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Creating a single Virtual PC image for Microsoft CRM 3.0

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Size Of A Cow...

One of the most common questions partners ask me is how can I install all the CRM components on a single Virtual PC image for development, test & demo purposes. At a minimum CRM Professional requires 3 Virtual PCs:

  • Server 1: Windows Server 2003 + Active Directory + Exchange
  • Server 2: Windows Server 2003 + CRM + SQL + Reporting Services
  • Client 1: Windows XP + Office + CRM Client

Now unless you have one of those brand-new, dual-core, 4GB RAM notebook PC with fast, high-capacity external hard drives, running all three images on a single host PC is not going to be particularly usable. The main problems with a single image, which I have encountered are:

  • Outlook & Exchange have problems running on the same machine.
  • CRM Desktop Client for Outlook installation fails towards the end of the install with an ABP (Address Book Profile) error and leaves the Client only partially working
  • CRM Client for Outlook (both Desktop & Laptop clients) and CRM Server both try and install files in the same folder by default C:\Program Files\Microsoft CRM.

Well the good news is that we now have a series of steps which solve these problems, and so, using my MSDN Universal Subscription licence keys I have built my own image:

  1. Install Windows Server 2003, Active Directory, SQL Server 2005, SQL Reporting Services 2005, Exchange Server 2003, Office 2003, SharePoint Portal Server 2003, Business Scorecard Manager 2005.

  2. Start Outlook and create an Exchange Mail Profile for the currently logged on user.

  3. Install CRM 3.0 server and change the default installation directory to C:\Program Files\Microsoft CRM Server.

  4. Find MAPISVC.INF in C:\WINDOWS\system32 and Rename it to MAPISVC-BACKUP.INF

  5. Copy MAPISVC.INF from C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\MSMAPI\1033 to C:\WINDOWS\system32

  6. Install CRM Desktop Client for Outlook – Ignore Environment Diagnostics Wizard warning:
    "The Microsoft CRM client for Outlook cannot be installed on a computer where Microsoft Exchange is installed"

  7. The installation will fail with an “ABP” error (ABP = CRM Address Book Provider). The next steps will fix the problem

  8. Find the CRMABP32.dll from the CRM Client Installation Disk (CD 2) in the \PFiles\MSCRM\Client\bin folder, and copy this to both C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\MSMAPI\1033 and C:\WINDOWS\system32 folders

  9. Copy the following text at the bottom of both C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\MSMAPI\1033\MAPISVC.INF and C:\WINDOWS\system32\MAPISVC.INF

    [MSCRM AB]
    Providers=MSCRM ABP
    PR_DISPLAY_NAME=Microsoft CRM Address Book
    PR_SERVICE_DLL_NAME=CRMABS.dll
    PR_SERVICE_SUPPORT_FILES=CRMABS.dll
    PR_SERVICE_DELETE_FILES=CRMABS.dll
    PR_SERVICE_ENTRY_NAME=ServiceEntry
    PR_RESOURCE_FLAGS=SERVICE_SINGLE_COPY | SERVICE_NO_PRIMARY_IDENTITY

    [MSCRM ABP]
    PR_RESOURCE_TYPE=MAPI_AB_PROVIDER
    PR_PROVIDER_DLL_NAME=CRMABS.dll
    PR_PROVIDER_DISPLAY=Microsoft CRM Address Book
    PR_STORE_SUPPORT_MASK=STORE_CREATE_OK | STORE_RESTRICTION_OK

  10. In the same MAPISVC.INF files, under [Services] section, add the line

    MSCRM AB=Microsoft CRM Address Book

  11. Go to Control Panel -> Mail -> E-mail Accounts and select "Add a new directory or address book" then select "Additional Address Books" and click on "Microsoft CRM Address Book".

  12. Start Outlook and go to Tools -> Options -> Other -> Advanced Options -> COM Addins and enable the "Microsoft CRM Outlook Addin"

  13. In Outlook go to Tools -> Address Book, then go to Tools -> Options -> Add, and select all 6 CRM address books - CRM Accounts, CRM Contacts, CRM Facilities/Equipment, CRM Leads, CRM Queues and CRM Users

And that's it. Enjoy

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    March 30, 2006
    Is it possible to use the CRM Laptop Client for Outlook instead of CRM Desktop Client for Outlook in order to show the offline scenario?

  • Anonymous
    April 14, 2006
    I think, that you have been mistaken on point 8...File name is CRMABP32.dll...

  • Anonymous
    May 04, 2006
    I think this approach also works for the CRM Laptop Client for Outlook, although I'm not sure of the performance degredation caused by the additional memory footprint of running the local MSDE database and the CRM Client Application Hoster service on the same virtual server as CRM, SQL, AD, Exchange etc.

  • Anonymous
    May 04, 2006
    Well spotted, point 8 should read CRMABP32.DLL - I'll change this straight away. Thanks

  • Anonymous
    May 21, 2006
    Good Stuff.

    Now, lets say I want to run 3 of these VMs (3 seperate MS CRM instances) at the same time using Virtual Server. This would provide three sepearte Remote Desktop accesses to developers.
    Is there a way to do this without installing CRM 3 times? Running the same VM more than once will give a "Computer Name already exists" error if I open the server up to the internal network for RDP access...


    Thanks

  • Anonymous
    December 30, 2006
    This has long been a challenge for many and I have yet to see a complete solution to the problem of getting...

  • Anonymous
    May 10, 2007
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    July 05, 2007
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    August 01, 2007
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    January 03, 2008
    Anyone addressed intalling the Outlook client along side Exchange 2003?

  • Anonymous
    March 06, 2008
    PingBack from http://thecrmgrid.wordpress.com/2008/03/06/microsoft-crm-development-environment-part-1/

  • Anonymous
    March 12, 2008
    The comment has been removed