CRM 2011 - Pre-Install checklist for IFD/ ADFS setup

While there is a lot of good documentation on the web about the IFD setup for CRM 2011, it is still a bit daunting for a newbie to wade though the deluge. In this post, I will document a few items that need to be in place before the actual ADFS install and configuration can happen. This checklist is especially important if you do not have complete access/ control and are dependent on an external teams assistance.

Many thanks to my colleagues Ash Dupree and Rakaesh Navaneethan for validating the data!

CRM 2011 native Import wizard - Dealing with humongous data files

While using the native CRM 2011 data import tool, the default file size that is acceptable is 8 MB. Yes, that is correct - 8MB. Not much, isn't it? Here are a few options to consider when the data to be imported exceeds the file import size.

CRM 2011 - Migrating Notes while maintaining history information

Notes in Dynamics CRM 2011 typically provide information about the note text, along with details of when the note was created (or modified) and by whom. If we think of how Notes are used, I think we can all agree that the history information (whom and when) is a critical component of the Note record.

The process of importing Notes and Attachments using the Data Import Wizard is pretty straightforward for the most part. The import wizard however does not map all possible attributes available in the system. For example, we cannot set the created by, modified on or modified by data using the import wizard. The only attribute that can be set (overridden) is the created on field. How do we solve this issue to make sure we are migrating Notes correctly? Here is one option to consider.