Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Instance Adapter – Part 1 - Downloads

Colin Maitland, 12 March 2013

Recently a new adapter for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, named the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Instance Adapter, has been released for use with the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics.

  

The Connector for Microsoft Dynamics may be used to integrate/synchronise data between Microsoft Dynamics CRM and other Microsoft Dynamics ERP products such as AX, GP, NAV and SL. Use of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Instance Adapter allows you to use the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics to integrate/synchronise data from one Microsoft Dynamics CRM organisation to another Microsoft Dynamics CRM organisation. 

Scenarios where the use of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Instance Adapter would be useful include the following: 

• Populate a test or training deployment of Microsoft Dynamics CRM with data from a live deployment of Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

• Migrate data from an On-Premise deployment of Microsoft Dynamics CRM to an Online deployment of Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

• Migrate or synchronise data between two Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online organisations.

• Migrate or synchronise data between two Microsoft Dynamics CRM On-Premise organisations. 

In this blog I will describe the steps for downloading the components required for installing the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics CRM along with the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Instance Adapter. In my next blog I will describe how to install these components. 

The following is a list of the components and related documentation that you should download: 

• Installation Guide for the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics CRM. This is available from http://www.microsoft.com/en-nz/download/details.aspx?id=10381 and was updated on 28/01/2013. You may replace en-nz in the URL with either en-au or en-us. The file to download is the MSDynConnectorInst.pdf. 

 

• Connector for Microsoft Dynamics CRM and related documentation. This is available from Microsoft PartnerSource (https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource), Microsoft CustomerSource (https://mbs.microsoft.com/customersource) or from your Microsoft Dynamics Certified Business Partner. The following PartnerSource URL takes you directly to the download page for the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics for Microsoft Dynamics AX, https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/deployment/resources/productreleases/MDAX2009_CRMConnector.htm. The files to download are:

• Connector for Microsoft Dynamics AX.msi (7.3 MB).

• MsDynConnectorInst.pdf – Connector for Microsoft Dynamics Installation Guide. 

 

• Microsoft Dynamics CRM Instance Adapter and related documentation. This is available from http://www.microsoft.com/en-nz/download/details.aspx?id=35385. You may replace en-nz in the URL with either en-au or en-us.

  

It is important to ensure that you have the most current versions of these components. When downloading these components take note of the Overview and System Requirements sections on the download pages. 

In order to download the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics CRM, if you have one of the following ERP products, AX, GP, NAV or SL you may choose to download the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics CRM that is specific to that ERP product. If you are not sure or don’t have any of these ERP products then downloading the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics AX will suffice. * Refer to Important Notes at the end of this blog. 

The download process for the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics and the related Installation Guide uses the Microsoft File Transfer Manager. If this is not already installed you may need to choose to install it. However, once installed you can click Browse to select a location to download the files to and then click Transfer to commence the download.

 

  

The following screenshot shows the downloaded files:

 

In my next blog I will describe the steps for installing the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics. * Refer to Important Notes below. 

Important Notes:

• If you are using Microsoft Dynamics CRM online, or if the Microsoft Dynamics CRM server has Update Rollup 12 or later installed, use Connector for Microsoft Dynamics version 2.1.29.1 or later.

• Though downloading the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics for a specific ERP product, such as AX, you will not be installing or configuring this for use with that ERP product. You will instead be integrating two instances of Microsoft Dynamics CRM using the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Instance Adapter. You should not, therefore configure or use any of the CRM adapters installed by the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics, i.e. the Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 adapters, but instead use the CRM adapters provided by the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Instance Adapter, i.e. the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Adapter Source and Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Adapter Destination adapters. You should also not install any of the ERP specific solutions provided with the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics as these will change the Microsoft Dynamics CRM organisation customisations and schema in a way that is not required for integrating two instances of Microsoft Dynamics CRM.