Chris Reid's Blog

If you are building a new project in Visual Studio targeting the 3.5 or 4.0 framework that uses the Microsoft CRM web services, and you use code snippets from a 2.0 framework project you will notice your code doesn’t compile.

If you’re like me you blindly added something called a service reference rather then a web reference.

After adding the service reference you’ll notice your code won’t compile.

You will have to choose Advanced > Add Web Reference to add a web service reference.

We’ve just completed certification a second product for Microsoft Dynamics CRM. The Salentica Advisor Desk product is now Certified. This means it’s been tested and seamlessly integrated with Microsoft Dynamics CRM. It is also used and recommended by other companies.

The solution is profiled here on Microsoft’s site: http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/en/us/solution-finder.aspx?solutionid=c60a3f83-ff0b-4c99-8c95-a729b23647c9

(It could be a few days before the solution starts displaying the Certified for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Logo)

Microsoft had 2 sessions at PDC featuring CRM 5 which gives a glimpse at what’s coming in the next version. You can watch the sessions here:

Managing the Solution Lifecycle for xRM Applications

Developing xRM Solutions Using Windows Azure

Here’s a brief list of some of the what’s new:

Solutions – customizations can be packed as a solution. These solutions include plug-ins,  web resources (images, script, Sliverlight, etc). Solutions can be versioned, and layered with other solutions to form your xRM app.

Option sets – basically pick lists shared between entities.

Developer productivity improvements – .NET 4.0, Flexible web services (WCF, REST, AJAX) , improvements to client side object model

Native dashboards inside the CRM, there’s also charting available.

I had to get a Hyper-V guest attached to a VLAN last night. Here’s a quick summary of what I learned.

This blog post is an excellent place to start: http://blogs.msdn.com/adamfazio/archive/2008/11/14/understanding-hyper-v-vlans.aspx

Changes I made:

Virtual Switch

The virtual switch controls how the host communicates on the network, set the VLAN ID to the VLAN your host usually communicates on.

Virtual Machine

Each Virtual Machine will have to communicate on a VLAN, so we set the VLAN ID on all the guests. In this case I’ve opted for VLAN’s 1 and 8.

Switch Port

The server is connected to a Dell PowerConnect 6248 switch, and we’ll have to make a couple changes.

Change the port VLAN mode from Access to Trunk

VLAN Membership

Now we have to change the U in on the port to a T for each VLAN we want the server to access.

I decided to take the Samsung Epix i907 Windows Mobile with me to New Orleans and use it as my data device for the week. My usual device is a Blackberry 8800.

Key things I learned you have to do before using the device:

Download the latest device software from the manufacture.  This process clears your device, so before you have to start over might as well update.

Our exchange SSL cert is supplied by Comodo, and because of some Comodo root certificate weirdness, I had to perform this procedure.

Other surprises:

The device does not charge over USB.

The tap screen is awesome, I’m hooked on touching what I want on the screen.

Setting up email with exchange was really easy after I got the certificate issue sorted.

You can set flags on emails. Awesome, this is how I use my inbox.

i907 vs. 8800

It’s a close tie between which device gets emails first, sometimes it’s the winmo, sometimes the berry.

The BlackBerry was able to maintain a connection in the WPC09 keynote while i907 had problems maintaining a connection. It’s not often I’m sitting in a room with over 6000 people (all with devices) but it’s good to still have email. I assume this is a hardware issue.

I’m excited to see the upcoming changes in Windows Mobile 6.5. I’d also like to try devices from other manufactures to see how they differ from the Samsung. This Acer device looks good.

I’m heading New Orleans next week for WPC09. It’s a great opportunity to catch up on the latest from Microsoft.

If anyone needs a Tim Horton’s fix the Canadian Regional Lounge is brewing Tim Horton’s coffee.

Late notice, but there’s an $249 early bird special (code: TDDIRVIP) for tech days that ends July 1. The Toronto event takes place on September 29-30 at Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

I always find events like this a great opportunity to keep pace with Microsoft’s latest and greatest for developers. This years tracks are covered here.

One of the infrastructure upgrades we required was additional inbound bandwidth at the development office. Our T1 running at 1.5mbps no longer provided enough bandwidth, and despite being a T1 had more issues then it should over the 3 1/2 years we have had the service.

The development office is at the far south end of town next to the lake, which is quite a distance from the centrally located CO. It’s primarily industrial, I can watch the trains pickup the new Camaro’s from GM out my window. SDSL can’t make it this far from the CO, and the upstream bandwidth of an ADSL line wouldn’t be enough.

Fiber isn’t already in our building, and judging by the price I was quoted and the long term contract required, it’s not nearby either.

That’s when I found there’s way to “bond” multiple ADSL lines together using MLPPP. Basically you have 2 ADSL lines setup with MLPPP, and you get almost twice the speed. Your provider has to support the technology, because there is hardware on your end and their end that makes the MLPPP magic happen.

Teksavvy had many positive comments about them on the web so I went ahead and ordered 2 dry ADSL lines from them, 2 SpeedTouch 516 modems, and an well powered consumer router to run Tomato MLPPP on.

Here’s some speed tests I did when I first setup the line.

Single ASDL line:

Two ADSL lines using MLPPP:

After testing the line for a couple of weeks I cut the office over to the new line.

Pros:

- 3 times the download bandwidth, almost the same up we had before

- 60% cost savings per month vs. T1

Cons:

- No 4 hour SLA, if the lines go down might have to work from home (or all get rocket sticks).

I just plugged in a Rogers Mobile Internet stick into my laptop, the speed in the office is fantastic.

It’s much faster then the speed I get with my aging tethered Blackberry 8800.

We’re getting up to speed on Windows Mobile, step one was to order a device. We wanted a device with lots of power that has a good chance of running the TenDigits Mobile Access software when it is released.

Our wireless provider Rogers, like all wireless providers in Canada have a poor selection of Windows Mobile devices available for sale. We ordered an unlocked Samsung Epix SGH-i907 Smartphone from Expansys and a SIM card with a data plan from Rogers.

After an issue with the phone which Expansys took care of, it was time to get onto the web using internet explorer. This took me far too long, so here are the settings you need to save yourself some time.

Start > Settings > Connections tab > Connections >

Advanced tab >Select Networks

Add a new Connection

Call the connection Rogers (or anything else you want to call it) and click ok

Choose Rogers in the drop downs and click ok

You will now have a Rogers connection on your Connections Tasks tab. Click add a new modem connection.

Call the settings Rogers (or anything you want), select the modem Cellular Line(GPRS, 3G) and click Next

Access Point Name: internet.com

User Name: wapuser1
Password: wap
Click finish, and press ok on the next screen.

On the settings screen open the proxy manager

Choose do not use a proxy server and click ok.

You should now be able to browse the internet.