Extending Microsoft CRM 3.0

Create applications that use the Microsoft CRM 3.0 Web Services to perform actions on the Microsoft CRM platform.

Create, configure and debug .NET assemblies to use in workflow.

Create, configure and debug .NET assemblies to use in business logic extensions (Callouts).

Create and debug client-side code for Microsoft CRM form events.

Integrate other applications with Microsoft CRM 3.0 through the use of URL addressable forms, IFrames, and custom buttons, menus, and navigation areas added to Microsoft CRM.

Recognize licensing and security issues related to building extensions to Microsoft CRM that connect to the Internet.

Completed Course 8525A, Microsoft CRM 3.0 Customization, or have equivalent knowledge of the customization capabilities of Microsoft CRM 3.0.

At least three months experience creating .NET applications using Microsoft Visual Studio.

A good understanding of Web development technologies including programming with DHTML.

Exam Extending Microsoft CRM 3.0:

Student CD contains Visual Studio projects used in the course.

The Microsoft CRM 3.0 SDK

Working with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0, Microsoft Press

Microsoft CRM Design Focus

Extensibility Features

Required Skills

Resources

Understand how Microsoft CRM was designed to be extended.

Recognize the main extensibility features.

Recognize the skills they will need to use the extensibility features.

Recognize resources that will help them learn more.

TOPIC: Architecture Overview

Extensibility Points

Outlook Clients

Layers

TOPIC: Application Layer

Application Layer Security

Data Validation

Business Logic

Meta-data driven UI

TOPIC: Platform Layer

Web Services

Entity Definitions

Platform Security

Platform Business Logic

Data Access Components

TOPIC: Database Layer

Databases

Recognize where the available extension features exist within Microsoft CRM 3.0.

Understand how the Microsoft CRM Clients for Microsoft Office Outlook interact with Microsoft CRM.

Understand the basic components of Microsoft CRM 3.0 and the functions they perform.

Understand how Microsoft CRM enforces security.

Understand how Microsoft CRM applies business logic.

Understand how Microsoft CRM uses meta-data.

Understand how Microsoft CRM exposes Web Service APIs.

Understand the functions of the Microsoft CRM Platform.

Understand how Microsoft CRM interacts with the SQL Server data store.

TOPIC: CrmService

Setting Up the CRM Services

TOPIC: Common Methods

About Entities

Microsoft CRM Data Types

Using Type Helpers

Using the Create Method

Using the Retrieve Method

Using the Update Method

Using the Delete Method

Using the RetrieveMultiple Method

Handling SOAP Exceptions

Create a .NET console application that uses the Create Method to import Leads from a .csv file

Create a .NET Web application that will allow users to view, update and delete Microsoft CRM contact records

Modify the .NET Web application created in Lab 3.2 to implement SOAP Exception handlers

Use the common CrmService methods for all Microsoft entities

Use Microsoft CRM data types and use the type helper provided in the Microsoft CRM SDK

Handle SOAP Exceptions generated by the CrmService

TOPIC: Querying Data

QueryExpression

QueryByAttribute

Saving Queries

Filtered Views

TOPIC: Using Execute Methods

Using the Execute Method

Requests and Responses

TOPIC: Dynamic Entities

Binding Microsoft CRM Data to a .NET DataGrid

TOPIC: MetaData Service

Using the MetaData Web Service

Caching MetaData

Create a .NET console application to query the Microsoft CRM platform using QueryExpression

Create a .NET console application to query the Microsoft CRM platform using Filtered Views

Create a .NET console application that will use the Execute Method to re-assign accounts evenly amongst users.

Create a Web application that will use DynamicEntity to display Microsoft CRM accounts in a .NET DataGrid control.

Extend the solution created in Lab 4.4 to query the Microsoft CRM meta-data so that the column labels in the DataGrid control display the current field label values

Query Microsoft CRM using QueryExpression, QueryByAttribute and Filtered Views

Use the CrmService.Execute method

Use DynamicEntity

Accesss, use and cache meta-data

TOPIC: Configuring .NET Assemblies

Overview of Workflow

Understanding the Workflow Service

Setting up Workflow .NET Assemblies

Workflow Configuration File Overview

Specifying Assembly Information

Defining Parameters

Specifying Return Information

TOPIC: Creating .NET Assemblies

Data Type Mapping

Support for Web Services

Running Code in User Context

Debugging Workflow Assemblies

Create a Workflow .NET assembly that defines a RouteLead method. This method will assign a lead to the user with the fewest leads.

Configure the assembly so the method is available in the Workflow Manager application

Create a workflow rule that will automatically assign a lead when it is created

Create .NET assemblies for use in workflow

Configure Microsoft CRM to display methods in the assembly

Specify parameters to pass data to an assembly

Handle values returned from the assembly

Debug Workflow assemblies

TOPIC: Callouts

Callout Model

Callout Configuration

Callout Method Signatures

Working with Callout Parameters

Pre-Callout Summary

Post-Callout Summary

TOPIC: Developing Callout Components

Callout Component Development

Impersonation in Callouts

Error Handling in Callouts

Modify callout.config.xml to subscribe methods in a .dll file to Account event s in order to implement an auditing solution.

Create a .NET assembly that contains methods to automatically number all leads as they are created.

Deploy and test the assembly

Understand how callouts work

Decide when and what kind of Callouts to use

Configure pre and post callouts

Develop and Deploy callouts

Handle errors in callouts

Debug callouts

TOPIC: Form and Field Events

Overview of Form and Field Events

Accessing Microsoft CRM Data Fields

Setting Event Dependencies

TOPIC: Writing Client-side code

Using Best Practices in Writing Client-side code

Debugging Client-side code

Using DHTML

Developing Code with External Files

Requesting External Data

Implement a hierarchical picklist on the phone call entity.

Values in the Call Description picklist will be dependant on the option chosen for the Call Type picklist.

Define a function using an external file to apply consistent formatting to phone numbers on each phone number field on the Contact form.

Inject the external file into the Contact OnLoad event.

Call the function from each of the telephone number field OnChange events.

Test the function and make any necessary adjustments.

Copy the function definition to the Contact OnLoad event.

Test and confirm the function works properly in a supported configuration.

Use AJAX to perform a request of data from the OnChange event on the Postal Code field in the account form

When the postal code value is set in Microsoft CRM, the Region and City values will be automatically populated based on the postal code.

Use Form and Field events

Reference Microsoft CRM form values

Write and debug client-side code in Microsoft CRM

Develop code using external files for greater productivity

Request External Data from form and field events

Overview – Customizing the User Interface

TOPIC: SiteMap

SiteMap Structure

Editing SiteMap.xml

TOPIC: ISV.config

isv.config.xml Structure

Performing actions from the Grid

TOPIC: Customizations and the Outlook Client

Customizations and the Outlook Client

Integration Points

TOPIC: Microsoft CRM Appearance And Behavior

Using Template.css

TOPIC: IFrames

IFrames Considerations

Retrieving Data using Parameters

Dynamic IFrame

TOPIC: Using URL Addressable forms

URL Addressable Forms

Add a custom button on the Contact form

The custom button will open a web site used to set user’s passwords

Create a button on the Account grid

When clicked, any selected accounts on the grid will have their City and Region fields populated based on the postal Code entered.

Add an IFrame to the Contact form to display integrated data with an external database.

Add a button on the Case form.

This button will open a new Task form with a specific set of default data

Some of the data will come from the Case

Add a second button on the Case form to open a Task with different default data

Add custom buttons, menus, and navigation items to the Microsoft CRM 3.0 user interface

Use IFrames to integrate other applications into Microsoft CRM

Perform actions on selected records in a Microsoft CRM view

Set default data in form fields

Create applications with the same appearance and behaviors as Microsoft CRM

TOPIC: Licensing and Security

Understanding Licensing

Best Practices in Security

TOPIC: Integration with External Sites

Setting up a site

Create a Web site that includes a ‘Contact Me’ button.

When a user accesses this page from the Internet and clicks the ‘Contact Me’ button, they will be prompted to enter their personal information.

The Web site is configured to use a proxy account that will create a new Lead in Microsoft CRM when the users submits the form with their personal information

Recognize licensing requirements and security practices to create a customer portal linked to Microsoft CRM

Understand how to set up a customer portal site

Understand how to create and configure with a proxy account so that a customer portal can interact with Microsoft CRM