The extensibility platform is the best feature of Dynamics CRM and
Dynamics CRM online. The application that we develop is on the top of this
platform dynamics CRM support two type of deployments Dynamics CRM (on-premises) and CRM online(Hosted).
Dynamics CRM has a security model that protects the platform from unauthorized
access on the web.
Every application that developed for Dynamics CRM server is uses Web
service to communicate with the xRM platform layer. Microsoft Dynamics CRM uses
a metadata driven architecture to provide the flexibility to create custom
entities and additional system entity attributes and also make upgrades and transportation
of solutions easier.
We can control access to data through security using xRM platform,
controls access to the database, and raises events for workflow processes and
custom business logic implementations (plug-ins). The platform layer provides
for both incoming and outgoing email processing though Microsoft Exchange
Server.
WCF Web Services
Microsoft Dynamics CRM uses web service interface to interact with CRM
data, meta data and with platform services, The web services are based on
Windows communication Foundation (WCF). We could use write application and
tools with the help of these web services. For more
information about Web services, see Write
Code for Microsoft Dynamics CRM (Web Services). For more information about
Web services, see the .NET Framework Developer Center. You can also read
the article XML Web Services Basics.
Processes (Workflows)
Most of us are familiar with workflows in 4.0 but in 2011 Microsoft introduces
processes. Which include two categories workflows and dialogs. Processes are
used to create and execute custom business processes. As you can see in the
above picture process are on top of WWF. We can write custom process activates (.Net
assemblies). For more information about processes, see Processes
in Microsoft Dynamics CRM (Formerly Workflows).
Plug-ins
Microsoft gives us extension to perform custom business logic. You
can implement your business logic not just with the help of workflow
process but also with the help of Plug-ins
Plug-ins
support an event handler interface that is based on a pipeline execution model.
The pipeline model allows for event handlers, also known as plug-ins, to be
executed before or after the core operation of the system. When an action
occurs caused by user interaction with the Web application or a Web service
call, the platform checks for registered event handlers. If a handler is
registered for notification, the platform executes a well-defined event handler
method, passing it run-time information. For more information, see Plug-ins
for Extending Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
Client Application Extensions
MS CRM has a very power client application extensions. We could
implement customization and all the client programming code is stored in the MS
CRM database. This makes easy to import and export the code from developemt
enviorment to production enviorment.
Reporting
Using SSRS and built in report creation functionality we could develop complex
reports.
There are two catagrioes of reports
There are two catagrioes of reports
1.
SSRS
2.
Fetch XML
We could directly export our report for Excel and access.
