Solution Documentation - Interform Infor M3 Package

Solution Documentation - Interform Infor M3 Package

Introduction

The InterformNG2 - Infor M3 package is a standardized solution that enables Infor M3 customers to manage and streamline their document output through the InterformNG2 platform. It delivers preconfigured content, document templates, and workflows that integrate seamlessly with Infor M3, Infor OS, and Infor IDM. By combining these components, the package provides a fast and consistent way to implement professional document management in both test and production environments.

This guide describes the implementation steps for a standard installation and configuration of the M3 package. The package includes a predefined setup that reduces implementation time and ensures a reliable foundation for further customization.

The standard package contains, among other things, the following:
  1. Installation of InterformNG2
  2. Configurable XML Output enablement for M3 13.4 environments
  3. M3 base configuration to use InterformNG2 for printouts (only documents in the package)
  4. InterformNG2 workflows
  5. InterformNG2 resources
  6. InterformNG2 M3 document templates (depending on the document package purchased), 
  7. IDM document type (only some documents) 
  8. IDM business context model setup (only some documents)
  9. IDM integration module for InterformNG2
  10. Adding customer-specific logos to the document templates (based on prespecified logic)
  11. Adding bank information to the document templates (based on prespecified logic)

About Infor M3


Infor M3 is a cloud-enabled enterprise resource planning (ERP) system designed for medium to large, global organizations. It supports complex business processes across industries such as manufacturing, distribution, equipment, and fashion. With strong functionality for handling multi-company, multi-country, and multi-language operations, M3 provides flexibility and scalability for organizations operating in diverse and dynamic markets.

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This documentation is intended as a combined resource. It serves both as a technical implementation guide and as a functional guideline for users. While it provides detailed steps for setting up the InterformNG2 – Infor M3 package, it also includes functional explanations to support users in understanding and working with the solution. The guide does not replace project-specific requirements or customer-specific adjustments, which may be necessary depending on the individual environment and business needs.

Implementation overview

The InterformNG2 M3 package is a modern output management solution designed to meet the full range of a company’s output management requirements. It integrates Infor M3, Infor OS, and Infor IDM with InterformNG2 to deliver one of the market’s most agile and complete solutions, supporting both on-premise and cloud environments.

The solution introduces a new approach to output management, with pre-integrated components and pre-installed layouts and configurations. This ensures a fast, efficient implementation and smooth ongoing operations.

Implementation steps

Implementation steps
The implementation of InterformNG2 consists of three main steps. 
Installation, setup, and testing the standard software and the M3 standard package
Customization of documents, workflows, IDM document type, etc.
Deployment to production


The installation, setup, and test of the standard package and the first deployment to production are part of the standard package implementation and are part of the fixed price for the InterformNG2 package.

Changes to layouts, workflows, adjusting IDM document types etc. and subsequent deployment of the changes to the production environment is not part of the fixed price implementation but is to be estimated into a project on it’s own based on individual needs or is to be handled by T&M.

Prerequisites

General access

Firewalls and ports

IFS and M3 Users and User roles

IONAPI and IDM service user

Mail server, SMTP and mail relay

Printers

Examples and tests

General access
We require access to the servers where InterformNG2 should be installed, as well as access to InforOS and M3/H5.
For on-prem installations, we need a VPN connection.
Internet connection from the InterformNG2 servers to request a license.

Firewalls and ports
The following ports should be open

Server
Direction
Port
Note
InterformNG2 server
In
8086 / 443
Browser access to InterformNG2
InterformNG2 server
Out
25 / 545
E-mail port
InterformNG2 server
In
9620
Default TCP / IP port to receive input from m3.
More can be added if InterformNG2 is setup with additional TCP / IP connectors.
This is primarily for M3 on-prem.
InterformNG2 server
Out
443 / 7443
M3 / IDM / ION API access
InterformNG2 server
Out
8574
License server port
InterformNG2 server
Out
9100
Printers

Other ports may be required depending on the use of FTP, ODBC, various printing protocols, etc.
For M3CE, port 443 must be used, and the server must have a public DNS name and a 3rd party certificate.

IFS and M3 Users and User Roles
To set up the InterformNG2 M3 package, we need access to various programs in the IFS and M3. The customer is responsible for ensuring that the right roles and privileges are assigned to our users.

Minimum roles and privileges:
  1. Full access to M3 and all M3 divisions, including blank division
  2. IDM-Administraton
  3. IDM-RelatedInformationUser

IONAPI and IDM service user
The IDM archiving connection from InterformNG2 requires an IONAPI file generated in the IFS. The IONAPI file contains all information regarding the IDM connection, including the service user used for document upload.

The service user must have the IDM-SuperUser and the IDM User roles in IFS.
It is a requirement to enable the setting "Issue Refresh Tokens" on the Authorized App for the InterformNG2 service account.
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The customer is responsible for creating the service user and the IONAPI file for both the test and production environments. 

Mail server, SMTP, and mail relay
The Customer must provide information on the mail server, authentication, and ensure that the mail relay is set up to allow InterformNG2 to send emails from both the test and production servers. 

Printers
Printers to be used in dynamic printer control from M3/CRS290 must be shared on a Windows share and are not part of the InterformNG2 installation or the standard M3 package configuration.
Examples and tests
We need examples of documents, orders, invoices, and other relevant materials that we are permitted to use for testing the base solution. The customer is responsible for providing test cases that are sufficient to do a base test of the documents. 

Installation and basic configuration of InterformNG2

Install InterformNG2

Request a test license

InterformNG2 user management

E-mail server configuration

Add printers

Setup IDM integration

Setup logging

Font import

Install InterformNG2

Install the latest Windows version of InterformNG2 from https://interform400.com/download-product/


Follow the “click next” installation process on both the test and production servers. It is preferred to install using the HTTPS protocol.

NotesNote: InterformNG2 automatically installs JAVA 17.

Request a test license
Login to InterformNG2: https://myip_or_dnsname:8086/ 
  1. User: admin
  2. Password: password
Follow up on the guide described in the "The license code" article.

InterformNG2 user management
  1. Create a new Administrator user
    Create a new user and add the Administrator role. Please note that the password you enter is a first-time password only.
    For more information on user management, look at the "Users of InterformNG2" article.

  2. Change Admin password
    Change the Admin password. 

E-mail server configuration
E-mail information needs to be added to the InterformNG2 settings. 
  1. The customer is responsible for informing us of the correct information to set up the E-mail integration.
  2. The customer is also responsible for ensuring that the mail relay allows the InterformNG2 to send through the SMTP gateway. 
For information on setting up the E-mail servers in InterformNG2, please use the article "Tenant E-mail server".
Notes
Note: Remember to setup a valid from e-mail address in InterformNG2
Difference between system and Tenant mail servers:
  1. System Admin is a global email server in order to be able to send system emails from InterformNG2.
  2. Tenant e-mail server is for e-mailing documents from a company A , Company B etc.
You can add multiple e-mail servers.
When you are signed in as user admin and have selected System Admin create the e-mail settings for InterformNG2 to be used for system e-mails. You can name the server with a unique name, if you have  separate e-mail servers.

Now sign out of InterformNG2, and sign-in using your own profile and select Tenant “Home”.
And create the e-mail settings for the Tenant “home”.

Add printers
The standard M3 workflow is set to use dynamic printers based on the M3 settings in CRS290 and MNS205/CRS949. No additional printer settings are needed to run the default M3 printouts based on the standard workflow. 

For more information on possibilities and setup of named printers in InterformNG2, please see "Printers".

Setup IDM integration
Go to InterformNG2 settings and the Infor Document Management section and upload the IONAPI file provided by the customer.
For more information on the IDM module for InterformNG2 see "Infor IDM integration"
 
Test the connection by clicking the TEST CONNECTION button.
AlertImportant: the IONAPI file contains information regarding connection to the Infor IDM. It also contains authorization information and should be kept safe.

Setup logging
  1. Go to the InterformNG2 settings and the log section.
  2. Enable the E-mail log and setup the Error report e-mail.  
  3. Remember to click SAVE 
For more information on the IDM integration read the "Logging" article.

Font import
The M3 package is delivered with the NotoSans font. https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq

If you need support, such as for Chinese, you must find a Unicode font, like Arial Unicode MS TTF, and upload it to the font library.
Then change the font in the templates using CTRL A in the layout.

Deployment of M3 package to InterformNG2

Import the InterformNG2 M3 package

Setup Logo control

Setup bank information

The InterformNG2 M3 package is a content package specifically developed for the Infor M3 ERP system. The package contains standard workflows and templates to handle printouts from Infor M3. 
Get the Interform M3 Package
The InterFormNG2 M3 package is available directly from InterForm or through official solution partners. To receive the package, including pricing and commercial details, please contact your InterForm representative or your certified partner. You can contact InterForm via Contact us - InterForm

Import the InterformNG2 M3 base package
The InterformNG2 M3 package can be provided by InterForm and official solutions partners.
Go to the InterformNG2 settings and IMPORT TENANT. 


Chose the downloaded file and click IMPORT and confirm by clicking OK in the next window. 


Setup Logo control
Upload the logo(s) to the InterformNG2 “Images” folder.

 
Open a M3 template from the InterformNG2 Library -> templates -> m3 folder
In the Page -> Header section, you can add additional cases and attach each case to the logo.

Add the logo to the select

Resize the logo to fit your needs.
Press Save  and  “Save Component” to confirm the change. You can now preView the result.

Setup bank information
Open a M3 template from the InterformNG2 Library -> translation -> m3 folder
The standard setup for bank information is controlled by the combination of division and currency, with a fallback functionality that removes the first currency and division. 
Examples

Bank_010_DKK.properties
Used for division 010 and currency DKK
Bank_020_EUR.properties
Used for division 020 and currency EUR
Bank.properties
Used as default for all divisions and currencies

Add the bank information provided by the customer.

M3 setup

Enablement of the Configurable Output Management module in M3 (On-prem)

Setting up server and services 

Setting up MNS204 / CRS94

Enablement of the Configurable Output Management module in M3 (On-prem)
If Configurable Output Management has not been used in an M3 13.4 environment, then some basic setup needs to be done to activate the possibility of printing. 
Setup the Output service type in MNS217



Setup Document media in CRS116
Add File, MAIL and PRT.




All Document media types uses the XML servicetype set up in MNS217.

Connect the media to the Output Service Type in MNS214

Setting up server and services
Add the InterformNG2 server in MNS218


Add the new service in MNS216 and point the service to the InterformNG2 service in MNS218.

For On-prem customers, use the service type setup in MNS217, TCP/IP connector for communication type and the port number for the InterformNG2 installation. The standard port number used for InterformNG2 is 9630

For cloud installations, the HTTPS communication type must be used. 

Setting up MNS204 / CRS945
The documents we want to run on InterformNG2 need to be directed to the InterformNG2 service setup in MNS216. This is done in MNS204 and in CRS945/949.
In the standard installation, we setup the MNS204 program, and the customer sets up the CRS945/949 program.
Depending on the existing setup in MNS204 and the project at the customer, we may either setup all users or just our own user, and let the customer setup and maintain the remaining users. 
It is advisable to setup as much as possible in the *BLANK* division, but this depends on the existing setup and the customer's policies.


We always save output, and normally we setup the Confirm output for our own users. The media setup depends on the existing customer setup and the customer's policies on M3 media settings in MNS204/205 and CRS945/949.
In CRS949, the service must be changed to the InterformNG2 service from MNS216. This must be done for each customer. It is also essential that the Media and the service ID are compliant. 
The customer must make this change, and it may be necessary to reschedule scheduled batch jobs in M3 to allow M3 to pick up the new service IDs from MNS204 and CRS949. 

IDM setup

Download IDM configuration files

Import document types to IDM environments

Ensure automatic publishing of Infor Business Context

Download IDM configuration files
The configuration files to setup IDM for the selected document type can be found in the InterformNG2 library in the "M3IDMConfiguration.zip".



Download all the files for the documents in scope. 

Import document types to IDM environments
Make sure that the document types do not already exist in the IDM. If it does, you need to take into consideration how the InterformNG2 archiving fits into the existing setup (this is not standard and needs to be handled individually).

In the IDM Control Center, select Import/Export from the Administration group to import configurations for document types and business context models.

 
Click the Import pane and find your file.
Click Import, and the file is imported into the environment. 
Start with all the Document types and continue with the Business Context models. 
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Note: The document configurations contain the PublicRead ACL as the default ACL for all document types.

Ensure automatic publishing of Infor Business Context
To see IDM documents in the related context app, the publishing of the business context apps must be activated. 
To do this globally, go to the H5 administration and enable automatic publishing of Infor Business Context.
 

If you don’t have access, then the customer must enable the setting.