge retention,
traceability, deep domain expertise—Epicor ERP 10 supports these objectives by enabling
communication without latency, and providing easy access and leverage via means that
users want to use.
X Choice - Designed for rapid, flexible deployment—on premise or via the cloud—ERP 10
gives organizations the ability to adapt to their unique circumstances, easily configure,
stay current with technological advances, and scale up or out as demands dictate. This is
all done without taxing IT demands or frustrating delays.
X Responsiveness - In a time where events on one side of the world can immediately
impact business on the other, the ability to respond is paramount. Business analysis
must be in context and business response must be agile; customer expectations allow
for nothing less. Epicor ERP 10 is designed to deliver in this taxing milieu, providing rich,
global functionality that organizations can use, in an instant, for strategic response and
competitive advantage.
X Simplicity - As value chains become increasingly extended, nuanced, and complex,
you can’t have your core systems adding to complexity. By simplifying deployment,
management, and usage—and by providing accurate, up-to-date information that
enables a single version of the truth across multi-faceted supply and demand networks—
Epicor ERP 10 reduces complexity and makes it simpler to make the right decisions for
sustained success.
X Mobility - Today’s workers aren’t chained to their desks or their computers. They want
24/7 access to the information they need, wherever they are, on whatever device they
use. Epicor ERP 10 is designed to deliver this kind of flexibility.
Built on an unparalleled technology foundation—Epicor ICE 3, a 100% Microsoft stack, and
global functionalitythat includes embedded capabilities, easilyconfi engines, real time
BI and analytics, as well as industry-specifi business layers andsupport—Epicor ERP 10 delivers
performance from day one, from the ground up. In a business world where waste, delay,
complexity, and uncertainty are anathema, it provides clarityon an ongoing basis, when and
where you need Epicor ERP 10.
It is architected for effi as well as for your success.

2W Technologies, INC www.2WTech.com (312) 533.4033
Contact us for more information on Epicor Products and Services
312.533.4033 inf o@2wtech.com www.2Wtech.com
This document is for informational purposes only and is subject to change without notice. This document and its contents, including the viewpoints, dates and functional content
expressed herein are believed to be accurate as of its date of publication, April 2014. However, Epicor Software Corporation makes no guarantee, representations or warranties
with regard to the enclosed information and specifi disclaims any applicable implied warranties, such as for fi for a particular purpose, merchantability, satisfactory
quality, and reasonable skill and care. As each user of Epicor software is likely to be unique in their requirements in the use of such software and their business processes, users
of this document are always advised to discuss the content of this document with their Epicor account manager. All information contained herein is subject to change without
notice and changes to this document since printing and other important information about the software product are made or published in release notes, and you are urged to
obtain the current release notes for the software product. We welcome user comments and reserve the right to revise this publication and/or make improvements or changes to
the products or programs described in this publication at any time, without notice. The usage of any Epicor Software shall be pursuant to an Epicor end user license agreement
and the performance of any consulting services by Epicor personnel shall be pursuant to the standard services terms and conditions of Epicor Software Corporation. Epicor and
the Epicor logo are trademarks of Epicor Software Corporation, registered in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU. All other trademarks mentioned are the
property of their respective owners. Copyright © 2014 Epicor Software Corporation. All rights reserved.

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