Dynamics CRM Outlook client: Highlights and Simple Methodology for troubleshooting

About the series

This series will introduce you to two major areas related to Outlook Synchronization in Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook:

Concepts & Rules

• Dynamics CRM Outlook client: Scenarios and Synchronization Rules

• Dynamics CRM Outlook client: Organization DB table structures - Server side

• Dynamics CRM Outlook client: Organization DB table structures - Client side

• Dynamics CRM Outlook client: User defined fields

• Dynamics CRM Outlook client: Settings that affect Synchronization & Tracking

Troubleshooting

• Dynamics CRM Outlook client: Highlights and Simple Methodology for troubleshooting

• Dynamics CRM Outlook client: Simple list of Troubleshooting Tools

• Dynamics CRM Outlook client: Synchronization Scenarios - Changes to items in Outlook (ACT)

• Dynamics CRM Outlook client: Synchronization Scenarios - Changes to items in Dynamics CRM (ACT)

• Dynamics CRM Outlook client: Synchronization Scenarios - Track an item in Outlook (ACT)

• Dynamics CRM Outlook client: Synchronization Scenarios - Merging overlapping changes

Introduction

In order to further understand the troubleshooting of the Outlook Synchronization, let’s look at some highlights and a simple methodology for troubleshooting the Outlook Synchronization. 

Highlights

Follow below some highlights to help during the Outlook Synchronization troubleshooting:

• Identify the affected item: ACT or e-mail message.

• Identify the direction: Outlook to Dynamics CRM or Dynamics CRM to Outlook.

• Check the synchronization rules, paying attention on by design behaviors, such as:

• Client types

  • Track or untrack in inspector/explorer

  • Deletions in Outlook

  • CRM and deletions according the types

• Check the synchronization filters and field mapping settings.

• Review the settings that affect synchronization and tracking.

• Check the DB table structures: server and client side.

• Check the User-defined fields, focusing on the crmid, crmLinkState and crmxml fields.

• Check the auto-tracking and correlation settings, if necessary.

• Mainly regarding to item tracking, check:

• • Security privilege level

  • Duplicate detection rules

  • Synchronous plugins (internal or 3rd)

  • SyncEntry table

     

Simple methodology

• Isolate the event/behavior (affected item and direction).

• Disable 3rd party components (anti-virus) or add-ins.

• Reproduce the issue/behavior and collect logs using troubleshooting tools.

• Correlate timestamps between logs and user action.

• Check DB table structures and User-defined fields.

• Troubleshoot.