CRM Resources from PDC09

Build a .NET Business Application in 60 Minutes with xRM and SharePoint
You know the Web Services let you quickly build interoperable applications; come see how quickly as we use the business application building capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics CRM and SharePoint to build a high scale business application in one hour. We will demonstrate the speed of the framework by developing a business application complete with reporting, business functionality, security, mobility, portal and collaboration and we’ll build it right in front of your eyes. We think you will find that xRM is the fastest way to build a relational business application.
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Downloadable PowerPoint

Developing xRM Solutions Using Windows Azure
Come learn how Microsoft Dynamics CRM can be used to rapidly develop on-premises or services-based “anything” Relationship Management (xRM) applications on the Microsoft platform. See how to develop high scale, connected business solutions that extend to the cloud using current and future versions of the xRM platform and Windows Azure.
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Downloadable PowerPoint

Managing the Solution Lifecycle for xRM Applications
See how xRM (Anything Relationship Management) provides a set of tools that allow developers to rapidly build extensible, high scale .NET-connected business applications on Microsoft SQL Server and Internet Information Services (IIS) that extend to both Web and Microsoft Office clients. Learn how solution packaging capabilities help improve team work and simplify distribution of business applications. Get a preview of the solution packaging capabilities in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 5, showing how you can version, package and deploy solutions containing your data model, .NET assemblies and user interface extensions.
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Downloadable PowerPoint

An Introduction to XRM for a .Net Developer

I found this article on the MSCRM Team Blog.

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 are also familiar with object-to-relational mapping frameworks including Entity Framework and LINQ-to-SQL. Developers who like to live on the bleeding edge are also familiar with AJAX, Silverlight, ADO.NET Data Services, and .NET RIA Services. This article will introduce using Microsoft Dynamics CRM for the data storage tier of an application, paralleling it to basic concepts that are used in designing applications using SQL Server.

What is XRM?

There are a couple of different definitions for XRM. One is that the “x” stands for extended, as in extended relationship management. The other definition is that the “x” is a variable, and means “anything” relationship management, such as partner relationship management, constituent relationship management, employee relationship management, etc. Both of these definitions are referring to building any application on top of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform. Building an XRM application can take the form of customizing the existing customer relationship management applications that are included in Microsoft Dynamics CRM, or by designing completely new line-of-business applications that are not based on the sales, service, or marketing capabilities included in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. The common thread to all the definitions of XRM and methods of extending it is that your application will use the Microsoft Dynamics CRM as a platform, leveraging the capabilities of the platform to deliver business value to your users.

Read more on MSDN…

Changing the name of the SQL Server that CRM uses

When spinning up bundled images on Amazon’s EC2 service, you have the option to maintaining the base image’s name or letting the config service update it for you. We chose to update it, and of course, the CRM Asynchronous Service would fail to start. Fortunately, it’s not too difficult to make the necessary changes to get it up and running again. (In our case, CRM and SQL were on the same server)

The following keys in the registry need to be updated in the MSCRM folder:

configdb

database

metabase

serverurl

The following tables in the ConfigDB need to be updated with the new Server name:

Organization

Deployment

After that the service should start up without any problems. In a bundled environment where you will be changing the server name often and you have one server for CRM and SQL, you can simply update your base image so that all connection strings in the registry and database have ‘localhost’ as the datasource instead of the servername. However, the Name column in the Deployment table will need to be updated with the new name of the Server.