RSMUS.comAs a partner organization we have the opportunity to get some early sneak-peeks into what’s coming down the pipeline with Microsoft, specifically as it relates to Dynamics CRM. Earlier this week we had a crash course in the what’s new with CRM 2013 and let me tell you, there is a TON of terrific things coming with the next release! As a consultant who spends a lot of time with the data in CRM I’ve always wondered if the <entity>ExtensionBase tables would persist forever as they were really there because of a limitation of SQL 2000. However since Microsoft no longer supports SQL 2000 or 2005 with Dynamics CRM and with the reliance on 64 bit hardware, the sky is really the limit. I am excited to say that as of CRM 2013, there will no longer be <entity>Base and <entity>ExtensionBase tables; they will be merged and it will just be <entity>!
CRM 2011 and Earlier Configuration: Default and custom fields stored in separate tables.
<entity>Base ie. AccountBase – Holds OOTB data elements and key information for the entity
<entity>ExtensionBase ie.AccountExtensionBase – Holds all custom fields you’ve created and added to the entity. This requires an extra key in the database to store that relationship between the base entity and the extension.
CRM 2013 Configuration: One table per entity. All fields are merged
Why does this matter?
- Fewer Joins
- Fewer Locks
- Higher efficiency in queries and views
- Streamlined design
- Less data overhead
- Redundant keys are removed
How do I merge these tables?
The process is handled by the upgrade, however Microsoft has indicated that you will be able to defer the merge of these tables for a period of time but Dynamics CRM 2013 will still continue to work with both models. So, if you have some custom stuff happening in your database, Plug-ins or in Scribe (integration) jobs or maybe some Data Warehouse loading/Extract Transform Load jobs, you’ll need to consider your plan for making these work with the new merged table structure.
Hooray, merged tables, what else is coming with 2013?
How about easily embedding Yammer into your application, including specific group conversations?
Broad HTML 5 Support
Newly designed form flow
New navigation
Stage Gating on multiple entities
Advanced authentication (some really neat stuff here)
Access Teams (These are really cool!)
Enhanced mobility features and access
Outlook client enhancements
I’m really excited about all of these changes to 2013, tell me more!
We will of course continue to post topics related to the 2013 release as it gets nearer the release date!
If you would like additional information on Dynamics CRM 2013 or help with your existing or new Dynamics CRM implementation, please give us a call at 855.437.7202 or send us an email to crm@mcgladrey.com and see how RSM can help you experience the power of being understood.
Read more articles on the new release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013.
By: Josh Thompson – Minnesota Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner
