Dynamics PTS Team Blog

A blog managed by Dynamics Partner Technical Services team for Global English

October, 2013

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  • Microsoft Dynamics CRM Connector for NAV- Step by Step Guide to Installation & Configuration

    Trapti Nagar - Click for blog homepageThis blog post gives step by step procedures to integrate Dynamics CRM 2011/CRM online with NAV 2013.

    Note: Download the connector setup and installation guide from links mentioned in the last section.

    Prerequisites

    Microsoft Dynamics CRM

    Create two Windows Live ID accounts for CRM online or two user accounts for Dynamics CRM on premise for following types of users:

    • Admin User
    • Integration User (assign System Customizer role after creating a user in short)

    Setup Dynamics NAV to enable Data Synchronization

    • To turn on integration and enable synchronization, run through following steps:
    • Start Microsoft Dynamics NAV and in the search box, enter Marketing Setup.
    • Open the Marketing Setup window.
    • On the Synchronization FastTab, select the Enable Connector check box. Click Yes to confirm.
    • Exit and start Microsoft Dynamics NAV again before you configure Connector for Microsoft Dynamics.
    • After you enable Connector for Microsoft Dynamics, verify that the following services are started:
      • Microsoft Dynamics NAV Business Web Services
      • Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server

    Installation and configuration

    Run the setup, click next.

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    Give the name of your Dynamics NAV SQL server

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    Provide administrator account credentials for NAV/System

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    Click to install.

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    It will start to install dynamics connector.

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    You will reach finish screen, if everything goes fine.

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    You need to install the ConnectorForMicrosoftDynamicsNav solution in your CRM organization to enable CRM instance to support NAV data integration. Follow the steps mentioned below:

    1. Log on to an organization in Microsoft Dynamics CRM as an administrator.

    2. In the navigation pane, go to Settings > Customization > Solutions. Click Import.

    3. Browse to the Connector installation directory (\Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics\Microsoft Dynamics Adapter).

    4. Select the ConnectorForMicrosoftDynamicsNav.zip solution file. Click Open.

    5. Click Next. When the Solution Information is displayed, a message might be displayed that warns of a version mismatch. Click Next.

    6. Select Activate any processes and enable any SDK message processing steps included in the solution.

    Note: If you do not select this check box, the steps to install the plug-in will not be activated and the process cannot be completed.

    7. Click Next.

    8. When the solution customizations have been successfully imported, click Close to exit.

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    After importing the solution, follow the steps below to give adapter settings:

    1. Start-> connector for Microsoft dynamics

    2. Run the connector

    3. Click on adapter settings on top menu

    4. Give the following information in Dynamics CRM 2011 for online, else give the setting in Dynamics CRM

    Note that the user given here integration user we have already created.

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    Click on test settings, after you see a success message click on link to configuration utility.

    You will see a screen like this.

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    The configuration settings will take the URL automatically, just give username (here use administrator credentials) and password and click on Get organizations. You should be able to get the organization name in the highlighted area in which you want to implement the integration as shown in the screenshot.

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    Finish the CRM configuration utility wizard and click on Microsoft Dynamics NAV in the adapter settings as shown below.

    Credentials to be used are mentioned here:

    Domain: Enter your Windows domain.

    User Name: Enter your Windows user name or alias.

    Password: Enter your domain password.

    URL: http://localhost:7047/DynamicsNAV/WS/

    (Note: In some cases we might face errors in connecting the NAV and it fails, try giving server IP address in place of localhost in the URL as shown in screenshot below)

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    This is the success message screen

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    Click on test settings, after you see a success message click on link to configuration utility.

    Give the credentials and select the Dynamics NAV Organization.

    Select the entities you want to enable for integration.

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    After the process is finished click in create new integration. Give the details as given in the below screenshot.

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    Now you can start creating new maps.

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    Make sure that you create necessary maps first. Have a look at the installation guide for more information.

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    After the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics is installed and the adapters are configured, data needs to be synchronized between Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics NAV before you can run integrations on a regular schedule.

    Verify that the customizations have been deployed as outlined in the Basic installation section, to check this create one entity record and see if you are able to see the submit button on the ribbon as highlighted in the screenshot below.

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    The Connector for Microsoft Dynamics is designed to integrate data between Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Microsoft Dynamics CRM in the following scenarios:

    • New Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Microsoft Dynamics CRM application installations
    • Existing Microsoft Dynamics NAV installation and new Microsoft Dynamics CRM installation or Existing Microsoft Dynamics CRM installation and new Microsoft Dynamics NAV installation
    • Both Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Microsoft Dynamics CRM existing installations

    Data could exist in one or both applications. You must synchronize this data prior to running the integration on a regular schedule.

    Now you are done with the integration, schedule the Data synchronization process and validate the data.

    Quick Links

    Here are some useful links to quickly access resources:

    http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg502460.aspx

    http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg481835.aspx

    http://blogs.msdn.com/b/dynamicsconnector/

    http://www.microsoft.com/en-in/download/details.aspx?id=10381

    https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/deployment/resources/productreleases/MDNAV2009R2_CRMConnector.htm

  • Management Reporter 2012 Cumulative Update 7 Released!!

    Sivakumar Venkataraman - Click for blog homepageIt’s time for a new Management Reporter release and we have some interesting functionalities in store in this new release.

    This release, which has been posted for download, includes the ability to drill back to Dynamics from the Management Reporter Web Viewer, currency translation for Dynamics AX 2012 customers, plus a few more enhancements.

    Here’s a summary of the new Management Reporter CU7 features:

    • Ability to drill back to your Dynamics ERP from Management Reporter Web Viewer, allowing you to see detailed transactional information on any account
    • Included Management Reporter into the Dynamics AX install for new customers, making it more straightforward to get the entire solution up and running
    • Ability for Microsoft Dynamics AX customers to view any Management Reporter report in both functional and reporting currencies using the Management Reporter Web Viewer
    • Support for currency translation for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 customers
    • Accounts and dimensions on reports will now be displayed in the order you’ve identified in Dynamics AX
    • Ability to include Fixed Asset Acquisition Date as an attribute on a report (Dynamics AX only)
    • Performance enhancements using Management Reporter Web Viewer to view reports
    • More than 90 bug fixes across Management Reporter and all Dynamics ERP integrations

    If you want to download this latest release, go to the link below.

    https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/downloads/servicepack/mroverview.htm

    Hope this helps…

    Until next post!

  • Windows 8.1 Released!

    Sivakumar Venkataraman - Click for blog homepageThe most awaited Windows 8.1 update has been released!

    Windows 8.1 brings a variety of new features and improvements to Windows 8 that we think people will really enjoy. We listened to your feedback and are delivering many of the improvements you asked for.

    If you are a consumer with a Windows 8 device, you can now download the free update to Windows 8.1 online through the Windows Store*. Please visit Windows.com for everything you need to know including how to get the update for your Windows 8 device. If you are a consumer on a device running Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, or the Windows 8.1 Preview – this page on Windows.com will detect your OS and provide you with all the information you need in order to get Windows 8.1 on your device. I also highly recommend reading our FAQ which answers many of the most common questions about getting Windows 8.1.

    Starting tomorrow October 18th, Windows 8.1 will also be available on new devices and as packaged DVD product at retail locations around the world. You can also click here to learn about the wide variety of new Windows devices available now and coming throughout the holiday season to find the one that best fits their needs, and their budget.

    To celebrate the new Windows, starting today for the next 8 days – we will pick 810 (see what we did there?) random winners per day who tweet and share their new Start screen after updating their Windows 8 device to Windows 8.1 with the #MyStart hashtag.

    share_startscreen

    There has been a lot of talk about the new features in Windows 8.1 since the Build conference last June but I think it’s worth reiterating the awesomeness that Windows 8.1 brings to your device.

    Win8-1_3row_16x9_US

    desktop

    Start the way you want. The Start screen in Windows 8.1 is more customizable than ever with new tile sizes, new background designs and colors – allowing you to make the Start screen on your device unique and personal to you (you should see some of the color combinations I’ve come up with for my Start screen!). You can also choose how you start your Windows experience – at the Start screen or the desktop. The Start button is back. And there is an improved Apps view that allows you to see all your apps the way you want.

    Split Screen Four Apps

    Multi-tasking is even better in Windows 8.1 – you can now have up to four apps side by side with flexible windows sizing for each app on the screen. At a minimum, I usually have 3 apps snapped side by side on my devices doing various things like email, listening to music and browsing the web. We have also improved multi-monitor support in Windows 8.1 allowing users to view their desktop or apps from the Windows Store on any or all their monitors.

    Bing Smart Search

    Bing Smart Search is the easiest way to find what you are looking for and to get things done. Built for touch, swipe or type from the Start screen and Smart Search will find what you need – whether it’s a document on your PC, a photo album in the cloud, your favorite app, or a website.

    Bing Health & Fitness Diet Tracker

    Bing Food & Drink

    Windows 8.1 comes with new and improved Microsoft apps and services – available right out of the box and right from your Start screen. Skype is there for instant messaging and catching up with friends and family. We’ve updated the Mail app (well, more like over-hauled) to make email easier – for both personal and email and work email. Two new Bing apps are introduced in Windows 8.1 called Food & Drink and Health & Fitness along with updates to the News, Weather, Finance, Travel and Sports apps. Xbox Music has received a big update for Windows 8.1, and you can watch TV and movies with Xbox Video. And Windows 8.1 comes with Internet Explorer 11which is optimized for touch and brings speed boosts and synchronized browsing history, favorites, and settings across all of your Windows 8.1 devices.

    SkyDrive

    Speaking of synchronizing – Windows 8.1 also comes with deep and improved cloud integration with SkyDrive. Your files are always accessible across all your devices. With SkyDrive smart files, you can create, edit, save and share files anywhere, anytime and your files are always with you, both on and offline.

    Windows Store

    And the Windows Store has been redesigned in Windows 8.1. With the “New & Rising” section it is now easier to stay on top of the hottest and newest apps to hit the Windows Store. Plus, the Windows Store has a live tile too! The Windows Store will also now provide you with personalized recommendations – powered by Bing. And apps are now updated from the Windows Store automatically by default so you will always have the best and newest versions of your apps. Look for new and updated apps including Adobe Photoshop Express, Box, Evernote, Facebook, Hulu Plus, Netflix, and NOOK, for Windows 8.1. And more to come!

    Windows 8.1 will also bring some very innovative new devices for both consumers and businesses from tablets and 2-in-1s with a perfect mix of mobility and productivity, to new laptops, All-in-Ones and specialized industry devices Windows 8.1 brings the widest selection of designs at every price point. I’ll be blogging more about many of these devices over the next few weeks as they become available, so you can find and experience a device that is truly an extension of you.

    Windows 8.1 represents collaboration across the entire company. Over the last three days, we’ve featured guest blog posts from our friends at Skype, Xbox, Bing, SkyDrive, and Internet Explorer that discusses in the connected experience that Windows 8.1 brings together.

    And now you can enjoy the results of this work today. So get your device updated! And be sure to share those Start screens.

  • Connector for Microsoft Dynamics V3 Cumulative Update 1 – Released!

    Sivakumar Venkataraman - Click for blog homepagePerformance improvements and key suggestions on Connector V3 deployments are the primary new features in Connector for Microsoft Dynamics V3 CU1 (3.1.116.2), which was posted today for download.

    Additional new features with this release include:

    • Overall performance improvement in the Connector V3 service
    • Overall performance improvement in Connector's log
    • Performance improvement  in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 adapter
    • When you reset the Retry feature, it will now run immediately

    To download this release for your Microsoft Dynamics ERP system, go to CustomerSource:

    • Connector for Microsoft Dynamics AX
      • If you have applied Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2 CU 6 or later, an XPO is no longer needed.  You can run the ConnectorHelper class that is included in this update to accomplish the required setup tasks in Microsoft Dynamics AX.
    • Connector for Microsoft Dynamics GP
      • All previously supported versions of Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 and GP 2013 are supported as either new or existing integrations
    • Connector for Microsoft Dynamics NAV
      • Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 R2 is supported with this release, however this release is not required for an integration to Microsoft Dynamics NAV.  Any release after Connector V2 RU1 (2.1.29.1) will support Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013  R2.
    • Connector for Microsoft Dynamics SL

    Would you like to know more?  Check out the User Guide for your ERP system and begin your installation preparation. I know, I know; reading documentation can be arduous. But you know what they say: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So read the provided documentation to avoid the common mistakes and save yourself the support call.  The user guides for all of the ERPs have been updated for this release and all include a V3 upgrade sections that you should be familiar with before upgrading your existing integrations.  All of the known issues documents have been updated as well so please have a look at those too, they can all be found on the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics download pages.

    Note: This release includes an update to the MSDI database that will mean any custom objects you have added to the database will be dropped, however this update will greatly improve the performance of the overall Connector system.

  • Utility Script for CRM Connector Integrating with Dynamics GP Sample Company

    Sivakumar Venkataraman - Click for blog homepageThis is an interesting script which I have decided to post in this article.

    When we configure CRM Connector with Dynamics GP for the sample company (Fabricam, Inc.,), there is a known issue in the way the sample company data is structured.

    As many of you would be aware of, the sample company data has a date stamp in the year 2017. Because of this, when the Connector maps are activated, the sample data gets integrated and the “Check for data modified after” gets updated to the date as per the date stamp, which will be a date in the year 2017.

    And when we add any new records into the sample company, this data does not get integrated as the DEX_ROW_TS field (date stamp) for the new records will be the current date and the Connector integration ignores these records as it checks for data only added/modified after the date in the year 2017 as per the original sample data integration.

    You can modify the “Check for data modified after” property for the integrations to the current date and time, but it will check for the data in the year 2017 and get updated back to 2017. This is because the sample company’s data resides with the date stamp of 2017.

    I have written a simple script which will update the DEX_ROW_TS in all Dynamics GP tables to the current date and time. This script can be run in both the system database and the company database.

    SQL Script for this purpose:

    DECLARE @TableName VARCHAR(15)
    DECLARE @DateStamp DATETIME
    DECLARE @SQLString VARCHAR(255)

    SET @DateStamp = GETDATE()

    DECLARE crTables CURSOR
        FOR
        select name from sys.objects where type = 'U' ORDER by name

    OPEN crTables

    FETCH NEXT FROM crTables INTO @TableName

    WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
    BEGIN
       
        IF EXISTS (SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.columns
            WHERE TABLE_NAME = @TableName
            AND COLUMN_NAME = 'DEX_ROW_TS')
        BEGIN
      
      SET @SQLString = 'UPDATE dbo.' + LTRIM(RTRIM(@TableName)) + ' SET DEX_ROW_TS = ''' + CONVERT(VARCHAR(10), @DateStamp, 120) + ''''
            EXECUTE(@SQLString)

        END
        FETCH NEXT FROM crTables INTO @TableName
    END

    CLOSE crTables

    DEALLOCATE crTables

    Note: Make sure you have a valid backup of the system and company databases before running this script.

    I hope this script will be useful for all those who are trying to test CRM Connector for Dynamics GP using the sample company. I have attached this script at the end of the article.

    Until next post!

    Attachments: MBS_CRMConnectorwithGP_DEXROWTSUpdate.zip 

Dynamics PTS Team Blog

A blog managed by Dynamics Partner Technical Services team for Global English