Is it possible to "Clone" a gold installation of CRM --> Deploy to Different Domain

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We deploy Microsoft CRM on a fairly regular basis as our software sits on top of it. I would like the ability to clone a perfect implementation and then be able to use that on future implementations. I'm being told that you "can't" do this because the first thing RM (On-Prem) asks you when installing is what domain it's for and then sinks its teeth into it preventing you from deploying for a different domain and then just changing the domain for that deployment.

Is this possible or just a pipe dream?

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Nick.Doelman 1,947 Most Valuable Professional on at

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RE: Is it possible to "Clone" a gold installation of CRM --> Deploy to Different Domain

The way to do this is to create a solution with all your specific customizations (entity, field, form, workflows, etc) and then export that solution (if this is a "product", then as a managed solution).

Install/provision CRM, import the solution and away you go.

If you have configuration data or other aspects, you can make a "package" of solutions, data and setup using the Dynamics 365 Deployment Packager. msdn.microsoft.com/.../dn688182.aspx

On a CRM installation, run the packager and it will install solutions and load config data.

Another way (clunky) is to backup and restore the database and redeploy to a new CRM environment. (on prem only)

What I think you are asking is if there is a way to take just take a "snapshot" and copy that.

Ultimately, you will need to install a base copy of CRM or provision Dyn365 Online. Then install your solutions/packages.

Or restore and redeploy a copy of the "base" CRM organization database.

If your CRM installations are effectively all the same, you could build some batch/powershell scripts to run the full installation process via command line and just feed the customer-unique parameters. It would take a bit of work but if you get it working it would be a matter of running the script and it would setup everything in the same way each time.

So getting a clone of "perfect" implementation is possible, but it would be more likely a case of automating the setup than just copying it.

References:

msdn.microsoft.com/.../dn833081(v=crm.7).aspx

technet.microsoft.com/.../hh699703.aspx

Cheers

Nick

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ashlega 34,477 on at

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RE: Is it possible to "Clone" a gold installation of CRM --> Deploy to Different Domain

Ah.. not sure if it's doable.. Technically, you can probably hack the database and update all the server names etc there.. but there are, also, a few AD groups which are created during the installation, and those are, then, used everywhere.. yet there are user ids (guids from the active directory).. you might be able to figure out how to recreate all that stuff and update it in the database as part of your own installation procedure, but it won't be straightforward at all..

Also, this approach might not work if somebody has Dynamics already (unless your clients are fine with having two different Dynamics deployments on the same network - those are extra licensing costs)

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Community Member on at

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RE: Is it possible to "Clone" a gold installation of CRM --> Deploy to Different Domain

Microsoft CRM 2016 provides the ticketing component of our software which is integrated with it. We resell CRM along with our software license to our customers. The desire is to be able to get one setup for one customer and know that everything functions as it should and then be able to clone that entire system and then use it to blow down future implementations OR in some cases be able to backup the databases and reinstall everything quickly if an implementation needs a reset because of other issues. The problem as I understand it is basically that once you've installed it in the one instance for a certain domain with people using AD/ADFS then you can' "change" that within RM because it's just too stuck in there.

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ashlega 34,477 on at

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RE: Is it possible to "Clone" a gold installation of CRM --> Deploy to Different Domain

Hi Trent,

what's the idea of having that "perfect implementation"? How do you want to use it?

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