Solution Import Error 0x80044150 – Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

Issue:

While importing a solution I got a generic SQL error but when i downloaded the log file i saw below error:

import error1

0x80044150 – Object reference not set to an instance of an object 

I have seen this error in plugins several times but never in import but root cause and underlying issue remains the same.

The import was trying to find something which was not there in target.

Solution

There was a relationship in my solution exist as N:1 to an entity which was deleted from target system way back hence this error occurred. Using the relationship given in solution, CRM was trying to find related entity which wasn’t there.

 

Hope this helps.

Advertisement

Error While Connecting To CRM Online Using Kingsway SSIS Connector

Issue:

I have recently got this error when i was preparing an SSIS package for Dynamics CRM 365 Online and used Kingsway SSIS connector.

Kingsway1

Resolution:

After digging in further this error is mainly caused by the request and reponse timings,So, when i checked i found out my system time was somehow 5 minutes ahead of the current time, hence the request going to CRM server was of a future time and hence this error showed up.

All i had to do is fix my system time. Sometimes even if your system time is fine, you might still get the error, In that scenario too try to change the time as 5 minutes less.

 

Once i did that -my organisation name popped up without any issue.
kingsway2.png

 

Hope this helps!

Cheers!

 

Show Lost and Won Opportunities In A Chart By User/Owner

Just a quick blog on a question asked in dynamics community here : https://community.dynamics.com/crm/f/117/t/293930

Requirement was to show Lost & Won opportunities grouped by a manager in a Bar Chart:
chart2

Try below Steps.

  1. Create a view as below :chart3
  2. Create a chart on that view in opportunity as below:chart
  3.  Save and close & make sure to publish the customisation. Below is the end product.
    chart2

 

Hope this helps!

 

Cheers!

 

An unsecured or incorrectly secured fault was received from the other party

Issue :

Recently i have encountered this error when i was trying to connect to Dynamics CRM 365 online.

error1.PNG

 

I digged in further and found a post where couple of suggestions were mentioned :

https://community.dynamics.com/crm/f/117/t/204264

Solution : It was to do with my system settings(Time) – my system time was ahead of the server time. which means the request was going to server with a future time. 

hence i have changed the time in my system clock to be 5 minutes less. Which indeed worked.

 

I hope this helps!

Simplified Connection To Dynamics CRM 2016 Onpremise Using Console Application

Here is the quick code that i use when i have to build a console application that connects to dynamics crm onpremise version with AD/IFD Authentication.

Main Class:

ClientCredentials _clientCreds = new ClientCredentials();
_clientCreds.Windows.ClientCredential.UserName = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["username"];
_clientCreds.Windows.ClientCredential.Password = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["password"];
_clientCreds.Windows.ClientCredential.Domain = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["domain"];
var organizationUri = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["CRMUrl"];

_service = (IOrganizationService)new OrganizationServiceProxy(new Uri(organizationUri), null, _clientCreds, null);

OrganizationServiceContext _orgContext = new OrganizationServiceContext(_service);

App.Config:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
<configSections>
<section name="AppSettings" type="System.Configuration.AppSettingsSection, System.Configuration, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a" restartOnExternalChanges="false" requirePermission="false" />
</configSections>
<appSettings>
<add key="CRMUrl" value="https://Oranization.com/XRMServices/2011/Organization.svc" />
<add key="Username" value="rawishkumar" />
<add key="Password" value="password" />
<add key="Domain" value ="exampledomain"/>
</appSettings>
<startup>
<supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.5.2"/>
</startup>
</configuration>

 

Required Assemblies:

using System.ServiceModel.Description;

using System.Configuration;

using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;

using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Client;

Hope this helps!

SQL Connection to CRM Database

Dynamics CRM has very efficient web services using which you can retrieve data such as Organization service Or WebApi. However if you still need to retrieve data from database here is a quick code helper – which i am using in a console application.

//Initiate the connection
using (var connection = new SqlConnection(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["SQLServerConnection"].ConnectionString))
{
//create a command variable
using (var command = connection.CreateCommand())
{
//add query to your command
command.CommandText = "your SQLquery goes here";

// open the connection first and then execute the query using Execute Reader
connection.Open();
result = command.ExecuteReader();

here is the app.config which i have used , i am using the windows authentication hence you donot need to mention credentials.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
<connectionStrings>
<add name="SQLServerConnection" connectionString="Server=.;Database=events.website;Trusted_Connection=True;"/>
</connectionStrings>
<startup>
<supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.5.2"/>
</startup>
</configuration>

By Now you will have your dataset in “result”; here is another piece of code to read the data:

 if (result.HasRows)
{
 while (result.Read())
{
string contactid= result["columnName"].ToString();
string contact = result["columnName"].ToString();
DateTime createdonDate= (DateTime)result["createdon"];
string type = result["columnName"].ToString();
}

}
// close the result
 if (result != null)
result.Close();


 

I hope this helps!

Cheers!

System Form Dependency To A Custom Entity – CheckList

Following checklist should be completed in order to completely remove the all the dependency before exporting the solution and importing to your target environment.

  1. Make sure all relationships are removed ( i.e navigation from left hand side on form editor)
  2. Any Lookup field from that custom entity is removed
  3. The most important and neglected one and for which I find people scratching their heads is when this lookup is removed from the form and even entity is deleted. Still  Get dependency error something like below:dependency.PNG
    Resolution:  The lookup field was being referenced on another lookup which was acting as a “Dependent Lookup”. hence this entity was showing as system form dependency.  So i went to other lookup field —> changed properties and unchecked the option “Show related records”.You can also try to remove that field –> Publish —> add again —-publish.

Hope this helps!

 

Connect to Dynamics CRM 365 Online from Excel [Reporting]

I have seen a few blogs on how to connect to dynamics crm but most of them talks about connect with Odata endpoint. However with dynamics 365, Odata has  been deprecated hence you cannot use them and will get error.

Below is the step by step process to connect to dynamics crm 365 online from Excel.

  1. If you do not have power query option in your excel or its an old version. Please download the excel addin from here : https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=39379   and run the setup chose 32 or 64bit as per your excel.
  2. Once done, Launch Excel and select “Power Query” Tab –>”From Online Services” Option  and select “From Dynamics 365(Online) from the dropdown.
    1.png
  3. In the next tab add Web Api endpoint of your online CRM ( you can find it from Customizations–>Developer Resources–>Copy “Instance Web API” url and paste it below:
    2
  4. In the next authentication screen – select “Organizational Account” and then click on “Sign In”.
    3
  5. Following step 4 will take you to your organization sign page. Enter username and password and click Sign In.
    4.PNG
  6. If Signed In successfully; you will be landed back to the authentication page. Click “connect”.5.PNG
  7. Post this you will be presented with the connected org details( such as entities etc).
    6
    7.PNG
    I hope this helps.

How to connect to Dynamics CRM Onpremises AD/IFD from a Windows Form Application

Being a CRM developer, you often need to develop some external application. In this blog i will talk about and provide the code to connect to dynamics CRM Onpremises in a windows form application.

Login

public static ConnectToCrm(string username, string password, string domain, string Url)
{

ClientCredentials _clientCreds = new ClientCredentials();
_clientCreds.Windows.ClientCredential.UserName = username;
_clientCreds.Windows.ClientCredential.Password = password;
_clientCreds.Windows.ClientCredential.Domain = domain;

if (username == "" || password == "" || domain == "" || Url == "")
{
MessageBox.Show("Please Enter All Details To Login!");
}

_service = (IOrganizationService)new OrganizationServiceProxy(new Uri(Url), null, _clientCreds, null);

OrganizationServiceContext _orgContext = new OrganizationServiceContext(_service);
Guid orgId = ((WhoAmIResponse)_service.Execute(new WhoAmIRequest())).OrganizationId;

if (orgId != null)
{
MessageBox.Show("Successfully Connected to CRM. Click OK");
}
else if(orgId==null)
{
MessageBox.Show("Could Not Connect to CRM. Click OK & Try Again!");
}
}

The _service can be utilized in your methods to retrieve the data and perform actions in dynamics CRM. i.e, below:

var fetchExpression = new FetchExpression(fetchXml);
EntityCollection fetchResult = _service.RetrieveMultiple(fetchExpression);

hope this helps!

cheers!