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Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3 and SBS 2003 R2 Premium Installation Guide

August 4th, 2007 Posted in Tech

The last week and a half has certainly been interesting. I’ve been trying to get to grips with two new [to me] technologies; SQL Server 2005 Workgroup Edition and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Small Business Edition.

More and more clients are looking to get into contact management to help them track interactions with clients, chase up potential leads and avoid missing out on opportunities. It’s gotten very difficult to not have the answers when they ask what CRM can do for them; there certainly seems to be an ever growing market in our area.

I’ve previously looked at other CRM systems such as SugarCRM which, with my limited knowledge of the depths of CRM, looks a decent alternative. The draw of MS CRM is the integration with Active Directory, Exchange and other technologies such as Sharepoint which all exist in the Small Business Server platform. Along with Outlook integration, this is attractive from an admin perspective as well as to clients interested in utilising contact relationship management.

Scenario

This guide is intended to take you from having a Small Business Server machine currently running SBS 2003 with R2 technologies installed but without any Premium components currently installed and patched to the current Server 2003 SP2 service pack.

Note: If you have ISA installed there are additional pitfalls regarding the default website which I’m not going to go into here (I don’t use ISA, I’m just throwing out an FYI up front).

The aim is to install SQL 2005 Workgroup Edition (SQL 2005 WE) from the Premium content media for Small Business Server 2003 R2 (SBS 2003 R2), then patch and configure the required services to current level at the time of writing (SP2) and additional Hotfix available from Microsoft Product Support Services to fix an issue with Reporting Services.

The next step is to install and configure Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 R2 Small Business Edition (MS CRM) to demonstrate basic functionality. Customising CRM for any organisation is a topic for further research and depends on how the organisation itself intend to use it.

Before you begin

Take a good look at the MS CRM 3.0 implementation guide. There’s good information there regarding backups, pre-installation planning and a section dealing with Small Business Server. It is lacking to neophytes in some areas but overall is quite helpful.

Install and Patch SQL 2005 WE

Review the Install Steps for SQL 2005 WE on SBS 2003 R2

1. Launch setup.exe from the first Premium content CD, or the Premium folder on the DVD and follow the wizard pages as detailed below:

• Accept the EULA
• Install any missing Prerequisites the wizard demands
• Enter Registration Information as required (should be pre-populated)
• Feature Selection
  • Choose Entire feature will be installed on local hard drive for SQL Server Database Services and Reporting Services
  • Under Client Components ensure Management Tools Will be installed on local hard drive
  • Otherwise leave the defaults
• Instance Name - choose the Default instance
• Service Account - Use the built-in System account Local System
• Start services at the end of setup - check all boxes
• Auth Mode - leave to default (Windows Auth)
• Collation Settings - leave at default
• Report Server Installation - choose Install but do not configure

Complete the installation.

2. Install SQL 2005 SP2 (be sure to get the x86 package). This install is straightforward and defaults can be accepted through the wizard steps.

To avoid a reboot; stop the MSSQLSERVER services the wizard warns about when checking for locked files.

At the end of the installation clear the checkbox prompting to run the User Provisioning Tool for Vista (if applicable).

3. Install Hotfix 3162 to avoid the issue in the KB article. Accept the defaults for the install.

Start the MSSQLSERVER services previously stopped for the SP2 installation.

Configure Reporting Services

Navigate to Start > All Programs > Microsoft SQL Server 2005 > Configuration Tools > Reporting Services Configuration

Use the following settings for each page:

• Instance Selection - should be pre-populated with correct Machine and Instance, click Connect
• Report Server Virtual Directory - click New… and accept the defaults for Name: ReportServer Website: Default Web Site. Note: Don’t check require SSL
• Report Manager - click New… and accept the defaults for Name: Reports Website: Default Web Site
• Windows Service Identity - ensure Built-in Account is set to Local System
• Web Service Identity
  • ASP .NET Service Account should be NT Authority\Network Service
  • Click New Application Pool and enter Name: ReportingServicesAppPool
  • Click Built-in Account for the security account and choose Network Service from the drop down list
  • Make sure ReportingServicesAppPool is selected for both Report Server and Report Manager and click Apply
• Database Setup - select the Server Name and click Connect, beside Database Name click New… and accept the default Database Name: ReportServer. Credentials Type should be set to Service Credentials, click Apply
• Email settings - enter a user who has rights to send mail via the SBS Exchange server
• Execution Account - may be left blank

Installing MS CRM

The latest R2 release media is required in order for MS CRM to be installed with SQL 2005 WE. The 90-day Trial media can be used if unsure of the version (eg: Action Pack version is not R2). Valid product keys will work with the trial media for both Pro and SBE.

Follow the wizard steps outlined below:

• Choose Install CRM server
• Enter License code
• Accept EULA
• Install Required Components
• Choose Custom Install
• Include all components - Server, Email Router, Network Image
• Enter organisation name
• Choose install path
• Select the Web Site - check Create new Web site
• Select SQL Server - choose SBS server and click Create new database
• Specify Reporting Services Server - Connect to existing should be selected and the URL should be pre-populated as per configuration done in Reporting Services Configuration steps
• Select Organisational Unit - click browse… and choose the MyBusiness OU
• Specify Security Account - Network service account should be checked
• Specify Exchange Server Settings - enter the name of the SBS server, leave other options default
• Specify the Router Mailbox - This requires a user to be created who will be receiving mail for the CRM queue.
  • First name: CRM
  • Last name: Router
  • User logon name: crmrouter, click Next
  • Enter a password that satisfies company password policy
  • Uncheck User must change password at next logon
  • Check User cannot change password
  • Check Password never expires, click Next
  • Make sure Create an Exchange mailbox is checked
  • Make sure Alias is set to crmrouter, click Next
  • Review the summary and click Finish

  Note: There is no need to quit the installer while adding the user. Once created enter the user name (eg: DOMAIN\crmrouter)

• System Requirements - this will check the environment for problems before the installation. If the hotfix was not installed above an error will be displayed as detailed in KB article 935922 “Error: The feature: “Customizing security roles” is not supported in this edition of Reporting Services.”
• Install MS CRM if all system requirements are satisfied
• After a time the install will prompt for the second CD to create the nework image for clients

Reboot the SBS server - be sure to cancel the CRM customisation wizard if it prompts after a reboot. Setting up the CRM software is beyond the scope of this guide. The wizard can be run from the shortcut placed on the desktop during install.

Configuring SBS & MS CRM

1. Add the SBS server to the Pre-Windows 2000 Compatible Access Group

Navigate to Server Management > Advanced Management > Active Directory Users & Computers > DOMAIN > Builtin > right click Pre-Windows 2000 Compatible Access Group and choose Properties

Click Members tab, then Add…, click Object Types… and select Computers, click OK. Enter the SBS server name and click Check Names and click OK then OK again to add the SBS machine to the Pre-Windows 2000 Compatible Access Group.

2. Add CRM users

Navigate to Server Management > Advanced Management > Microsoft CRM.

• Open the User Manager Wizard by clicking Add Users
• Select SBS users who will be using CRM by highlighing them in the left pane and click the > to add them to CRM
• Choose the Business unit (your organisation name)
• Select the roles these users will have in CRM
• Select a site (if applicable, none by default)
• Review the summary before clicking Create
• Click Finish once the users are created

3. Add a Queue User

This user will be a mailbox (email address) which will receive email for a specific address which is then passed on to CRM users as desired by way of a CRM Queue.

eg: A support email address where customers can email support@company.com and mail to this address then gets passed to CSRs who pickup the email from a queue in CRM.

Navigate to Server Management > Advanced Management > Active Directory Users & Computers > DOMAIN > Users Right click and choose New > User

• First name: Support
• User logon name: support, click Next
• Enter a password that satisfies company password policy
• Uncheck User must change password at next logon
• Check User cannot change password
• Check Password never expires, click Next
• Make sure Create an Exchange mailbox is checked
• Make sure Alias is set to support, click Next
• Review the summary and click Finish

This mailbox also requires extra permissions, right click the user Support and click Properties > Exchange Advanced and click Mailbox Rights. You will see SELF listed, under Permissions for SELF check the Allow box for Associated external account. Click OK twice.

Finally, right click and choose Disable Account as this account will never be used to logon to the Domain.

4. Add a Queue

Open the CRM web site in a browser with the URL http://servername:5555

• Click Settings > Business Unit Settings > Queues
• Click New to create a Queue
• Queue Name: Support Email: support@company.com
• Business unit: click the magnifying glass and choose your Organisation Name
• Owner: do the same choosing the CRM users who will recieve mail for this address
• Click Save and Close to create the Queue

5. Configure CRM Exchange Email Router via Rule Deployment Wizard

To get the email sent to this address forwarded to the Queue that was created, the CRM Exchange Email Router is used.

Navigate to Server Management > Advanced Management > Microsoft CRM and click Rule Deployment to launch the Wizard.

• Choose Select a Microsoft CRM Server (the SBS machine should be listed)
• Enter the CRM Exchange Router address for the Forward e-mail address: crmrouter@company.com
• Choose the CRM Queue User you want the CRM router to receive email for ie: DOMAIN\Support
• Select Deploy rule to user mailboxes
• Click Next, Next and then Finish after making sure the task completed successfully

Testing the system

1. Test CRM Exchange Router functionality

At this point it should be possible to test the CRM Exchange Email Router is functioning correctly by sending email to the address created for the CRM queue from an external email address.

In the example support@company.com was used for the queue user. Email destined for this address should take the following course using the entities created in this guide:

• External account sends an email to support@company.com
• The company.com Exchange server receives the email
• The email is copied to the crmrouter@company.com mailbox
• The CRM Exchange Router moves the message to the defined CRM queue
• The CRM users allocated to the queue retrieve the message from the queue

2. Test Reporting Services

To confirm the Report Server is working as expected:

• Open the CRM web site in a browser with the URL http://servername:5555
• Click Reports on the left menu pane under Workplace
• Double click User Summary in the right pane under Reports
• A new window will open. Click Run Report in the lower right
• A summary of CRM users should appear in the resulting report

This proves the basic functionality of the MS CRM installation outlined in the guide.

Further Considerations

Clearly this has only scratched the surface of installing the MS CRM system. There are many other factors to consider before implementing in a production environment.

Some of these would include (but are not limited to):

• Securing Reporting Services with SSL
• Partition and disk layout considerations
• Backup and restore procedures for SQL and SBS
• Deploying the MS CRM client for Outlook (via Assign Applications Wizard)
• Customisation with the CRM wizard to an organisation’s needs
• Training users of the software

Final Thoughts

The biggest stumbling blocks in the installation were Reporting Services with SQL 2005 WE SP2 and the needed Hotfix and some less than clear documentation on the Exchange Rule Deployment wizard.

I have an installation on a physical server which is, at this point, somewhat overloaded with services. I’m still not entirely happy with the results as I have some outstanding issues with the IIS Worker Process triggering DEP (this link may help), some cryptic SQL errors (possibly related to VSS) in the Event Log since the installation and Reporting Services failing to start on boot (although when started manually the service runs fine).

I also made a VM for the purposes of writing this guide which I will do some more testing with to verify the stability. All it’s running is SBS R2 Premium SP2 and MS CRM.