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As part of a consolidation exercise, I've been asked to move a dynamics CRM installation.

I've searched online but could only find how to move the CRM DB and not the app/IIS site.

Has anybody got any experience moving just a Dynamics CRM IIS site? and could you please detail any instructions how to go about this?

Thanks

Arun Vinoth-Precog Tech - MVP
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Z Holt
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1 Answers1

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It's not actually that difficult. The only annoying part is that you need to uninstall your original CRM server, to stop it from keeping a lock on your MSCRM_Config database.

  • Backup your MSCRM_Config and Organization_MSCRM databases.
  • Uninstall CRM from Server 1
  • Install CRM on Server 2
    • During Deployment Options, choose Existing deployment
    • Point towards your existing SQL Server

There is a technet article with a more thorough explanation available.
See step 11 in particular:

On the Specify Deployment Options page, if Setup detects an existing deployment, you can select whether you want to create a new deployment or connect to an existing deployment. In the Enter or select the name of the computer that is running SQL Server to use with the deployment box, type or select the instance of SQL Server that will be used to store the Microsoft Dynamics CRM database (MSCRM_CONFIG).

While the article says:

Only one deployment is supported for each instance of SQL Server.

You can easily work around this by renaming the MSCRM_Config database, and adjusting the relevant registry entries. Then installing a new instance with a new MSCRM_Config database on the same server.
But there are a lot of blogs and posts out there showing that this process can easily go wrong. If at all possible, test out your migration in a DEV environment first and avoid having two CRM servers installed on a single SQL Server.

Reaces
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  • Thank you Reaces, at the moment I can't uninstall the CRM as it is live. Would it be possible to make duplicates of both app and db? maybe clone and sysprep them and join to the domain under new alias' (adding host entries of the previous alias') – Z Holt Apr 21 '16 at 12:30
  • Don't bother cloning or sysprepping anything to be honest. Just install two new windows server. Install your favorite flavor of SQL Server, restore backups of the MSCRM_Config and Organization_MSCRM databases. Go to the other new server, install CRM and point it to the new SQL Server --> Profit. It'll be simpler and less prone to problems. And if you can afford the cost of the two new servers, you can leave all the old servers running until you're satisfied with the new environment. – Reaces Apr 21 '16 at 12:34
  • Brilliant! We're currently consolidating five sql servers onto one, and 15 app servers to three/four, so ill just do it straight to there. There'll be no conflicts having both run at the same time will there? – Z Holt Apr 21 '16 at 12:50
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    As long as you make sure the naming correctly reflects the current state, such as making sure that one of the CRM organizations listens to HoltDev and the other to HoltProd, everything should be fine. CRM lives in the database, keep those seperate and you're safe 99% of the time. – Reaces Apr 21 '16 at 12:52
  • Sorry to ask another question, will the app version need to be the same? – Z Holt Apr 22 '16 at 08:03
  • Not necessarily, you can do an upgrade together with the move, it will upgrade the database upon the installation. I don't believe it can work with a lower version though. However as before, test it first. – Reaces Apr 22 '16 at 09:00
  • Hi Reaces, apologies for yet another comment! I have backed up / restored the databases and then installed Dynamics on the new server, pointed it to the new db and it all seemed great. I've clicked on the seployment manager on the new app server today and found that it's still pointing to the old database! how is this possible? – Z Holt May 03 '16 at 10:34
  • @ZHolt No problem. What you just did is move your main deployment, including the MSCRM_CONFIG database. This database in turn has the configuration for the CRM, including the position of your organization database. What you need to do now is import the organization database you just restored, as a new organization. [As described for example here](https://srmscrm.wordpress.com/2013/02/13/how-restore-the-mscrm-organization-databases-on-the-new-computer-that-is-running-sql-server/). I'm sure if you google you can find more how-to's. – Reaces May 03 '16 at 10:46