Microsoft CRM Development: SDK, C#, Crystal, SQL
Overview for programmer, software developer, it manager, database administrator, MS Exchange specialist.
by Andrew Karasev
Microsoft CRM is new player on the CRM
software market. The whole conception behind CRM seems to be different.
In case of traditional CRM software (Siebel, Oracle) - the application was
designed with platform independence in mind. Microsoft CRM is dedicated to
Microsoft technology and so deploys all the Microsoft tools: Windows Active
Directory, Microsoft Exchange 2003/2000, SQL Server, Crystal Reports Enterprise,
Biztalk server, Microsoft Outlook, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Great Plains as
backend, things like that
If you are software developer, database
administrator or web designer who is asked: how
do we customize Microsoft CRM we are giving you directions in this article.
- Microsoft CRM SDK this is
software development kit with C# and partly VB.net code samples it is supported
by Microsoft Business Solutions technical support. It is based on web service calls, if you are C# .NET developer you are excellently positioned to
do this type of customizations. This is the preferred modification scenario
and this should be easily upgradeable customization. VB.Net examples
will be available soon.
- Legacy SQL Data integration.
This is also easy and safe. If you have SQL database, sitting on the same or
linked SQL Server you can create ASPX .Net application and simply integrate
it into CRM. You can place it on the navigation bar or menu in isv.config
please refer to MS CRM SDK
- Legacy ASP integration
this is somewhat more sophisticated. You have to deploy HTTP handler to be a
middle party between CRM which is .Net based and ASP which is legacy IIS. The
trick is you have to have INI file with security settings to penetrate into
MS CRM with proper credentials, calling web service.
- Microsoft Exchange Programming.
Microsoft CRM has Exchange connector which moves CRM incoming email to MS if
it has GUID in its subject. You can alter this logic (for instance - move
email to CRM if it doesnt have GUID but it is from the sender who is contact
or account in MS CRM). Refer to MS Exchange SDK onsyncsave event handling.
Then simply apply some MS CRM SDK programming - you need some COM+ objects
creation and VB programming experience.
- Direct SQL touch in #4
above I described you the scenario with MS Exchange handlers this would be
ideal world if MS CRM SDK does the job. But in real world this is not
always true you have to do direct flags correction in CRM database (like
making Activity closed, moving email attachments/octet streams, or like). This is
not supported by MBS technical support but you can rescue to this technique
if you have to get job done.
- MS CRM Customization tool this is rather end-user tool and we dont
describe it here read the manual. Weve described above the options to use
when this tool doesnt do the job
- Crystal Reports - feel free
to create Crystal report - tables and views structure is self explanatory.
Try to avoid the temptation to create your own SQL view or stored procedure in
MS CRM database, instead - create custom database and place your view and
stored proc in it.
Happy modifying!
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