Workopia Microsoft CRM & CRM Online Blog: Microsoft CRM Update

Upgrade: Microsoft CRM 3.0 to 4.0 Upgrade

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 19:37:17 GMT

After performing numerous Microsoft CRM 3.0 to 4.0 upgrades, I'd like to share my observations here. There are a few different scenarios for the upgrade – I will cover these three:

1. Microsoft CRM 3.0 Small Business Edition to 4.0

2. Microsoft CRM 3.0 Professional to 4.0 32 bit edition

3. Microsoft CRM 3.0 Professional to 4.0 64 bit edition

Note: For detail upgrade steps, review the Microsoft CRM 4.0 Implementation Guide - Installing Doc, Section: Upgrade from Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 Server.

1. Microsoft CRM 3.0 Small Business Edition to 4.0:

– Ensure that the Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS) 2003 Premium is R2 since Microsoft CRM 4.0 Server requires Microsoft SQL Server 2005, so upgrade the SBS to R2 first, then upgrade CRM

– After the upgrade, disable the "Microsoft CRM-Fax Router Service" since it is no longer needed in 4.0

2. Microsoft CRM 3.0 Professional to 4.0 32 bit edition:

– Ensure that Microsoft CRM 3.0 is running on SQL Server 2005. If not, upgrade the SQL Server 2000 to 2005 first since Microsoft CRM 4.0 Server requires Microsoft SQL Server 2005. Microsoft CRM 3.0 Server supports both SQL Server 2000 and 2005

3. Microsoft CRM 3.0 Professional to 4.0 64 bit edition:

– Microsoft CRM 3.0 Server does NOT support 64 bits, but Microsoft CRM 4.0 does

– Need to upgrade Microsoft CRM 3.0 Server to 4.0 32 bit edition first (see 2. above)

– Then migrate (via the new 4.0 Import Organization) the upgraded Microsoft CRM 4.0 32 bit edition to your new Windows Server 2003 or 2008 64 bit edition environment

General upgrade notes:

· All three license versions of the Microsoft CRM 4.0 (Workgroup, Professional and Enterprise) work on all supported platforms. Check with your Microsoft CRM Partner on the best version to upgrade to. If you have 3rd Party software installed, check with the 3rd Party software vendor for their 4.0 support, and if going 64 bits – their 64 bits support

· Backup, backup, backup - last thing you want is a failed upgrade and no way to recover; people can get fired for this! I would highly recommend keeping your production Microsoft CRM 3.0 environment intact and performing the Microsoft CRM 4.0 on new server(s). This way, if the upgrade fails for whatever reason, all you have to do is turn on the existing Microsoft CRM 3.0 environment and be back in operation without any worries

· Test, test, test - especially if this is your first time performing the 4.0 upgrade, be sure to practice the upgrade in a test environment so you could experience all the glory details involved prior to upgrading your production 3.0 environment. After the technical portion of the test upgrade is successful, ask your end users to login to the test environment and validate their current processes on it to minimize surprises. If you have custom SDK functions, validate them, especially if you had deployed "unsupported" ones

· For the Microsoft CRM Outlook Client upgrade, I'd recommend completely uninstalling the Microsoft CRM 3.0 Outlook Client and then reinstall with the Microsoft CRM 4.0 Outlook Client. If you have any 3.0 Offline Outlook Clients, ensure that they have switched to Online prior to the upgrade. Also, a good practice would be to apply the latest Windows and Office update on the Microsoft CRM Outlook Client PC

Frank
Microsoft Dynamics CRM MVP
http://www.workopia.com/Links.htm

Updates: Update Rollup 2 and 3 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 (KB 927751)

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:21:11 GMT

Last update: 3/17/08

Here are the links to the latest public updates available for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 and the approch I'd recommend for applying these updates:

1. Upgrade all the Microsoft CRM 3.0 Outlook Clients to "V3C" if you haven't done so yet. This is highly recommended. All new Microsoft CRM Outlook Clients installation should be installed using "V3C". Download the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 Client for Microsoft Office Outlook Compatibility Update "V3C" via the following link: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=740e1b3b-11c3-4aef-b2e3-8309e0cf1bb0&DisplayLang=en

2. Update both the Microsoft CRM 3.0 Server and all the Outlook Clients with the Update Rollup 2 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 (KB 927751). Download the Update Rollup 2 via the following link:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=81674da5-ffef-492a-a7b1-7e1f1951b05f&DisplayLang=en

As of 3/17/08 3. Update Rollup 3 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 (KB 935364) is available, please apply Update Rollup 3 after Update Rollup 2 (Update Rollup 2 is a prerequisite for Update Rollup 3) to the Microsoft CRM 3.0 Server and all Outlook Clients. You can download Update Rollup 3 via this link:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=d5b1fbbe-dfc2-4a33-b5fd-cae99e8e9dab&displaylang=en

Notes:

Update Rollup 2 and Update Rollup 3 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 support both version of Microsoft CRM 3.0 Outlook Clients "V3" and "V3C". However, I'd highly recommend upgrading all existing "V3" to "V3C".

Review the details of the Update Rollup 3 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 (KB 935364). Some of the Update Components need to be manually enabled or manually configured: http://support.microsoft.com/Kb/935364

As a good practice, always backup your Microsoft CRM environment prior to any updates, check out the following Microsoft CRM Backup link:
http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/crm/using/deploy/backup.mspx

List of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 updates and hotfixes

Frank
http://www.workopia.com

Update: Daylight Saving Time (DST) Changes for Microsoft CRM 3.0

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 19:45:42 GMT

Beginning in 2007, daylight saving time (DST) will be extended in the United States. DST will start on March 11, 2007, which is three weeks earlier than usual, and it will end on November 4, 2007, which is one week later than usual. This results in a new DST period that is four weeks longer than in previous years. This will affect Microsoft CRM 3.0 and update is available.

Here is the link to the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 Time Zone Data Updates (KB 925874) and Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 Update Time Zones Wizard (KB 932984)

1. General Microsoft environment (Windows Operating System, Office, SQL Server, Exchange, etc.) is updated to support DST change, check out the following link:
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/cp_dst or work with your IT partner.

2. For Microsoft CRM 3.0, download the following two updates: Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 Time Zone Data Updates (KB 925874) and Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 Update Time Zones Wizard (KB 932984) from the following link:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=8a7319e6-5b86-4e7a-9be1-763f2072be21&DisplayLang=en

Apply KB 925874, comes with two files - one for applying on the Microsoft CRM Server and one for the Microsoft CRM Outlook Client, instructions are in the KB article

Apply KB 932984, comes with one file - for applying on the Microsoft CRM Server, instructions are in the KB article - besure to run the "Microsoft.Crm.SE.TimeZoneSettings.exe"

Note:

As a good practice, always backup your Microsoft CRM environment prior to any updates, check out the following Microsoft CRM Backup link:
http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/crm/using/deploy/backup.mspx

Review the latest update available for Microsoft CRM, here is a good link:
http://microsoft-crm.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!A2586C4AB938C065!169.entry

DST update is NOT available for Microsoft CRM v1.2, only available for v3.0. Since v1.2 is no longer supported at this time.

Frank

http://www.workopia.com

Updates: Update Rollup 1 and Outlook Client "V3C"

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 07:06:37 GMT

Last update: 6/28/07

Update Rollup 2 is now available, use Update Rollup 2 going forward.

Link to newer Update Rollup 2 writeup: http://microsoft-crm.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!A2586C4AB938C065!192.entry

Last update: 4/7/2007

Here are the links to the latest public updates available for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 and the approch I'd recommend for applying these updates:

1. Update the Microsoft CRM 3.0 Server with the Update Rollup 1

Download the Update Rollup 1 via the following link:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=08badb01-4984-458e-96e6-4f08622cfe63&DisplayLang=en

Note: No need to apply the Update Rollup 1 for the Microsoft CRM Outlook Clients, but instead apply the following "V3C":

2. Upgrade all the Microsoft CRM 3.0 Outlook Clients to "V3C"

Download the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 clients for Microsoft Office Outlook Compatibility Update via the following link:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=740e1b3b-11c3-4aef-b2e3-8309e0cf1bb0&DisplayLang=en

3. Update Daylight Saving Time (DST) on Microsoft CRM 3.0 Server and Microsoft CRM 3.0 Outlook Clients:

http://microsoft-crm.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!A2586C4AB938C065!176.entry

Notes:

"V3C" will detect your exiting Microsoft CRM Outlook client and will perform an upgrade. It supports both Vista and Office 2007, plus backward compatible with Windows 2000/XP and Office XP/Office 2003!

All new Microsoft CRM Outlook clients installation should be installed with "V3C"

As a good practice, always backup your Microsoft CRM environment prior to any updates, check out the following Microsoft CRM Backup link:
http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/crm/using/deploy/backup.mspx

4. Review Hotfix below and apply only if needed.

Popular Hotfix:

Issue: "Microsoft Office Outlook has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience."

Detail: Microsoft KB: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931270

Action: Request this Microsoft CRM Hotfix 931270 via CustomerSource, apply it only to systems that are experiencing this specific issue. This hotfix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next Microsoft Dynamics CRM service pack that contains this hotfix.

Note: This problem is also corrected in an update for the 2007 daylight saving time (DST) changes. As a good practice, always apply publicly available updates first (since it received more testing) that could resolve the issue(s) prior to requesting Hotfix.

List of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 updates and hotfixes

Frank
http://www.workopia.com