Dynamics CRM Beginners: Automating CRM 2011 Solution Backup - Programmatically (Import , Create, Retrieve Solution)

Recently i was working in CRM 2011 customizations, after completion of the customization , i have Exported the solution for my backup purpose. This i planned to automate daily. So i have created one Asp.net program to Automate this backup process.

The following sample shows how to export the solution from CRM online and save it in specified location.

Step 1 : Create a “Console Application” in Visual studio under Visual C# templates.

Step 2 : Give the Project and Solution Name, Make sure that .Net Framework must be 4.

Step 3 : Click “Ok”.

Step 4: Add the following References to the project from sdk\bin folder

CRM References – Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.Proxy , Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk

.Net References – System.ServiceModel, System.Runtime.Serialization,System.Security

Step 5 : Right Click the “ExportCRMonlineSolution” project and click “Add Existing Item”.

Select “deviceidmanager.cs” from the sdk folder. (sdk\samplecode\cs\helpercode)

Your “Solution Explorer” should look like this.

Step 6 : Add the following Namespace to the project.

using System.ServiceModel;

using System.IO;

using System.ServiceModel.Description;

using System.Net;

using Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.Messages;

using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;

using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Client;

using Microsoft.Crm.Services.Utility;

Step 7 : Now Add the below code in the Main

string userName = "<CRM online username>";

string passWord = "<CRM online password>";

string SolName = "<solution which is available in online CRM>";

ClientCredentials credentials = new ClientCredentials();

credentials.UserName.UserName = userName;

credentials.UserName.Password = passWord;

credentials.Windows.ClientCredential = CredentialCache.DefaultNetworkCredentials;

Uri organizationUri = new Uri("<crm online organization service url>");

Uri homeRealmUri = null;

# region Getting Current datetime information -- This is not mandatory we can skip

string fileDate = DateTime.Now.Date.ToShortDateString();

string formatedDate = fileDate.Replace("/", "-");

string fileTime = DateTime.Now.ToShortTimeString().Replace(" ", "-");

string formatedTime = fileTime.ToString().Replace(":", "-");

string finalformat = formatedDate+"_"+formatedTime;

#endregion

using (OrganizationServiceProxy serviceProxy = new OrganizationServiceProxy(organizationUri, homeRealmUri, credentials, GetDeviceCredentials()))

{

String outputDir = @"C:\temp\";

ExportSolutionRequest expsolreq = new ExportSolutionRequest();

expsolreq.Managed = false;

expsolreq.SolutionName = SolName;

ExportSolutionResponse expsolres = (ExportSolutionResponse)serviceProxy.Execute(expsolreq);

byte[] exportXml = expsolres.ExportSolutionFile;

string filename = SolName + "_" + finalformat + ".zip";

File.WriteAllBytes(outputDir + filename, exportXml);

Console.WriteLine("Solution Exported to {0}", outputDir + filename);

}

Step 8 : Add the below method outside of the Main – This is to get the deviceid credentials for the particular running machine. This is required for CRM online.

private static ClientCredentials GetDeviceCredentials()

{

return Microsoft.Crm.Services.Utility.DeviceIdManager.LoadOrRegisterDevice();

}

Step : 9 Your complete project looks likes the below

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Linq;

using System.Text;