Working with Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM 4.0, Second Edition

Book description

Get a practical introduction to Microsoft Dynamics CRM now updated for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0. Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a value-packed customer-relationship management (CRM) solution for small- and mid-market businesses. The latest version adds workflow management capabilities, and will be delivered as an on-demand service through Microsoft Office Live. With topics that include developing new functionality, designing implementations, and integrating Microsoft CRM with other business applications including Microsoft Office Outlook, Microsoft Office InfoPath, and Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies this is one of the only books written for both developers and those who implement business solutions. Authored by experienced practitioners, this book provides case studies, integration and performance guidelines, and toolsets the information you need to help you create successful CRM solutions. This book also explains how to maintain Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0, making it of interest to IT professionals who support Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 users. And power users will learn how to customize individual Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 experiences. This introduction includes a 120-day evaluation copy of Microsoft CRM 4.0, as well as sample data and code samples on the Web.

Key Book Benefits:

Delivers practical information from expert authors who have deployed, customized, and maintained Microsoft Dynamics CRM in the field

Provides case studies, integration and performance guidelines, and toolsets

Includes code samples, and demo data will be available on the Web

Features a CD with a 120-day evaluation copy of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0

Table of contents

  1. Working with Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM 4.0, Second Edition
  2. A Note Regarding Supplemental Files
  3. Foreword
  4. Acknowledgments
    1. Mike Snyder’s Acknowledgments
    2. Jim Steger’s Acknowledgments
  5. Introduction
    1. Who Is This Book For?
    2. Organization of This Book
    3. Prerelease Software
    4. Microsoft Dynamics CRM Live
    5. System Requirements
      1. Client
      2. Server
    6. Code Samples
    7. Find Additional Content Online
    8. Support for This Book
      1. Questions and Comments
  6. I. Overview and Setup
    1. 1. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Overview
      1. Life Without Customer Relationship Management
      2. Introducing Microsoft Dynamics CRM
        1. Software Design Goals
          1. Works the Way You Do
          2. Works the Way Your Business Does
          3. Works the Way Information Technology Expects It To
        2. Deployment Options and Editions
        3. Licensing
          1. External Connector License
          2. Volume Licensing
        4. Front Office vs. Back Office
        5. System Requirements
      3. Core Concepts and Terminology
        1. User Interfaces
        2. Entities
        3. Microsoft Dynamics CRM Customizations
      4. Summary
    2. 2. Setup and Common Tasks
      1. Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook
        1. Standard vs. Offline Client
          1. Local Data Groups
          2. Offline Constraints
        2. Integration Points
          1. CRM vs. Outlook Forms
          2. Activity Reminders
          3. Outlook Web Access
        3. Data Synchronization
          1. Configuring Data Synchronization
          2. Deleting Records
      2. E-Mail in Microsoft Dynamics CRM
        1. E-Mail Tracking
          1. Organization Settings
          2. Individual Settings
        2. E-Mail Templates
          1. Creating or Modifying E-Mail Templates
          2. Inserting Templates into E-Mail Messages
          3. Creating and Sharing Personal E-Mail Templates
          4. Inserting Images and Hyperlinks into E-Mail Templates
        3. Creating and Sending Mass E-Mail Messages
          1. Direct E-Mail
          2. Quick Campaign
          3. Workflow Rules
          4. Mass E-Mail Summary
      3. Mail Merge
      4. Data Management
        1. Import Data Wizard
          1. Prepare the Import File
          2. Create a Data Map
          3. Import the Records
          4. View the Results and Correct Failures
        2. Data Migration Manager
        3. Duplicate Detection
          1. Duplication Detection Settings
          2. Duplicate Detection Rules
          3. Duplicate Jobs
      5. Queues
      6. Summary
    3. 3. Managing Security and Information Access
      1. Mapping Your Needs
      2. Security Concepts
        1. Security Model Concepts
          1. Role-Based and Object-Based Security
          2. Organizational Structure
        2. User Authentication
          1. Integrated Windows Authentication
          2. Forms-Based Authentication
          3. Windows Live ID
      3. Managing Users
        1. Reassigning User Records
          1. Bulk Reassign
          2. Manually Reassign Active Records
        2. Monitoring License Usage for Compliance
      4. Security Roles and Business Units
        1. Security Role Definitions
        2. Access Levels
        3. Privileges
          1. Entity Privileges
          2. Miscellaneous Privileges
          3. Privilege Impact on Application Navigation
        4. Security Role Inheritance
        5. Sharing Records
          1. Teams
          2. Sharing and Inheritance
      5. Summary
  7. II. Customization
    1. 4. Entity Customization: Concepts and Attributes
      1. Customization Concepts
        1. Entities and Attributes
          1. Entities
          2. Attributes
        2. Security and Permissions
        3. Publishing Customizations
          1. Publishing Process
          2. Publishing Customizations to the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Laptop Client for Microsoft Office Outlook
        4. Importing and Exporting Customizations
          1. Import Customization Conflicts
          2. Manually Editing Export Files
        5. Renaming Entities
          1. Changing System Messages
          2. Customizing Online Help
            1. Advantages of Customizing Online Help
            2. Issues Related to Customizing Online Help
      2. Attributes
        1. Attribute Properties
        2. Data Types
        3. Requirement Levels
        4. Reviewing the Current Schema
          1. Entity Editor
          2. Metadata Browser
        5. Modifying, Adding, and Deleting Attributes
          1. Modifying Attributes
          2. Adding Custom Attributes
            1. Schema Name
            2. Type
            3. Attribute Icons
          3. Deleting Attributes
        6. Attributes and Closing Dialog Boxes
      3. Summary
    2. 5. Entity Customization: Forms and Views
      1. Customizing Forms
        1. Common Tasks
        2. Form Preview
        3. Form Properties
          1. Events
          2. Display
          3. Non-Event Dependencies
        4. Form Customization Example
        5. Sections
        6. Fields
          1. Display
          2. Formatting
            1. bit Data Types
            2. ntext and nvarchar (Text) Data Types
          3. Name
          4. Events
        7. IFrames
          1. Name
          2. Label
          3. Security
          4. Location
          5. Layout
          6. Row Layout
          7. Scrolling
          8. Border
          9. Dependencies
      2. Customizing Views
        1. View Types
          1. Public Views
          2. System-Defined Views
            1. Associated View
            2. Advanced Find View
            3. Lookup View
            4. Quick Find View
            5. Preview
          3. Saved Views
        2. Customizing Views
          1. Sample View: My Direct Reports’ Overdue Activities
          2. Sample View: Opportunity Relationships
      3. Customizing Activities
        1. Activity Views
          1. Workplace Activities
          2. Entity Activity Views
        2. Activity Attributes and Forms
          1. Adding Picklist Values to the Duration Field
          2. Adding Picklist Values to Due Date Time
          3. Organizing Category and Sub-Category data
      4. Summary
    3. 6. Entity Customization: Relationships, Custom Entities, and Site Map
      1. Understanding Entity Relationships
        1. Relationship Definition
          1. One-to-Many
          2. Many-to-One
          3. Many-to-Many
        2. Relationship Attribute
        3. Relationship Navigation
          1. Display Option
          2. Display Area
          3. Display Order
        4. Relationship Behavior
          1. Parental Behavior
          2. Referential Behavior
          3. Behavior Configuration Options
        5. Entity Mapping
          1. Creating Custom Mappings
          2. Mapping Picklist Attributes
      2. Creating Custom Relationships
        1. Adding Multiple User References per Account
        2. Creating Parent and Child Cases
      3. Creating Custom Entities
        1. Custom Entity Benefits
        2. Custom Entity Limitations
        3. Custom Entity Example
        4. Ownership
        5. Entity Icons
        6. Creating a Custom Entity
          1. Entity Definition
          2. Offline Availability
          3. Duplicate Detection
          4. Relationships
          5. Display Areas
          6. Primary Attribute
        7. Deleting a Custom Entity
      4. Application Navigation
        1. Site Map
          1. Sitemap.xml
            1. SiteMap
            2. Area
            3. Group
            4. SubArea
            5. Privilege
          2. Site Map Editing Tips and Tricks
        2. Entity Display Areas
      5. Summary
    4. 7. Reporting and Analysis
      1. Reporting and Analysis Tools
      2. Entity Views and Advanced Find
      3. Dynamic Excel Files
        1. Static vs. Dynamic Exports
        2. Exporting
          1. Static Worksheet
          2. Dynamic PivotTable
          3. Dynamic Worksheet
      4. Accessing Reports with Microsoft Dynamics CRM
        1. Report Security
        2. Reports in the User Interface
          1. Reports List
          2. Entity List
          3. Entity Form
        3. Running a Reporting Services Report
          1. Report Prefiltering
          2. Results Navigation
          3. Export Options
      5. Creating Reports in Microsoft Dynamics CRM
        1. Get Started
        2. Report Properties
        3. Select Records to Include in the Report
        4. Lay Out Fields
          1. Green Arrows
          2. Configure Sorting
          3. Add Column or Grouping
          4. Change Properties
          5. Remove Column or Grouping
          6. Set Top or Bottom Number
        5. Format Report
        6. Select Chart Type
        7. Customize Chart Format
        8. Report Summary
        9. Confirmation
      6. Managing Reports with Microsoft Dynamics CRM
        1. Reports List Management
          1. Editing the Default Filter
          2. Scheduling a Report
        2. Edit Report Properties
        3. Edit Report Actions
          1. Downloading a Report
          2. Revert to Personal Report/Make Report Available to Organization
          3. Publish Report for External Use
        4. Report Categories
      7. SQL Server Reporting Services
        1. Reporting Services Versions
        2. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Connector for Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services
        3. Interaction with SQL Server Reporting Services
      8. Filtered Views
      9. SQL Server Reporting Services Reports
        1. Report Authoring Tools
        2. Editing a Reporting Services Report
        3. Creating a New Reporting Services Report
        4. Reporting Parameters
        5. Prefilters and Contextual Reports
        6. Using Reporting Services Manager
          1. Scheduling Reports for E-Mail Delivery
          2. Updating the Schedule of an Existing Snapshot Report
      10. Tips
        1. General
        2. Performance
      11. Summary
    5. 8. Workflow
      1. Workflow Basics
        1. High-Level Architecture
        2. Running Workflow Rules
        3. Workflow Security
          1. Creating and Editing Workflow Rules
          2. Running Workflow Rules
        4. Understanding the Workflow Interface
      2. Workflow Templates
      3. Workflow Properties
        1. Basic Workflow Properties
        2. Workflow Execution Options
        3. Scope
        4. Trigger Events
      4. Workflow Step Editor
        1. Check Conditions
        2. Wait Conditions
        3. Workflow Actions
          1. Create Record
          2. Update Record
          3. Assign Record
          4. Send E-mail
          5. Start Child Workflow
          6. Change Status
          7. Stop Workflow
          8. Custom Workflow Plug-in Actions
        4. Stages
      5. Dynamic Values in Workflow
        1. Operator
        2. Look for Options
        3. Dynamic Values Box
        4. Default Value
      6. Monitoring Workflow
        1. Monitoring Workflow Jobs from the Workflow Record
        2. Accessing Workflow Jobs from a Microsoft Dynamics CRM Record
        3. Accessing Workflow Jobs from System Jobs
        4. Reviewing Log Details
        5. Actions Available for Workflow Jobs
      7. Importing and Exporting Workflow
      8. Workflow Examples
        1. Creating a Business Process for a New Lead
        2. Escalating Overdue Service Cases
        3. Adding a Simple Data Audit for the Account Entity
      9. Summary
  8. III. Extending Microsoft Dynamics CRM
    1. 9. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 SDK
      1. Overview
      2. Accessing the APIs in Visual Studio 2008
      3. CrmService Web Service
        1. Authentication
          1. Authenticating to the API Services
          2. Configuring the Security Token
          3. Understanding the Security Context of a Method Call
        2. Impersonation
        3. Common Methods
        4. Execute Method
        5. Request and Response Classes
        6. DynamicEntity Class
        7. Attributes
      4. MetadataService Web Service
      5. Discovery Web Service
      6. Queries
        1. QueryExpression Class
        2. FetchXML
        3. Filtered Views
      7. Plug-ins
        1. Development
          1. Creating the Plug-in Project
          2. Digitally Signing Your Assembly
          3. Adding the Class File
          4. Plug-in Context
          5. Plug-in Impersonation
        2. Deployment
          1. Deployment Security
          2. Registration Methods and Tools
          3. Plug-in Registration Properties
            1. Mode
            2. Stage
            3. Deployment
            4. Messages
            5. Entities
            6. Rank
            7. Images
          4. Assembly Location
        3. Debugging Your Custom Assemblies
          1. Additional Plug-in Tips and Information
      8. Workflow Assemblies
        1. Custom Workflow Assembly Development
        2. Deploying a Workflow Assembly
        3. Using a Workflow Assembly with the Workflow User Interface
        4. Workflow Assembly Example
      9. Development Environment Considerations
      10. Coding and Testing Tips
        1. Microsoft .NET Framework Versions
        2. Application Mode and Loader.aspx
        3. Enabling the Default Internet Explorer Shortcut Menu
        4. Viewing Query String Parameters
        5. Referencing the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Assemblies or Files
        6. Web File Deployment and Configuration Considerations
        7. Authentication and Coding with Filtered Views
        8. WSDL Reference
        9. IFD Development Considerations
        10. Offline Plug-in Assembly Configuration
        11. Finding Available Plug-in Messages by Entity
        12. Using ILMerge with Plug-in or Workflow Assembly References
        13. Authenticating as Different Users and Roles
        14. Enabling Platform-Level Tracing
        15. Enabling Viewing of Development Errors
      11. Sample Code
        1. Creating an Auto Number Field
        2. Validating a Field When Converting an Opportunity Record
        3. Synchronize a Contact’s Address with Its Parent Account
        4. Copy a System View
      12. Summary
    2. 10. Form Scripting and Extensions
      1. Form Scripting Overview
        1. Definitions
        2. Understanding Client-Side Scripting with Microsoft Dynamics CRM
        3. Referencing Microsoft Dynamics CRM Elements
        4. Available Events
      2. IFrames and Scripting
        1. Security
        2. CRM IFrame Scripting Example
          1. Custom HTML Page
          2. Dynamic IFrame URLs
      3. ASP.NET Application Development
      4. ISV.config
        1. Integration Areas
          1. Nav Bar Areas
          2. Menu Bar
          3. Navigation Pane
          4. Toolbar
          5. Grid Toolbar
        2. Deploying
        3. Enabling the ISV.config
      5. Microsoft Dynamics CRM Client-Side Scripting Tips
        1. Development Environment
        2. Scripting Languages
        3. Testing and Debugging
          1. Debugging JavaScript
          2. Additional Testing and Debugging Tips
        4. Additional Resources
      6. Developing for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Live
        1. Client-Side Script
        2. Custom Web Pages
        3. Accessing the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Web Service with Client-Side Script
        4. Using Fiddler to Capture Microsoft Dynamics CRM SOAP XML
        5. Sending a Request and Handling the Result
      7. Client-Side Scripting Code Examples
        1. Formatting and Translating U.S. Phone Numbers
        2. Custom Interface for Multiselect Lists
        3. Accessing API Commands Through JavaScript
        4. Hiding Tabs and Fields
          1. Hiding a Tab
          2. Hiding and Showing a Field and Label
          3. Hiding a Tab Based on User Security
        5. Referencing an External Script File
        6. Dynamically Changing Picklist Values
      8. Summary
  9. A. About Sonoma Partners
  10. B. About the Authors
    1. Mike Snyder
    2. Jim Steger
  11. Index
  12. Copyright

Product information

  • Title: Working with Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM 4.0, Second Edition
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: February 2008
  • Publisher(s): Microsoft Press
  • ISBN: 9780735623781