What Is Baan/LN Tools Package?
Also known as: Baan Tools, LN Tools, tt package
Definition
The Tools package is Baan and Infor LN's own development and administration layer. It holds the data dictionary, session and form definitions, the 3GL and 4GL compilers, VRC software layering, authorization management, job scheduling, company setup and the Exchange module.
Baan/LN Tools Package Explained
Unusually for an ERP, Baan and LN ship their own development platform as part of the product, and it is where the application itself is defined. The data dictionary describes every table, field, domain and index; session definitions describe every screen, report and batch program; and the compilers turn 3GL and 4GL source into the pseudo-code the bshell executes. When someone says a change is made in Tools, this is the layer they mean.
Software layering through VRCs is the Tools concept with the biggest practical consequence. Each object exists in a version, release and customer layer, and a package combination determines which layers an environment resolves and in what order. A derived VRC can contain a modified copy of a standard object that shadows the original. This is how customization worked for decades, and it is also why upgrades require careful analysis of which shadowed objects still need to exist.
Administration sits in the same package. Companies are created and typed here, users and authorizations are maintained here, devices and printers are defined here, and the job daemon that runs batch work is configured here. The Exchange module for bulk import and export also lives in this layer, which is why the same team frequently owns both technical administration and data migration tooling.
Tools has its own release cadence, separate from the application VRCs and from the porting set. That separation is deliberate and useful: platform capabilities, development tooling and administrative features can move forward without a functional application upgrade. It also means that when troubleshooting an environment you need three version facts, not one: the application release, the Tools release and the porting set version.
Why It Matters
- VRC and package combination configuration determines which code actually executes, which explains many baffling environment differences.
- Authorization design happens here, making Tools the control point auditors examine for segregation of duties.
- Tools versions upgrade independently of the application, so platform improvements need not wait for a functional project.
- Data dictionary decisions such as field lengths are effectively permanent, so they belong in design rather than in build.
In Practice
When two environments behave differently despite supposedly identical code, compare package combinations and VRC resolution before anything else. A test environment resolving one extra derived VRC will run code that production does not, producing test results that are impossible to reproduce and defects that appear only after go-live.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a VRC in Baan and Infor LN?
VRC stands for version, release and customer, and it is the layering scheme for application source and objects. Standard code sits in a standard VRC, and site-specific changes go into derived VRCs that shadow the standard objects beneath them. A package combination tells an environment which VRCs to resolve and in what order, determining which version of each object runs.
Is the Tools package the same as LN Studio?
No. Tools is the platform layer inside the application: the data dictionary, compilers, VRC layering, authorizations and administration. LN Studio is a modern development client that connects to that platform and gives developers an Eclipse-based editing, building and debugging experience. Studio changes how you work with Tools objects; it does not replace the Tools layer itself.
Related Terms
Porting Set
A porting set is the platform-specific layer of Baan and Infor LN that adapts the application to a given operating system and database. It ships the bshell executable, the database drivers and system utilities, and is versioned and patched independently of the application software.
Exchange Scheme
An exchange scheme is the reusable definition in the Baan and Infor LN Exchange module that maps external flat-file records to LN tables field by field, in either direction, so data can be imported or exported in batches without writing custom programs.
Baan Session
A Baan session is the atomic executable unit of Baan and Infor LN - one screen, report or batch program - identified by a coded name such as tdsls4101m000, where the letters give the package and module and the digits give the session number.
Go Deeper
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