You can deploy and run the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 E-mail Router on multiple computers in a Microsoft cluster to provide high availability and failover functionality. In Windows Server 2003 this type of server cluster is known as server clustering and in Windows Server 2008 it is known as failover clustering. Both of these server clustering technologies are supported with the E-mail Router.
To implement the minimum configuration for a cluster with failover capabilities you must have the following hardware and configuration:
- At least two nodes running Windows Server that support clustering.
- A common storage I/O technology between the nodes in the cluster, such as Parallel SCSI or Fibre Channel.
- The cluster configured in an active/passive manner.
To install and run the E-mail Router in a failover cluster environment, complete the following steps.
Step 1: Establish the cluster
Install and configure the cluster. To do this, you must perform the following high-level tasks:
- Install the minimum configuration of a two-node cluster with a shared disk.
- Configure the cluster as active/passive. The E-mail Router does not support an active/active cluster deployment.
For more information about failover clusters in Windows Server 2008, see Failover Clusters.
For more information about server clusters in Windows Server 2003, see Designing and Deploying Server Clusters.
Step 2: Install the E-mail Router to the active primary node in the cluster
Install and configure the E-mail Router on the active primary node in the cluster.
- Run E-mail Router Setup on the active primary node in the cluster.
Important
- It is not necessary to install the E-mail Router on a computer running Microsoft Exchange Server. Therefore, we recommend that you install the E-mail Router as the only application on Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008 computers in the cluster or in an existing cluster that is operating with a light load.
- Installing E-mail Router on nodes operating in an active/active cluster, such as an Exchange Server active/active cluster, is not supported. Notice that an active standby node running the E-mail Router is not necessary because the E-mail Router warm up sequence is short.
- Configure the E-mail Router. Start the E-mail Router Configuration Manager on the first node and configure the E-mail Router. Verify that the E-mail Router is routing messages correctly to and from the Microsoft Dynamics CRM and e-mail systems.
- Copy all E-mail Router application files to the common storage or shared hard disk. By default, the E-mail Router files are located at <Drive:>\Program Files\Microsoft CRM Email.
Note that the following files must be located on the common storage or shared disk so that they can be moved to the secondary node in the event of a failover.
- Microsoft.Crm.Tools.EmailAgent.Configuration.bin
- Microsoft.Crm.Tools.EmailAgent.SystemState.xml
- Microsoft.Crm.Tools.EmailAgent.xml
- EncryptionKey.xml (if it exists)
Important
The E-mail Router files should be manually secured on the common storage or shared disk. We recommend that you only grant full control to the service account running the E-mail Router service (Microsoft CRM Email Router) and those administrators who may need to update configuration files manually.
- Update the following Windows registry subkey so the E-mail Router will use the shared disk to load the E-mail Router settings.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSCRMEmail
To do this, Change the ImagePath value to point to the common storage or shared disk drive where the E-mail Router files were copied.
- Restart the Microsoft CRM Email Router service.
Step 3: Install the E-mail Router to the passive node in the cluster
Install and configure the E-mail Router on the passive secondary node in the cluster.
- Run E-mail Router Setup on the second node in the cluster.
Important
Do not run E-mail Router Configuration Manager and do not copy the files to the common storage or shared hard disk as described in step 2: Install the E-mail Router to the active primary node in the cluster.
- Update the Windows registry subkey as in the previously performed steps on the primary node. Repeat these steps for each additional node in the cluster.
- Restart the Microsoft CRM Email Router service.
Step 4: Create the generic resource service for the cluster
Create a generic resource service for the cluster. To do this, follow these steps.
- On each node in the cluster, start the Services MMC snap-in. In the list of services right-click Microsoft CRM Email Router, click Properties, and then set Startup Type to Manual. Close the Services MMC snap-in.
- Start Active Directory Users and Computers. Locate the PrivUserGroup {GUID} security group for the deployment. Add the computer accounts for each node in the cluster. Close Active Directory Users and Computers.
- If you are using Windows Server 2003, start Cluster Administrator or, if you are using Windows Server 2008, start Failover Cluster Management, and create a generic resource service. Use the following parameters:
- Name: Create a descriptive name for the generic resource service, such as MSCRM E-mail Router.
- Resource type: Generic Service
- Group: Cluster Group
- Possible owners: Add all nodes in the cluster.
- Dependencies: If you are using Exchange Server and you have installed the E-mail Router on the Exchange Server computer (not recommended), add Microsoft Exchange Information Store.
- Service Name: Microsoft CRM Email Router
- Start Parameters: Leave blank.
- Use Network Name for computer Name: Leave unchecked.
- Do not checkpoint any Registry keys.
- Bring the resource online and then, if needed, configure the resource properties such as the failover policies.
- Close Cluster Administrator or Failover Cluster Management.
For more information, see Checklist: Installing a Generic Service resource.
Step 5: Verify and monitor the cluster
During a failover of node 1 (the primary node), node 2 (the secondary node) will become the primary node and the common storage or shared disk resources described in Step 2 will move from node 1 to node 2. To test for failover, start Cluster Administrator or Failover Cluster Management and force a failover.
Known issues
In situations where two E-mail Routers are monitoring the same mailbox, such as in an Active/Active cluster configuration, you may get occasional e-mail message duplicates. To work around this issue, set the secondary node that is running the E-mail Router to poll the mailbox less frequently than the primary node. By default, the E-mail Router polls every 60 seconds and by setting the secondary E-mail Router node to a less frequent polling interval, such as 360 seconds, it will greatly reduce the occurrence of e-mail message duplicates.
Related Links
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Implementation Guide
Configure the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 E-mail Router in Different Deployment Scenarios
