Programming a Web Portal for Microsoft Dynamics CRM - asp.net

Question

I'm working on a web portal for customers that will connect to Microsoft Dynamics. I don't want to make Dynamics CRM directly a internet facing deployment (IFD), so I'd like to use a separate database that the web interface interacts with and then use web services to move the data between the web portal database and Dynamics CRM.
I'm just looking for thoughts on whether this is the best way to proceed and whether there are any good code examples, etc. that I can look at for implementing this?
I saw Microsoft has a Customer Portal but it looks like it requires (at a cursory glance) an IFD deployment - which I don't want.

Answer 1

First, after creating your ASP.NET project (WebForms or MVC 3), add the following references:
Microsoft.crm.sdk.proxy.
Microsoft.xrm.sdk.
System.Runtime. Serialization.
System.ServiceModel.
In your code-behind Create a class then add the following code:
private IOrganizationService GetCrmService(string userName, string password, string domain, Uri serviceUri)
{
OrganizationServiceProxy _serviceProxy;
ClientCredentials credentials = new ClientCredentials();
credentials.Windows.ClientCredential = new System.Net.NetworkCredential(userName, password, domain);
//credentials.UserName.UserName = userName; // uncomment in case you want to impersonate
//credentials.UserName.Password = password;
ClientCredentials deviceCredentials = new ClientCredentials();
using (_serviceProxy = new OrganizationServiceProxy(serviceUri,
null,
credentials,
deviceCredentials))
{
_serviceProxy.ServiceConfiguration.CurrentServiceEndpoint.Behaviors.Add(new ProxyTypesBehavior());
return (IOrganizationService)_serviceProxy;
}
}
If you want to retrieve multiple records:
string fetch = #"My Fetch goes here";
EntityCollection records = getCrmService().RetrieveMultiple(new FetchExpression(fetch));
I highly recommend to download the SDK or check this
You'll find many samples and walkthroughs which will help you to build good portals.

Answer 2

I think it's a good strategy because:
It allows you to asynchronously put the data entered on the website into the CRM. This decoupling ensures neither the CRM nor the Website will become eachother's bottleneck.
Only the intermediate service layer is internet facing, so you'll be in control over what CRM information would be disclosed/open for alteration if this service layer is compromised.
The architecture you're after is reminiscent of the way the CRM Asynchronous Service works (asynchronous plugins and workflows work this way).:
A job is put in a queue (table) in the CRM DB.
A scheduled service awakes every x seconds and fetches the latest y records from the queue table.
The service performs each job and writes the result (success, error message log) back to the queue table's records.
So the thing that is probably hardest is writing a good scheduled service that never throws an exception (but always digests it) and properly logs the results back to the DB.
To learn more about the Dynamics CRM's "Asynchronous Service Architecture", refer to the following: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg334554.aspx

Answer 3

It looks like a good approach.
It will improve the performance of both the portal and CRM.
The data shown on portal is NEARLY realtime. i.e it is NOT realtime.
Throughout the development, you better keep checking that there is not TOO MUCH async processing to keep the CRM server busy all time.
I don't think, that the accelerators/portals REQUIRE CRM to be an IFD instance, I guess only the portal part needs to be Internate facing (of course to make it usable for the purpose!)
Anwar is right, SDK is a good lauchpad for such research.

Answer 4

Customer Portal Does not require IFD deployment. And if you do not like the Customer Portal you can always use SDK Extension for Portal development (microsoft.xrm.client.dll & microsoft.xrm.portal.dll and portalbase solution) which are all included in SDK.
There is a great resource regarding how to build portal by using SDK Portal Extenstion.
Dynamics CRM 2011 Portal Development