Things to consider when resetting a Dynamics 365 instance

Resetting of a Dynamics 365 instance is not a big deal since we are helped to do that through the Admin panel. If you need to do it for Production instance, first you need to convert it to a Sandbox instance which is again not difficult.

This is a well-illustrated article on how to do it step-by-step.

Anyway, Resetting of an instance may be needed due to many reasons such as need for an vanilla instance, changing the region and base currency, getting rid of some customization and etc.

Anyway, depending on the case there are few more things to consider prior to resting which I though of mentioning.

1) Do you need some of the customisation to be installed after resetting ?

If we need some of the solutions to be imported after resetting, you of course need to take those back-ups. More than that I would suggest, importing it back to another similar vanilla environment first to check if it works and keep that environment as a back-up. 

So we have two back-ups; 

• Solution File 
• Another D365 instance with those customisation.

2) Do you need some of the reference data to be ready after resetting ?

Sometime creating some sample data could be time consuming. In such cases, its best to use Configuration Migration Tool to backup some of those data, to be imported after the reset.

Business Unit is one of the tricky entity you necessarily need to consider.

3) Do you need your existing Theme back ?

Keep in mind, Theme is not imported through Solutions, in fact, you need a plan on how to restore the Theme. Probably it could be manual work. (Though I haven't tried, I found this article on importing Themes.)

4) How it impacts Integration ?

Finally, just think of the impact on Integration, especially, if it depends on hard-coded unique identifiers of any records. (#2 assures reinstalling same Id's)

Pass Dynamics 365 execution context to ASB (TwoWay), use Listner and retrieve back via Azure Aware Plug-in

Last time we understood how to pass the Dynamics 365 Plug-in context to Azure Service Bus without a Queue, but with a Listener. Let's extend our experience by using a TwoWay Designation type and Azure Aware Plug-in to retrieve contact back from end-point.

a) Register TwoWay Endpoint

As we did many times, Copy the Connection String from Policy of Azure Service Bus.

Now copy in the Service End Point entry of Plug-in Registration Tool.

In resulting detail page, change do below changes;
a. Select TwoWay for the Designation Type
b. Add https: to Namespace Address
c. Give a name to Path.

b) Implement Listener

Now implement below Listener code in new Console Application.

Need to install below Nuget Packages;
a. Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.CoreAssemblies
b. WindowsAzure.ServiceBus

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;
using Microsoft.ServiceBus.Messaging;
using System.Runtime.Remoting.Contexts;
using System.ServiceModel;
using Microsoft.ServiceBus;

namespace AsbListnerTwoWay
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            string asbAccessKeyName = "Sum1ServiceBusPolicy";
            string asbAccessKey = "7WxSLRMvYF0A3HbLUgfQeqIEb1eKsHgg5mrUwc=";
            string asbEndPoint = "https://sumeservicebus1.servicebus.windows.net";

            var serviceHost = new ServiceHost(typeof(TwoWayServiceEndpoint));
            var transportClient = new TransportClientEndpointBehavior(TokenProvider.CreateSharedAccessSignatureTokenProvider(asbAccessKeyName, asbAccessKey));
            serviceHost.AddServiceEndpoint(typeof(ITwoWayServiceEndpointPlugin), new WS2007HttpRelayBinding(), asbEndPoint).EndpointBehaviors.Add(transportClient);
            serviceHost.Open();
            Console.ReadLine();
        }
    }

    public class TwoWayServiceEndpoint : ITwoWayServiceEndpointPlugin
    {
        string ITwoWayServiceEndpointPlugin.Execute(RemoteExecutionContext executionContext)
        {
            string message = executionContext.PrimaryEntityId.ToString();
            Console.WriteLine("Record Id : {0}", message);
            return message;
        }
    }
}

c) Implement Azure Aware Plug-in

Now read Service End Point Id by going to properties of the entry we created in first step as below;

..and implement a Plug-code (for Account Post Create). This code consist of Service End Point reference which uses the Id we read above.

using System;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;

namespace SumeTrial3Plugin
{
    public class AccountPostCreate : IPlugin
    {
        public void Execute(IServiceProvider serviceProvider)
        {
            Guid serviceEndPointId = new Guid("63c5c746-e07d-e811-a967-000d3ad1c0d2");
            IPluginExecutionContext pluginContext = 
                (IPluginExecutionContext)serviceProvider.GetService(typeof(IPluginExecutionContext));
            ITracingService tracingService = (ITracingService)serviceProvider.GetService(typeof(ITracingService));
            IServiceEndpointNotificationService service = 
                (IServiceEndpointNotificationService)serviceProvider.GetService(typeof(IServiceEndpointNotificationService));

            try
            {
                tracingService.Trace("Passing Context to Service Endpoint");
                string response = service.Execute(new EntityReference("serviceendpoint",serviceEndPointId), pluginContext);
                if (!String.IsNullOrEmpty(response))
                {
                    tracingService.Trace("response : {0}", response);
                }
                tracingService.Trace("Plug-in completed");
            }

            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                tracingService.Trace("Error: {0}", ex.Message);
                throw;
            }
        }
    }
}

Then register this plug-in as usual through Plug-in registration tool.

d) Test the operation

Now execute the Console Application (Listener) and Create an Account in Dynamics 365. You will notice below two;

1) Console Application/ Listener program pics the Context and write the Id.

2) If you check, Plug-in Trace Log, you will see the response has been retrieved by the Plug-in back.