Connector for Microsoft Dynamics V2 RU1 released today!  This release includes enhanced integration options and maps, and also resolves some of the key issues that you might be facing with your V2 deployments.  Additional features and updates are listed later in this post. Stay tuned to this blog for upcoming videos that detail the new features and functionality.

To download this release for your Microsoft Dynamics ERP system, go to PartnerSource:

  • The XPO that is required to enable support within Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 requires Cumulative Update 1 for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 is installed.
  • This version requires Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 SP 3 when integrating Microsoft Dynamics CRM with Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010.
  • This version requires Microsoft Dynamics NAV hotfix 2597312 and hotfix 2721512 when integrating Microsoft Dynamics CRM with Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2.

Don’t have access to PartnerSource but would like to know more? Check out the User Guide for your ERP system and begin your installation preparation. I know, I know; reading documentation can be an arduous task. But you know what they say: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So read the provided documentation to avoid the common mistakes and save yourself the support call.

In an upcoming post, we will explain the new features included in this release, but here is an overview of the feature list:

  • Features across ERPs
  • Microsoft Dynamics CRM Duplicate detection rules are now supported on child entities as well as on parent entities, reducing the likelihood of duplicate records getting into your system.
  • On-demand workflows for account and contact are now installed in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 that allow you to “Bulk submit” these entities and streamline the process for creating new accounts and contacts.
  • The Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Configuration utility no longer overwrites your custom changes to object provider configuration files, so you don’t have preserve a separate copy when re-running the Configuration utility.
  • If attributes are deleted in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, then re-running the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Configuration utility removes them from the object provider configuration file for that entity. You no longer have to do this manually.
  • Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 entities that appear in the log not only have their unique key listed in the “Key” column but also have the value of their primary attribute listed. This allows for easier troubleshooting of integration errors within Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011.
  • A help file has been added to the function selection page that explains all of the functions in our default library, so you can easily search for the function that you may need for customization.
  • Documentation has been updated to include more detail on how each map functions and the assumptions that they make about your data, which improves your upfront costing when evaluating Connector for Microsoft Dynamics.
  • Primary contacts that are associated to accounts in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 are now checked to see if they have been previously submitted when the account is submitted, so you will no longer receive an error in Connector for Microsoft Dynamics when this situation occurs.
  • Parent accounts that are associated to contacts in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 are now checked to see if they have been previously submitted when the contact is submitted, so you will no longer receive an error in Connector for Microsoft Dynamics when this situation occurs.
  • Custom entity references have their “Integration Key” attribute set up when they are retrieved from Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, so if your customization needs to get data in or out of this field they can do so.
  • GetCurrencyName() and GetCurrencySymbol() functions are updated to not return blank if the ISO code that is supplied is invalid or out of date.  This reduces errors during the integration of currencies.
  • Local machine accounts are now supported for running the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics service, thus removing the dependency on Active Directory for the service account.
  • Connector for Microsoft Dynamics client start time has been improved so the log no longer needs to be cleaned up manually in order to speed up client load time.
  • The Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Configuration utility now uses the integration specific settings for the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 adapter. This allows you to launch the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Configuration utility directly from the integration settings and not have to re-enter the settings for your integration.

  • Features for Microsoft Dynamics GP

  • The Picklist utility has been replaced with an “Enumerated Values To Picklist” map, so you do not have to run a separate utility to get your Picklists in sync.
  • Multi-currency integrations are now supported, enabling your team to create orders in Microsoft Dynamics CRM in non-base currencies.
  • Price list integration has been refactored to remove the discount / quantity breaks from the integration, increasing the performance significantly. Now, if a single change is made in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 pricing, this causes only a single change in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 pricing.
  • Price levels in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 are no longer deactivated, renamed, and re-created when a change occurs in a price list in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010, increasing the integration performance significantly.
  • The Price level header map is included with the default templates, greatly increasing its integration time.
  • The tracking numbers collection has been exposed on the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2012 Sales Order Header which allows for the mapping of Sales Tracking numbers from Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010.
  • Display names for Microsoft Dynamics GP User Defined fields are updated so that the user defined fields in the mapping interface match what you see in Microsoft Dynamics GP.

  • Features for Microsoft Dynamics NAV

  • Mapped fields in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 have the same length as they do in Microsoft Dynamics NAV, preventing data input errors that cause integration failures.
  • After applying the Microsoft Dynamics NAV hotfix found in this KB 2721512 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2721512), country / region codes from Microsoft Dynamics NAV are integrated into a global option set in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. Country / region codes that are supplied by users are validated against this list, preventing invalid data from being entered in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011.
  • Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 account numbers can no longer be updated after the account has been submitted, eliminating potential integration errors when users inadvertently change an account number in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011.
  • “Blocked” customers and items in Microsoft Dynamics NAV are set to an inactive state and status in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, which helps to prevent them from being added to a sales order.
  • Address types are defaulted and not editable in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, which prevents data input errors.
  • Fields in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 that have no corresponding field in Microsoft Dynamics NAV are set to be read-only in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, which helps to  prevent data input errors
  • Posted Sales orders that are integrated from Microsoft Dynamics NAV into Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 have their status set to “Billed” to allow you to more easily distinguish open invoices from posted ones in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

  • Features for Microsoft Dynamics AX

  • Added support for having Azure App Fabric installed on the same computer as Microsoft Dynamics AX Microsoft Dynamics 2012. This eliminates the need to remove the Azure App Fabric if it is installed on the same computer as Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 before configuring Connector for Microsoft Dynamics.
  • Support for running Connector for Microsoft Dynamics and the Microsoft Dynamics AX AOS on different machines, so that you will no longer receive a Kerberos exception while configuring an integration.
  • Updated descriptions of the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 adapter settings, which prevents incorrect settings from being entered.
  • GetAxStreetAddress() function is updated to no longer append a CR LF character so that blank lines do not appear in the Microsoft Dynamics AX street address field.

  • Features for Microsoft Dynamics SL

    • Address field lengths in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 are now the same as the mapped fields in Microsoft Dynamics SL, which prevents invalid data from being entered.