Deleting things from a deployed CRM 2011 managed solution package

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DISCLAIMER:  This is technically unsupported, but works.  If that makes you cringe, then walk away.  If you read it and think it will work for you, then make the decision that’s best for you.

Example scenarios:

“I have a a field in an entity.  After deploying a managed solution to production, we decided we don’t need that field any longer.  I removed it from my development environment.  When I deploy an updated version of managed solution in production, the old field is still there.  I know it’s harmless to keep it in production, but I want it gone.”

“I renamed a web resource in development after already deploying it to production in a managed solution.  None of my code references it any longer.  When I deploy an updated version of the managed solution, the old web resource is still there.  I want it gone.”

This was something that stumped me when I started focusing on Dynamics CRM 2011.  Technically, the CRM solution package infrastructure has no way to delete something.  However, Shan McArthur explained to me that there is a way to accomplish deletes.  I plan on using this approach in the next release of my validation sample because I did some significant refactoring since my first release.  The general concept is to:

  • Create a temporary managed solution to “hold” the latest “good bits” using the same publisher
  • Import it on top of your existing managed solution
  • Delete the older managed solution
    • This deletes the older stuff while the “holding” solution prevents the “good bits” from being removed
  • Import the new version of the managed solution
  • Delete “holding” managed solution

Let’s walk through this step by step.  You can download the three files to try this yourself here.  I have two orgs: dev and target.  In my dev org, everything is unmanaged:

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In my target org, I have already deployed the 1.0 managed solution that was exported from my dev org:

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If you want to try this out yourself, just import the 1.0 managed solution into your own CRM 2011 org.  Here’s a look at the form in it’s current state:

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Notice that it has a “delete me” field and web resource.  For version 1.1, in my dev environment,  I went ahead and removed the two items from the form, then deleted the field from the entity:

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…and and the web resource from the solution:

image

Next, I updated the version to 1.1:

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Finally, I exported the 1.1 version as a managed solution (make sure all your customizations are published).  Ok, so we have the old and new managed solution version.  How do we create the “holding” solution?  Unzip the 1.1 solution, edit the contents of solution.xml like so:

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I use _HOLDING in UniqueName and LocalizedName to make it obvious.  After you have saved the changes to the solution.xml file, zip up the contents of the unzipped folder:

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…and name it something unique.  My conventions is to use a name similar to the latest managed solution it will “hold” for:

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I replace _managed with _HOLDING in the name of the file.  Ok, now you are ready to accomplish a delete.  If you are still following along using the sample files, then do the following:

  • Import devkeydetDeleteExample_1_0_managed.zip if you haven’t already
  • Import devkeydetDeleteExample_1_1_HOLDING.zip
  • Delete devkeydetDeleteExample_1_0_managed.zip (deletes what’s not in the holding solution)
  • Import devkeydetDeleteExample_1_1_managed.zip (creates the proper UniqueName reference to the items in the holding solution)
  • Delete devkeydetDeleteExample_1_0_HOLDING.zip (removes nothing but the solution based on the temporary UniqueName)

The end result is that you will have the items you deleted in your dev environment deleted in your target environment and the solution UniqueName is maintained.  Thanks again to Shan McArthur for explaining this to me.  This general approach can be applied to other “delete stuff that’s no longer used” scenarios as well.

@devkeydet

Using RequireJS with CRM 2011 forms

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GOAL: Simplify referencing JavaScript libraries from CRM forms for code-centric developer types like me.

I have always been a fan of “code beside” JavaScript files that contain all my main code for a corresponding HTML page.  For example, if I have a page called hello.htm, then I will have a file called hello.htm.js that is the main code file for that page.  One of the things I have always been a bit frustrated with when using this approach is that all the JavaScript libraries my hello.htm.js page uses are actually referenced in the HTML page.  This leads to a lot of switching back and forth between the files when you need to add script references.  It also becomes a burden when you are reviewing code you haven’t worked with in a while.  You inevitably have to switch to the hello.htm page to familiarize yourself with what other js files the page references.  My brain has challenges with this context switch.  Coming from a .NET development background, I am used to namespaces at the top of my C# files that help me with this.  I’ve recently gotten hip to RequireJS which is a library that makes it really easy to add JavaScript references to a page right from JavaScript.  While you can technically do this without RequireJS, the library wraps the verbose code and all the cross browser nuances plus adds some nice features.  Check it out!

Ok, now to the CRM 2011 context…

I’ve always found it a bit cumbersome to have to “point and click” my way to adding JavaScript references to a CRM 2011 form.  I totally get that this is useful for building reusable JavaScript libraries that non-devs can use / configure by passing parameters.  However, my mode of operation is usually to have a single JavaScript web resource for the form that programmatically wires up events, etc.  Sound familiar?  I usually think of it as my “code beside” or “View Model” for the form.  Since I often have reusable libraries I want to reference from my primary JavaScript web resource, it would be nice not to have to “point and click” my way to adding them.  Thereby having a single JavaScript file that I can read top to bottom to understand everything that’s going on in the form.  Here’s how I do it…

Deploy RequireJS as a web resource and add it to your form, then add another web resource to the form that contains your “View Model” for the form:

image

In my case the “View Model” resource is called dkdt_/scripts/requirejsttest.js.  Make sure you’ve wired up the form to call the starting function in your web resource.  In my case the function is called dkdt_OnLoad.  Here’s the code for the requirejstest.js web resource:

function dkdt_OnLoad() {

    var serverUrl = Xrm.Page.context.getServerUrl();

    var requiredScript = serverUrl + "/WebResources/dkdt_/scripts/somerequiredscript.js";

 

    require([requiredScript], function (m) {      

        dkdt_ConfirmThisLoaded();

    });

}

The source code for the somerequiredscript.js web resource looks like:

function dkdt_ConfirmThisLoaded() {

    alert("The required script loaded");

}

This may seem straightforward, but figuring out what to pass to the require() function took a little investigation.  When using IE10s “F12 Developer Tools,” I noticed that the JavaScript web resources loaded into the form are children of a page called edit.aspx which lives under [serverUrl]/userdefined:

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The only consistent way I could figure out to tell RequireJS to load the right web resource was to build the full url programmatically.  If you know of a better way, let me know in the comments. 

The way I use this approach is that all of my forms always have a “point and click” reference to require.js and the main JavaScript web resource for the form (requirejsttest.js in this example).  I tend to make the initial function the same for every form as a convention (dkdt_OnLoad in this example).  Everything else, including event wire up and additional JavaScript file references are done in the main web resource of the form.  This gives me a single file to read and understand what’s going on in the form, including what additional JavaScript web resources the code depends on without having to “point and click” my way to finding out.

@devkeydet

Data Migration with CRM 2011

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UPDATE (18APR2013): If you find this post interesting, then you will want to watch the Enterprise Data Integration for CRM, featuring Daniel Cai webcast.

“I am building a solution using CRM 2011, but I need to migrate a significant amount of data from an existing system.  The Import Data wizard in the CRM 211 UI doesn’t meet my needs due to the amount of data and the logic necessary to transform the data from the source system into the destination system.”

This scenario is often referred to as Extract Transform and Load (ETL).  The first thing most people look at is using SQL Server Integrations Services (SSIS), because it is the ETL tool that comes with SQL Server.  The only supported way to perform Create Update and Delete operations against CRM 2011 is to go through the CRM Web Services.  While it is possible to call a web service from SSIS out of the box, the reality is that the level of effort is arguably higher than most expect when interacting with the CRM 2011 Web Services.  Because of this, there are two companies (that I am aware of) who provide add-ons to SSIS:

http://cozyroc.com/

http://www.kingswaysoft.com/products/ssis-integration-toolkit-for-microsoft-dynamics-crm 

These add-ons greatly improve productivity when performing CRUD operations through the CRM Web Services.  I’ve personally never used either, but I’ve spoken with folks who have.  Those people claim that these add-ins are well worth the license fee compared to creating the SSIS packages without one.  Once people have built SSIS packages to perform data migration, they inevitably want to know how they can improve the performance of the data import.  One of the first things you should consider is executing parts of your package in parallel where possible.  There’s another add-on for SSIS called the Balanced Data Distributor that helps you parallelize: 

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/sqlperf/archive/2011/05/25/the-balanced-data-distributor-for-ssis.aspx

This one is free.  Make sure you check out link to the video in the comments of the post.  Of course performance will improve if you run this on hardware that has more CPUs/Cores.  There are also some other things to take into consideration when it comes to performance of data imports for CRM 2011. 

  • First, you want to make sure you’ve optimized your CRM server infrastructure (see here).  Following the optimization guidelines makes a difference.
  • Where possible, deactivate workflows and plugin messages before importing large amounts of data.  Reactivate after import is complete.
  • It’s also possible to improve performance by dropping indexes and rebuilding them after the import is complete.  However, index rebuild time needs to be considered.
  • Disable statistics, then re-enable after import is completed (see here)

Whether you can apply some of these depends on your data import scenarios.  For example, if you have to import data during normal usage hours, some of these may not be feasible.  But then again, you probably shouldn’t be “migrating a significant amount of data” during normal usage hours.

You may be asking yourself: “What about Scribe?”  Scribe makes wonderful tools that do much more than what’s needed for basic ETL scenarios.  The focus of this post the scenarios for which ETL with SSIS makes the most sense.

UPDATE: Last, but definitely not least as a few folks have pointed out, it’s important to understand the fundamentals of a well built / optimized SSIS package.  This post was intended to cover with the CRM nuances.  Here are a few links to help with the fundamentals:

Top 10 SQL Server Integration Services Best Practices

SQL Server Integration Services SSIS Best Practices

 

@devkeydet

CRM 2011 OnPrem integrating with SharePoint Online

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“Can I get the the integration the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 List Component for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 provides to work with SharePoint Online when my CRM 2011 deployment is OnPrem (i.e. installed inside my organizations private network or somewhere else that’s not CRM Online)?”

The answer is Yes with a few caveats / configuration hints. 

First, you have to understand that the built in integration between CRM 2011 and SharePoint 2010, enabled through the List Component, is actually at the UI level. 

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Everything inside this highlighted blue border is UI rendered on the SharePoint server and surfaced through an iFrame.  The CRM 2011 List Component for Microsoft SharePoint 2010 is responsible for the CRM 2011 look and feel.  CRM 2011 just stores metadata about SharePoint in a set of Entities.  Therefore, you will obviously need internet connectivity from your browser.

But remember, the scenario we want to get working is a “hybrid solution” where SharePoint Online is “in the cloud” and CRM 2011 is OnPrem.  If you just follow the instructions provided through the Configuring the List Component in SharePoint Online blog post, there is a good chance will run into issues with these instructions. 

The first caveat for this scenario is that you have to take authentication into consideration.  If you are one of the more advanced organizations using Office 365 configured to work with your Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) 2.0 deployment for authentication, then you likely have Single Sign On (SSO) working.  In that case, the Configuring the List Component in SharePoint Online instructions should “just work.”  However, if you aren’t, then you will have to make sure you are logged in to SharePoint Online first.  Once you’ve done that, you can follow the Configuring the List Component in SharePoint Online instructions.  That is IF your CRM 2011 deployment is configured for https.  If not you will run into browser warnings about “mixed mode” and subsequent issues due to your CRM 2011 deployment running under http and your SharePoint Online deployment running under https.  This is to be expected.  To remove the warnings and resolve the issues, make sure you’ve added your SharePoint Online site and your CRM 2011 site to the IE “Trusted sites” list. 

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In my case, that’s “http://crm2011” and “*.sharepoint.com” in the screenshot.  However, you could choose to be more granular and enter “yoursubdomain.sharepoint.com” for SharePoint Online if you like.  Finally, make sure that you configure a “custom level” setting for your trusted sites to enable the display of mixed content without prompts:

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If you weren’t in a position to follow the Configuring the List Component in SharePoint Online instructions before, then you should be now.  Again, both initial configuration AND end user scenarios will require the user to login to SharePoint Online first before you bring up your CRM UI, unless you have SSO configured.

@devkeydet

CRMUG: Transforming Policy to Economic Growth with Microsoft Dynamics CRM

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NOTE: This is a copy/paste/minor tweak of an email invite I got from someone on my team.

REGISTER TODAY: http://dkdt.me/K0bBK6

The Microsoft Dynamics® CRM User Group (CRMUG) has monthly open forum discussions of Dynamics CRM issues facing Public Sector organizations today.

The next web meeting will take place Thursday, May 3rd 2012 at 1pm EST so don’t miss this opportunity!  This month’s topic is geared towards government business decision makers who are interested in discussing ways to solve some of the most pressing public policy issues with CRM.
In this meeting, the topic of discussion will be “Transforming Policy to Economic Growth with Microsoft Dynamics CRM”.  Our guest speaker and moderator will be Herbert Quinde, State of Illinois Chief of IT Policy and Planning.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is increasingly becoming a strategic asset for public sector.  This sessions allows attendees to discuss how solutions, like CRM, are critical in the public sector  by transforming how Federal, State & Local governments address changing processes and manage organizational business for future success. The ultimate goal is always to help shape our communities through innovation and time amongst this thought leadership group is part of achieving that goal.

This session is part of a quarterly focus Public Sector Special Interest Group (SIG) to provide business leaders the opportunity to review issues and experiences with Dynamics CRM. Participants are encouraged to share, listen, and learn about experiences in order to build cutting-edge programs and solutions that drive real impact for a better tomorrow in the public sector.

Participation in these webinars is free of charge and open to all Microsoft Dynamics CRM users within Federal, State & Local governments so don’t miss your opportunity to register!         

Event Details

· What: Open Forum Webinar for Federal, State & Local Government Dynamics CRM Users

· Who:  Government IT and agency leadership

· Where: Online

· When: May 3rd, 2012 from 1:00pm-2:00pm EST

· Why: To share and learn about Dynamics CRM experiences in the public sector

@devkeydet 

Effective Use of Solutions in CRM 2011 with Shan McArthur

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I have a had a number of people about how to effectively use the Solutions capability of CRM 2011.  It has reminded me of great recorded webcast I found out about through conversation I had in an internal email discussion:

Effective Use of Solutions in CRM 2011 with Shan McArthur

I wanted to do some significant refactoring in a managed solution.  I wanted to delete and/or rename some things in my solution and reconcile those deletions.  Shan McArthur shared a tip on how to delete something from a managed solution.  He mentioned that he talks about this tip the webcast he presented for the XRM Virtual User Group (about 56 minutes in).  I have had an item on my TODO list to blog about it.  One thing checked off of a long list!  This webcast is definitely worth taking the time to watch if you aren’t quite sure if you’ve nailed your understanding of the Solutions capability of CRM 2011.

@devkeydet

Different ‘apps’ in a CRM 2011 organization (tenant)

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Scenario:

“We, conceptually, have two ‘apps’ within a single Dynamics CRM organization.  The ‘apps’ share a common set of entities such as Contacts.  We want to control which ‘apps’ show up in the Dynamics CRM navigation Area for a given user based on Security Roles.  The user has rights to entities that show up in both navigation Areas.  How do we enable this scenario?”

The trick is in understanding how security trimming of the Site Map works.  You might want to read this blog post as a backgrounder:

Hiding Areas in the Sitemap

I’ll build on the post above to show how to enable the scenario.  Let’s start with the example:

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I am logged in as a System Administrator so I have access to both App One and App Two.  Notice the contents of my Solution:

image

The Site Map is a given.  We’ll be modifying it to enable the scenario.  I have two Security Roles:  App One and App Two.  These represent how we differentiate access to different ‘apps’ in the organization.  Finally, you see two entities: privSiteMapAppOne and privSiteMapAppTwo.  These are entities that will never contain data.  They only exist for the purpose of adding a “custom privilege” that can be used from the Site Map.  Here’s a screenshot of each Security Role:

image

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Notice that each Security Role has Read access to the corresponding “custom privilege entity.”  Now let’s look at the Site Map configuration.  I’m going to be showing it through my favorite Site Map editing tool, but you should be able to do the translation to however you edit the Site Map:

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Notice that AppGroupOne->BingSubArea has a Privilege child node with Entity set to dkdt_privsitemapappone which is our “custom privilege entity” and the Read checkbox checked.  The way I read this in English is “Only show the BingSubArea navigation link if the user has read access to the dkdt_privsitemapappone entity.”  The XboxSubArea is configured similarly but with the other dkdt_privsitemapapptwo “custom privilege entity”:

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Ok great, but we still haven’t enabled the scenario.  Why?  Because I’ve also included a SubArea that enables the What’s New navigation link that is part of Activity Feeds.

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Since both Security Roles have Read access to the post entity, users who are in only one of the two Security Roles will still see both Area navigation links.  Why?  This goes back to understanding how security trimming with Privilege settings work for the Site Map.  If you have rights to see anything within the Area, the navigation link shows up.  You just don’t get to see the children in the area you don’t have access to.  The trick (which is what this whole post has built up to) is to add a second Privilege node to the nav_personalwall SubArea for the corresponding “custom privilege entity.”  Here it is for the AppOneArea node:

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The way I read this in English is “Only show the nav_personalwall SubArea navigation link if the user has read access to the post entity AND the dkdt_privsitemapappone entity.” 

Do the same for AppTwoArea node:

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At this point, a user who is in the App One Security Role will only see the App One navigation link:

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A user who is in the App Two Security Role will only see the App Two navigation link:

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Users who are assigned to both Security Roles will see both (see the first screenshot in the post).  HTH!

@devkeydet

Getting FetchXML from LINQPad

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UPDATE: There’s a known issue with the LINQPad Plugin for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 and Office 365 authentication.  I cover a workaround here.

Using FetchXML is necessary in many situations with CRM 2011.  Using FetchXML becomes even more necessary if you are taking a “design for online” approach to solution building.  I’m a big believer that everyone should approach solution design this way because then your solution will truly be portable between CRM Online and CRM OnPrem (i.e. the CRM you install yourself).  Typically, the need for FetchXML shows up first when you are building custom SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) reports.  That’s because FetchXML based reports are the only option in CRM Online.  I mentioned in my CRM Online myth busters post that I prefer to use LINQPad + LINQPad Plugin for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 to compose my queries, then convert them to FetchXML.  This post is a walkthrough of how I do it.  I got the inspiration for the code sample I will present from the following two samples:

http://dkdt.me/JZiDsr

http://dkdt.me/JZiBAO

Once you’ve installed LINQPad + LINQPad Plugin for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, you need to add some code to the “My Extensions” file in the “My Queries” pane:

image

Place the code I provide you below within the MyExtensions class under the comment that says to “write custom extension methods here.”  Here’s what the file looks like before you’ve added anything to it:

void Main()

{

    // Write code to test your extensions here. Press F5 to compile and run.

}

 

public static class MyExtensions

{

    // Write custom extension methods here. They will be available to all queries. 

}

 

// You can also define non-static classes, enums, etc.

Here’s the code you need to add under the comment:

public static string ToFetchXml(this IQueryable linqQuery, dynamic orgService)

{

    var queryExpression = GetQueryExpression(linqQuery);

 

    var expressionToFetchXmlRequest = new Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.Messages.QueryExpressionToFetchXmlRequest

    {

     Query = queryExpression

    };

 

    var organizationResponse = (Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.Messages.QueryExpressionToFetchXmlResponse)orgService.Execute(expressionToFetchXmlRequest);

 

    return organizationResponse.FetchXml;

}

 

private static Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Query.QueryExpression GetQueryExpression(IQueryable linqQuery)

{

    object projection = null;

    object source = null;

    object linkLookups = null;

    bool flag = false;

    bool flag2 = false;

 

    object[] arguments = new object[6];

    arguments[0] = (object)linqQuery.Expression;

    arguments[1] = (object)flag;

    arguments[2] = (object)flag2;

    arguments[3] = (object)projection;

    arguments[4] = (object)source;

    arguments[5] = (object)linkLookups;

 

    Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Query.QueryExpression query = (Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Query.QueryExpression)linqQuery.Provider.GetType().InvokeMember("GetQueryExpression", BindingFlags.InvokeMethod | BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.Instance, null, linqQuery.Provider, arguments);

    return query;

}

In addition to adding the code, you need to add references to a few .NET assemblies.  From within the “My Extensions” file, press the F4 key to bring up the properties dialog.  Add references to the following assemblies (note your location for CRM 2011 SDK assemblies might be different):

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Now, once you’ve written and executed the query that you want in LINQPad:

image

…you can then wrap the query in parenthesis and call the ToFetchXml() extension method to get the FetchXML:

image

BAM!  This approach has really helped me be productive in composing FetchXML queries.  I use this mostly when writing SSRS reports, but also find it useful for other occasions where I need to use FetchXML.  See the LINQ Limitations section of the Use LINQ to Construct a Query documentation for more details.

@devkeydet

CRM Online myth busters

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DISCMLAIMER: Parts of this blog post contain my opinion and don’t necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer, nor is it an official endorsement by Microsoft of any of the tools / technologies I mention.

I’ve been in my new role, focusing on Dynamics CRM, for about 7 months now.  Having focused on Windows Azure as an evangelist since it was announced at the PDC in 2008, I was very much in “cloud mode” when I joined this team.  WOW, has it really been 4 years since Azure was announced?  Time flies.  Anyway, one of the first questions I had when I joined my new team was “Why aren’t we talking to our customers about CRM Online more?”  The general feedback I got from teammates and partners was that there were a few key things missing that enterprise customers need.  Those things were available on-prem, but not online.  Of course, I wanted to know, very granularly, what these things were.  As I learned about the perceived limitations of CRM Online for enterprise scenarios, I discovered some of them were real, while most were either myths or required one to step back and understand how to design a solution for the cloud.  I also discovered that while I had been immersed in the capabilities of Windows Azure for quite some time, most folks building Dynamics CRM solutions were not.  Windows Azure is an important piece of the CRM Online solution puzzle for certain scenarios.

In the short 7 months I have been focused on Dynamics CRM, CRM Online has come a long way.  Most of the real roadblocks to enterprise adoption have been addressed or will be by the Q2 2012 Service Update (aka R8).  However, many people still have a dated “mental picture” of what can and cannot be done with CRM Online.  It’s human nature to recommend what you know and it’s hard to keep up with the rapid evolution of cloud platforms.  This post is an attempt to dispel some of the common myths I run into about CRM Online so that you know what’s actually possible today (or very soon).  I have heard each one of these myths/objections many times in many conversations throughout the last few months.  In my opinion, the time for enterprise customers to take another serious look at CRM Online is now.

First, have look at the CRM Online home page to understand what the service offers.  After you understand what you get with CRM Online, read on…

 

MYTH: My users can’t authenticate to CRM Online using their Active Directory username and password.

FACT: Since the November 2011 Service Update (aka R7) CRM Online can be configured for Claims-based authentication using your organizations Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) 2.0 deployment (mentioned about 2:10 minutes into the video).  However, you currently have to request enrollment.  If you don’t already have a Microsoft contact to ask about enrollment and configuration, you can contact the CRM Online Team through their blog. 

 

MYTH: I can’t deploy custom SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) reports to CRM Online.

FACT: You can.  However, your SSRS reports must be FetchXML based.  In order to build FetchXML SSRS reports, you need to install the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Report Authoring Extension on the same PC in which you have Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS) installed.  This adds a Fetch XML data source.  From there, you just follow the directions in Create Custom Reports Using Business Intelligence Development Studio.  SSRS reports in CRM Online are Sandboxed.  See RDL Sandboxing for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online for more details.  One of the objections I often hear is “but I really want to write my queries in SQL because that’s what I know.”  I “get it,” but for now, FetchXML it is.  For most, I recommend using the Advanced Find feature of the CRM UI to compose the query, then click the Download Fetch XML button. 

image 

For advanced query capabilities of FetchXML that aren’t possible through Advanced Find, you will need to start with Advanced Find, then modify the XML yourself.  See Build Queries with FetchXML for more details.  Personally, I’m not “GUI Query Tool” guy.  I like to write my queries by hand.  Let’s face it, no one wants to learn “yet another query language” which is what you have to do with FetchXML.  I shield myself from this by using LINQ.  I use LINQPad + LINQPad Plugin for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011.  The one gotcha is that the plugin doesn’t produce FetchXML.  There’s a feature request here to enhance the plugin to do so.  VOTE it up!  However, through extensibility of LINQPad, I created an extension method to do the conversion.  See Getting FetchXML from LINQPad for more details.

 

MYTH: I can’t deploy custom workflow activities to CRM Online.

FACT: While this is true as of the time I write this blog post, the Q2 2012 Service Update (aka R8) will enable this feature.  COMING VERY SOON.

 

MYTH: I can’t write the kind of code I need to write in plugins because they only run in the sandbox. 

FACT: While it is true, that the sandbox impose certain limitations, there are ways to accomplish your goals.  There are two primary scenarios I get asked:

  • Sandbox plugins can’t use third party libraries. 
    • Consider using ILMerge as a workaround.  Another option is to use the same approach as I will explain for the second scenario below.
  • I need to do something from the plugin that is not permitted within the sandbox.
    • Write a plugin that calls a web service you own running somewhere else, say a Windows Azure web role.  You have just designed a solution that allows you to step out of the sandbox and do what your heard desires.

MYTH: I can’t host a custom ASP.NET web page or web service like I can when I own the CRM Server.

FACT: While this is technically true, you can accomplish the same thing by hosting your web page somewhere else.  See Implement Single Sign-on from an ASPX Webpage or IFRAME for more details.  As you might have already guessed, there’s a section titled “Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online with a Windows Azure Hosted Webpage.”  By doing this you can no longer use window.parent for cross frame communication because you will be in a cross domain scenario. See Cross domain calls to the parent CRM 2011 form.

 

MYTH: CRM Online only gives me 5 GB of storage.

FACT: You can buy additional storage at $9.99 per 1 GB increments.

 

MYTH: I still have to install the email router on a server in my environment.

FACT: While CRM Online doesn’t yet have an email router as part of the service, you do have options.  Not everyone uses or needs the email router.  If you do, one option is to setup the email router using a third party hosting provider that offers admin access to the server they provide you through Remote Desktop.  See Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 for E-mail Router Installing Guide for use with Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online for more details.  One way to find a hosting provider is to go to http://dkdt.me/IJluXC and enter “Remote Desktop” in the Narrow Results search box.  If you are considering CRM Online, you are probably doing it because you don’t have to worry about setting up infrastructure.  So it’s probably safe to say you’d prefer an “email router as a service.”  There’s an option for you too.  Have a look at the HubOne Cloud based Email Router for Dynamics CRM Online 2011.  This would be my preference if I were considering CRM Online. 

 

MYTH: I can’t get a backup of my CRM Online database.

FACT: While there is no automated way to do this today, CRM Online customers can request backups of their database(s).  However, I always have a conversation with folks to understand what they are trying to accomplish with a database backup.  Many of the scenarios people think they need database backups for can be addressed without a database backup.  You should always maintain your customizations in a CRM solution package and maintain an export somewhere else as a “backup” of your customizations.  Sometimes people aren’t really looking for a database backup as much as they are looking for a way to import/export data.  CRM Online has the same import/export facilities and web service APIs as the CRM you install yourself.  Therefore, tools such as CozyRoc and Scribe are applicable.

 

MYTH: I can’t integrate with systems behind my firewall from CRM Online.

FACT: While CRM Online doesn’t provide any specific capability to securely cross the internet and talk to systems behind an organizational firewall, you can still do it.  CRM Online is from Microsoft.  Microsoft is a platform company that happens to have a platform that already enables such scenarios.  It’s called Windows Azure.  I address this scenario and others in my CRM Online + Windows Azure = Many Possibilities post.  While these approaches enable "from CRM Online” scenarios, meaning code running inside CRM Online calling out, it’s equally important to understand that some integration needs can be met with data integration that can be achieved through tools such as  CozyRoc and Scribe.  Of course, your scenarios will dictate what integration approach is most appropriate.

MYTH: I can’t optimize query performance by adding custom indexes to the database.

FACT: While there is no automated way to do this today, CRM Online customers can request the addition of indexes to enhance query performance.

MYTH: CRM Online doesn’t have the industry compliance and certifications I need.

FACT: Have a look at Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online: Security Features, Standard Response to Request for Information – Security and Privacy, and Security, Audits and Certifications.  Most people are pleasantly surprised by the certifications CRM Online has and the security measures in place.  The Certifications section of the latest Release Preview Guide states that for the Q2 2012 update, the following certifications will be achieved:

  • Microsoft Data Centers
    • ISO 27001
    • SAS70 Type II
    • Sarbanes–Oxley
  • Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Service
    • Safe Harbor
    • ISO 27001
    • SSAE 16 SOC1 (Type II)
    • Data Processing Agreement (DPA)
    • EU Model Clauses
    • Business Associates Agreement – enables a company to be Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant

 

Please let me know in the comments if you have other “is it possible in CRM Online” questions.  I will either respond in the comments or, if warranted, update this post accordingly.   

@devkeydet

Integrating with systems behind a firewall from CRM Online using Windows Azure Compute and Connect

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UPDATE (30MAY2013):  The core concepts in this post still apply.  However, now you have two options Windows Azure Networking or Windows Azure Connect. 

This post is somewhat of a placeholder.  I have some work to do to get everything in order to create a post/video.  However, I wanted to provide you some insight into what I am planning for this post and some links for those of you who might want to figure it out yourself without waiting on my additional details.  What I plan on showing is how you can leverage an ASP.NET  page running in a Windows Azure Web Role that talks to a SQL Server database running behind a firewall.  The web page will be integrated into a CRM Online solution such that at the end of your interaction with it, the page will pass data from the database to the CRM form to prepopulate information on the form.

If you watch my previous screencast called Hybrid Solutions with Windows Azure Connect, then you will get a basic understanding the Windows Azure Connect piece.  The next step would be to have a look at the Implement Single Sign-on from an ASPX Webpage or IFRAME topic from the CRM 2011 SDK.  You may say to yourself: “but CRM Online doesn’t support Claims-based authentication with ADFS.”  It has since the November 2011 Service Update (mentioned about 2:10 minutes into the video).  However, you currently have to request enrollment.  If you don’t have a Microsoft contact to ask about enrollment, you can contact the CRM Online Team through their blog.  Finally, have a look at Cross domain calls to the parent CRM 2011 form.  The Windows Azure web role will be in a different domain, so we’ll have to handle the passing of data back to the CRM form properly. 

With these three resources, those of you who are adventurous should have enough information to try the scenario out yourself.  Otherwise, stay tuned for me to update this post.

@devkeydet