Category: Dynamics 365


Import solution with PowerShell is not activating SDK-steps

Today I deployed a solution with SDK-steps with the following PowerShell (intro to CRM and PowerShell can be found here):

if (-Not (Get-Module -Name Microsoft.Xrm.Data.Powershell)) { 
     Import-Module Microsoft.Xrm.Data.Powershell 
}

$zipLocation = 'C:\Users\x.y\Downloads'
$timeoutInSeconds = 600

$crmOrg = Get-CrmConnection -InteractiveMode
Set-CrmConnectionTimeout -TimeoutInSeconds:$timeoutInSeconds -conn:$crmOrg

Import-CrmSolutionAsync -SolutionFilePath:$zipLocation'\SdkSteps_Managed.zip' -OverwriteUnManagedCustomizations:$true -conn:$crmOrg -MaxWaitTimeInSeconds:$timeoutInSeconds -BlockUntilImportComplete:$true

Problem: After deploying the solution most of the SDK-steps were disabled.

Solution: Adding the following Import-CrmSolutionAsync-parameter solved the issue:  

-ActivateWorkflows:$true

So this paramteres triggers not only the activation of workflows it activates also the SDK-steps.


Supported .NET Framework Dynamics 365 (4.6.1 not supported!)

Problem: After migrating a Dynamics CRM environment from 2016 OnPrem to Dynamics 365 Online I was getting the following error message every time a plugin or a custom-workflow-activity was triggered:

Unhandled Exception: System.ServiceModel.FaultException`1[[Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.OrganizationServiceFault, Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk, Version=8.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35]]: 
Unexpected exception from plug-in (Execute): <Plugin.Message>: System.MissingMethodException: Method not found: '!!0[] System.Array.Empty()'.Detail: 
<OrganizationServiceFault xmlns:i="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/xrm/2011/Contracts">
  <ActivityId>6e625317-1f6a-46ff-8883-afaa96cb51ef</ActivityId>
  <ErrorCode>-2147220956</ErrorCode>
  <ErrorDetails xmlns:d2p1="http://schemas.datacontract.org/2004/07/System.Collections.Generic" />
  <Message>Unexpected exception from plug-in (Execute): <Plugin.Message>: System.MissingMethodException: Method not found: '!!0[] System.Array.Empty()'.</Message>
  <Timestamp>2017-08-22T08:18:06.9730831Z</Timestamp>
  <ExceptionRetriable>false</ExceptionRetriable>
  <ExceptionSource i:nil="true" />
  <InnerFault i:nil="true" />
  <OriginalException i:nil="true" />
  <TraceText>

Solution: After analyzing the problem and having a look at MSDN, I found out that the plugins CWAs were compiled with .NET-Framework 4.6.1 but only 4.5.2 is supported. After changing it back to 4.5.2, compiling and deploying everything worked well.


Social Pane finally sortable in Dynamics 365!

In you case you did not see that: You can now configure the sort order of the social pane activities. (Since Dynamics 365)

In CRM 2016 we could not do that. It sorted always by “modified on” and there was no possibility to change that.

But now in Dynamics 365 we have new properties on the social pane:

image

And, the user can sort it Desc or Asc:

image


Are you missing your CRM-Outlook-AddIn?

In case you are missing the CRM-AddIn buttons in your outlook and you are sure you installed the AddIn, then maybe the following steps will help you:

1. Open the outlook-options: image

2. Navigate to Add-Ins and open the COM-Add-Ins list:

image
3. If the following checkbox is unchecked, check it and click OK: image
Et voila: Your buttons are back! image

URL to Office 365 Groups Integration Settings

In case you have overwritten the original sitemap after installing the Office 365 Groups Integration solutions you can open the config page with the following URL:

https://<CRMORG>.crm4.dynamics.com/WebResources/msdyn_/OfficeGroups/Configuration/Config.htm

And here we go:

image


PowerShell & Dynamics 365 (Part ll): Let’s connect!

This second part of the series shows step by step, how to setup a connection with Dynamics 365 and create a simple account.

1. Have a look at Part l to setup the basis.
2. Open the “Windows PowerShell ISE”:
image
3. Import the module 
# import the module
Import-Module Microsoft.Xrm.Data.Powershell
4. Connect to the Org:

# connect to a dynamics 365 organisation 
Connect-CrmOnlineDiscovery –InteractiveMode

This will show a modal dialog where you can access the CRM (Online or OnPrem):

image

Click “Login” to get the available orgs and then click “Login” again to setup the connection to Dynamics 365.

After successful login the prompt shows you information about your organisation:

image
4. And now, let us create some data! The following command will create a simple account and return the GUID: 
$accountId = New-CrmRecord -conn $CRMConn -EntityLogicalName account -Fields @{"name"="proCRM";"telephone1"="123-456"}

That’s it for today. The next post will show how to get data from CRM by PowerShell


PowerShell & Dynamics 365 (Part l): Setup the basis!

This is the first part of a blog post series about PowerShell together with Dynamics 365 (CRM).

Why PowerShell?

PowerShell-Commands are useful in many cases. Here a short overview what PowerShell can do:

  • Read/Write CRM-settings
  • CRUD CRM-records
  • Do complex data-modification without coding
  • Setup organization
  • and a lotmore!

Let’s start

1. Download the newest version of the “Microsoft.Xrm.Data.PowerShell”-Module: https://github.com/seanmcne/Microsoft.Xrm.Data.PowerShell/releases
2. Right click the downloaded zip file and click “Properties”.
3. Check “Unblock” checkbox and click “OK”, or simply click “Unblock” button depending on OS versions:
image
 

Extract the zip file and copy “Microsoft.Xrm.Data.PowerShell” folder to one of the following folders:
”%USERPROFILE%\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Modules” or “%WINDIR%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\Modules”

That’s it, we are ready. The next post of this series will show how to create a connection to a Dynamics 365 organization. Stay tuned!

(Source for this blog entry and more information: https://github.com/seanmcne/Microsoft.Xrm.Data.PowerShell)


Cannot remove the field “Name” from the lead form?

Problem: On the lead entity we only want to have the customer field (account or contact) and remove the field “Name” (fullname).  If we try to remove the field from the form, we are getting an error:

image

The field itself is marked as optional:

image

So why can we not remove the field from the form?

Solution: The fullname is a composite field of two fields: “firstname” and “lastname”. If one field of a composite field is marked as required the hole composite field will be required on the form. (it doesn’t matter if the field is required or not.)

In our case it was the field “lastname” which was marked as required. After changing that to “optional”, we could successfully remove the field from the form.


Sitemap-Editor in Dynamics 365 – Well done Microsoft!

Did you already use the new sitemap-editor in Dynamics 365? If not, do it!

First time I used it, when I was trying to edit the sitemap in XrmToolBox. It said:

image

So I did the following:

  1. Create a new solution per example “procrm.sitemap” and add the sitemap to it:
    image
    image
  2. Now, open the sitemap with a double-click. Here we go, the new sitemap-editor pops up:
    image
  3. Now add by drag’n’drop new sections, groups and per example entites:
    image[30]

Latest version compatibility overview

Nice overview of the version compatibility and also nice information about solutions can be found here: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-US/library/gg334576.aspx#BKMK_VersionCompat

 image