Microsoft Update Rollup 9 for Dynamics CRM 4.0 is now available.  Released Feb 11, this update includes packages for the server, Outlook client and E-mail Router.  Rollup 7 is a prerequisite for installing the Update.

For more information on the contents and procedure for installing Update 9, Follow this link to the Microsoft Support Site.  To download Rollup 9, follow this link to the Micrsoft Download Site.

CRM allows auto-numbering for cases and other select entities, but there can be a lack of flexibility with configuring the numbering format to just be a sequential number. Furthermore, auto-numbering can be useful for other entities for auditing and integration purposes. This entry will discuss how to implement auto-numbering by leveraging SQL Server Identity columns to handle the distinct generation of integers with the help of a simple plug-in.

Microsoft has released update rollup 8 for Dynamics CRM 4.0.  Important notes for this update include:

• Requirement to update to rollup 7 prior to installation
• Updates for the 40 supported language packs are contained in the update

One issue we’ve run into with two of our Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Online customers pertains to importing their customizations into a new CRM Online instance. The error you receive when you attempt to import the customizations is “Failure: lead-contact: This attribute map is invalid. A valid attribute map must meet these requirements: - The data type must match. - The length of the target attribute cannot be shorter than the source attribute. - The format should match. - The target attribute must not be used in another mapping. - The source attribute must be visible on the entity form. - The target attribute must be a field a user can enter data into. - Address ID values cannot be mapped.”

IFrames are a powerful extension tool within Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0. In addition to allowing you to host custom websites, IFrames allow you to present relevant data from external websites within the context of an open entity. As a quick example, this blog post will show how to present historical information regarding a company’s stock price from within an account form. I hope this example will inspire you to find many other ways to present relevant data to users through the use of IFrames.