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Messaging data synchronization

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Applies To: Dynamics CRM 2013

Messaging data synchronization includes the synchronization of email, contacts, tasks, and appointments between an email server, such as Microsoft Exchange, a POP3\SMTP-based email server, or Microsoft Office Outlook, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM. There are three types of messaging data synchronization available with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online.

  1. Server-side synchronization synchronizes message data between Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Exchange or POP3\SMTP email servers.

  2. Email Router synchronization synchronizes email between Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Exchange or POP3\SMTP email servers.

  3. CRM for Outlook synchronization synchronizes message data between Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Outlook.

Server-side synchronization

Server-side synchronization provides direct Microsoft Dynamics CRM-to-email server synchronization. When you use Exchange, this includes bi-directional synchronization of email, contacts, tasks, and appointments. The data synchronized for each user can be controlled by using synchronization filters that are available from the Synchronization tab in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM user options dialog.

If you use a POP3 email server, the data that is synchronized includes email only.

Using server-side synchronization makes messaging data available to a web browser, tablet, or smartphone that is running Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

For more information about server-side synchronization, see Server-side synchronization of email, appointments, contacts, and tasks.

Server-side synchronization in Dynamics CRM

Note

A Microsoft Dynamics CRM user can only map to a single Exchange or POP3 mailbox. Similarly, an Exchange or POP3 mailbox can only be mapped to a single Microsoft Dynamics CRM user. When Microsoft Dynamics CRM detects that an Exchange or POP3 mailbox has already been mapped to a Microsoft Dynamics CRM user, a dialog box is displayed to present a choice to the user whether to map the Microsoft Dynamics CRM user to the Exchange mailbox. When the user selects yes, it breaks the previous Microsoft Dynamics CRM user to Exchange mailbox mapping and subsequently the synchronization that would occur between the Microsoft Dynamics CRM user and the Exchange mailbox.

Server-side synchronization frequency

When synchronization by using server-side synchronization occurs, the process is dynamic and unique to each user’s mailbox. Normally, synchronization occurs every 15 minutes. However, the synchronization frequency is determined based on the activity and load of the user’s mailbox. So, if a user’s mailbox is idle for a long period of time, the synchronization frequency will automatically increase, and may increase by hours. Notice that the synchronization frequency will also change based on the load and network connectivity of the user’s environment.

Email Router synchronization

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Email Router acts as an intermediary application that provides server-to-server synchronization between Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Exchange or POP3/SMTP based email servers. The Email Router only synchronizes email messages. It doesn’t synchronize appointments, contacts, or tasks.

Email Router synchronization in Dynamics CRM

For more information about the Email Router, see Install Email Router for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013.

CRM for Outlook synchronization

Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Microsoft Office Outlook can synchronize email messages, contacts, tasks, and appointments between Microsoft Office Outlook and Microsoft Dynamics CRM (client-to-server synchronization). Similar to server-side synchronization, synchronization filters are used to synchronize messaging data from Microsoft Dynamics CRM to Outlook or Exchange. Manually tracked or Inbox-rule based tracking is used to synchronize messaging data from Exchange or Outlook to Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

CRM for Outlook synchronization

When you use CRM for Outlook, there are a few synchronization concepts that are helpful to understand. Notice that, to have any of this CRM for Outlook functionality, each Microsoft Dynamics CRM user must run the CRM for Outlook add-in and the Microsoft Dynamics CRM user mailbox record must be configured appropriately.

When you select CRM for Outlook as the messaging data synchronization method in the user mailbox record, email, contacts, appointments, and tasks created in Outlook are synchronized with Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online or Microsoft Dynamics CRM (on-premises).

CRM for Outlook synchronization concepts

Note the following concepts when you use CRM for Outlook as the synchronizing agent:

  1. Synchronizing organization. Only one organization can be designated as the synchronizing organization. If you have more than one Microsoft Dynamics CRM organization configured, you can view the synchronizing organization in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Configuration Wizard. The Configuration Wizard is an application included with CRM for Outlook. Notice that you can still connect to additional organizations by using CRM for Outlook. However, when an organization is not defined as the synchronizing organization in CRM for Outlook, messaging data in Outlook does not synchronize with that organization.

  2. Synchronizing mailbox. Only one Exchange or POP3 mailbox can be designated for a single Microsoft Dynamics CRM user. You cannot designate multiple mailboxes and you cannot map more than one Microsoft Dynamics CRM user to a single Exchange or POP3 email mailbox. This mailbox is referred to as the primary mailbox.

  3. Synchronizing CRM for Outlook instance. Only one CRM for Outlook instance can be designated as the Synchronizing CRM for Outlook instance. When you sign-in to an organization from another PC that is running CRM for Outlook that is not the synchronizing CRM for Outlook instance you will receive a dialog message asking whether you want to designate the current CRM for Outlook instance as the synchronizing CRM for Outlook instance. Notice that, when you choose not to set the CRM for Outlook instance as the synchronizing instance, you can still connect to the Microsoft Dynamics CRM organization and perform tasks, but messaging data in Outlook will not synchronize with the Microsoft Dynamics CRM organization.

  4. Go Offline data sync. Go offline capability uses Microsoft SQL Server Express as the local data store. When you go offline or come back online, CRM for Outlook synchronizes the records for the entity types you choose with the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online or Microsoft Dynamics CRM (on-premises). When you go offline or come back online, a separate synchronization process takes place that is not part of the messaging data synchronization described here. Go offline capability allows users to create, modify, or delete records offline that can be later synchronized to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online or Microsoft Dynamics CRM (on-premises) when CRM for Outlook comes online again.

For more information about CRM for Outlook, see Install CRM for Outlook.

See Also

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Email Router
Planning messaging integration in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013

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