Microsoft Dynamics CRM Team Blog

Using the Microsoft Translator inside Microsoft Dynamics CRM v4

2009-12-18T18:43:48Z

This customization is designed to call the ‘Microsoft® Translator’ service from within CRM. This example uses a custom button, included in an entity form, to call the service and translate text (which has been selected by the user) into another language. This document describes the steps required to include the custom button on a form, how to call the service and how to set the language of both the source and target text. NOTE: This customization is designed for use with Internet Explorer (IE) 7...(read more)

Update Rollup 8 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0

2009-12-17T16:39:43Z

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Sustained Engineering team will release Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Update Rollup 8 on Thursday, December 17, 2009. Once the release is available the links below will take you to the necessary information about Update Rollup 8. Microsoft Download Center: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=c53b2916-6b93-4092-bdd3-a394c96ca000 Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=975995 General Details about Update Rollup...(read more)

Tips & Tricks: Displaying Contact Images in Microsoft Dynamics CRM

2009-12-16T18:24:21Z

In another of our guest blog series, CRM MVP Jürgen Beck provides a developer's view demonstrating out customizable Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 is. This post is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confer no rights. You assume all risk for your use. Wouldn’t it be nice to see some pictures of your customer when you open the contact form? These pictures could be stored as jpg-attachment in the notes of your contact: The solution behind this is to create a little ASP.NET-web application...(read more)

Option for a “Quick Create” of CRM Records

2009-12-15T17:28:40Z

Today’s post comes from CRM MVP Jim Steger who is a developer, blogger, and writer for Sonoma Partners . Back in the early Microsoft CRM days (remember those?), you had the option to ‘Quick Create’ a lead, contact or account. This was a native form that only included the required (and maybe the recommended fields, but can’t remember anymore!). This concept comes up from time to time with our customers who are sometimes need a simple and fast way to get records entered into the system. Of course,...(read more)

Server Upgrade Process for the Beginner

2009-12-14T17:07:28Z

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 presents a significant change in functionality from Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0. Several key components, such as workflow and reporting, have been completely redesigned. As such, existing features, functionality, and extensions may be affected as a result of the upgrade. This topic provides a best practices process to minimize downtime while helping determine issues that may occur as a result of the upgrade. The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server upgrade process can be distilled...(read more)

Behavior Change in Cascading Assign for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0

2009-12-11T18:10:00Z

The functionality in Cascading Assign has been changed in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0, Update Rollup 8 or newer . As originally designed, only those objects meet the cascading rules can participate the cascading operation. For Cascading Assign , there are 4 rules: Cascade All: all related objects can participate the cascading operation Cascade User-Owned: only those related objects with the same owner as the parent’s can participate the cascading operation Cascade Active: only those related objects...(read more)

An Introduction to XRM for a .Net Developer

2009-12-10T16:43:36Z

CRM MVP Shan McArthur from ADXSTUDIO writes an introductory piece about XRM. The purpose of this article is to give an introduction to XRM for .NET Developers and application architects. Most developers are familiar with various Microsoft technologies including the .NET Framework, Microsoft SQL Server, WPF, and ASP.NET. They are accustomed to designing their applications using Microsoft SQL Server for data storage and modeling their applications using relational database techniques. Modern developers...(read more)

Data Wizard: Using field delimiters characters in data source files

2009-12-09T18:20:38Z

The enhanced Import Data wizard released in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online November 2009 Service Update supports different formats of input source data file such as XML Spreadsheet 2003 (.xml), Comma-separated values (.csv), Text (.txt) and compressed files (.zip). For more information on supported file types, please visit: http://blogs.msdn.com/crm/archive/2009/11/10/supported-file-types-in-data-import-wizard-for-microsoft-dynamics-crm-online.aspx If input source data is in Text/CSV-formatted files...(read more)

Importing Data from Salesforce.com to Microsoft CRM Online - Part 1

2009-12-08T17:17:45Z

I am hoping you are already following the series of blogs describing on how to use the new Import Data Wizard in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Service Update for Nov 2009. Here I will cover that how easy it is to bring your data from Salesforce.com into Microsoft Dynamics CRM using the enhanced Import Data Wizard. This is a two step process. First you export your data from Salesforce.com and in the second step you import that data into Microsoft CRM. Step 1: Export data from Salesforce.com Let’s...(read more)

Configure Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online E-mail Router with Exchange Online

2009-12-07T17:57:12Z

Microsoft has released the November 2009 update for the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online E-mail Router which includes the support for Microsoft Exchange Online. This blog covers step by step instructions to setup the Microsoft Dynamics CRM E-mail Router with the Exchange Online system to process incoming and outgoing e-mails from the Microsoft CRM system. Introduction Microsoft Exchange Online is a hosted enterprise messaging service from Microsoft which provides the robust capabilities of Microsoft...(read more)

Capturing and Analysing SQL Queries in CRM Implementations

2009-12-03T16:36:37Z

Our CRM MVP guest blogger for today is David Jennaway who is the technical director at Excitation . I’ve recently been involved in analyzing and resolving performance issues in several Dynamics CRM implementations. Different issues have had different root causes; this post is focused on those where the root causes lie with SQL Server. My intentions in this post are to introduce the SQL Server tools that can be used for performance analysis, and to describe some techniques to help you apply them effectively...(read more)

Data Templates Make Importing Data Easy

2009-12-01T18:06:00Z

This blog entry aims at familiarizing you with Templates for data Import which are available amongst other new features including a powerful Import Data Wizard in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online November 2009 Service Update. These templates serves as a very good start point for importing data without requiring mapping effort from the user as templates can be automatically mapped by Import Data Wizard . Additionally, they have enough Data validations in place to minimize errors that can occur during...(read more)

CRM Data connector

2009-11-30T16:49:17Z

Microsoft Dynamics CRM handles all the reports with Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SRS). SRS is a separate application that you can install on a different server than SQL Server or the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server if desired. Microsoft Dynamics CRM then connects to SRS by using the Reporting Services URL, as specified during installation. When is Data connector used? The Connector for Microsoft SQL SRS is not required during a normal, non-IFD installation. For IFD installations, or when...(read more)

Importing data into Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online – Accounts & Contacts

2009-11-25T17:12:00Z

How to import data from a single file into multiple record types Microsoft has released Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Delivers the November 2009 Service Update earlier this month. To assist organizations with importing their data into Microsoft Dynamics CRM, a new enhanced Import Data Wizard is available among other new cool features in this release. This blog is about how you can import your data into Microsoft Dynamics CRM using MSCRM Import Data Wizard and some of the tips to make it a simpler...(read more)

Sonoma Partners’ xRM Socialization Demo @ PDC09

2009-11-24T15:54:55Z

Today we welcome guest blogger Jim Steger , developer, blogger, and writer for Sonoma Partners with this report from PDC ‘09. On the last day of PDC09, I had the opportunity to present a brief demo of our internal socialization application (code name “SideBar”) with Andy Bybee from the CRM Product Team during his Developing xRM Solutions using Windows Azure. SideBar started as an internal intern project for us this summer. We wanted to explore leveraging Dynamics xRM to create a compelling Enterprise...(read more)