Author: Carl

Introduction to Microsoft Flow

Microsoft Flow is a new service from Microsoft that enables creating automated workflows between applications. It is like IFTTT (if this then that) for cloud services. Flow is built on Microsoft’s Azure-based Logic Apps. They both share the same designer and the same connectors that allow you to connect to many different systems and automate your processes. Here we will go through an example of creating a flow. Firstly, log into … Continue reading Introduction to Microsoft Flow

Dynamics 365 Linq Queries

In order to use LINQ queries to access Dynamics 365 data, you need to go through the following steps. This is a late-bound example. First, add the necessary assemblies to access Dynamics 365: Next, connect to Dynamics 365: Finally write the LINQ query, here joining the contact and account and retrieving relevant fields to display: Results below: Code: [sourcecode language=”CSharp”] using System; using System.Collections.Generic; using System.Linq; using System.Text; using System.Threading.Tasks; using Microsoft.Xrm.Tooling.Connector; using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk; … Continue reading Dynamics 365 Linq Queries

Power BI and Office 365 Groups

In Office 365 Admin, select the Groups icon, or type in Add a group: From here, you will see all existing groups: Select Add a Group: Select the group type: Enter the group information and Save: Group added: You can then edit the group, add members etc: Now, in Power BI, you will see the new Power BI Group:    

Install SQL 2016 Sample Databases

The AdventureWorks sample databases that had been used for a long time for SQL Server have been replaced with the SQL Server 2016 version. This new database contains many new features. To install the database, go to: https://github.com/Microsoft/sql-server-samples/releases/tag/wide-world-importers-v1.0 We will restore a local database and local data warehouse. Database is installed: Restore the data warehouse, place the file in a directory run the command replacing the source directory below: RESTORE FILELISTONLY FROM DISK … Continue reading Install SQL 2016 Sample Databases

Assign Power BI Licenses

To assign licenses to Power BI users, do the following. In the Office 365 Admin Portal, select Billing: Select Add Subscriptions: Scroll to find the licenses for Power BI Pro and Power BI Free: Select an option: Go to Subscriptions and you will see Power BI: Select a user and assign license:

Dynamics CRM Queues

Queues are used in Dynamics CRM to organize work. Each user and team in Dynamics CRM has a queue by default: To create a new Queue, go to Settings->Business Management: You can also go to Settings->Service Management: Select New to create a new queue: You can set the type to public or private. When you save the queue, a mailbox is created: New record creation details:   Now on your … Continue reading Dynamics CRM Queues

Dynamics CRM Business Units

Business Units are used in Dynamics CRM to group users and teams. To create business unit, go to Settings->Security: There should be one business unit already in the system as the “parent” business unit: Business units have Users: Select New: Let’s create a new team to add to the Business Unit: Note a default team based on the business unit name is automatically created: You can then go to the … Continue reading Dynamics CRM Business Units

USD Caching

USD has caching functionality to allow the USD client to be loaded as quickly as possible. Caching can not only increase USD client startup time but also reduce bandwidth. We will go through an example of how USD client caching works. Firstly, client caching needs to be enabled in USD. Go to Settings->USD->Options: If there is no ClientCacheVersionNumber key, create a new key. Enter ClientCacheVersionNumber as the name and option. Enter … Continue reading USD Caching

Logging in USD

There are several ways you can troubleshoot USD if there is an error. One of these is logging. Logging can be done at the USD client level. Log files are stored in the user’s location: c:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\UnifiedServiceDesk\Version or C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Microsoft Dynamics® 365 Unified Service Desk In this directory, you will see subdirectories for the organizations you connect to: Select the correct organization folder, and the additional subfolder to get to the log files. … Continue reading Logging in USD

Power BI Admin Portal

To access the Power BI Admin Portal, first ensure you have Power BI Service Administrator role in Office 365. When you log into powerbi.com, under Settings you will then see the Admin portal: From here, you will see different features. Usage Metrics: Manage users: Audit logs: Tenant settings: