Running SQL and CRM on the same Server

I haven't seen this problem for a while (mainly because Version 1.2 is out), but I came across it again, so here is the solution.
If you have installed Microsoft CRM on the same server as Microsoft SQL Server, it's possible that the Microsoft CRM Security Service will fail when the service is started. The service will start without issue when it is started manually. (This shouldn't be an issue in Microsoft CRM 1.2 because in version 1.2, the server setup will detect this problem and correct it for you.)
The fix for this issues is to make the Microsoft CRM Security Service dependant on the service for SQL Server. This will wait for the SQL Service to start before the service attempts to start itself.
This is how your can register the Microsoft CRM Security Service and make it dependent on the SQL Server Service (MSSQLSERVER).

• Log on to your Microsoft CRM server as a domain administrator.
• Click Start, and then click Run. In the Open box, type cmd. Then press ENTER.
• Type cd Program Files\Microsoft CRM\server\bin, and then press ENTER.
• Type CrmSecurityService –r –s, and then press ENTER. After completing the previous steps, follow these steps to restart the Microsoft CRM Security Service: Click Start, point to Control Panel, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Services.
• Under Services, right-click Microsoft CRM Security Service, and then click Start

You should now be able to restart the Server and the CRM Service will start after the SQL Service has finished starting.

How to add SFO missing Folders

If you find one of your folders (eg. Accounts) in the CRM folders section of Outlook (with SFO) goes missing (or is deleted), you can re-add it by creating a new folder.
1. Right-click on the Microsoft CRM folder and then click 'New Folder...'
2. Type the name of the folder Accounts and click OK.
The Accounts folder will now be listed under the Microsoft CRM folder.
3. Right-click on this new Accounts folder and select Properties.
4. In the Properties window click the Home Page tab.
5. Check the box that says 'Show home page by default for this folder'.
6. In address section type 'http://localhost:2525/stage.as­px?page=SFA&area=nav_accts'
7. Click OK
This should restore the folder to the CRM folder list.

Microsoft Previews Beta Version of CRM "Needs Assessment Wizard"

I downloaded this new tool from Microsoft which sounded like it would make the transition from design to implementation for Microsoft CRM a breeze.

Microsoft released a beta version (preview) of a Microsoft CRM Assessement Wizard / Tool. This interview-style tool helps guide you through the planning and envisioning phases of Microsoft CRM system deployment. Upon completion of this interview, you will be provided a CRM Strategy Assessment document for your organization and a Microsoft CRM configuration file that can be used to import customizations into your CRM server. >> Learn more and see screenshots of the CRM Needs Assessment tool...

However, as I've come to expect from most things in MS CRM, it wasn't smooth sailing. I'm still yet to get the product to start.

I was confrunted with the error :-
"Strong name validatoin failed for assembly 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft CRM Assessment Survey\Microsoft CRM Assessment Survey Wizard.exe'. The file may have been tampered with or it was paritially signed but not fully signed with the correct private key."

Looks like it's back to the drawing board.

CRM Emails Duplicating for Queues

The issue we were having was that the exchange router was not deleting emails from the message queue in exchange once it has been delevered to a CRM queue. The user for the queue has be set in Exchange with an CRMEmailEnabled mailbox. When a message come in the queue, this message will duplicate itself in the CRM queue every 4 minutes and every 27 minutes (or there abouts). There was only one Exchange server and only one Connector so the issue wasn't with multiple instances.

By setting the "SELF" to be the Associated External Account, a Master SID is set on the mailbox and the problem of the mail attempting to redeliver. E-mail sent to a queue will then duplicate itself many times.

To correct this issue, an attribute must be added to every queue user in the Active Directory. However, I would suggest that you backup your data as detailed in KB872408 as a precaution.
(Document ID: B872408) “How to plan for disaster recovery with Microsoft CRM”

To generate a msExchMasterAccountSide attribute:

From the View menu in the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in, click Advanced Features. On the Exchange Advanced properties tab of the disabled user object that owns the mailbox, click Mailbox Rights, and then search the list of accounts for one that has the Associated External Account permission.

Note: By default, no account will have this permission; however, depending on how the account was created, it may already have this set. If another account currently has Associated External Account permissions, remove the Associated External Account permissions from that account because only one account at a time can have the Associated External Account permission. Therefore, to reset the permission, you must first remove this permission. If no account has this permission then grant the SELF Account the Associated External Account and Full Mailbox Access permissions.

Note: By default, the SELF account will already have Full Mailbox Access permissions if this is a disabled account. The SELF account is available in all Microsoft Windows 2000 domains. All SELF accounts share a well-known SID that is the same across all domains. If the SELF account is not already listed in the Permissions dialog box, you can add it by typing SELF as the account name.

Exit all properties dialog boxes for the user object by clicking OK at each level (do not click Cancel). Changes to permissions are not applied until you completely exit all properties dialog boxes.

After the DsAccess cache is refreshed (which may take some time), the new configurations take effect and e-mail messages that are sent to the disabled account will no longer generate errors.

FrontRange Solutions Honored with VARBusiness Magazine Mid-Market 100 Award

Taken from http://home.businesswire.com/

FrontRange Solutions Honored with VARBusiness Magazine Mid-Market 100 Award; CMP Publication Names Software Leader's GoldMine 6.7 a `Product of the Year'

PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 3, 2005--GoldMine(R) 6.7, the award-winning solution for business relationship management, team-based contact management and sales forces automation from FrontRange Solutions, today was named a Midmarket "Product of the Year" 2005 by CMP Media's VARBusiness magazine.


The biweekly magazine that provides strategic insight to technology integrators solicited input from information-technology (IT) vendors and solution providers to determine which products and services were best for midmarket customers -- companies with between 100 and 999 employees. Editors narrowed the field to those that best meet midmarket needs and represent a broad spectrum of technology areas from security solutions to servers to business applications. Entries were carefully considered and reviewed by VARBusiness editors who selected only 100 of the more than 400 nominated products.

GoldMine is featured and profiled in the special May 2 VARBusiness "State of the Midmarket" issue.

"Our readers tell us that the middle market is one of the fastest-growing IT categories today," says VARBusiness Publisher Robert C. DeMarzo. "GoldMine is one that best meets that segment's needs."

"This recognition by VARBusiness magazine is particularly gratifying because it validates over 15 years of expertise in CRM and service management solutions for the midmarket," said Michael McCloskey, CEO of FrontRange Solutions. "It also supports our ongoing commitment to offering best-practice, out-of-the-box solutions to meet our customers' unique and changing requirements in businesses of all sizes."