Deployment

Install Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server to use a Microsoft SQL Server cluster environment

You can install Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server so that it can use a clustered Microsoft SQL Server environment that uses Microsoft Cluster Service (MSCS). An MSCS cluster that contains two or more nodes that are running SQL Server can reduce system downtime because, if one of the nodes in the cluster fails, there will be an automatic failover to another computer that is running SQL Server.

Note

  • Failover clustering is not supported with Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Workgroup Edition.
  • This article does not apply to implementations that involve Windows Small Business Server 2003 (Windows SBS 2003).

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Base configuration

Option 1: Installing a new Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server deployment

Option 2: Rehome or configure an existing Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server deployment that connects to a SQL Server cluster that stores only the organization database

Option 3: Rehome or configure an existing Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server deployment that connects to aSQL Server cluster that stores both the configuration and organization databases

Base configuration

This topic describes the different options that are available to configure Microsoft Dynamics CRM to use a clustered SQL Server environment. The base configuration for a Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server system is described in the Implementation Guide. The instructions in this topic expand on the base configuration as described in the Implementation Guide by installing Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server so that it has a connection to a cluster of computers that are running SQL Server.

The configuration described here involves a single deployment of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server accessing a cluster of two computers that are each running an instance of Microsoft SQL Server 2005.

The typical Microsoft Dynamics CRM deployment creates and uses the following Microsoft Dynamics CRM-specific databases on SQL Server:

  • Organization_name_MSCRM. This is the organization database where Microsoft Dynamics CRM data is stored, such as all records and activities.
  • MSCRM_CONFIG. This database contains Microsoft Dynamics CRM metadata such as configuration and location information that is specific to each organization database.

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Option 1: Installing a new Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server deployment

Follow these steps to install Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server that will use a SQL Server cluster.

Step 1: Create the SQL Server cluster

Using the SQL Server documentation for the appropriate SQL Server edition, install and configure SQL Server and create a SQL Server cluster. The basic steps include the following:

  1. Collecting the information that you must have to create the virtual server. This can include a cluster disk resource, IP addresses, network names, and the nodes available for the cluster.
  2. Performing SQL Server Setup. After the necessary information is entered, the Setup program installs a new instance of SQL Server on the local disk of each node in the cluster and installs the system databases on the shared disk that is specified as part of the cluster configuration. The SQL Server program files are installed on each cluster node. During the cluster configuration, a virtual server is created.

Note

Although you can install Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server to a SQL Server cluster that is configured for either active-active or active-passive clustering, the cluster will function in an active-passive manner.

Step 2: Install Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server

Install Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server by using the procedures in chapter 2 of the Installing Guide that is included in the Implementation Guide and perform the following tasks during Setup:

  1. On the Select SQL Server page, enter the virtual server name that you specified when you created the SQL Server cluster. The virtual server name will not appear in the list, you must type it.
  2. On the same page, select the Create a new deployment option, and then complete Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server Setup.

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Option 2: Rehome or configure an existing Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server deployment that connects to a SQL Server cluster that stores only the organization database

Configure your existing Microsoft Dynamics CRM server to use the SQL Server cluster that contains only the organization database. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Follow the procedure in the previous section to create the SQL Server cluster.

    Important

    Before you complete the following steps, make sure that users are not connected to or accessing the Microsoft Dynamics CRM system. You can do this by disabling the organization.

    1. On the computer that is running the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server Web application, start Deployment Manager. To do this, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and then click Deployment Manager.
    2. Expand the Deployment Manager node, and then click Organizations.
    3. Right-click the organization, and then click Disable.

      Warning

      When you disable an organization, users will no longer be able to access Microsoft Dynamics CRM for that organization.

    4. Click Yes to disable the organization.
  2. Back up the MSCRM_CONFIG and Organization_name_MSCRM databases that are on the existing SQL Server.
  3. Restore the Organization_name_MSCRM database to the SQL Server cluster. For more information about how to restore databases, see Backing Up and Restoring Databases in SQL Server.
  4. On the computer that is running the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server Web application, start Deployment Manager. To do this, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and then click Deployment Manager.
  5. Expand the Deployment Manager node, and then click Organizations.
  6. Right-click the organization, and then click Disable.

    Warning

    When you disable an organization, users will no longer be able to access Microsoft Dynamics CRM for that organization.

    Click Yes to disable the organization.

  7. In the list of organizations, right-click the organization, and then click Edit Organization.
  8. In the Edit Organization Wizard, in the SQL Server box, type the virtual SQL Server name for the SQL Server cluster that you created earlier, and then click Next.
  9. On the System Requirements page, after a successful diagnostics check, click Next, and then click Apply.
  10. Click Finish.
  11. Enable the organization. To do this, right-click the organization, and then click Enable.
  12. Reset the IIS services on the computer that is running IIS where the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server Web application is installed. To do this, click Start, click Run, type iisreset in the Open box, and then click OK.

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Option 3: Rehome or configure an existing Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server deployment that connects to aSQL Server cluster that stores both the configuration and organization databases

Configure your existing Microsoft Dynamics CRM server to use the SQL Server cluster that contains both the configuration and organization databases. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Follow the procedure in the previous section to create the SQL Server cluster.

    Important

    Before you complete the following steps make sure that users are not connected to or accessing the Microsoft Dynamics CRM system.

    1. On the computer that is running the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server Web application, start Deployment Manager. To do this, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and then click Deployment Manager.
    2. Expand the Deployment Manager node, and then click Organizations.
    3. Right-click the organization, and then click Disable.

      Warning

      When you disable an organization, users will no longer be able to access Microsoft Dynamics CRM for that organization.

    4. Click Yes to disable the organization.
  2. Back up the MSCRM_CONFIG and Organization_name_MSCRM databases that are on the existing SQL Server.
  3. Restore the MSCRM_CONFIG and Organization_name_MSCRM database to the SQL Server cluster shared disk. For more information about how to restore databases, see Backing Up and Restoring Databases in SQL Server.
  4. On all nodes in the cluster, modify Microsoft Windows registry subkeys.

    Warning

    Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require you to reinstall the operating system and Microsoft Dynamics CRM. We cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

    Instead of completing this step to edit the registry, you can uninstall Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server, and then run Setup again to reinstall the application and select the virtual SQL Server name for the cluster. However, selecting this option requires you to remove Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server files and components. Therefore, we do not recommend this method for existing deployments.

    Update the following registry subkeys on the computer that is running Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server:

    • configdb
    • database
    • metabase

      To do this, follow these steps:

      1. On the computer that is running the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Web application, click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
      2. Locate the following registry subkey:

        HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSCRM

      3. Right-click configdb, and then click Modify.
      4. In the Value data box, change the data source to the name of the new virtual SQL Server name, and then click OK. For example, the string value in the Value data box should resemble the following:

        Data Source=NewSQLServer;Initial Catalog=MSCRM_CONFIG;Integrated Security=SSPI

      5. Follow steps 2-4 for the database subkey and for the metabase subkey.

      Note

      • If multiple Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server Roles are in your deployment, you must update the registry keys for all the server roles.
      • If you use the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Connector for Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services and if you are not moving the Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services server, you must update the configdb subkey on the computer on which the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Connector for Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is installed.
  5. Configure Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server to connect with the new instance of SQL Server where the configuration database is now located. To do this, follow these steps.
    1. On the computer that is running the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server Web application, start Deployment Manager. To do this, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and then click Deployment Manager.
    2. Expand the Deployment Manager node, and then click Organizations.
    3. Right-click the organization, and then click Disable.

      Warning

      When you disable an organization, users will no longer be able to access Microsoft Dynamics CRM for that organization.

      Click Yes to disable the organization.

    4. In the list of organizations, right-click the organization, and then click Edit Organization.
    5. In the Edit Organization Wizard, in the SQL Server box type the virtual SQL Server name for the SQL Server cluster that you created earlier, and then click Next.
    6. On the System Requirements page, after a successful diagnostics check, click Next, and then click Apply.
    7. Click Finish.
    8. Enable the organization. To do this, right-click the organization, and then click Enable.
  6. Reset the IIS services on the computer that is running IIS where the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server Web application is installed. To do this, click Start, click Run, type iisreset in the Open box, and then click OK.

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Related Links

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Implementation Guide

SQL Server 2005 Books Online

Network ports used for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0

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