Dynamics CRM 2011 Bulk Update

Question

Running Dynamics CRM 2011 rollout 3. Need to update millions of customer records periodically (delta updates). Using standard update (one by one) takes a few weeks. Also we don\

Answer 1

This is quite an old question, but nobody mentioned the fasted way (but also the most challenging) of updating/creating huge amounts of records in CRM 201X - using built-in import feature, which is totally doable using CRM SDK. There is a perfect MSDN article about that: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg328321(v=crm.5).aspx. In short you have to:

1) Build Excel file containing the data you want to import (simply export some data from CRM 201X and check how the structure looks like, remember that the first 3 columns are hidden)

2) create Import Map entity (specify the file you created)

3) Create column mappings if necessary

4) Create Import and ImportFile entity, providing proper mappings

5) Parse data using ParseImportRequest

6) Tranform data using TransformImportRequest

7) Import data using ImportRecordsImportRequest

This were the steps for CRM 2011, now in 2017 we have more versions available and there are slight differences between them. Check the sample that is available on MSDN and in SDK: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh547396(v=crm.5).aspx

Of course point 1, will be the most difficult part, because you have to build XML or docx file perfectly corresponding to what CRM expects, but I'm assuming you are doing it from external app, so you can use some great .NET libraries that will make things much simpler.

I never saw anything faster than standard CRM import when it comes to updating/creating records, even if you go for parallelism and Batch Update requests.

If something goes wrong with the MSDN sites, I'm posting here an example from the link above that is showing how to import data to CRM programatically:

using System;
using System.ServiceModel;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;

// These namespaces are found in the Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.dll assembly
// located in the SDK\bin folder of the SDK download.
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Query;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Client;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Messages;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Metadata;

// These namespaces are found in the Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.Proxy.dll assembly
// located in the SDK\bin folder of the SDK download.
using Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.Messages;

namespace Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.Samples
{    
    /// 

    /// This sample shows how to define a complex mapping for importing and then use the
    /// Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 API to bulk import records with that mapping.
    /// 
    public class ImportWithCreate
    {
        #region Class Level Members

        private OrganizationServiceProxy _serviceProxy;
        private DateTime _executionDate;

        #endregion

        /// 

        /// This method first connects to the organization service. Afterwards,
        /// auditing is enabled on the organization, account entity, and a couple
        /// of attributes.
        /// 
        /// Contains server connection information.
        /// When True, the user will be prompted to delete all
        /// created entities.
        public void Run(ServerConnection.Configuration serverConfig, bool promptforDelete)
        {
            using (_serviceProxy = ServerConnection.GetOrganizationProxy(serverConfig))
            {
                // This statement is required to enable early bound type support.
                _serviceProxy.EnableProxyTypes();

                // Log the start time to ensure deletion of records created during execution.
                _executionDate = DateTime.Today;
                ImportRecords();
                DeleteRequiredRecords(promptforDelete);
            }
        }

        /// 

        /// Imports records to Microsoft Dynamics CRM from the specified .csv file.
        /// 
        public void ImportRecords()
        {
            // Create an import map.
            ImportMap importMap = new ImportMap()
            {
                Name = "Import Map " + DateTime.Now.Ticks.ToString(),
                Source = "Import Accounts.csv",
                Description = "Description of data being imported",
                EntitiesPerFile =
                    new OptionSetValue((int)ImportMapEntitiesPerFile.SingleEntityPerFile),
                EntityState = EntityState.Created
            };
            Guid importMapId = _serviceProxy.Create(importMap);

            // Create column mappings.

            #region Column One Mappings
            // Create a column mapping for a 'text' type field.
            ColumnMapping colMapping1 = new ColumnMapping()
            {
                // Set source properties.
                SourceAttributeName = "src_name",
                SourceEntityName = "Account_1",

                // Set target properties.
                TargetAttributeName = "name",
                TargetEntityName = Account.EntityLogicalName,

                // Relate this column mapping with the data map.
                ImportMapId =
                    new EntityReference(ImportMap.EntityLogicalName, importMapId),

                // Force this column to be processed.
                ProcessCode =
                    new OptionSetValue((int)ColumnMappingProcessCode.Process)
            };

            // Create the mapping.
            Guid colMappingId1 = _serviceProxy.Create(colMapping1);
            #endregion

            #region Column Two Mappings
            // Create a column mapping for a 'lookup' type field.
            ColumnMapping colMapping2 = new ColumnMapping()
            {
                // Set source properties.
                SourceAttributeName = "src_parent",
                SourceEntityName = "Account_1",

                // Set target properties.
                TargetAttributeName = "parentaccountid",
                TargetEntityName = Account.EntityLogicalName,

                // Relate this column mapping with the data map.
                ImportMapId =
                    new EntityReference(ImportMap.EntityLogicalName, importMapId),

                // Force this column to be processed.
                ProcessCode =
                    new OptionSetValue((int)ColumnMappingProcessCode.Process),
            };

            // Create the mapping.
            Guid colMappingId2 = _serviceProxy.Create(colMapping2);

            // Because we created a column mapping of type lookup, we need to specify lookup details in a lookupmapping.
            // One lookupmapping will be for the parent account, and the other for the current record.
            // This lookupmapping is important because without it the current record
            // cannot be used as the parent of another record.

            // Create a lookup mapping to the parent account.  
            LookUpMapping parentLookupMapping = new LookUpMapping()
            {
                // Relate this mapping with its parent column mapping.
                ColumnMappingId =
                    new EntityReference(ColumnMapping.EntityLogicalName, colMappingId2),

                // Force this column to be processed.
                ProcessCode =
                    new OptionSetValue((int)LookUpMappingProcessCode.Process),

                // Set the lookup for an account entity by its name attribute.
                LookUpEntityName = Account.EntityLogicalName,
                LookUpAttributeName = "name",
                LookUpSourceCode =
                    new OptionSetValue((int)LookUpMappingLookUpSourceCode.System)
            };

            // Create the lookup mapping.
            Guid parentLookupMappingId = _serviceProxy.Create(parentLookupMapping);

            // Create a lookup on the current record's "src_name" so that this record can
            // be used as the parent account for another record being imported.
            // Without this lookup, no record using this account as its parent will be imported.
            LookUpMapping currentLookUpMapping = new LookUpMapping()
            {
                // Relate this lookup with its parent column mapping.
                ColumnMappingId =
                    new EntityReference(ColumnMapping.EntityLogicalName, colMappingId2),

                // Force this column to be processed.
                ProcessCode =
                    new OptionSetValue((int)LookUpMappingProcessCode.Process),

                // Set the lookup for the current record by its src_name attribute.
                LookUpAttributeName = "src_name",
                LookUpEntityName = "Account_1",
                LookUpSourceCode =
                    new OptionSetValue((int)LookUpMappingLookUpSourceCode.Source)
            };

            // Create the lookup mapping
            Guid currentLookupMappingId = _serviceProxy.Create(currentLookUpMapping);
            #endregion

            #region Column Three Mappings
            // Create a column mapping for a 'picklist' type field
            ColumnMapping colMapping3 = new ColumnMapping()
            {
                // Set source properties
                SourceAttributeName = "src_addresstype",
                SourceEntityName = "Account_1",

                // Set target properties
                TargetAttributeName = "address1_addresstypecode",
                TargetEntityName = Account.EntityLogicalName,

                // Relate this column mapping with its parent data map
                ImportMapId =
                    new EntityReference(ImportMap.EntityLogicalName, importMapId),

                // Force this column to be processed
                ProcessCode =
                    new OptionSetValue((int)ColumnMappingProcessCode.Process)
            };

            // Create the mapping
            Guid colMappingId3 = _serviceProxy.Create(colMapping3);

            // Because we created a column mapping of type picklist, we need to specify picklist details in a picklistMapping
            PickListMapping pickListMapping1 = new PickListMapping()
            {
                SourceValue = "bill",
                TargetValue = 1,

                // Relate this column mapping with its column mapping data map
                ColumnMappingId =
                    new EntityReference(ColumnMapping.EntityLogicalName, colMappingId3),

                // Force this column to be processed
                ProcessCode =
                    new OptionSetValue((int)PickListMappingProcessCode.Process)
            };

            // Create the mapping
            Guid picklistMappingId1 = _serviceProxy.Create(pickListMapping1);

            // Need a picklist mapping for every address type code expected
            PickListMapping pickListMapping2 = new PickListMapping()
            {
                SourceValue = "ship",
                TargetValue = 2,

                // Relate this column mapping with its column mapping data map
                ColumnMappingId =
                    new EntityReference(ColumnMapping.EntityLogicalName, colMappingId3),

                // Force this column to be processed
                ProcessCode =
                    new OptionSetValue((int)PickListMappingProcessCode.Process)
            };

            // Create the mapping
            Guid picklistMappingId2 = _serviceProxy.Create(pickListMapping2);
            #endregion

            // Create Import
            Import import = new Import()
            {
                // IsImport is obsolete; use ModeCode to declare Create or Update.
                ModeCode = new OptionSetValue((int)ImportModeCode.Create),
                Name = "Importing data"
            };
            Guid importId = _serviceProxy.Create(import);

            // Create Import File.
            ImportFile importFile = new ImportFile()
            {
                Content = BulkImportHelper.ReadCsvFile("Import Accounts.csv"), // Read contents from disk.
                Name = "Account record import",
                IsFirstRowHeader = true,
                ImportMapId = new EntityReference(ImportMap.EntityLogicalName, importMapId),
                UseSystemMap = false,
                Source = "Import Accounts.csv",
                SourceEntityName = "Account_1",
                TargetEntityName = Account.EntityLogicalName,
                ImportId = new EntityReference(Import.EntityLogicalName, importId),
                EnableDuplicateDetection = false,
                FieldDelimiterCode =
                    new OptionSetValue((int)ImportFileFieldDelimiterCode.Comma),
                DataDelimiterCode =
                    new OptionSetValue((int)ImportFileDataDelimiterCode.DoubleQuote),
                ProcessCode =
                    new OptionSetValue((int)ImportFileProcessCode.Process)
            };

            // Get the current user to set as record owner.
            WhoAmIRequest systemUserRequest = new WhoAmIRequest();
            WhoAmIResponse systemUserResponse =
                (WhoAmIResponse)_serviceProxy.Execute(systemUserRequest);

            // Set the owner ID.                
            importFile.RecordsOwnerId =
                new EntityReference(SystemUser.EntityLogicalName, systemUserResponse.UserId);

            Guid importFileId = _serviceProxy.Create(importFile);

            // Retrieve the header columns used in the import file.
            GetHeaderColumnsImportFileRequest headerColumnsRequest = new GetHeaderColumnsImportFileRequest()
            {
                ImportFileId = importFileId
            };
            GetHeaderColumnsImportFileResponse headerColumnsResponse =
                (GetHeaderColumnsImportFileResponse)_serviceProxy.Execute(headerColumnsRequest);

            // Output the header columns.
            int columnNum = 1;
            foreach (string headerName in headerColumnsResponse.Columns)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Column[" + columnNum.ToString() + "] = " + headerName);
                columnNum++;
            }

            // Parse the import file.
            ParseImportRequest parseImportRequest = new ParseImportRequest()
            {
                ImportId = importId
            };
            ParseImportResponse parseImportResponse =
                (ParseImportResponse)_serviceProxy.Execute(parseImportRequest);
            Console.WriteLine("Waiting for Parse async job to complete");
            BulkImportHelper.WaitForAsyncJobCompletion(_serviceProxy, parseImportResponse.AsyncOperationId);
            BulkImportHelper.ReportErrors(_serviceProxy, importFileId);

            // Retrieve the first two distinct values for column 1 from the parse table.
            // NOTE: You must create the parse table first using the ParseImport message.
            // The parse table is not accessible after ImportRecordsImportResponse is called.
            GetDistinctValuesImportFileRequest distinctValuesRequest = new GetDistinctValuesImportFileRequest()
            {
                columnNumber = 1,
                ImportFileId = importFileId,
                pageNumber = 1,
                recordsPerPage = 2,
            };
            GetDistinctValuesImportFileResponse distinctValuesResponse =
                (GetDistinctValuesImportFileResponse)_serviceProxy.Execute(distinctValuesRequest);

            // Output the distinct values.  In this case: (column 1, row 1) and (column 1, row 2).
            int cellNum = 1;
            foreach (string cellValue in distinctValuesResponse.Values)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("(1, " + cellNum.ToString() + "): " + cellValue);
                Console.WriteLine(cellValue);
                cellNum++;
            }

            // Retrieve data from the parse table.
            // NOTE: You must create the parse table first using the ParseImport message.
            // The parse table is not accessible after ImportRecordsImportResponse is called.
            RetrieveParsedDataImportFileRequest parsedDataRequest = new RetrieveParsedDataImportFileRequest()
            {
                ImportFileId = importFileId,
                PagingInfo = new PagingInfo()
                {
                    // Specify the number of entity instances returned per page.
                    Count = 2,
                    // Specify the number of pages returned from the query.
                    PageNumber = 1,
                    // Specify a total number of entity instances returned.
                    PagingCookie = "1"
                }
            };

            RetrieveParsedDataImportFileResponse parsedDataResponse =
                (RetrieveParsedDataImportFileResponse)_serviceProxy.Execute(parsedDataRequest);

            // Output the first two rows retrieved.
            int rowCount = 1;
            foreach (string[] rows in parsedDataResponse.Values)
            {
                int colCount = 1;
                foreach (string column in rows)
                {
                    Console.WriteLine("(" + rowCount.ToString() + "," + colCount.ToString() + ") = " + column);
                    colCount++;
                }
                rowCount++;
            }

            // Transform the import
            TransformImportRequest transformImportRequest = new TransformImportRequest()
            {
                ImportId = importId
            };
            TransformImportResponse transformImportResponse =
                (TransformImportResponse)_serviceProxy.Execute(transformImportRequest);
            Console.WriteLine("Waiting for Transform async job to complete");
            BulkImportHelper.WaitForAsyncJobCompletion(_serviceProxy, transformImportResponse.AsyncOperationId);
            BulkImportHelper.ReportErrors(_serviceProxy, importFileId);

            // Upload the records.
            ImportRecordsImportRequest importRequest = new ImportRecordsImportRequest()
            {
                ImportId = importId
            };
            ImportRecordsImportResponse importResponse =
                (ImportRecordsImportResponse)_serviceProxy.Execute(importRequest);
            Console.WriteLine("Waiting for ImportRecords async job to complete");
            BulkImportHelper.WaitForAsyncJobCompletion(_serviceProxy, importResponse.AsyncOperationId);
            BulkImportHelper.ReportErrors(_serviceProxy, importFileId);
        }

        /// 

        /// Deletes any entity records that were created for this sample.
        /// Indicates whether to prompt the user 
        /// to delete the records created in this sample.
        /// 
        public void DeleteRequiredRecords(bool prompt)
        {
            bool toBeDeleted = true;

            if (prompt)
            {
                // Ask the user if the created entities should be deleted.
                Console.Write("\nDo you want these entity records deleted? (y/n) [y]: ");
                String answer = Console.ReadLine();
                if (answer.StartsWith("y") ||
                    answer.StartsWith("Y") ||
                    answer == String.Empty)
                {
                    toBeDeleted = true;
                }
                else
                {
                    toBeDeleted = false;
                }
            }

            if (toBeDeleted)
            {
                // Retrieve all account records created in this sample.
                QueryExpression query = new QueryExpression()
                {
                    EntityName = Account.EntityLogicalName,
                    Criteria = new FilterExpression()
                    {
                        Conditions =
                        {
                            new ConditionExpression("createdon", ConditionOperator.OnOrAfter, _executionDate),
                        }
                    },
                    ColumnSet = new ColumnSet(false)
                };
                var accountsCreated = _serviceProxy.RetrieveMultiple(query).Entities;

                // Delete all records created in this sample.
                foreach (var account in accountsCreated)
                {
                    _serviceProxy.Delete(Account.EntityLogicalName, account.Id);
                }

                Console.WriteLine("Entity record(s) have been deleted.");
            }
        }
        #region Main method

        /// 

        /// Standard Main() method used by most SDK samples.
        /// 
        /// 
        static public void Main(string[] args)
        {
            try
            {
                // Obtain the target organization's web address and client logon 
                // credentials from the user.
                ServerConnection serverConnect = new ServerConnection();
                ServerConnection.Configuration config = serverConnect.GetServerConfiguration();

                var app = new ImportWithCreate();
                app.Run(config, true);
            }

            catch (FaultException ex)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("The application terminated with an error.");
                Console.WriteLine("Timestamp: {0}", ex.Detail.Timestamp);
                Console.WriteLine("Code: {0}", ex.Detail.ErrorCode);
                Console.WriteLine("Message: {0}", ex.Detail.Message);
                Console.WriteLine("Trace: {0}", ex.Detail.TraceText);
                Console.WriteLine("Inner Fault: {0}",
                    null == ex.Detail.InnerFault ? "No Inner Fault" : "Has Inner Fault");
            }
            catch (System.TimeoutException ex)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("The application terminated with an error.");
                Console.WriteLine("Message: {0}", ex.Message);
                Console.WriteLine("Stack Trace: {0}", ex.StackTrace);
                Console.WriteLine("Inner Fault: {0}",
                    null == ex.InnerException.Message ? "No Inner Fault" : ex.InnerException.Message);
            }
            catch (System.Exception ex)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("The application terminated with an error.");
                Console.WriteLine(ex.Message);

                // Display the details of the inner exception.
                if (ex.InnerException != null)
                {
                    Console.WriteLine(ex.InnerException.Message);

                    FaultException fe = ex.InnerException
                        as FaultException;
                    if (fe != null)
                    {
                        Console.WriteLine("Timestamp: {0}", fe.Detail.Timestamp);
                        Console.WriteLine("Code: {0}", fe.Detail.ErrorCode);
                        Console.WriteLine("Message: {0}", fe.Detail.Message);
                        Console.WriteLine("Trace: {0}", fe.Detail.TraceText);
                        Console.WriteLine("Inner Fault: {0}",
                            null == fe.Detail.InnerFault ? "No Inner Fault" : "Has Inner Fault");
                    }
                }
            }
            // Additional exceptions to catch: SecurityTokenValidationException, ExpiredSecurityTokenException,
            // SecurityAccessDeniedException, MessageSecurityException, and SecurityNegotiationException.

            finally
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Press  to exit.");
                Console.ReadLine();
            }
        }
        #endregion Main method
    }
}