The Navigation Pane will not display Area elements without visible SubArea elements. SubArea elements may be hidden from users based on security privileges. If all the SubArea elements in an Area are hidden, or none are defined, the Area will not display.

The following script can be used to add New area in Navigation pan under sit map.

<Area Id=”Custom_Area“>
<Titles>
  <Title LCID=”1033″ Title=”English Area Title”/>
  <Title LCID=”1031″ Title=”German Area Title”/>
</Titles>
<Descriptions>
  <Description LCID=”1033″ Description=”English Description”/>
  <Description LCID=”1031″ Description=”German Description”/>
</Descriptions>
<Group Id=”Custom_Group”>
  <SubArea Id=”Custom_SubArea”
   Url=”http://my_app/my_page.aspx”
   AvailableOffline=”false” >
   <Titles>
    <Title LCID=”1033″ Title=”English SubArea Title”/>
    <Title LCID=”1031″ Title=”German SubArea Title”/>
   </Titles>
  </SubArea>
</Group>
</Area>

Thin client:

Pros:
-Run from any Web browser
-Does not require installation
-Can be hosted remotely for security reasons
-Implementation and maintenance from one centralized location, the application server.

Cons:
-Application has to be coded for multiple types of Web Browsers
-Requires the application be run from an application server (For Example:Windows Server running IIS)
-Reqires network hardware and/or and Internet connection

Thick client:

Pros:
-Does not require an application server
-Does not require network hardware or Internet service (Unless a database must be accessed)

Cons:
-Must be installed locally on users computer
-Implementation and Maintenance nightmare

Depending on what your needs are is really the deciding factor. If you have one computer, and only need the application on that computer, then Thick Client is the quickest way and most efficient way to go. However, if others need access to the application, at multiple locations, then an Internet-based Thin Client application is right for you.

Algorithm Intelligence can help you make this decision and give your company the application it needs. Speak up and let us know what you think about this long-time debated issue.

With CRM 3.0, you may have needed to move reports off the CRM server – or just move them to a new SQL Reporting Services box (maybe you upgraded to SQL 2005 and SRS 2005?).  To accomplish this, you would typically:

1.       Run DownloadReports.exe, to download the reports to .rdl files

2.       Change the Report Server URL

a.       Launch Deployment Manager on the CRM 3.0 Server

b.      Choose “Server Manager”

c.       Right-click the CRM Server, choose “Specify Report Server URL”

d.      Enter url of the new report server (http://servername/reportserver)

3.       Run PublishReports.exe, to publish the .rdl files to the new SQL Report Server

a.       DownloadReports.exe and PublishReports.exe are typically located in \Program Files\Microsoft CRM\Report

4.       An alternative way to change the Report Server URL is to change the SQLRSServerURL value under HKLM\Software\Microsoft\MSCRM, use Regedit

5.       You may need to do an IISReset for the change to take effect

Not too terrible of a process.  But it’s getting easier with 4.0.  To change the report server with CRM 4.0!  For out-of-the-box reports, they are now stored in the MSCRM database along with the Reportserver database.  So – if you want to change the report server with CRM 4.0:

1.        Disable the organization in Deployment Manager, that you want to change the report server for

2.       Right-click disabled org, choose “Edit organization”

3.       Modify the Report Server URL

a.       There will be a diagnostic process, that will determine if reports can be moved to the new URL

b.      If the diags pass, the reports will be published to the new report server

c.       Note – there is a similar process for moving CRM databases to a new SQL Server

4.       Re-enable the organization

Now – this will not work for custom reports.  Microsoft is working on a tool that will be similar to the 3.0 DownloadReports.exe tool.  Until then – you can manually download them from the user interface, then publish them after you have made the changes note above.

This post is as-is, no warranties.  Try it in Dev first.  But it worked for me!

This message does appear in CRM 4.0 only when you are using Internet Explorer 7.0 and you have enabled the application mode setting. Nevertheless, it is an anoying message which you can get away!

To get rid of this message open the default.aspx file which resides in the root of the CRM website. In this file there are these three lines of code:

Modify the second line of this snippet and end up with these three lines:

You now will not have the message anymore. Keep in mind that any update or migration might remove this change, but you should be able to reapply the change easily again.

I could write an own example, but Arne Janning already did so in the public community. Here’s his post:

In the CRM-web-client click –> Settings –> Customization –> Export Customizations –> mark Site Map –> More Actions –> Export Selected Customizations –> Hit OK on the dumb dialog.

You get a customizations.xml-file to download. In that file you’ll find five area-elements: Workplace, SFA, MA, CS, Settings. These areas define the top-level structure of the “Wunderbar” (the Outlook-style navigation).

This is an example for an area-element:
<area id=”SFA” shape=”RECT” coords=”0,0,0,0″ resourceid=”Area_Sales” icon=”/_imgs/sales_24x24.gif” descriptionresourceid=”Sales_Description”>
To customize this you could add the “Title”-attribute to overwrite the ResourceId:

<area id=”SFA” title=”Clients” shape=”RECT” coords=”0,0,0,0″ resourceid=”Area_Sales” icon=”/_imgs/sales_24x24.gif” descriptionresourceid=”Sales_Description”>The strucure of the sitemap is well documented in the SDK, which BTW has been updated and improved lately )

Microsoft CRM 3.0 SDK

Client Programming Guide –> Navigation Configuration: SiteMap

Once you have finished your customizations in the sitemap you can upload the again:

Settings –> Customization –> Import Customizations –> select your file –> upload, publish and hit F5 to reload the Wunderbar.

Hope that helps.

Entity.Lookup = new Lookup();
Entity.Lookup.IsNull = true;
Entity.Lookup.IsNullSpecified = true;

this also works for customers:

contact.parentcustomerid = new Customer();
contact.parentcustomerid.IsNull = true;
contact.parentcustomerid.IsNullSpecified = true;

If you’re working in a client side javascript, then use this approach:

crmForm.all.lookupschemaname.DataValue = null;

If you get a warning about leaving the page, just press ‘ok’ and then the query which is sent to the framework opens up in a popup. Unfortunately you cannot select the text to copy and paste. But with Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 you can copy all text on the popup by clicking somewhere on the popup (not on the button “OK” ofcourse) and pressing ctrl+c. Now in notepad you can paste the text of the FetchXML.

Good luck!

Update: Thanks to Piotr in the comment section I have learned the javascript prompt command. Try this instead of the alert:

ASP.NET Membership

ASP.NET membership is a built in way to validate and store user credentials.And Asp.Net membership helps in user authentication in websites. We can implememt membershipprovider by Asp.net Forms authentication and Login control.

Purppose Of Membeship provider

1. Create new user with username and password.

2. Storing membership information in Sql Server,Active directory etc.

3.Authentication of users. By using ASP.NET login control,ASp.NET usercreation wizard etc implement complete authentication system.

4.Fascilitate role management etc

The database used to access membership database is normaly created with name ASPNETDB.MDF. Here is how to install ASPNETDB database

Creating ASPNETDB DATABASE in your SQLEXPRESS
ASPNETDB.MDF is membership provider database and is used for storing and retrieving
membership data from database and here we are going to see how to create membership provider database . The command used to create Aspnetdb.mdf is ASPNET_RegSQL.EXE

1.Start->Programs->Microsoft visual studio 2005->visual studio tools->Visual Studio 2005 command prompt. Type ASPNET_RegSQL.EXE in the visual Studio 2005 command prompt

2. A wizard with the heading ” Welcome To The Asp.Net Sql Server Wizard ” will be displayed. Here need to click Next

3. Next a wizard with ” Select Setup Option ” will displayed. Now we need to select setup option “Configure sql server for application purpose is default”. Select which one you wants and next.

4. A window with ” Select Sql Server Database ” Will be shown Now we need to select our sql server database. Here needs to set server, authentication type and database.
If select the default name”aspnetDb.mdf” will be selected. If you wants to modify existing database select that database.

5.Now A confirm will be displayed with heading “Confirm your Settings”. Now check servername and database name and click next.

6. A window with ” The database Has Been Created Or Modified ” Will displayed. Now click Finish

These all are how to create an asp.net membership database on sql Server 2005 database

<script>
  alert( getQueryVariable(“QueryString”) );
</script>