This may or may not be the case for all the CRM users who are accessing the CRM application from their client machine using IE. This is a clue that there is a setting within the client machine that is causing this type of performance issue for the CRM users.

After looking into this behavior in more details and after verifying some more isolation steps including the Antivirus settings, group policy, IE version, default IE settings and many more, I found that this type of performance is caused by the Zoom Level setting of IE, which is not set to its default value (100%). After charging this value to its default value (100%), there was no performance issue for the users.

Note: Resetting or Restoring the IE settings to its default value does not take care of this specific setting in IE.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh204512.aspx

The DELETE statement conflicted with the REFERENCE constraint "FK__SystemUse__UserI__7755B73D". The conflict occurred in database "MSCRM_CONFIG", table "dbo.SystemUserAuthentication", column 'UserId'. [SQLSTATE 23000] (Error 547)  The statement has been terminated. [SQLSTATE 01000] (Error 3621). The step failed.

When I looked into the SQL job properties, I found that it was executing a SQL Stored Procedure exec p_hardDelete :

This SQL Stored Procedure is located under Programmability in the MSCRM_CONFIG database:

When I looked into this stored procedure, I found the following SQL script:

If you look into the order of the script you will find:

DELETE FROM SystemUser WHERE IsDeleted = 1 ---- Parent Table. Will error out due to FK constraint defined in below child table (SystemUserAuthentication)

DELETE FROM SystemUserAuthenticationProperties WHERE Id IN (SELECT Id FROM SystemUserAuthentication WHERE IsDeleted = 1)

DELETE FROM SystemUserAuthentication WHERE IsDeleted = 1

We can modify this script to make it error free by changing the order as follows:

DELETE FROM SystemUserAuthenticationProperties WHERE Id IN (SELECT Id FROM SystemUserAuthentication WHERE IsDeleted = 1)

DELETE FROM SystemUserAuthentication WHERE IsDeleted = 1

DELETE FROM SystemUser WHERE IsDeleted = 1

After changing the order of the SQL stored procedure exec p_hardDelete , the SQL job “MSCRM_CONFIG.HardDelete” will execute  without any error message.

When you track E-mails in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Outlook Client you receive the following error messages:

User Interface Error:

"A SQL Server error occurred. Try this action again. If the problem continues, check the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Community lbr solutions or contact your organization’s Microsoft Dynamics CRM Administrator. Finally, you can contact Microsoft Support".

Platform Error:

CRM Exception: Message: ErrorCode: -2147204784, InnerException: System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException: Length of LOB data (152644) to be replicated exceeds configured maximum 65536.

Cause:

These error messages occurs when SQL Replication is enabled for Microsoft Dynamics CRM databases and you attempt to insert into a text, ntext, or image column that is published in a replication article.

Resolution:

To resolve these error messages take full backup of all ORG_MSCRM and MSCRM_CONFIG databases and run the below query:

sp_configure 'max text repl size', 2147483647
Go
RECONFIGURE
GO

Note: The setting takes effect immediately without a SQL server restart.

More Information:

‘max text repl size’ option specify the maximum size (in bytes) of text, ntext, varchar(max), nvarchar(max),varbinary(max), xml, and image data that can be added to a replicated column or captured column in a single INSERT, UPDATE, WRITETEXT, or UPDATETEXT statement. The default is 65536. A value of -1 indicates no limit, other than the limit imposed by the data type. This option applies to transactional replication and Change Data Capture. When a server is configured for both transactional replication and Change Data Capture, the specified value applies to both features. This option is ignored by snapshot replication and merge replication.

REFERENCE:

Max text repl size Option in SQL 2008: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms186225.aspx

Say user 1 and user 2 belongs to CRM organizations - Org1 and Org2. When user 1 tries to access CRM application through web client, it takes him to Org1. When user 2 tries to access CRM application through web client, it takes him to Org2. Reason being, the CRM Organization which is rendered when the users hit the CRM website depends on the sequence in which they were added to the Organizations. Please see the explanation below: 

If user 1 is added to Org1 and then added to Org2, when this user tries to access CRM, it will render Org1 and not Org2. Similarly if user 1 is added to Org2 and then to Org1, when this user tries to access CRM, it will render Org2 and not Org1.

In order to test this, create 2 users - crmtest1 and crmtest 2. Add crmtest1 to Org1 and then to Org2. Now, when crmtest1 user hits the CRM web page, it renders Org1 but not Org2. Add crmtest2 to Org2 and then to Org1. Now, when crmtest2 user hits the CRM web page, it renders Org2 but not Org1, which is absolutely expected behavior.

If you want to change the default CRM Organization to which the user accounts belongs to, follow the steps below:-

1. Create a dummy account, say crmdummy.
2. Launch CRM website as CRM administrator. Launch CRM hitting the Org2. Browse to Settings - Administration - Users - crmtest1 account.
3. Erase the user name field Domainname\crmtest1 and enter the dummy account information Domainname\crmdummy, hit on tab key on keyboard, enter the last name information and click on save button.
4. Now try accessing the CRM website, this will take you to Org1 but not to Org2 anymore. Reason being, we have erased the crmtest1's account information from the CRM database virtually.
5. Now go back to the page where we remapped user1's account (in above step). Erase the user name field Domainname\crmdummy and enter Domainname\crmtest1, hit on tab key on keyboard, enter the last name information and click on save button.
6. Now try accessing the CRM website as User1, this will take you to Org1 but not to Org2 anymore. Reason being, we have erased the crmtest1's account information from the CRM database virtually.

To verify this I created a “test user” in Active Directory, added this user in CRM server, and did not assign any security role to this newly created CRM user. Then I logged into my client machine as “test user “ and after hitting the URL : http://crmservername:portno/  I found CRM web page is loading without any error message, but at the top right corner the logged in CRM user is showing the CRM installed on user  account, which is not expected behavior.

After spending some time and looking into different settings I found this impersonation was happening from IIS, and I was able to resolve this issue after changing the below settings:

In IIS manager right click the CRM Website>Manage Website>Advanced Settings>Under Physical Path Credentials>Select: Application user (pass through authentication) radio button >click on ok>ok to save the settings.

*No IIS reset is required after doing the above changes.

If you are searching for any system settings in CRM 2011 to increase the time out value of these maintenance jobs. Or, you are looking for an option to schedule these jobs. Or, if you are thinking to just stop the Microsoft Dynamics Asynchronous Processing Service (maintenance), then I would say that you are either looking for an option which is not available, or you are going for an option which is not recommended.

In order to achieve this task in recommended way, you can use CRM 2011 Scale Group Job Editor Tool available at: http://crmjobeditor.codeplex.com/. In this tool even if you don't get an option to disable a maintenance job, you will get an option to reschedule that job for a future date/time.

Please remember that disabling Microsoft Dynamics Asynchronous Processing Service (maintenance) service is not a solution , because by doing so you are disabling all the maintenance jobs including those which are required in CRM 2011.

And if you are thinking to run any update query against ScaleGroupOrganizationMaintenanceJobs table in MSRCM_CONFIG database, then you are going to do something on your own risk.

A good question is, what if a job is failing with a timeout error and you don’t want to disable the job, but you are looking for a fix/workaround. As I mentioned earlier that there is no option to increase the timeout value in Microsoft Dynamics CRM2011, you can either find the root cause of the time out error or include the job in regular SQL maintenance plan after resheduling it for a future date/time using the CRM 2011 Scale Group Job Editor Tool.

Reference

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Implementation Guide:

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=3621

Troubleshooting Performance Problems in SQL Server 2008:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd672789(v=sql.100).aspx

Performance is slow if the AsyncOperationBase table becomes too large in Microsoft Dynamics CRM:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968520

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Timeout settings:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918609

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/crminthefield/archive/2011/06/13/microsoft-dynamics-crm-timeout-settings.aspx

You get the following error message when installing CRM 2011 server with Network Load Balance.

Scenario

You are installing CRM 2011 in Network Load Balance. Installation in 1st node went fine but while doing the installation in the 2^nd node you get the below error message on the Installation Wizard:

Cause:

Following are the two possible causes of this error message:

• We are doing installation in 2nd node of CRM 2011 by using the license key from the CRM Config Database. It’s thinking that we are tweaking the CRM Database and is a forge installation and hence stopping from going ahead.

• A recent update roll up or a hot fix has been applied to the 1^st node and Use Microsoft update when I check for updates (recommended) radio button is not selected on Select Microsoft Update Preference screen of the installation wizard. You may verify this by capturing the Troubleshooting file for support from the 1^st node (where installation is successful) using CRM 2011 Diag Tool: http://crmdiagtool2011.codeplex.com/ look for the recently applied update roll ups and hot fix.

Resolution:

Reboot the 2^nd node (where installation is failing).

Add the IgnoreChecks registry key to the computer that is running Microsoft Dynamics CRM so the installation can proceed when an error is shown in the Environmental Diagnostic Wizard (EDW): 

Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.

In the registry, locate the following subkey: 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSCRM

Right-click MSCRM, point to New, click DWORD Value, and then type IgnoreChecks.

Double-click IgnoreChecks, and then type 1 in the Value data field.

 Note:

• Make a backup of the registry keys because serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. 

• You need to manually add the MSCRM folder if not already existing after following the registry hive till HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ 

Run setup again in 2^nd node(where installation is failing), Use Microsoft update when I check for updates(recommended) radio button. You will need an outbound internet connection on the server to download these updates. With these updates, the installing server version will be greater than the CRM database version and you should be able to proceed.

Note: After including this registry value you will get the same error message in installation wizard but this will also enable the Next> button in Installation Wizard to complete this installation.

ISSUE DESCRIPTION

You receive below error messages while opening Lead entity main form in CRM 2011.

 

PLATFORM ERROR 

Error: Exception of type 'System.Web.HttpUnhandledException' was thrown.
Error Message: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.
Error Details: Exception of type 'System.Web.HttpUnhandledException' was thrown.
Source File: Not available
Line Number: Not available
Request URL: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stack Trace Info: [NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.]
at Microsoft.Crm.Application.Controls.FormEditorBase.AddPlaceHoldersInSection(XmlNode& secNode)
at Microsoft.Crm.Application.Controls.FormEditorBase.AddSpacerCellsInSectionIfRequired(XmlNode& secNode)
at Microsoft.Crm.Application.Controls.FormEditorBase.AddColumnsAttribute(XmlNodeList& nodeList)
at Microsoft.Crm.Application.Controls.FormEditorBase.ValidateFormXml()
at Microsoft.Crm.Web.Tools.Views.FormEditorPage.ValidateFormXml()
at Microsoft.Crm.Web.Tools.Views.FormEditorPage.GetFormXml(String formXmlString)
at Microsoft.Crm.Web.Tools.Views.FormEditorPage.ConfigurePage()
at Microsoft.Crm.Application.Controls.PageManager.OnPreRender(EventArgs e)
at System.Web.UI.Control.PreRenderRecursiveInternal()
at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint)

CAUSE

You get this error message below condition is not true in form XML:

 “If the rowspan is greater than 1, the number of row elements within the rows element must be equal to or greater than the value of the rowspan attribute”

RESOLUTION

Modify form XML to make sure the number of row elements within the rows element must be equal to or greater than the value of the rowspan attribute.

REFERENCE  

<cell> (FormXML):  http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg327846.aspx