How to – Stop synchronization of Task / Appointment between Dynamics 365 and Outlook


In the earlier posts we saw how synchronization works for different activities type and how to work with user as well as system filters.

In this post, we will how to use the wonderful Sync Filter Manager (XrmToolBox Plugin) for managing the outlook filters.

Suppose we don’t want Tasks to be synced for some of the users.

Here we already have a custom user filter (Task- Created on is null) defined for one of the users, specifying the condition which will always be false.

We have also disabled the default filter on tasks – My Tasks for that user.

For that particular user, now we do not see any tasks getting synced.

Now to apply the same setting to the others users, we can use the wonderful Sync Filter Manager – XrmToolBox plugin.

To know more about the tool –

http://mscrmtools.blogspot.com/2013/12/introducing-new-tool-sync-filter-manager.html

https://www.slideshare.net/jukkan/control-outlook-synchronization-settings-for-dynamics-crm-users

Navigate to the Users tab, search for the user whose setting we want to apply to other users, and select it.

Here we have selected the source user record

Click on Apply selected user synchronization filer to user(s) button.

For Question Dialog Box – “Are you sure want to apply the selected user synchronization filters to other users ?” – select Yes

For now, we have selected only User 2. We can select multiple users or select / unselect all the users.

It will remove the default / or existing filters from users. User 2 in our case.

And will add the filters from the selected user to it.

After some time, we can see the filters updated for User 2, with the Task – Created on is null filter added.

We can also verify it from the User Synchronization Filters tab, where we can load the synchronization filters for all the users.

As a last step we just need to deactivate/delete the default My Tasks filter for User 2 also(or all the other users for who we want to disable task sync) and we are done.

Hope it helps..

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Business Process Flow UI Improvement in Dynamics 365 / CRM


With 2022 Release Wave 1, we have a small enhancement in the user interface inside the BPF path line’s color contrast.

With 2022 Release Wave 1 turned off

With 2022 Release Wave 1 – the path that needs to be followed is shown now in a slightly darker shade,

making it easy for an agent to understand the stages to be followed in the business process flow.

Hope it helps..

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How to – Define System Filters for Synchronization using SavedQuery in Dynamics 365 / CRM


We covered a few Synchronization topics in the last few blogs, here we will look at defining system filters to manage which records could be synced.

How to – Synchronize Appointments between Dynamics 365 and Outlook using Server-Side Synchronization

How are tasks, letters, fax, phone call synchronized between Dynamics 365 and Outlook

We can see few default User Filters already defined that syncs records owned by the current user.

Users can create new filters, edit the existing filters, delete, activate, deactivate and reset the filters.

These filters like personal filters applied to that particular user only.

The same can also be accessed from Personalization Settings

Personal Options > Synchronization tab

Similar to User Filters we can define System Filters that apply to the entire organization or all the users.

As we can see there are no options (no new button) to create new System Filters from the user interface. The only way we can create them is through SDK.

Suppose we don’t want any tasks to be synced.

For this, we can create a filter like “sync only those tasks where created on doesn’t have value” which will always evaluate to false.

On executing the below code

We can see the system filter created successfully.

Hope it helps..

Entity savedQuery = new Entity("savedquery");
                savedQuery.Attributes["name"] = "System Filter for Task";
                savedQuery.Attributes["description"] = "To restrict sync of tasks";            
                savedQuery.Attributes["isquickfindquery"] = false;

                // saved query is of type outlook fiter
                savedQuery.Attributes["querytype"] = SavedQueryQueryType.OutlookFilters;
                
                savedQuery.Attributes["returnedtypecode"] = "task";

                // sync only those tasks which have created on as null
                // this is to restrict task sync

                savedQuery.Attributes["fetchxml"] = 
                    @"<fetch>" +
                     "<entity name='task'>"+
                     "<attribute name='activityid'/>" +
                     "<filter>" +
                     "<condition attribute='createdon' operator='null'/>" +
                     "</filter>" +
                     "</entity>" +
                     "</fetch>";

                var response= svc.Create(savedQuery);
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How to – Synchronize Appointments between Dynamics 365 and Outlook using Server-Side Synchronization


Appointments, Contacts, Fax, letters, Tasks, etc. entities can be synced both ways between Dynamics 365 and Outlook.

This setting is configurable.

Navigate to System Settings >> Synchronization tab

Click on Synchronized Fields. It lists down all the entities there.

We can define the synchronization direction by clicking on the arrow of the attribute for a particular entity type.

Email synchronization is handled separately as we can see below.

We cannot have a custom activity entity enabled for Synchronization.

https://community.dynamics.com/crm/f/microsoft-dynamics-crm-forum/269218/sync-custom-activity-to-outlook/862671

Now to get it working the next step is to approve, test, and enable the user’s mailbox.

And set Appointment, Contacts, and Tasks to Server-Side Synchronization. (default = none).

Now let us create an Appointment record in Dynamics 365.

We have specified values for the Required and Subject field.

We get a notification before saving the record. Here the contact record specified had the Hotmail id associated.
Some of the recipients are outside of your organization. These recipients will also receive this appointment when you save it.

After saving the record we can see the Appointment reflected in Outlook along with the reminder after few mins.

We can see it categorized as “Tracked to Dynamics 365

Now let us update the same appointment inside Outlook and send it.

After a couple of minutes, we could see the record updated back in CRM.

Now for new appointments created in Outlook to reflect in CRM, we need to have either of the following conditions in place –

It has to be created or tracked in Dynamics 365 from Dynamics 365 for Outlook App.

Or from within the Outlook app, we need to apply Tracked to Dynamics 365 Category to it.

The same record in CRM –

Now let us delete one of the appointments in Dynamics 365

It is already synced to Outlook.

We will see the appointment deleted in Outlook because it fulfills the below criteria i.e.

The appointment is in the future and the user is also the appointment organizer.

This will also send the cancellation to the users/attendees.

And similarly, if we cancel an appointment in Outlook, it will send the cancellation to the attendees and will also delete the record in Dynamics 365.

The appointment record canceled in Dynamics 365 doesn’t sync to Outlook as canceled by default.

We need to enable SSSPropagateAppointmentCancellationsToExchange settings in OrgDbOrgSettings for it.

https://github.com/seanmcne/OrgDbOrgSettings/releases

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/orgdborgsettings-tool-for-microsoft-dynamics-crm-20a10f46-2a24-a156-7144-365d49b842ba

After this is enabled, the appointment is canceled in Outlook also, and cancellation is sent to the attendees.

Get all the details here – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/admin/sync-logic#syncing-canceled-and-deleted-appointments-from-dynamics-365-to-exchange

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/outlook-addin/user-guide/delete-records-that-have-been-tracked#appointments

https://community.dynamics.com/365/sales/f/dynamics-365-for-sales-forum/426757/externally-cancelled-tracked-appointment-not-marked-as-cancelled-in-dynamics

Hope it helps..

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How to – Upload files to File Column / Attribute using SSIS – KingswaySoft (Dynamics 365/ CRM)


Let us take a simple example to understand how we can upload files to the file column through SSIS Package + KingswaySoft’s Integration Toolkit.

Here we have a File Column defined for the Contact Entity.

This is what our final package looks like –

Our SSIS package will pick up the contact’s email, file path, and file name from the CSV file as the source using the Premium Flat File Source component.

The premium derived component adds a new column that reads / stores the binary content of the file specified in excel.

Finally, in CDS Destination we are doing Upsert on contact entity based on the email id field specified in the source excel file.

The mapping –

On running the package, we can see the file uploaded to the corresponding contact records.

To extract attachment from notes-https://nishantrana.me/2021/02/10/extracting-attachments-from-notes-in-dynamics-365-dataverse/

To download files using Download Block Request –https://nishantrana.me/2022/03/14/how-to-download-file-from-file-column-using-initializefileblocksdownload-and-downloadblock-request-dynamics-365-crm-dataverse/

To upload files using Upload Block Request –https://nishantrana.me/2022/03/15/how-to-upload-file-to-file-column-using-initializefileblocksupload-and-uploadblock-request-dynamics-365-crm/

Understand File and Image Data Type –https://nishantrana.me/2021/10/01/using-file-and-image-data-type-in-dataverse-dynamics-365/

Try out the wonderful, feature-rich, and powerful SSIS Integration Toolkit for Dynamics 365 by KingswaySoft –https://www.kingswaysoft.com/products/ssis-integration-toolkit-for-microsoft-dynamics-365/download

Check other articles on SSIS plus CRM – https://nishantrana.me/2018/11/26/ssis-and-microsoft-dynamics-365/

Hope it helps..

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How to – Download files from File Column / Attribute using SSIS – KingswaySoft (Dynamics 365/ CRM)


Let us take a simple example to understand how we can download files from the file column using SSIS Package + KingswaySoft’s Integration Toolkit.

Here we have a File Column defined for Contact Entity.

Our SSIS package will run on all the contact records and will extract the file from the records to one of the folders in the local machine.

This is what our package’s data flow looks like.

It has just 2 components CDS Source and Premium Derived Column.

CDS Source is connected to the Contact entity.

For Columns, we have selected our file column fields.

Next, we have next added a Primary Derived Column component.

We have used the WriteBinaryComponent function to write the binary content (new_myfile_binarycontent field) to a file.

WriteBinaryContent(“D:\\MyDownloadedFile\\”+[new_myfile_name], new_myfile_binarycontent])

On running the package successfully, we can see the files downloaded at the folder specified.

The result – as we just had 2 contact records out of 106 having file uploaded to it we can see those 2 filed downloaded.

Hope it helps..

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