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Installing the Dynamics CRM Instance Adapter

Post Author: Joe D365 |

NOTE: Microsoft has removed the Instance Adapter.

Overview

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Instance Adapter is an adapter that was written for the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics that allows for the synchronization of data between two 2011 CRM organizations.  The CRM Instance Adapter allows for communication between two endpoints that exist on any authentication/hosting environment (on-premise, online and IFD) within one adapter.  Previously it was required to utilize two adapters, as is the case when synchronizing data between two dynamics products like GP and CRM.

Installation

The Connector for Microsoft Dynamics must be installed on a machine that has access to both CRM endpoints you wish to communicate with and have access to a database server where it may deploy its configuration database.  Be aware that the name of the configuration database is hardcoded into the installation of the connector and that installing a second instance while utilizing the same database server will overwrite the configuration database.

After the Connector has been installed, you can now add the CRM Instance Adapter.

My installation path: C:Program Files (x86)Microsoft DynamicsMicrosoft Dynamics Adapter

Upon opening the file you should see the following:

Installing the CRM 2011 instance adapter

Inside the Adapters folder, you should notice a folder called Microsoft.Dynamics.Integration.Adapters.DynamicCrm:

Copy it into the Adapters folder in your Connector folder.  My directory looks like the following:


In addition, we’ll need to add a few files to the {Connector Installation Root}Microsoft Dynamics Adapter folder as well.  The files are the following:

  • Microsoft.Dynamics.Integration.Adapters.DynamicCRM.Configuration.exe
  • Microsoft.Dynamics.Integration.Adapters.DynamicCRM.Configuration.exe.config

My directory looks like the following:

Let’s explore the folder structure of the adapter a little.  If you navigate to the DynamicCrm Adapter folder that we copied in the first step (C:Program Files (x86)Microsoft DynamicsMicrosoft Dynamics AdapterAdaptersMicrosoft.Dynamics.Integration.Adapters.DynamicCrm), you should see something like the following:

The adapter itself is stored in the Microsoft.Dynamics.Integration.Adapters.DynamicCrm assembly, while the remaining assembly is a reference utilized by the adapter.  The ObjectConfig folder is where configuration files for the entities of your two CRM endpoints will be stored.  After configuring the adapter, if you navigate into that folder, you’ll notice something:

The ObjectConfig folder contains a DynamicCRMAdapterSource and a DynamicCRMAdapterDestination folder that mirror the two parts of the DynamicCRM adapter.  This split allows you to utilize the same CRM endpoint as both a Source and Destination in your Connector integrations and for flexibility in the configuration of each.  For instance, if you wanted to modify the configuration files for an organization that is utilized as a source endpoint, you would not have to worry about those changes affecting a different integration where the organization is also utilized as a destination endpoint.

We’ll look further into the configuration file folders after we’ve had a chance to configure the adapter and run the configuration utility.  Take a look at the next blog in our series which deals with configuring the adapter.

Joe CRM
By Joe D365
Joe D365 is a Microsoft Dynamics 365 superhero who runs on pure Dynamics adrenaline. As the face of PowerObjects, Joe D365’s mission is to reveal innovative ways to use Dynamics 365 and bring the application to more businesses and organizations around the world.

23 comments on “Installing the Dynamics CRM Instance Adapter”

  1. Hello Joe, I have two Microsoft CRM online installation. I wish to use Instance Adapter to sync the data between these two.

    In your blog, you have mentioned an (implicit) prerequisite that "Connector for Microsoft Dynamics" is required. I am unable to find this connector at the first place. All the connectors on Microsoft site are either for NAV or GP. Can you post the download link for appropriate connector to be used for CRM online?

    I have already downloaded the instance adapter, but that seems to be of no use without appropriate connector.

    Many thanks

    1. Hi - go ahead and download either the connector with the GP adapter or the SL adapter. Either will work ok.

  2. Hi there - is it ok to allow the configuration database to be installed on the CRM SQL database?

    1. Hi Daniel,
      Yep - the config database will be a separate database so it can be in the same sql server as the crm databases.

  3. Hi there! I followed the install instructions of the crm instance connector but no additional Adapter is displayed. It's installed on a W2k8R2Sp1 Server with CRM 2011 RU13 und SQL 2012 on it. I tried the AX and the CRM connector. Does any one know what I am doing wrong?
    Many thanks in advance!
    Stefan

  4. Hi there,
    What are minimum Upate Rollup requirements for this to work? I downloaded the adapter, unzipped it, but the ObjectConfig folder only has PicklistObjectProvider.xml file in it.
    Thanks in advance
    Gagan

    1. Hi - There is no native 2013 adapter yet. But the 2011 adapter works on a crm 2013 system.

  5. I Installed as described, but although I see Dynamics CRM and Dynamics CRM 2011 connections, I do not see the source and destination adaptors. What did I miss?

    1. Hey,
      I´ve got the same problem. Anyone an idea how to solve? Unblock worked, but the source and destination adapter is not shown.

      Thanks.
      Marc

      1. I had the same problem but was able to solve it by uninstalling the AX Connector and installing the SL connector instead. I did not remove the adapter components during the uninstall, and once the SL connector completed installation the new CRM destination/source adapters showed up.

  6. I have the same issue as Lucio, i.e. all links to the connector and adapter are broken and google finds nothing but documentation. Where can I download the actual software?

    1. Hi Josh, Yeah - looks like things have moved in MIcrosoft's web site.....after a bit of searching (actualy, a lot) we found the downloads for the crm connector with the 3 ERP adapters. THese are now only avail in partner/customer source.

      Here's the download link from customer source:
      https://mbs.microsoft.com/customersource/northamerica/Connector/downloads

      Now the CRM instance adapter is no longer listed there and the downloads link we have are not working. We just notified our contacts at Microsoft of this and hope to have a fix shortly. I'll update things here.

      1. Looks like the CRM connector instance adapter was removed from the Microsoft download site because it was not a Microsoft Dynamics supported adapter. We hope to have more news and an update shortly.

        1. Hi Joe,
          Please let me know if the CRM connector instance adapter is available to download from Microsoft, And it was mentioned above that it was not a Microsoft Dynamics supported adapter. What do you mean by that? Can we use it for data migration now from MSCRM 2011 On-premise to 2013 On-premise?

          1. Hi - We are still waiting for more info on what will happen with the crm instance adapter. In regards to migrating crm 2011 to crm 2013 on premises -- if you are doing an upgrade, you can take a backup and import from 2011 to 2013. If you want to simply replicate a bit of data we recommend Scribe OR SSIS with the KingswaySoft adapter.

  7. hi Joe,

    do you have an idea of this kind of errors?

    All integrations are failing from CRM to AX and from AX to CRM. An exception occurred while processing map. Processing will be aborted. Check your Dynamics CRM Adapter configuration settings. The communication object, System.ServiceModel.Channels.HttpChannelFactory+HttpRequestChannel, cannot be used for communication because it has been Aborted. Another account has encountered an error. Processing will be aborted. The HTTP service located at http: is too busy.

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