Sam Jones CRM Corner

Accelerators for Microsoft Dynamics CRM

The first of the long awaited Accelerators are here. In a nutshell, they are add-on modules that delivery extended capability to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0.

The Microsoft Team have also released a series of blog posts on these components and they are really well worth the read. You can find them HERE.

Today the first two accelerators were released; CRM Notifications (Newsfeeds (RSS) that allow users to subscribe to CRM “events” relevant to their job role) and Extended Sales Forecasting (Enhanced sales forecasting mechanism for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0). These can be downloaded through PartnerSource.

 

PartnerSource:  https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/newsevents/news/MD_CRM_Accelerators.htm

Personally, I have been given the task of investigating the Extended Sales Forecasting component so I will be posting my observations shortly.

Microsoft Dynamics SDK ver 4.0.7 now available

Just a quick note to advise that the new SDK is now available HERE

Some highlights are....

• There is a new section covering how to create custom e-mail providers.
• Better coverage of the global scripting functions, including a new one called PrependOrgName. Also a new topic about using URLs to access CRM.
• Updated documentation about passing parameters to a URL using ISV.config.
• Don’t forget the download version which contains over 300 samples. And download the entity model diagrams too!

A very popular technical article is the Developer Ramp up Kit. This is a collection of videos, presentations and labs that introduce you to developing with CRM.

Another popular technical article is an Intro to Plug-in Development.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Product Updates

This newsletter notifies you about product updates and hot fixes, and periodically highlights new content, to help you get the most out of Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Updates for General Distribution

The following updates have been released for general distribution:

• How to obtain the setup updates for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0

• Error message when you install the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 server: "Microsoft.Crm.CrmArgumentException: Invalid domain name. Domain name is either invalid or unreachable"

Hot Fixes that Have Limited Distribution

The following hot fixes have been released in a limited distribution. A hot fix is intended to correct only the problem that is discussed in an associated Microsoft Knowledge Base article.

• CRM4 Outlook Client - Issues and Fixes
See this Microsoft Dynamics CRM Team Blog post for information about Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook, including a cumulative update.

• A POP3 provider delivers hundreds of copies of the same e-mail messages to a Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 database

• The Regarding field in an e-mail activity contains no value when you use a template that contains a Regarding field in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0

• Synchronous plug-ins do not respond to the events that are triggered in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0

• The "ModifiedBy" field of a record is not automatically set when you enable or disable a user in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0

• The Male label and the Female label are translated incorrectly in the Czech version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0

• A workflow rule does not continue even though the "Wait" conditions are met in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0

• You cannot open an e-mail message that is sent from a Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 user

For a complete list of hot fixes and updates, see Knowledge Base article 949256, Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 updates and hotfixes.

WebException (HTTP 401) thrown in 4.0 plug-ins

Last week I identified a need for an auto-incrementing numbering system and so I hunted around for something to use. At first, I used the old stand by of a basic UTC date conversion but it quickly became apparent that this was inadequate.

So, I came across a free auto-increment counter on this site which uses a plugin. Yay!

I installed the plugin on my development environment and it worked a treat. After some further testing, I then moved it to my Production environment which is where the problems started. No matter what I did, I kept getting a 401 Unauthorised Error. Round and round I went playing with IIS, changing permissions, re-installing the plugin, rebooting until I finally gave up and emailed the writers of the plugin.

Long story short, it seems that there is a bug within CRM 4.0 that causes the plugin to execute permissions using the Organization Friendly Name rather than the Organization Unique Name. Since, like most companies, our friendly name was just that, friendly, complete with spaces, I could see why the plugin was throwing an exception. The exact answer is reproduced below for you interest and also for future reference since this is rather a fundamental bug which could see you throw yourself out of the window in frustration.

 

Problem

The cause of the problem is that the wrong version of the organization name is being passed to the plug-in by the platform. The organization's friendly name is being used instead of the unique name. A friendly name can contain spaces while the unique name cannot. The platform expects an organization's unique name when doing authentication. The organization name is used internally by the CreateCrmService and CreateMetadataService methods of the IPluginExecutionContext class to authenticate the user in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. This problem only occurs if an organization name containing one or more blank spaces was specified when Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 was installed.

Workaround

(Option 1) Use Deployment Manager to change the name of the organization to remove any blank spaces in the organization's display name. You must first disable the organization in Deployment Manager before you can edit the display name in the Edit Organization Wizard. An easy approach to guarantee using a correct organization name is to simply copy the value in the Name field of the wizard and paste it into the Display name field. After making the change in Deployment Manager wizard and clicking the Apply button, enable the organization and reset IIS. This option fixes the problem without requiring any plug-in code changes and does not change plug-in performance.

(Option 2) Do not use the CreateCrmService or CreateMetadataService methods in your plug-in to obtain an ICrmService or IMetadataService instance. Instead, create an instance of the Web service proxy using the CrmService or MetadataService class just as you would if you were calling Web services outside of a plug-in. When setting the CrmAuthenticationTokenValue property, remember to strip out any spaces in the organization name that you have obtained from the IPluginExecutionContext.OrganizationName property which is passed to the plug-in's Execute method. When a hotfix is made available for this bug, you should change your code back to using the CreateCrmService or CreateMetadataService methods for improved plug-in performance. This option will reduce the performance of your plug-in.

The following sample code is taken from the Walkthroughs\Plugin\CS\AccountCreate SDK sample and shows the affected lines of code.

// Create the task on the Microsoft CRM server.

ICrmService service = context.CreateCrmService(true);

service.Create(followup);

Replace the above code with the following code to implement option 2 for the sample plug-in.

// Workaround to bug #33458.

CrmAuthenticationToken token = new CrmAuthenticationToken();

token.AuthenticationType = AuthenticationType.AD;

token.CallerId = context.UserId;

// Remove any blank spaces in the organization's name.

token.OrganizationName = context.OrganizationName.Replace(" ", "");

// Instantiate the CrmService Web service. 

CrmService service = new CrmService();

service.UseDefaultCredentials = true;

service.CrmAuthenticationTokenValue = token;

// Obtain the service Url from the registry.

service.Url = (string)(Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey("Software\\Microsoft\\MSCRM").GetValue("ServerUrl"));

service.Url += "/2007/crmservice.asmx";

// Create the task on the Microsoft CRM server.

service.Create(followup);

You will also need to add a using statement (using Microsoft.Win32) to the sample plug-in.

This same technique applies to any plug-in that is affected by this particular bug.

 

Personally, I favour Option 1 which is to change the Organization Friendly Name to match the Organization Unique Name and hope that Microsoft bring out a hotfix shortly. This is exactly what I did and hey, it works. Option two is something to be aware of if you are developing your own plugin, but for the purposes of my exercise, option 1 would suffice.

The method for implementing Option 1 is the following :

1. Launch Deployment Manager on the Web server

2. Select the Organization, Right Click ->

Disable 3. RightClick Again and Click Edit Organization

4. Change the Organization Name and FriendlyName to be the same

5. Click Next and Finish.

You can view the Knowledge Base article on this issue HERE

Developer Ramp Up Kit for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0

Ok, so I've been pottering around for the last couple of weeks exploring the CRM interface. I understand that it is very powerful in it's 'out of the box' incarnation, but there is one huge problem with it. Whilst CRM is very customisable and intuitive, it is just not possible to tailor the program to suit every customer without delving into the code, or at least overlaying your own code on top. This is about where I am up to. I want to develop a widget that will use the power of CRM but be able to present data in the way that I want it displayed. CRM is a wonderful interface, but it just doesn't handle queues properly, nor does it do nifty things like flow analysis or trend analysis. I want my widget to do both. Luckily for me, CRM is about as close to 'open source' as Microsoft is willing to get and so there is allot of scope for third party development. To help developers with this, Microsoft have released a number of tools and most of us are familiar with the SDK, but there are also a number of video tutorials out there that I am sure will prove equally useful. To take a look for yourself, visit the link below.

Get you videos here....

Useful Websites

Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Visit crm.dynamics.com.

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Web site is the place to go for information on all things CRM. You’ll find everything from an introduction to CRM and its value to your business to white papers, product specifications, customer testimonials, links to CRM communities, and much more.

Resource Center

Visit rc.crm.dynamics.com/rc/default.aspx.

The Resource Center is a one-stop shop, designed to help you get started, maximize your efficiency, and build your business. Using a community-centered approach, the Resource Center brings you some of the best community ideas via blogs, forums, and newsgroups right to your desktop. But if you like to explore them on your own, you’re just a click away. Ramp up now and gain the knowledge that will help you care for your customers and maximize profits.

Developer Center

Visit msdn.microsoft.com. Search for “crm developer center”. Click the first link: Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Developer Center is the place to go for information and sample code for developers. You’ll find both introductory and in-depth articles, overview and reference documentation, entity model diagrams for you to download, links to community and support, and much more.

SDK Download

Visit msdn.microsoft.com. Search for “crm 4.0 sdk”. Click the first link: Download details: Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 SDK.

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM SDK download package contains all the same documentation found in the MSDN library, as well as hundreds of code samples in both C# and Visual Basic .NET, code to build tools for registering plug-ins, and a design guide to help you create CRM add-ins that match the look of Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

CRM on the MSDN Code Gallery

Visit microsoft.com. Search for “code gallery”. Click the first link: MSDN Code Gallery.

The MSDN Code Gallery is your one-stop resource for finding code to customize and enhance your CRM experience. Developers and software vendors can start here to find code solutions.

CRM on CodePlex

Visit codeplex.com. Search for “CRM”. Click the first link to view all the CRM projects.

CodePlex is the Microsoft open-source, project-hosting Web site. Developers and software vendors can start a new project, join an existing one, or download software created by the community.

Implementation Guide

Visit Microsoft.com\downloads. Search for “crm implementation guide”. Click the link: Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Implementation Guide.

The Implementation Guide contains comprehensive information about how to plan, install, and maintain Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0. The planning tools include 43 templates, projects, and worksheets to help plan your implementation.

Community Home Page

Visit community.dynamics.com/crm/home.aspx.

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Community is the place to go for information about all things CRM. You’ll find articles and links to blogs, forums, newsgroups, MVPs, and much more.

Team Blog

Visit blogs.msdn.com/crm.

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Team Blog is the place to go to connect with the CRM team. You’ll find articles on customization, development, and implementation. This is one of the fastest ways to get to know the CRM team.

Forums

Visit forums.microsoft.com/dynamics.

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Forums are your question and answer resource. You’ll find answers to some of your most pressing questions and a team of crack experts ready to help.

Newsgroups

Visit microsoft.com. Search for “crm newsgroups”. Click the link: Microsoft Business Solutions Newsgroups Home.

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Newsgroups are threaded discussion groups that cover various aspects of CRM deployment and development. This is also where some customers come to ask questions.

MVPs

Visit microsoft.com. Search for “mvp”. Click the first link: Microsoft Most Valuable Professional.

The Microsoft MVP site recognizes exceptional technical community leaders from around the world. Here you can find experts who love to talk about all aspects of Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

CRM on Facebook

Visit facebook.com. Search for “Microsoft Dynamics CRM”. Click the link: Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM group in Facebook is a community that facilitates networking and collaboration. Go here to meet people in your part of the world, view videos, and introduce your company to the group.

CRM on Linked In

Visit LinkedIn.com. In the group directory, search for “Microsoft Dynamics CRM”. Click the link: Microsoft CRM.

LinkedIn.com and the Microsoft Dynamics CRM group is a community that fosters business networking. Here you can place a public resume, create and maintain business connections, and provide feedback to business acquaintances based on the services they provide.

 

See Microsoft Team Blog for original post. Reproduced here for personal use.

New CRM Online Video Gallery

Well well, things are really starting to hot up in Dynamics Land. As the weeks pass, more things are starting to be written and more help is emerging from Planet Microsoft. If you are interested in some video tutorials then you should check out the link at the bottom of this post. The videos seem to be fairly basic in nature, still no help to a developer, but should prove useful in training scenarios for users.

 

Get you video's HERE

CWR Mobile CRM

 

CWR have released their new mobile version of CRM.

Request your free trial here

Personally, I'm very excited about this development. I can see how this would be incredibly useful to a sales force out on the road all the time. When I worked for sales, many moons ago, the only time that the outdoor sales team could collect their upcoming appointments was when they came into the office, now, they can sync this from anywhere. Couple this with a Google Map plugin and you could actually track your sales staff on the move....eek, what a thought! To think that 20 years ago, the only time the backoffice knew what a rep was up to was when s/he rang in!

One of the minor things that annoy me is the idea of having to use my mobile phone address book to store all of my business contacts. Quite apart from not having that much space anyway, I would rather have my business contacts all in one place along with all the activities and information about them and this little mobile application offers just that functionality. Of course, like most things Microsoft, you are going to have to upgrade your hardware to accommodate this new software, but hey, this one might actually be worth it.

First Computer Bug Found!

Worth a gigle....

On a more serious note, as we all know, there are some 'issues' with the behaviour between the Outlook Client and Dynamics. Specifically, the following :

a) Outlook hangs during initialization (progress toolbar displays “Loading…” and never finishes)

b) With E-mail Auto Promotion Enabled, Outlook may not close cleanly/properly.

c) Contacts with birthdays earlier than 1/1/1970 causes Outlook to crash

d) Items in Shared Calendars will report Sync Issues

e) Cannot Promote an E-mail where the name of the attached file contains a ‘&’ symbol.

Happily, Microsoft have released a new hotfix that will address all of these problem.

Download KB949719 HERE for the fix and more information.

IE Spy

IESpy is a small utility that allows one to inspect or manipulate the DOM of any IE Web browser control. For example: You can spy on the browser cookies that are currently set within the browser or any iframe. You can peek at the source of the main document and any iframe, even if the right-click menu has been disabled.

Get it HERE