Create Dynamics CRM-Connected Enterprise Applications in OutSystems

OutSystems is a low-code platform which provides the tools for companies to developer, deploy, and manage omnichannel enterprise applications. When paired with CData Connect Cloud, you get instant, cloud-to-cloud access to Dynamics CRM data for business applications. This article shows how to create a virtual database for Dynamics CRM in Connect Cloud and build a simple app from Dynamics CRM data in OutSystems.

The CData Connect Cloud provides a pure cloud-to-cloud interface for Dynamics CRM, allowing you to build reports from live Dynamics CRM data in OutSystems — without replicating the data to a natively supported database. As you create applications to work with data, OutSystems generates SQL queries to gather data. Using optimized data processing out of the box, CData Connect Cloud pushes all supported SQL operations (filters, JOINs, etc.) directly to Dynamics CRM, leveraging server-side processing to quickly return the requested Dynamics CRM data.

Configure Dynamics CRM Connectivity for OutSystems

Connectivity to Dynamics CRM from OutSystems is made possible through CData Connect Cloud. To work with Dynamics CRM data from OutSystems, we start by creating and configuring a Dynamics CRM connection.

1. Log into Connect Cloud, click Connections and click Add Connection
2. Select "Dynamics CRM" from the Add Connection panel
3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Dynamics CRM.

   The connection string options meet the authentication and connection requirements of different Dynamics CRM instances. To connect to your instance, set the User and Password properties, under the Authentication section, to valid Dynamics CRM user credentials and set the Url to a valid Dynamics CRM server organization root. Additionally, set the CRMVersion property to 'CRM2011+' or 'CRMOnline'. IFD configurations are supported as well; set InternetFacingDeployment to true.

   Additionally, you can provide the security token service (STS) or AD FS endpoint in the STSURL property. This value can be retrieved with the GetSTSUrl stored procedure. Office 365 users can connect to the default STS URL by simply setting CRMVersion.

4. Click Create & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add Dynamics CRM Connection page and update the User-based permissions.

Add a Personal Access Token

If you are connecting from a service, application, platform, or framework that does not support OAuth authentication, you can create a Personal Access Token (PAT) to use for authentication. Best practices would dictate that you create a separate PAT for each service, to maintain granularity of access.

1. Click on your username at the top right of the Connect Cloud app and click User Profile.
2. On the User Profile page, scroll down to the Personal Access Tokens section and click Create PAT.
3. Give your PAT a name and click Create.
4. The personal access token is only visible at creation, so be sure to copy it and store it securely for future use.

With the connection configured, you are ready to connect to Dynamics CRM data from OutSystems.

Connect to Dynamics CRM from OutSystems

The steps below outline connecting to CData Connect Cloud from OutSystems to create a new Dynamics CRM database connection.

1. Open OutSystems Service Studio
2. Click the gear icon to open Environment Management in the Service Center
3. Click Administration and select "Database Connections"
4. Click "New Database Connection"
5. Configure the database connection:
   • Name: name the connection (e.g. CData Connect Cloud Dynamics CRM)
   • DBMS: SQL Server / Azure SQL
   • Username: a Connect Cloud user (e.g. user@mydomain.com)
   • Password: the PAT for the Connect Cloud user
   • Server: tds.cdata.com,14333
   • Schema: the name of your Dynamics CRM connection (e.g. DynamicsCRM1)
6. Click "Test Connection"
7. Click "Create"

Map Dynamics CRM Tables or Views to Entities in an Extension Module

Once you create the database connection for Dynamics CRM, you can create an extension that maps the tables or views to OutSystems entities. If you have not already done so, create an Application in Service Studio.

1. Open the Service Studio and open the existing Application
2. Click "Add Module," set the "Module Name" (e.g. dynamicscrm_db_extension), set "Module Type" to "Extension," and click "Create Module"
3. In Integration Studio, connect to your environment
4. Right-click "Entities" in the extension tree and select "Connect to External Table or View..."
5. Follow the steps in the wizard, selecting the tables and views you wish to work with
6. In the Integration Studio, click "1-Click Publish"
7. In the "1-Click Publish" wizard, click "Configure" when the process completes
   • In the Service Center, associate the logical database name of the extension to the database connection that the extension will use and click "Apply"
8. In your application, click "Manage Dependencies..."
9. Add a dependency to the Extension and select the Entities that you will use in your application

At this point, you can access and work with Dynamics CRM data just like you would with the standard OutSystems entities.

More Information & Free Trial

With Connect Cloud and OutSystems, you can easily build Dynamics CRM-connected applications. Request a free trial of Connect Cloud and start working with Dynamics CRM data in OutSystems today.