by Gustaf Westerlund | Aug 30, 2006
On taking backup
When taking backup of your CRM system, to avoid any later problems consider the following:
– Take a complete backup of the xxxx_MSCRM database.
– Take a complete backup of the xxxx_METABASE.
– And just to be sure, export all customizations to an xml-file.
– Make a backup of the Microsoft CRMServerbinassembly (normally found in Program Files)
– Make a backup of all custom aspx and html pages and code from the external website.
If you have any customizations what so ever, make sure you take a backup of the METABASE att same time as the MSCRM-database. If you do not, you might encounter inconsistencies at a later date which might be hard to fix. I’m planning on writing about what you do if this happens anyway.
If you have made any changes to the reports you should also backup the main SQL Reporting Services database, but hopefully have the rdl:s somewhere else aswell.
Gustaf Westerlund
CRM and SharePoint Consultant
Humandata AB
www.humandata.se
by Gustaf Westerlund | Aug 30, 2006
Maybe you’ve already been there, if not, you should, The Microsoft hotfixes for MS CRM 3.0 can be found here. Note that it is provided as-is, so read the text above the files before downloading anything!
Gustaf Westerlund
CRM and SharePoint Consultant
Humandata AB
www.humandata.se
by Gustaf Westerlund | Aug 29, 2006
In the CRM SDK there is an example of how to create a dublett checker. It works fine but I would like to point out a few things.
- Note that it is based on JavaScript, hence it will only be used when the GUI is run. When running an import, for instance, the GUI is not used and the javascript will not be run.
- Perhaps a lead dubletthandler should also check for the existance of an account with the same name. It is only natural to check if the new lead might already be a customer.
- It cannot be used offline. Users should be notfiied of this or the function to create the entity should be disabled in offline mode.
To solve the first problem, the best cause of action is to make a callout-based dublett handler in addition to the javascript based. You don’t want to throw that away since its user interface is a lot better than the callout-based checker.
Gustaf Westerlund
CRM and SharePoint Consultant
Humandata AB
www.humandata.se
by Gustaf Westerlund | Aug 25, 2006
Finding what the real error is can sometimes be a bit tricky since the real error actually is embedded a bit down the exception hierachy. For instance, I recieved the following error when trying to send an email with the normal .NET mail classes using a workflow-dll.
Error code=8004280b. Unable to access the object CDO.Message.
I started thinking that there might be some different version between my local .NET and the server on where the program was run. I also thought there might be some problem with finding/accessing the dll. A bit weird but it had to be something.
However, after searching the internet I found that this error might not actually be the real error. Try recursing down into the exceptions to find the real error, and I did. With the following code:
try {
SmtpMail.Send(mail);
}
catch(Exception ex )
{
OutText(“The following exception occurred: ” + ex.ToString() ); //check the InnerException while( ex.InnerException != null )
{
OutText(“——————————–“);
OutText(“The following InnerException reported: ” + ex.InnerException.ToString() ); ex = ex.InnerException;
}
}
The output made me solve the problem in 5 sec, I had forgot to assign a to-adress in the mail. A weird error message for a simple and stupid error. So, from now on, I am always a bit sceptical on what error is shown and if it is the real error or not.
Gustaf Westerlund
CRM and SharePoint Consultant
Humandata AB
www.humandata.se
by Gustaf Westerlund | Aug 25, 2006
Many of you probably use Remote Desktop to connect to your clients computers. Sometimes you manage to lock the two sessions you are allowed and you can’t reach the computer. What you need to do then is to connect using the console command. The easiest way to do this is to create a bat-file with the following content:
console.bat
========
mstsc %1 /console
Now, you just have to drag-n-drop the rdp-files on the batfile and the connection will be made using the /console and you can access the computer. No cmd-hacking, no remembering the syntax… just drag-n-drop! You have to be a local administrator to connect using /console, but arn’t you always?
To log out the old connections, open the task manager and select the tab users. Mark the users that do not have id=0 (thats the console connection) and select logoff.
Hope it is usefull!
Gustaf Westerlund
CRM and SharePoint Consultant
Humandata AB
www.humandata.se
by Gustaf Westerlund | Aug 24, 2006
The migration framework is based on a very good intention from MS since it can usually be a hassle. It is quite competent but has one great lack being that it only handled system entities and not cusomtized entities.
The feature of customizing entities is one of the greatest USP (unique selling points) for MS CRM, and being a system in directed at mid-market it is more than likely that a customer has to migrate from previous data, if only being excel, access or Outlook. To not support customized entities is a great flaw that severly limps the otherwise fine product.
If you need to migrate to MS CRM 3.0 and you are using customized entities there are two choices:
1. Make your own speciall program that communicated directly with the webservice.
2. Buy a third party product.
In most cases I think the later choice is best, there is a very good product called ImportManager Studio 2006 Professional made by the Danish company CRM Extensions. link.
Not only is this product good for migrations it is also replaces the very rudementary import function found in CRM. Other than being able to import data to custom entities, it can also store an import set-up to be used at a later date and link imported entities to eachother (like linking a contact with an account).
It is only €1700 which is quite cheap when you compare it to the costs of writing your own program.
It will be interesting to see if MS updates the migration framework to handle custom entities. Until then, count on paying €1700 for a product that can.
Gustaf Westerlund
CRM and SharePoint Consultant
Humandata AB
www.humandata.se
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