Upgrade Path Planner

Infor M3 upgrade path planner: Movex, 7.1, 10.1 and 13.x to M3 13.4 or the cloud

Pick the M3 or Movex release you run today and the target: on-premises M3 13.4 or multi-tenant CloudSuite M3. The planner lays out the documented LifeCycle Manager route (base, service packs, fixes), MAK retrofit, M3 Core component upgrades and the XtendM3 rebuild for the cloud, then sizes risk, effort and a regression test plan to your modifications, integrations and document layouts.

Free, runs in your browser, no sign-in needed. Release data checked 2026-10 against 28 cited sources.

1Releases
Verify with vendorInfor states 10.1 was released in 2010.
SupportedIT Jungle reports 13.4 was unveiled in 2016.
On-premises or hosted
2Landscape
What to count in M3
customizations:
MAK-modified BE programs and views, custom database interfaces, Smart Office and H5 scripts, mashups, personalizations.
integrations:
ION BOD flows, M3 API (MI) callers, Event Hub subscribers, WMS, PLM, CRM, e-commerce, BI.
interfaces:
IEC (MEC) maps and partner agreements, EDI, flat-file definitions, bank and tax files, direct database extracts.
reports:
StreamServe or Exstream document layouts, BI reports and dashboards, custom list outputs.
sites:
Companies, divisions or facilities that need their own validation and cutover.
Modules in use
Integration types
Lawson M3 10.1Infor M3 13.4 (latest on-premises)

LifeCycle Manager route: upgrade LCM, install the 13.4 BE package and upgrade the database with base, apply service packs and fixes, retrofit MAK modifications and upgrade the M3 Core components. Public sources document no intermediate release; confirm for your source with Infor.

Steps
11
2 to confirm
Releases crossed
4
M3 13
Risk
60 / 100
High
Effort
205-484 d
about 10-24 person-months
  1. 1
    PreparationDocumented

    Build a test environment from a copy of production

    Create a separate M3 BE environment and copy production data into it. LifeCycle Manager has tasks to export and import database data, import from another M3 BE environment database and compare environment fixes, so you can time the run and see the fix gap between environments before touching production.

    LifeCycle ManagerSource 13
  2. 2
    PreparationDocumented

    Confirm the server, operating system and Java platform for the target

    Every M3 release sets its own platform floor. M3 13.1, for example, required IBM i 7.1 (not 6.1 or V5R4), 64-bit Windows Server 2008 or 2012 and JVM 1.7. For 13.4, Infor said in 2022 it would certify the release on IBM i 7.5 and Windows Server 2022. Check the supported platforms page for your exact target on docs.infor.com before ordering hardware.

    Source 5Source 8Source 9Source 10
  3. 3
    UpgradeDocumented

    Upgrade LifeCycle Manager first

    LifeCycle Manager installs and patches M3 BE and the M3 Core technology components, so it is upgraded before anything else. The M3 Core Administration Guide covers upgrade considerations, upgrading the LifeCycle Manager Server, and solving certificate problems after the upgrade.

    LifeCycle ManagerSource 12Source 11
  4. 4
    UpgradeDocumentedlands on Infor M3 13.4 (latest on-premises)

    Install the M3 BE package and upgrade the database with base

    Upload and install the target M3 Business Engine package in LifeCycle Manager, then run the database upgrade with base. For M3 13.4 the M3 CSD compatibility page pairs the release with M3 Business Engine 15.1.4 and M3 Core Infrastructure and Technology 13.4.0. Ask Infor whether your source release needs an intermediate base first; public documentation does not list one.

    LifeCycle ManagerSource 13Source 10
  5. 5
    UpliftDocumented

    Apply service packs, feature packs and fixes

    After the base, upgrade the database with the current service pack, apply feature packs and fixes, apply MI metadata and run the fix programs. Resolve the dependency chain for superseded Maintenance Correction Entities (MCEs). An installed Maintenance Correction Pack cannot be deactivated, so apply packs on the test environment first.

    LifeCycle ManagerSource 13Source 17
  6. 6
    ConversionDocumented

    Retrofit MAK modifications onto the new BE source

    Modified M3 BE programs, views and database interfaces built with the M3 Adaptation Kit must be compared with the new standard source and merged. MAK has a Compare feature, a Merge Tool and the MvxViewDefMerger tool for view definition files. Use action numbers to group changes, deploy to a per-user sandbox to test without affecting other users, then set entities to Test and promote HFix entities to VFix.

    M3 Adaptation Kit (MAK)MAK CompareMerge ToolMvxViewDefMergerSource 16Source 15Source 14
  7. 7
    UpgradeDocumented

    Upgrade the M3 Core technology components

    Upgrade Infor ION Grid, Event Hub, Event Analytics, M3 UI Adapter, H5 Enterprise, M3 Foundation, the Infor Enterprise Collaborator (IEC) server and its Partner Admin, Business Document Mapper and Flat File Definition tools, the BOD Processor, MAK and M3 Metadata Publisher. Most are upgraded through CCSS per the M3 Core Administration Guide. Migrate old Partner Admin and Flat File Definition database settings into the new installations.

    CCSSLifeCycle ManagerSource 12Source 11
  8. 8
    ConversionDocumented

    Upgrade StreamServe document templates to Exstream

    The M3 Core Administration Guide for 13.4 covers upgrading StreamServe 5.6.2 templates to Exstream 16.x. Business Engine corrections can also ship StreamServe layouts in a new format that need manual implementation. Count customized order, delivery and invoice layouts as reports in the planner.

    StreamServeExstreamSource 12Source 17
  9. 9
    ConversionDocumented

    Move users and scripts from Smart Office to H5

    Since M3 13.1 most user interface development has gone into the HTML5 client (H5), while Infor Smart Office remains a Windows client. Inventory Smart Office scripts, mashups and personalizations and rebuild the ones still needed as H5 scripts and H5 personalizations. M3 13.4 still lists Smart Office 10.2.1 as a supported component, so this step can be phased.

    H5 EnterpriseInfor Smart OfficeSource 5Source 10Source 12
  10. 10
    UpgradeVerify with vendor

    Check the 13.4 technical refresh (Tech 2.0) requirement

    An Infor partner reports an M3 13.4 technical upgrade called Tech 2.0 and links it to the end of support for the earlier technology stack, citing Infor KB3592660. We could not read the knowledge base article. Confirm with Infor whether your 13.4 target must be on the refreshed stack and whether it is an in-place upgrade.

    Source 28
  11. 11
    CutoverVerify with vendor

    Rehearse, freeze and cut over

    Run the full upgrade on the test copy at least once with production-sized data, agree a freeze window, close or post open transactions as your upgrade guide requires, then run, validate, compare the fix lists of test and production in LifeCycle Manager and reconcile key balances before users return.

Free, optional. Reopen it on any device.
Export plan:

This is a planning model. Before you commit a budget or a date, have an engineer check the path, the effort drivers and the test scope.

How to use the M3 upgrade planner

  1. 1

    Pick your releases

    Choose your current Movex or M3 release and the target: M3 13.4 on IBM i or Windows, or CloudSuite M3 in the Infor multi-tenant cloud.

  2. 2

    Describe your landscape

    Enter counts for MAK modifications and scripts, integrations, IEC and EDI interfaces, document layouts and reports, data size, users and sites, then tick the modules and integrations you use.

  3. 3

    Read the path and the drivers

    Review each step with its source and tools (LifeCycle Manager, MAK, CCSS, XtendM3), the changes in every release you cross, and the drivers behind the risk score and effort range.

  4. 4

    Export the test plan

    Download the regression plan as Excel, Word, PDF or CSV. Critical tests are flagged where your path changes that area, and repeatable tests are marked for automation.

  5. 5

    Save or get it reviewed

    Save the plan to your Netray account to reopen later, or send it to an engineer for a written review.

Questions

What is the latest version of Infor M3?

On-premises, M3 13.4, unveiled in 2016. In 2022 Infor said it would keep investing in 13.4 as its latest on-premises release and certify it on IBM i 7.5 and Windows Server 2022. Infor's current offering is CloudSuite M3, a multi-tenant cloud ERP on AWS. The M3 CSD compatibility page pairs 13.4 with M3 Business Engine 15.1.4 and M3 Core Infrastructure and Technology 13.4.0.

What happened to Movex?

Movex was Intentia's ERP. Lawson and Intentia completed their merger in 2006 and the Java-based Movex suite was rebranded Lawson M3. Infor acquired Lawson in 2011, and M3 continued as Infor M3 with releases 13.1 (2013), 13.2 (2014), 13.3 and 13.4 (2016). Infor states major versions before that matched their years: 7.1 in 2007 and 10.1 in 2010.

Can I upgrade from M3 10.1 or 13.x directly to 13.4?

The documented tooling is LifeCycle Manager: upgrade LCM, install the 13.4 Business Engine package, upgrade the database with base, then service packs, feature packs and fixes, then upgrade the M3 Core components, mostly through CCSS. Public sources do not list a required intermediate release. Confirm the route for your exact source release and fix level with Infor before you plan dates.

What happens to our MAK modifications in an upgrade?

On-premises they carry forward but must be compared with the new standard source and merged. The M3 Adaptation Kit provides a Compare feature, a Merge Tool and MvxViewDefMerger for view definitions, and you can deploy to a per-user sandbox to test. Moving to the multi-tenant cloud, Business Engine changes are rebuilt as XtendM3 extensions, which Infor reviews and signs before production.

What are the limits of XtendM3 compared with MAK?

Per Infor's XtendM3 documentation: extensions run at extension points, can call M3 APIs but not M3 programs, cannot add fields to standard tables (use Dynamic Tables), can read at most 10,000 records, and time out after 5 seconds for triggers, 2 minutes for transactions and 1 hour for batch. New panel fields and subfile columns are added with H5 Script.

Do we have to move from Smart Office to H5?

Since 13.1 most M3 user interface development has gone into the HTML5 client, while Smart Office remains a Windows client. M3 13.4 still lists Smart Office 10.2.1 as a supported component, so on-premises you can phase the move. For the cloud, plan scripts and mashups as H5 scripts.

How should we test an M3 upgrade, and what can be automated?

Run a full regression on a copy of production: platform checks (sign-in, roles, Grid health, fix-level comparison, scheduled jobs, MAK-modified programs), the business modules you use, and every integration replayed with saved production data: MI callers, IEC partner agreements, BODs and document layouts. MI transactions and IEC replays are good automation candidates because they repeat with every service pack and fix. The planner generates this list and flags critical tests where your path changes that area.

Is there a containerized on-premises M3?

Infor proposed CM3, with the application in Linux or Windows containers on Kubernetes and the database on IBM i, in April 2022. In June 2022 it said investment in CM3 on-premises had been put on hold and that it would continue to invest in M3 13.4 instead.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia: Intentia
  2. IT Jungle: the Lawson-Intentia merger is finally done (May 2006)
  3. IT Jungle: Infor shares development plans for Lawson M3 (July 2011)
  4. IT Jungle: Lawson's Landmark plans following the Infor acquisition (June 2012)
  5. IT Jungle: Infor M3 13.1, the last big release for some time (July 2013)
  6. IT Jungle: Infor adds industry-specific functionality to M3 (March 2014)
  7. IT Jungle: Infor CM3 to provide on-prem alternative to cloudy M3 (April 2022)
  8. IT Jungle: Infor puts CM3 project on hold (June 2022)
  9. The Register: Infor pauses containerized on-prem M3 (June 2022)
  10. Infor docs: M3 CSD supported versions for M3 13.4
  11. Infor docs: What is M3 Core? (M3 Core Administration Guide, IBM i, 13.4.1)
  12. Infor docs: M3 Core Administration Guide, IBM i, 13.4.1 (contents)
  13. Infor docs: M3 BE LifeCycle Manager User Guide, 13.4.1
  14. Infor docs: M3 Adaptation Kit configuration prerequisites
  15. Infor docs: MAK, deploying an entity
  16. Infor docs: M3 Adaptation Kit User Guide (contents)
  17. Infor docs: M3 BE 15.1.4 special remarks on installation and licensing
  18. Infor XtendM3 documentation
  19. XtendM3: capabilities
  20. XtendM3: limitations
  21. XtendM3: approval requirements
  22. Infor docs (cloud): Infor Enterprise Collaborator administration tasks
  23. Infor docs (cloud): BOD Processor administration tasks
  24. Infor docs (cloud): Event Hub subscriptions
  25. Infor docs (cloud): Data Lake Publisher administration tasks
  26. Infor: M3 product page
  27. ERP Research: Infor Lawson ERP, S3, M3 support timeline
  28. Columbus: Infor announces M3 13.4 technical upgrade Tech 2.0

Steps marked Verify with vendor are planning inferences, not vendor statements. Effort coefficients are Netray planning assumptions and are shown in full in the Effort tab.