ADFS Timeout on Server 2012 for CRM 2011

This follows on from this Microsoft Guide

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/7681.setting-the-adfs-timeout-for-crm-2011-internet-facing-deployments-ifd.aspx

This only seems to work on PowerShell v2.0 however. Server 2012 has v3.0 and It wouldn't accept the first Add-PSSnapin command. To get around this I ran PowerShell ISE as an Administrator and then skipped this step. Everything else works as per the guide.

You can just then type in

PS C:\Windows\system32> Set-ADFSRelyingPartyTrust -Targetname "CRM Claims Replying Party" -TokenLifeTime 720


PS C:\Windows\system32> Set-ADFSRelyingPartyTrust -Targetname "CRM External Relying Party " -TokenLifeTime 720
:)

Microsoft Dyamics CRM 2013 is GA

The last few months for Microsoft Dynamics have been buzzing with news about CRM 2013, new features that are being introduced, and when it’d be generally available to the masses.

The good news is you don’t have to wait anymore.  The links are officially live to download the Server and Client components of the latest version of Microsoft’s Dynamics CRM suite:

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server 2013

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40341

 

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 for Microsoft Office Outlook (Outlook Client)

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40344

In addition to the On Premise links above, you can also sign up for a new trial account for Dynamics CRM 2013 Online.

Trial: http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/dynamics/crm-free-trial-overview.aspx

ADFS / IE Issues, Timeouts, CRM 2011 Outlook Client keeps logging on

ADFS / IE Issues, Timeouts, CRM Client keeps logging on
 
Came across an annoying but simple to fix issue recently, Users on CRM 2011 with CBA/IFD were being asked to login again during the day for no apparent reason. The timeout on ADFS was 12 hours so it should get them through the day.
 
After a lot of digging I found that an IE setting was causing it, in the Advanced Tab theirs an option called [Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed].
 
So the scenario was, a user had outlook open, then opened CRM in IE, or a Report etc.. Then closed that window which deleted the CRM and ADFS Cookies. The CRM Outlook client then proceeded to ask for their login credentials again.
 
By un-ticking this option it wouldn't ask.

SQL To Find out who owns a saved view in CRM 2011

Not so much fetch xml but still useful, in theory the same could be created in fetchxml too. This query shows how to find a view in CRM and who owns it. You can also retieve the actual fetchxml from the FetchXML field in the query below.


SELECT

FetchXml,

UserQueryId,

Name,

LayoutXml,

CreatedOn,

OwnerId,

(SELECT TOP (1) domainname

FROM FilteredSystemUser AS s

WHERE (systemuserid = u.OwnerId)) AS domainname

FROM UserQueryBase AS u

WHERE (Name LIKE '%Insert View Name%') -- change to the view your looking for

AND (OwnerId = 'xxxx') -- enter the quid of the user if your looking for views owned by a user.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013

Today Microsoft has announced that the next major release of CRM will be called Dynamics CRM 2013,  available in fall 2013.

Very exciting news and I’m sure many people are going to be getting very excited over the next few months as more and more information becomes publically available. 

More details can be found on the MS News Centre

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/Press/2013/Jul13/07-02DynamicsCRM13PR.aspx

How to add a link to the CRM record from a report

How to add a link to the CRM record from a report

1. Create the table with the data in
2. Select the box you wish to add the link to, right click and choose text box properties
3. Go to Action and select Go To URL
4. Click on the fx icon and type in the following

=Parameters!CRM_URL.Value & "?ID=" & Fields!accountid.Value.ToString & "&LogicalName=account"

5. The example above works for Accounts, just change the Field or Logicalname to your desired entity
6. Create a report parameter called CRM_URL, don't set any values.

The CRM_URL will be completed by CRM online when you run the report.

How To display percentage values as labels on a pie chart

To display percentage values as labels on a pie chart

This may sound simple but its not obvious when you try to do it in SSRS, basically to add the percentage values you need to do this

1. Add a pie chart to your report.

2. Right-click on the pie and select Show Data Labels. The data labels should appear within each slice on the pie chart.

3. Right-click on the labels and select Series Label Properties.

4. Type #PERCENT for the Label data option.

5. (Optional) To specify how many decimal places the label shows, type "#PERCENT{Pn}" where n is the number of decimal places to display. For example, to display no decimal places, type "#PERCENT{P0}".


To display percentage values in the legend of a pie chart

1. Right-click on the pie chart and select Series Properties.

2. In Legend, type #PERCENT for the Custom legend text property.