News.mscrm-addons.com Blog

DocumentsCorePack Server Based Load Balancing Services

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 15:56:06 GMT

If there are many documents to be processed by a DocumentsCorePack service, it may occur that one service is not enough. This issue can be solved by installing a DocumentsCorePack (DCP) ServerBased Load Balancing Service. This article outlines the functionality of such a DCP Load Balancing Service and how to install it.

Requirements: DocumentsCorePack Server Based (Online/OnPremise) version 2016.173 and higher

The functionality of the Load Balancing Service
Usually, if documents are generated by a service, all documents are assigned to the same service. No matter, if the documents are being processed as batches or single documents. The DCP SB Service processes one job after the other in the queue - comparable to a printing service. Because single documents are prioritized, the generation will always be processed between the batch document generation. This is why it can be really helpful to have multiple services to get a better performance.

The logic of the LoadBalancer works as described in the following figure. The main priority always has the manually triggered document generation for single and batch documents. The LoadBalancer will always have one service reserved for single document generation - DCP Service 1, one for batch document generation and processes/workflows - DCP Service 2 and another one only for batch document generation - DCP Service 3. This means that only one queue is available for processes/workflows in your configuration because they run in the background and have a lower priority.

This is the minimum package of the DCP SB Load Balancing Service. It is possible to add more services to your LoadBalancer, where you can define more than one service for single document generation and batch document generation.

Figure 1: Functionality of the DCP SB Load Balancing Service (example with 3 working services)

How to configure a Load Balancing Service online?
First of all, please create a new service in DCP SB Online (If you have not set up a service yet, please have a look at this video or at the corresponding blog article). Once you have created a new service, you will be provided with the Online Configuratin window where you can configure your service in detail. If you have already configured a service, you get an overview of your hosted service(s).

The Load Balancing licenses can be found on our website. You first have to choose which size of DCP you require and in the so opened window you can buy the DCP Load Balancing Service. The minimum package contains three services. It is possible to add more services to your LoadBalance. This guarantees that the documents are generated as fast as possible.

The configuration for Load Balancing Service is very easy. Select the service you want to configure in the Online Configuration window and click on the [configure load balancing]-button (highlighted in yellow).

The so opened Load Balancer Configuration window provides you with information about how many ❶ Available Load Balancer Services you have. Here you can specify how many load balancer you want to configure ❷ (please notice: there must be at least three) and how many services you want to ❸ reserve for single documents only.

For example: There are 5 Load Balancing licenses available and want to configure all 5 and reserve 2 of them only for single documents and the rest are for batch document generation (see figure below).

Figure 3: Load Balancer Configuration window

How to create a Load Balancing Service in DocumentsCorePack Server Based On-Premise
(If you have not installed a service yet, please have a look at this article)

The creation of a Load Balancing Service in DCP Server Based On-Premise is different than in DCP SB Online. Therfore you need to set up a DCP SB service and categorize it as Load Balancing service. We recommend naming the service according to its future task (here: DCPLoadBalancer). Next, you create some more services and categorize them as subordinated to the Load Balancing Service.

Set a category for your Load Balancing Service
Basically you have to differentiate between the category for the main service and the category of the sub-services.

The category number for the main service consists of six digits and follows the below structure:

99XXYY

99..... categorizes the service as Load Balancing Service
XX..... defines how many services are subordinated to the Load Balancing Service
YY..... defines how many of these subordinated services are reserved for the generation of single documents only. It is mandatory to have at least 2 worker services for batch operations. That means the minimum configuration is 990301. If it is needed to have multiple single document services, it is mandatory to have at least 4 worker services and the configuration is 990402.

For example:
990502... There are 5 services subordinated to the Load Balancing Service and the first two services process single documents only. The other three services are reserved for the generation of batch documents.

991105... There are 11 services subordinated to the Load Balancing Service and the first five services process single documents only. The other six services are reserved for the generation of batch documents.

The categories must be set in the category field of the DCP Server Server Based On-Premise Service (highlighted in yellow below). However, it is recommended to set the batch delay to 10 seconds.

Figure 4: Load Balancing Service for DCP ServerBased On-Premise

The Load Balancing Service can have many subordinated sub-services. The category number for the sub-service starts with 10 as you can see in the figure below. For each additional sub-service, the category number increases by 1 and continues with 11, 12, ..... As explained before, the category must be set in the category field, highlighted below.

Figure 5: Set category for the sub-service

How to remove the Load Balancing service (On-Premise)

Make sure there is only one DCP Service running for the organization with the Category: 0
Restore the default value for the “AzureServiceName” settingskey
The name of the key must be "AzureServiceName" and the value has to be “none”
Delete the “LBConfig” Settingskey
Shut down and restart the DCP service
Clear your browser cache and restart your browser

That's it! We appreciate your feedback! Please share your thoughts by sending an email to support@mscrm-addons.com.

AttachmentExtractor Online Scheme

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 15:53:20 GMT

This blog article outlines how the Cloud service structure for AttachmentExtractor works. AttachmentExtractor will retrieve documents from Dynamics 365 instance, move it to an alternative storage location and deliver it back to Dynamics 365 upon user request.

As you can see the figure below shows the Data Flow of AttachmentExtractor in the Cloud:

Data flow:

Document Extraction: Based on configuration, the AttachmentExtractor-service checks for new documents in notes or e-mail attachments every X seconds and moves them to the alternative storage (SharePoint or Azure Blob Storage). At the same time, a 2nd query starts working towards historic entries.
If an attachment is found, the service moves the file to the corresponding storage location and replaces the reference inside Dynamics 365.
Please note: For users access inside Dynamics 365 is unchanged.

Data flow on Retrieval:
Please have a look at the corresponding blog article.

Security:
All communication between the Dynamics 365 organization and the AttachmentExtractor service is done using the Dynamics 365 web-services and thus is secured communication using https and authenticated likewise to Dynamics 365 itself supporting Server2Server authentification (which prevents you from providing user credentials to us) or access via Office 365 credentials. Documents never get stored on the Service engine.

IMPORTANT:
Customers with security concerns regarding our document generation services are eligible to install AE either on their own Azure VM or on local hardware. Please note that for performance reasons an installation in the VM is recommended.

For Dynamics 365 Online customers the document generation service will be hosted in our Azure account. To ensure high performance it will be located in the same datacenter the Dynamics 365-instance itself is located. The installation can be done directly from our website http://www.mscrm-addons.com.

That’s it! We appreciate your feedback! Please share your thoughts by sending an email to support@mscrm-addons.com.

Non-interactive users as service account

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 10:37:17 GMT

This blog article outlines that it is possible to use non-interactive users to create services for our add-ons. Please find more information about how to set up the online service configuration for our solutions by using the links below:

AttachmentExtractor: step-by-step tutorial, video
DocumentsCorePack: step-by-step tutorial, video

As you may know, a non-interactive user is not a typical user, it is more an access mode that is created with a user account. A non-interactive user account does not require a Dynamics 365 license and can be used to set up services for our add-ons.

More information about how to create a non-interactive user account and how to assign online security roles can be found in the corresponding Microsoft Dynamics 365 guide.

That’s it! We appreciate your feedback! Please share your thoughts by sending an email to support@mscrm-addons.com.

How to configure an Onpremise Service with CRM Online

Thu, 04 Oct 2018 14:18:37 GMT

This article outlines how to create a SettingsKey manually.
It is specifically designed to use Dynamics 365 online and to run the Service for DCP-Serverbased onpremise.
To configure a service properly for such a scenario you have to create an additional settings key.

To get knowledge how to create a SettingsKey manually in general, please click here.

Please open your Dynamics 365 in your Browser.

Navigate to Settings -> MSCRM-ADDONS -> Products.
Open the Link to DocumentsCorePack and AutoMerge and display all records associated with this view (Button on the right side, next to the "+")

Please also deactivate the LBConfig Setting, if you are not using LoadBalancing.

After clicking the button, you can see a list of all settingskeys.
By clicking the [ADD NEW MSCRM-ADDONS.com Settingkeys]-button you can create a new settingskey.

That’s it! We appreciate your feedback! Please share your thoughts by sending an email to support@mscrm-addons.com.

DocumentsCorePack Online Service Configuration

Tue, 25 Sep 2018 13:11:22 GMT

This blog article outlines how easy it is to set up the DocumentsCorePack Online Service Configuration. Additionally please also find our video tutorial for DocumentsCorePack that shows how to start the DCP Online Configuration, here.

Please follow the below step-by-step tutorial in order to start a DocumentsCorePack Online Service properly.

Step 1: Open the Online Configuration Service
One possible way to start a new DocumentsCorePack Online Service Configuration is via our website www.mscrm-addons.com. On our website, please navigate to ❶ Products, select DocumentsCorePack and then, click on the ❷ [Configure Service]-button.

The registration is quick and free. Once logged in, you will:

have access to all our free 14-days trial versions
be able to request full support on all trial versions
receive our newsletter
be able to upgrade free trial versions to licensed products

So – if you haven’t registered yet – it’s worth a try!

Step 2: The Online Configuration window
Once you have logged in, you will be provided with the Online Configuration window. Please note: If you have already configured a service, you get an overview of your hosted service(s) ❶.

If there is no service configured, you can set up a service with a click on the [Add]-button ❷.

Now the following window appears. It is important that you do not close this window or navigate away.

You are now back in the same window as before. This window supports you in creating a new service.

❶ Service Name
Please enter your service name here. But choose wisely, because the name cannot be changed anymore!

❷ DocumentsCorePack Instance
Please select on which instance the DocumentsCorePack Service should run. The instance with the highest bandwidth is automatically selected for you.

❸ SharePoint Integration
Please select if you want to enable CRM integrated SharePoint, which allows DocumentsCorePack to connect to SharePoint and upload documents. Once you enable this option, two fields appear where you have to enter your SharePoint credentials.

❹ Show Advanced Options (Optional)
A click on this button, allows you to refine the settings of your new service. More information about this options can be found in the corresponding documentation on page 19.

Next, click on the [Save Service]-button in the right lower corner in order to proceed. Click on the [OK]-button in the window that appears now (see figure below).

Do not close the following window or navigate away as long as the service is saved. Instead, have a break and enjoy some coffee or tea.

Step 3: Service Configuration Completed
As soon as the service configuration is completed, you will be informed about the next steps you can take. Click on the License Status-option in order to check your license status. Please read the instructions carefully and click on the [OK]-button in order to proceed.

Step 4: Watch your service running
Congratulation! You have finished the configuration of your service. You are now redirected to the service configuration overview. The DocumentsCorePack service is already running. Using the buttons at the end of the service overview, you can define which steps you would like to take next. Please find a brief description of the DocumentsCorePack buttons in the corresponding documentation at page 10.

That’s it! We appreciate your feedback! Please share your thoughts by sending an email to support@mscrm-addons.com.

How to upgrade your AttachmentExtractor Online Service license?

Wed, 12 Jul 2017 12:30:14 GMT

Our AttachmentExtractor (AE) Online Service Configuration allows users to configure AE easily online. For further information on how to configure AE Online, please have a look at our AE Online Configuration video.

The minute your AttachmentExtractor (AE) license is invalid, it is recommended to check your license status and to react properly. This article outlines

how to view the license state of your service and
how to upgrade your license online.

A) How to view the license state of your AttachmentExtractor Online Service?

1) Go to our website www.mscrm-addons.com and enter your credentials.

2) Once registered, click on the [My Account]-button in the right upper corner.

3) Now click on the my cloud services-section in order to get an overview on your subscriptions.

4) You are redirected to the window below, where you can select between DocumentsCorePack and AttachmentExtractor. After choosing AttachmentExtractor, please mark your service and click on the [View and Install License]-button.

5) The license information window appears. A red cross always signalizes that a license is invalid. There are numerous reasons for an invalid license.

In this example, the reason why, is that the user owns less site licenses than he actually needs. To overcome this issue, the user has to upgrade the license.

B) How to upgrade an AE Online license?

1) Please log in to your account on our website and open the Account Overview. Next, click on the [Modify package size]-button.

Figure 1: Modify your package

2) Now you are redirected to the UpgradeSubscription-section. Please click on the [Upgrade]-button in the right lower corner.

That’s it! We appreciate your feedback! Please share your thoughts by sending an email to support@mscrm-addons.com!

AttachmentExtractor Online Service Configuration

Fri, 07 Jul 2017 14:50:36 GMT

We have all been there. Working with Microsoft Dynamics 365 (CRM) is really great, but sometimes, the data storage costs go through the roof. And yes, saving data in Microsoft Dynamics 365 can be cost-intensive. Consequently, we solved this problem by creating AttachmentExtractor.

This blog article outlines how easy it is to setup the AttachmentExtractor Online Service Configuration. Additionally please also find our video tutorial for AttachmentExtractor that shows how to start the AE Online Configuration, here.

The main advantages of the AttachmentExtractor Online Service are:
- There is no need for a local server anymore.
- All AttachmentExtractor features are available
- The configuration is easy
- The service is hosted and updated by our support team

Please follow the below step-by-step tutorial in order to start an AttachmentExtractor Online Service properly.

Step 1: Open the Online Configuration Service

One possible way to start a new AttachmentExtractor Online Service Configuration is via our website www.mscrm-addons.com. On our website, please navigate to Products, select AttachmentExtractor and then, click on the Configure Service button.

Figure 1: Open the Online Configuration Service

Next, login or register to mscrm-addons.com.

Figure 2: Login or register to mscrm-addons.com

The registration is quick and free. Once logged in, you will

- have access to all our free 14-days trial versions
- be able to request full support on all trial versions
- be allowed to purchase licenses
- receive our newsletter
- be able to upgrade free trial versions to licensed products

So – if you haven’t registered yet – it’s worth a try!

Step 2: The Online Configuration window

Once you have logged in, you will be provided with the Online Configuration window.

Please note: If you have already configured a service, you get an overview of your hosted service(s) ❶.

If there is no service configured, you can setup a service with a click on the [Add]-button ❷.

Figure 3: Online Configuration window

Figure 4: Create a new AE Service

As soon as your organization appears in the Available Organizations section ❶, click on the [Verify Connection & Save Profile]-button ❷.

Figure 6: Verify your connection and save your profile

Now the following window appears. It is important that you do not close this window or navigate away.

Figure 7: Verify connectivity and permissions

You are now back on the same window as before. This window supports you creating a new service.

Figure 8: Create new AttachmentExtractor Online Service

❶ Service Name
Please enter your service name here. But choose wise, because the name cannot be changed anymore!

AttachmentExtractor Instance
Please select on which instance the AttachmentExtractor Service should run. The instance with the highest bandwidth is automatically selected for you.

❷ SharePoint Integration
Please choose, if you would like to use the CRM integrated SharePoint or a specific SharePoint. If you want to use a specific SharePoint, you must enter a SharePoint path, which means you must enter a SharePoint URL that includes the library.

Storage Option for Entities without Document Management enabled
Entities without document management may be stored daily or weekly on a specific SP library. Else, you may decide which entities not to extract.

SharePoint Credentials
Please insert the credentials of a SharePoint user with administrative access to your configured SharePoint here.

❸ Extract
Using the drop-down menu of this option, allows you to decide what you would like to extract with AttachmentExtractor. Please select all options or only some of these options. The available options are:
           - Email Attachments
            - Note Attachments
            - Email Body
            - Note Body

Please note: This section also allows you to configure an email or note subfolder, where your extracted emails or notes will be saved.

❹ Data processing
Please specify if you only want to copy your attachments to SharePoint or if you want to extract them completely. Once extracted files will be replaced with a .url file which points to the extracted file on SharePoint. However, if you click on the [Extract – Replace data in CRM]-button, you will receive a warning. Please read it carefully, check the corresponding checkbox and select whether you want to copy or extract the files by clicking on the corresponding button.

Figure 9: AttachmentExtractor Service Setup Warning

❺ Minimum Attachment Size Filter
Please insert the minimum size a file should have in order to be extracted by your AttachmentExtractor Service here.

❻ Only extract attachments older than
If you only want to extract attachments older than a certain amount of time, you can specify this here.

❼ Show Advanced Options
A click on this button expands some options for the advanced configuration.

Please note: If you feel that the configuration so far satisfies your needs, you can save your service now with a click on the [Save Service]-button in the right lower corner and proceed with Step 6. But of course, the service can as well be configured on an advanced level, which can be done in the Advanced Configuration-section. This optional part of the configuration will be explained below.

Step 4: Set the Advanced Options (optional)

With a click on the [Show Advanced Options]-button, the settings of your new service can be refined.

Figure 10: Advanced Configuration Options

❶ Enable debugging
In case of any issues during the extraction, we would recommend you to enable debugging by selecting this option. The log files will be available for download as soon as the service is saved.

❷ Stop service on critical errors
If you select this option, the service will automatically stop if a critical error occurs. This option is activated by default.

❸ Create SharePoint attributes
Enabling this option will create SharePoint attributes for transferred files.

❹ New folder per
Please select if new folders should be created on a weekly or a daily basis here. This option only applies to CRM Integrated SharePoint.

❺ Blacklist or Whitelist
Please decide whether you would like to use a black- or a whitelist here. Entities on the blacklist will NOT be extracted, while entities on the whitelist will be extracted.

❻ Notify on service changes
Select this option in order to get an eMail every time there is a service change.

❼ Skip solution import
If you select this option, the setup will assume that you have already imported all solutions that are necessary for the creation of an AttachmentExtractor service. If any solution is missing, the creation of the new service will fail.

❽ Skip role assignment
If you select this option, you will either have to create a custom role covering the required rights or you will have to manually assign the security roles.

❾ Server Version
This field informs you about the current AttachmentExtractor version on your instance.

Step 5: Save your service
No matter how detailed you have configured your service, please click on the [Save Service]-button in the right lower corner in order to proceed.

Click on the [OK]-button in the window that appears now.

Figure 11: AttachmentExtractor Service Setup

Please note: Do not close the following window or navigate away as long as the serivce is saved. Instead, have a break and enjoy some coffee or tea.

Figure 12: Saving the service

Step 6: Service Configuration Completed

As soon as the service configuration is completed, you will be informed about the next steps you can take. Click on the License Status-option in order to check your license status. Please read the instructions carefully and click on the [OK]-button in order to proceed.

Figure 13: Service Configuration Completed

Step 7: Start your service

Congratulation! You have finished the configuration of your service. You are now redirected to the service configuration overview. Using the buttons at the end of the service overview, you can define which steps you would like to take next. Please find a brief description of the buttons below.

Figure 14: Configuration buttons

❶ The [Add service]-button
Simply click on the [Add]-button (+) in order to create a new AttachmentExtractor Service.

Please click on the [Configure Service]-button (monkey wrench) in order to modify the DocumentsCorePack Service settings. A double click on the service you would like to modify has the same effect.

❷ The [View & Install License]-button
Click this button in order to check your license state or to install a new license.

❸ The [View Service Logs]-button
A click on this button will provide you with an overview of the latest event log entries for your service. Double-click a certain row in order to see details.

❹ The [View Version Info]-button
Click this button in order to receive information on your CRM version and the AttachmentExtractor version.

❺ The [Play Service]-button
Click on this button in order to start your service.

❻ The [Stop Service]-button
Click on this button in order to stop your service.

❼ The [View Progress & history]-button
A click on this button will provide you with an overview of the extraction progress and failed extractions.

❽ The [Reset extraction]-button
Click on this button in order to reset all previous extractions.

❾The [Move Service]-button and
A click on this button enables yout to move the service to another instance.

❿The [Delete Service]-button
With a click on the Garbage bin, you have the possibility to delete a services.

Please note, that this step will delete the service configuration and the AttachmentExtractor Service, but it will NOT delete the CRM solutions referring to AttachmentExtractor. These solutions must be deleted manually.

That’s it! We appreciate your feedback! Please share your thoughts by sending an email to support@mscrm-addons.com.

How to upgrade your DocumentsCorePack Online Service license?

Fri, 07 Jul 2017 10:45:43 GMT

The minute your DocumentsCorePack (DCP) license is invalid, it is recommended to check your license status and to react properly. This article outlines

how to view the license state of your service and
how to upgrade your license online.

A) How to view the license state of your DCP Online Service?

1) Follow the below link and enter your username and password.
http://www.mscrm-addons.com/language/en-US/LoginPage?returnurl=/language/en-US/Products/MS-CRM-2013/DocumentsCorePack/Cloud-Service-Configuration

Figure 1: Login to mscrm-addons.com

2) Once registered, click on the [My Account]-button in the right upper corner.

3) Now click on the my cloud services-section in order to get an overview on your subscriptions.

Figure 3: My Cloud Services

4) You are redirected to the DocumentsCorePack Online Configuration. Please mark your service and click on the [View and Install License]-button.

Figure 4: DCP Online Configuration

5) The license information window appears. A red cross always signalizes that a license is invalid. There are numerous reasons for an invalid license.
In this example, the reason why is that the user owns less site licenses than he actually needs. To overcome this issue, the user has to upgrade the license.

Figure 5: License information overview

B) How to upgrade a DCP Online license?

1) Please log in to your account on our website and open the Account Overview. Next, click on the [Modify package size]-button.

Figure 1: Modify your package

2) Now you are redirected to the UpgradeSubscription-section. Please click on the [Upgrade]-button in the right lower corner.

That’s it! We appreciate your feedback! Please share your thoughts by sending an email to support@mscrm-addons.com!

How to concatenate documents (Online)

Mon, 10 Apr 2017 16:42:17 GMT

This article outlines how to concatenate different documents in one single document in DocumentsCorePack Online.
Using the concatenate step, we can combine two or more documents and can thus create - independent of file format or properties of the document - a single Word document that contains all concatenated documents. If you haven't created a workflow in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Online yet, please have a look at this article.

After you have created two or more documents you would like to concatenate, you may want to give your newly created step ❶ a name that reminds you of what it contains. Second, click on the [Set Properties]-button ❷ in order to define the steps’ settings.

The next window provides you with the ConcatenateDocument Properties.

Figure 2: Create MSCRM-Addons.com AutoMerge Working item

The ConcatenateDocument properties provide the following possibilities:

❶ Name & AutoMergeAction
Please name the AutoMergeWorkingItem, e.g. Concatenate Quote 1 and 2.
In the AutoMergeAction field, please select what you would like to do with this workflow (in this case 'Concatenate')

❷ Document1Guid & Document2Guid
Document1Guid: This lookup provides the possibility to select the document which should be concatenated. You can select an existing document by clicking on the lookup button, but you can as well use a document created in this workflow before (as it is shown in this example).
Document2Guid: Offering the same functionalities like Document1Guid, this is the Document GUID for the second document you want to concatenate.

❸ UpdateFields & OutPutFileFormat
UpdateFields: Check true if you want to make sure that all the Word fields are updated once again after the merge process.
OutPutFileFormat: This option enables you to define the output file format for the result document.

❹ Owner & PrimaryRecordUrl
Owner: Optionally, you can enter an owner of the document here.
PrimaryRecordUrl: In this document, you can enter a PrivmaryRecordURL if you would like to by using the Form Assistant on the right side. Please find more information on the PrimaryRecordUrl functionality, please have a look at this article.

❺ CombineType
You can use the CombineType to specify how document B will be inserted in document A.

The following values are available for CombineType:

CombineType = 0
The formatting of document A will be applied to document B.

CombineType = 1
The formatting will be retained.

CombineType = 2
Does the same as CombineType = 0. In addition, the link to the previous section will be disconnected here (disconnects your header or footer from the header or footer in the previous section).

CombineType = 3
Does the same as CombineType = 1. In addition, the link to the previous section will be disconnected here (disconnects your header or footer from the header or footer in the previous section).

CombineType = 99
The content of document B will be inserted at the end.

Please notice: You have to fill in a CombineType - otherwise, there will be an error.

[OPTIONALLY: If you want to concatenate more than two documents, simply repeat the above steps. As for the sequence: If you create a new step, the already concatenated documents will always be the first in line. All further documents will be concatenated in a consecutive order.]

❻ [Save and Close]-button
Once you have finished, do not forget to save your changes!

That’s it! We appreciate your feedback! Please share your thoughts by sending an email to support@mscrm-addons.com.

You have to fill in the field CombineType, otherwise there will be an error

In addition, the link to the previous section is deactivated here.

How to import & export templates using the DocumentsCorePack Online Service Configuration

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 10:08:13 GMT

Our DocumentsCorePack (DCP) Online Service Configuration allows users to configure DCP easily online. For further information on how to configure DCP Online, please have a look at our DCP Online Configuration video.

The DCP Online Config offers lots of useful functionalities, such as for example insert/export templates or installs non-default fonts. This step-by-step tutorial outlines how to use them properly.

1. Login to www.mscrm-addons.com, go to My Account and then My Cloud Service.

2. Select the service that you want to export/import your templates from ❶ and click on the [Export/Import]-button ❷.

3. This opens the Template Management window, which allows you to import/export templates and to install non-default fonts.

Please click on the [Export]-button ❶ in order to export all DCP templates as .*zip-files.

Click on the [Import]-button ❷ if you would like to import DCP templates. You may select multiple *.docx/ *.docm/ *.dot templates or *.zip files containing multiple templates. Furthermore, you will be asked to specify how to proceed with the templates you import, but that already exists in the system. You have the possibility to select between the following three options:

1) Overwrite
The template GUID stays the same.

2) Import the new version
The 'old' version will be kept with the 'old' template GUID and the 'new' version of the template will be imported with a 'new' template GUID.

3) Ignore
All existing templates will be ignored. Only new templates will be imported.

Files can also be dragged and dropped from the Explorer to this dialog. Furthermore, if your templates are using fonts which are not installed by default, you may upload and install your fonts into your DCP instance with a click on the [Upload Font]-button ❸.

Figure 2: Template management-window

IMPORTANT: Should the templates not be extracted correctly, make sure you do not export to a folder that has a lot of subfolders. The maximum length should not be over 260 characters.

Examples:

Correct folder structure for exporting:
C:\temp\DCP_Templates

Incorrect folder path for exporting:
C:\Users\MyUSerAccount\Documents\CRMData\DocumentsCorePackTemplates\28_11_2017\DCP_Templates

That's it! We appreciate your feedback! Please share your thoughts by sending an email to support@mscrm-addons.com.

How do I create a workflow with DocumentsCorePack SB Online?

Wed, 25 Jan 2017 13:01:35 GMT

Once activated, workflows automate and thus, facilitate business processes in Microsoft Dynamics 365 (CRM).
In this step-by-step tutorial, you will learn how to create workflows with DocumentsCorePack Server Based successfully.

Requirements: DocumentsCorePack ServerBased, Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2015/2016 or Microsoft Dynamics 365 (CRM)

Prerequisites: Create a new workflow

Please access your Microsoft Dynamics 365 (CRM) and navigate to Settings > Processes. In the My Processes – area, click on the [New]-button in order to create a new workflow.
A webpage dialog pops up. Type in a name, determine an entity and select “Workflow” as the process category. Afterward, click on the [OK]-button.

Within this tutorial, we will create the following steps:

1) Create a document
2) Insert a Wait Condition (Has the document creation been finished yet?)
3) Attach document to letter – Step A
4) Attach document to letter (if finished – Step B)
5) Insert a Wait Condition (Has the document creation been finished yet?)
6) Delete document

We will work with the entity Contact, the category Workflow and the process CRMWorkflowExample. Our starting point is the Process: CRMWorkflowExample-dialog.

Step 1: Create a document
This option supports you when dealing with the creation of documents. To create a new record (e.g. document), simply click on the [Add Step]-drop-down menu ❶ and select Create Record ❷

As soon as the step has been added to your workflow, you may want to give it a name that reminds you of what it contains, e.g. create document❶. Then open the drop-down menu next to Create, select MSCRM-ADDONS.com AutoMergeWorkingItems ❷ and click on the [Set Properties]-button ❸.

The dialog below opens. It allows you to configure the first step of your workflow. Again, name the window (here:Create Document ❶) and look for CreateDocument in the AutoMergeAction field ❷.

Now, click on the magnifying glass next to the TemplateToExecute field and select the template that should be used within the workflow ❶ and the file format the document should be saved as ❷.

It is also very important to insert the PrimaryRecordUrl. To do so, set the cursor in the PrimaryRecordUrl-field ❶ and select Record URL (Dynamics) in the drop-down menu in the Form Assistant ❷, click on the [Add]-button and on the [OK]-button. The PrimaryRecordUrl-field is filled now. Do not forget to save your changes!

The first step of your workflow is now added and fully configured. If you want to stop your workflow at this point, you can click on the [Save and Close]-button and finish here. If you want to add further steps, you have to define a condition to be fulfilled before adding further steps.

Step 2: Wait condition
Whenever you add a step, you need to make sure that the step has been finished before you start with the next step. The Wait condition step checks this automatically.

For example, if you want to create a letter-activity with the previously generated document as an attachment, you need to make sure that the document creation is completed, before you attach the document to the letter activity. To do so, open the [Add-Step]-drop-down menu and select the Wait Condition.

When the step has been added to your workflow, you may want to give it a name that reminds you of what it contains, e.g. Wait condition ❶. Then click on (click to configure).

Figure 8: Name the Wait Condition

The next window allows you to define the condition to be fulfilled for the workflow proceeding.

Whenever you click on Select, a drop-down menu opens that allows you to set the conditions for this step. For our purpose, we select the conditions Create document (MSCRM-ADDONS.com AutoMergeWorkingItems)❶, Status ❷, Equals ❸ and Inactive ❹ from the Select Values dialog.

If you have followed the steps carefully, your window will look like this one. Click on the [Save and close]-button.

By setting this step, you have determined that step 2 of this workflow will only be executed if step 1, the document generation, has been finished successfully.

Step 3: Attach document to letter – Step A
The next step enables you to attach a document to an already existing letter.

To add the next step, e.g. to create a letter-activity, simply click on Select this row and click Add Step ❶ and afterward, click on the [Add Step]-button ❷ and select Create Record from the drop-down menu.

When the step has been added to your workflow, you may want to give it a name that reminds you of what it contains, e.g. Attach document to letter ❶. Then open the drop-down menu next to Create, select Letter ❷ and click on the [Set Properties]-button ❸.

Within the next window, you must define a sender and a subject and type in the letter’s text.

To define the recipient, click in the Recipient-field ❶ and go to the Look for-area within the form assistant on the right side. Select Contact in both drop-down-menus, ❷ click on the [Add]-button ❸ and then on the [OK]-button ❹ . Once finished, do not forget to save your settings.

Figure 14: Define the recipient

Step 4: Attach document to letter – Step B
This step makes sure that the previously created document will be added to the letter-activity. To attach a document to the letter, simply click on the [Add Step]-drop-down menu ❶ and select Create Record ❷.

When the step has been added to your workflow, you may want to give it a name that reminds you of what it contains, e.g. Attach document to letter – Step B ❶. Then open the drop-down menu next to Create, select MSCRM-ADDONS.com AutoMergeWorkingItems ❷ and click on the [Set Properties]-button ❸.

The dialog that opens now allows you to configure the AttachToLetter-workflow-step. Name it and define the corresponding AutoMergeAction (here: AttachTo letter). ❶

Within the Attach to Letter-section, you can determine the letter-activity to which the created document will be attached to and the document which should be attached. ❷

To determine the letter-activity, which the document should be attached to, set the cursor in the LetterToAttach-field in the AttachToLetter-section ❶ and select CreateDocument (MSCRM-Addons.com AutoMergeWorkflow) from the first drop-down menu in the Look For-section and LetterToAttach from the second within the form assistant on the right side. ❷. Once finished, click on the [Add] -button ❸ and then on the [OK]-button ❹.

To determine the document which should be attached, set the cursor in the DocumentGUID_Letter-field ❶ and select the correct document from the drop-down box in the Look For-section within the form assistant on the right side. ❷ Then click on the [Add]-button ❸ and on the [OK]-button ❹.

You have now completed the configuration of this step. Do not forget to save the settings!

However, if you want to stop your workflow at this point, simply click on the [Save and Close]-button within the general workflow-configuration-window and finish here.

Step 5: Insert another Wait Condition
If you want to add further steps to your workflow, you have to define another Wait-Condition to be fulfilled before you add further workflow-steps. For more information in Wait Conditions, have a look at Step 2.

Step 6: Delete document
However, as soon as the condition is set, you can add another step. In our example, we want the document to be deleted after it has been attached to the letter-activity.

To create this step, click on Select this row and click Add Step and open the [Add Step]-drop-down menu. Select Create Record and type in a description. Select MSCRM-ADDONS.com AutoMergeWorkingItems from the drop-down box within the step and click on Set Properties.

A dialog pops up in which you can set that the document will be deleted. To do so, name the process and the action (we decided to call the process ‘DeleteTempDocument’). Afterwards, click in the DocumentGUID_Delete-field within the Delete Temp Document-section ❶ and select the document to be deleted from the drop-down box in the Look For-section within the form assistant ❷. Click on the [Add]-button and then on the [OK]-button. Do not forget to save your settings!

Theoretically, you could add as many steps as you wanted to add to a certain workflow. But as our last step consists of deleting the document, we decided that it is the last one for our workflow.

STEP 7: Get your result
If you have followed all the steps, your result should look similar to the below screenshot.

That’s it! We appreciate your feedback! Please share your thoughts by sending an email to support@mscrm-addons.com!

How to activate Template Designers (per user) for DocumentsCorePack Online Services

Thu, 22 Dec 2016 16:33:00 GMT

Select the desired service and click on the [License]-button.

Figure 1: Open the license

Click on DCP Client and on the [Please click here to select the user …]-button.

Figure 2: Select your user

Next, a dialog will open which allows you to select the desired users. Make sure you do not activate more users than your license covers.

Figure 3: Select users which should be able to use DCP TD

That's it! We appreciate your feedback! Please share your thoughts by sending an emailt to support@mscrm-addons.com.

CRM 2016 Online Connection Issue in US-datacenters: 13th September 2016

Tue, 13 Sep 2016 15:18:00 GMT

Since today, 13th of September 2016, we are experiencing issues connecting to CRM Online instances located in datacenters in the United states. CRM Online customers in European, Asian Australian datacenters are not affected as of now.

NOTE: This is not mscrm-addons.com issue. Every 3rd party-solution using CRM SDK version lower than v 8.1 is affected.

This happened very unexpectedly and we are working hard to find a fix for this asap. A Workaround is currently deployed to the US instances.

UPDTATE: Microsfot fixed the issue and everything was back to normal around Noon eastern time.

We are very sorry for this service interruption!

Best, mscrm-addons.com Support Team

How to install a license key via Web License Manager

Fri, 24 Jun 2016 14:08:00 GMT

This article provides you with a step-by-step description on how to install your license key with the web license manager.

The web license manager has been designed to facilitate the installation of license keys. As a consequence, it can be installed via your web browser.

This kind of web based license manager will soon apply to all our products, except for DocumentsCorePack Client. At the moment, it only applies to PowerSearch and ActivityTools.
Please note: We use our addon PowerSearch for demonstrating purposes in the below step-by-step tutorial.

Step 1: Open the PowerSearch “Web License Manager”
To do so, open your CRM Settings, navigate to the MSCRM-ADDONS-section and click on PowerSearch.

Figure 1: CRM Settings > MSCRM-ADDONS > PowerSearch

In the PowerSearch main configuration window, you will be provided with a few tabs that allow you to configure PowerSearch in general. As per default, the Getting Started-tab is displayed. Please navigate to the Licensing-tab.

Figure 2: PowerSearch main configuration window (Getting Started-tab)Step 2: Install your license-key
In the so opened PowerSearch Web License Manager, you are provided with information regarding to your license. Please click on the [Install license]-button in order to install your license key.

Figure 3: PowerSearch main configuration window (Web License Manager)

You are provided with the Install License dialog. Use this dialog to install the license key for PowerSearch. Follow the instructions carefully and insert your license key in the provided text box. The license key can be found in the email you have received from our support team. If you have not received an email yet, please contact our support team (support@mscrm-addons.com).

Figure 4: Install license dialog

Please note: There are two different ways to retrieve the license-key:

a) Open the email you have received from our support team and extract the attached
.zip-file. Click on the [Select file]-button in the Install license dialog and select the unzipped .txt-file.
OR
b) Open the email and extract the attached .zip-file. Open the .txt-file and copy its content into the text box in the Install License dialog. (see Figure 4)

Step 3: Install the license-key
To finish the installation, simply click on the [Install]-button in the Install license dialog.

(Blog still being reviewed)

That’s it! We appreciate your feedback! Please share your thoughts by sending an email to support@mscrm-addons.com.

How to install a license key - Overview

Thu, 23 Jun 2016 16:41:00 GMT

Thank you for using our mscrm-addon!

The following overview was created to support you when it comes to the installation of a new license key.

There are many reasons why a license key has to be installed, but there are only three main possibilities how to install your license key. They depend on the addon you would like to install:

Option 1 – Install the license key via the On Premise License Manager

Option 2 – Install the license key via the Web License Manager

Option 3 – Our support team installs the license key for you.

The following table contains all our products and license key installation options.
Please click on the x that matches your product. You will be provided with further information on how to install the license key properly.

Product	Option 1	Option 2	Option 3
DocumentsCorePack Server Based	x
- On Premise/IFD	x
- Online			x
DocumentsCorePack Client	x
AttachmentExtractor	x
- On Premise/IFD	x
- Online			x
ActivityTools		x
TelephoneIntegration	x
GroupCalendar	x
- Online (Subscription)			x
SmartBar	x
PowerSearch		x
PowerSearch (Silverlight)	x

That’s it! We appreciate your feedback! Please share your thoughts by sending an email to
support@mscrm-addons.com.

GroupCalendar Online 2015 Update

Wed, 14 Oct 2015 15:40:00 GMT

It has been a while since the last GroupCalendar Online update. We have now added a few improvements that require your attention. Many of our customers are still on the GroupCalendar 2013 instances which are not up to date anymore. To benefit from the new improvements and features of the GroupCalendar 2015 version, we would need you to perform a simple task for us.

What can you expect from the update?

1. Performance: There were a lot of performance improvements since the last version. We’re constantly trying to improve the performance so our customers don’t lose too much time during scheduling.

2. Multiple data centers: GroupCalendar is available in more datacenters than before. After you’re done with the steps described below, it will be possible for us to move your installation without interruption to the latest release version. We’ll decide to which datacenter you’ll be moved to get the best performance available. I.e., it doesn’t make sense that when your CRM is located in Europe and connecets to a GroupCalendar instance hosted in the US.

3. New features: In addition to the performance improvements, we have also implemented a few other features you might be interested in.

Auto-Refresh: Whenever someone updates or creates a new activity within CRM, the GroupCalendar will automatically refresh its view. Each user will always have an up-to-date overview of the scheduled activities.
Quick previous/next navigation: The TopDown and Agenda view now have a separate navigation option to quickly navigate to the previous or next day/week/month. There is no need to open the right navigation pane to switch days/weeks/months.
Improved week number calculation: The calculation of the week numbers did not work in some special cases.
Performance Counters: In case you run into any performance issues, even with the performance-optimized version, we have added performance counters to see what exactly is slowing down GroupCalendar.

How to get the new features and improvments?

You need to prepare your system with the latest MSCRM-Addons.com Solutions so we’re able to move your installation to an up to date instance. This step could be quickly done by a CRM administrator. Please download these three files:

After that, please navigate within your CRM to Settings > Solutions.

Figure 1: CRM Solutions

Please import all three solutions in the above order.

Figure 2: Click on Import

If you want to use the auto-refresh feature, you have to assign all users the security role MSCRM-ADDONS.com GCAutoUpdate after you have imported all the solutions.

How long will it take to get the update?

We’ll periodically check if your CRM system was prepared with the above steps and if so, we will perform all necessary steps.

After we have applied all steps to GroupCalendar, your CRM connects automatically within 7 days to the new Group Calendar instance.

It could happen that some users will see the update earlier than others.

That’s it! We appreciate your feedback! Please share your thoughts by sending an email to support@mscrm-addons.com.

DCP service error message

Thu, 24 Sep 2015 15:38:00 GMT

The error message displayed in Figure 1 indicates, that there are either too many documents to generate (rather unlinkely) at the moment or that the DCP service is not running.

Figure 1: error message

Solution:

The above error message can occur when you start a batch in DocumentsCorePack. To solve this issue, you have to activate or setup a new service.
Learn how to create a service

in CRM online here.

in CRM on-premise here.

That’s it! We appreciate your feedback! Please share your thoughts by sending an email to support@mscrm-addons.com.

Our addons compatibility with Dynamics CRM 2015, SharePoint and MS Office

Fri, 05 Dec 2014 14:19:00 GMT

This article contains a compatibility chart for all our addons for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2015. It shows which of our addons are compatible with

MS Dynamics CRM 2015 On-Premise/Hosted (IFD)/Online
MS SharePoint 2010/2013/Online
MS Office (x86, x64) 2007/2010/2013
and which of them support cross-browsing.

Last Update
December 2015

BETA
Version

Last Version-Release Date

MS Dynamics CRM 2015

MS SharePoint

MS Office
(x86, x64)

On-Premise

Hosted
(IFD)

Online

Cross
Browser

2010

2013

online

2007

2010

2013

ActivityTools

2015.0
and higher

12/02/2014

yes

yes^*3)

yes

AttachmentExtractor

2015.1
and higher

12/05/2014

yes

DocumentsCorePack

Server: 2015.4
and higher
Client: 7.2
and higher

12/05/2014
12/05/2014

yes

yes^*1)*2)

yes

GroupCalendar

2015.2
and higher

12/05/2014

yes

PowerSearch

2015.1
and higher

12/05/2014

yes

SmartBar

2015.1
and higher

12/05/2014

yes

TelephoneIntegration

Server: 2015.1
and higher
Client: 7.0
and higher

12/05/2014
12/05/2014

yes

*1) At the moment, FileExplorer-documents, SharePoint-documents and the Document Summary are not compatible.

*2) All browser windows created by the client application will open in the InternetExplorer. The Server Side will use the current browser.

*3) Since version 2015.116.

That’s it! We appreciate your feedback! Please share your thoughts by sending an email to support@mscrm-addons.com.

Post-upgrade Steps for GroupCalendar Online

Thu, 27 Nov 2014 13:43:00 GMT

This article outlines the upgrade steps for GroupCalendar Online for MS CRM 2015. Please note: It only applies to GroupCalendar online!

Requirements: GroupCalendar (GC) Online for MS CRM 2015

After the upgrade of GroupCalendar to CRM 2015, it is highly recommended to perform the following steps to ensure full compatibility.

Please download the following CRM Solutions
- MSCRMADDONScomGeneral.zip (447.98 kb)
- GroupCalendarServerCore.zip (7.40 kb)
To install the solutions, please open your CRM and navigate to Settings > Solutions.

Figure 1: Settings > Solutions
In the All Solutions section, click on the [Import]-button in order to proceed and import them into your CRM system.

Figure 2: Import solutions
Follow the steps in the wizard to import the solutions. Please note: It is very important to upload the solutions in the order displayed in step 1.
After all solutions have been updated, please clear your Browser Cache and the Cookies. To do this, hit [CTRL]+[SHIFT]+[DEL] (works in every browser) and select the option that the Cache and Cookies should be deleted.

That’s it! We appreciate your feedback! Please share your thoughts by sending an email to support@mscrm-addons.com.

How to enable debugging for DocumentsCorePack Server Based (Online)

Thu, 13 Nov 2014 12:47:00 GMT

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Please note: This article applies to

DocumentsCorePackServerBased Document Generation & Processing
for MS CRM 2013, 2015, MS CRM 2015/2016 and MS Dynamics 365
and AttachmentExtractor for MS Dynamics 365

For demonstrating purposes, this article shows DCP only, but the same steps could as well be executed
for AttachmentExtractor for MS Dynamics 365.

ONLINE ONLY!!!

(Click here for information on debugging for DocumentsCorePack on premise/IFD)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Step-by-Step instruction on
how to activate debugging for DocumentsCorePack ServerBased Online

1. Log in to our website www.mscrm-addons.com/Login

Figure 1: Login to www.mscrm-addons.com.

2. Select the mscrm-addon you would like to debug. (here: DocumentsCorePack)

Figure 2: Click on DocumentsCorePack

3. Click on the [Configure Service]-button on the so opened product page.

Figure 3: Select Configure Service

4. Next, the Online Configuration window appears. You will be asked to select a product (DocumentsCorePack or AttachmentExtractor). We have selected DocumentsCorePack.

Figure 4: DocumentsCorePack Online Configuration

5. Please double-click on the service you would like to debug.

6. In the so opened window, click on the [Show Advanced Options]-button.

Figure 5: Modify DocumentsCorePack Service

7. Here, you have the possibility to enable debugging by activating the Enable Debugging-checkbox. Do not forget to save your changes with a click on the [Save Service]-button.

Figure 6: Enable debugging

8. Now the following window appears. Please note: Do not close this window or navigate away! (Click on the [OK]-button in order to continue).

Figure 7: DocumentsCorePack service setup information

9. While your service is updating, the following window appears. As soon as this is done, the Service Configuration of the selected service appears.

Figure 8: Update service

10. Now please reproduce the error!

11. When you are ready, select your service with a double-click again and open the [Show Advanced-Options]-button as shown above.

12. Now all you have to do is click on the [Download Logs]-button.

Figure 9: Modify the service

13. Please send the log file folder with a short error-description to support@mscrm-addons.com

That’s it! We appreciate your feedback! Please share your thoughts by sending an email to support@mscrm-addons.com.