Dynamics 365 Installation – Part 1 – Overview

In this series of articles I am going to explain how to setup dynamics 365 in high availability environment. I have performed this installation in an environment where seven different servers were used for installations and configurations. Out of those servers, two were database servers, one is listener server for database servers, two front-end servers and two back-end servers.

Here is checklist of upcoming articles related to this environment setup.

• Hardware and Software requirements
• Installing required components on servers
• Installing full text search on SQL Servers
• Installing CRM Front End Server Installation
• Installing CRM Back End Server Installation
• Setting Primary database server as Failover and Synchronize DBs with other DB Server
• Upgrade CRM 2016 to Dynamics 365
• Installing Reporting Extensions
• Reporting services configuration
• Multiple Web Site Configuration for SSRS
• Creating new Organization and import existing organization
• Fix Data Encryption Error on Creation of records

The following components are base of our deployment scenario.

• Windows and network load balancing
• SQL Server database synchronization options are configured  and setup clusters if needed
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM Application Server(s)
  • Front End, Back End
  • Server Groups and Roles
  • Email Router Server(s) configuration
  • Active Directory Federation Service Server(s) setup

It’s important to understand the strategies of deploying server roles for performance and scale.

Following are the CRM Server roles which we need to install on front end and back end servers:

• Front End Server
  • CRM Web Application
  • CRM Help Files
  • Discovery and Organization Web Services
• Back End Server
  • Async service (workflow, bulk email, data imports)
  • Sandbox service (isolation of custom code/plugins)
  • Email integration service
• Deployment Administration Server (admin tool for managing server roles)
  • Deployment Tools (Deployment Manager)
  • Deployment Web Service
  • VSS writer service

Have a look at server roles by this screenshot

Functions of Server Roles

There are three main Server types where server roles will be installed i.e. Front End Server, Back End Server, and Deployment Server. Details about server roles for each of these server types in explained below.

Front End Server

The front-end server consists of three services i.e. Discovery Web Service, Organization Web Service, Discovery Web Service, Web Application Server, and Help Server.

Discovery Web Service: Finds the organization that a user belongs to in the in dynamics 365.

Organization Web Service: Supports running applications that use the methods described in the Microsoft Dynamics 365 SDK.

Web Application Server: Runs the Web Application Server that is used to connect users to Microsoft Dynamics 365 data. The Web Application Server role requires the Organization Web Service role.

Help Server: Provides help related to dynamics 365.

Back End Server

The back-end server consists of three services i.e. Asynchronous Service, Sandbox Processing Service, and Email Integration Service.

Asynchronous Service: Processes queued asynchronous events, such as workflows, bulk e-mail, or data import.

Sandbox Service: Enables an isolated environment to allow for the execution of custom code, such as plug-ins. This isolated environment reduces the possibility of custom code affecting the operation of the organizations.

Email Integration Service: Handles sending and receiving of email messages by connecting to an external email server.

Deployment Server

The deployment-end server consists of three services i.e. Deployment Web Service, Deployment Tools, and VSS Writer.

Deployment Web Service: Publishes the web service that provides the deployment interface described in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM SDK, such as those used to create an organization or manage the list of Deployment Administrators for the Microsoft Dynamics 365 deployment.

Deployment Tools: Consists of the Deployment Manager and Windows PowerShell cmdlets. Microsoft Dynamics 365 administrators can use the Windows PowerShell cmdlets to automate Deployment Manager Tasks.

Deployment Manager is a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in that deployment administrators can use to manage organizations, servers, and licenses for deployments of Microsoft Dynamics 365.

VSS Writer: The Microsoft Dynamics 365 VSS Writer service provides an interface to backup and restore Dynamics 365 data by using the Windows Server Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) infrastructure.

Architecture diagram of this environment is shown below to understand clear picture of high availability setup.

References:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/dynamicscrm-2016/deployment-administrators-guide/hh699671(v=crm.8)

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/dynamicscrm-2016/deployment-administrators-guide/hh699803(v=crm.8)