Microsoft Dynamic CRM supports two types of solutions:
- Managed solution
- Unmanaged solution.
Managed Solution:
A managed solution is a completed solution in which the solution is prevented from being modified in the environment to which it is imported. A managed solution is intended to be distributed and installed.
• Possible to set granular levels of rights to alter elements of the solution such as create views, change field properties, add fields etc.
• Solution cannot be exported.
• Easier administration with new versions. Any changes including field removal will be rendered
• If the solution is removed all the customizations pertaining to that solution will be removed and there will be a Risk of data loss.
Once the managed solution is imported following steps takes place:
- User cannot add or remove the components in a managed solution.
- User cannot Export a managed solution.
- By deleting the managed solution all the components in the solutions will also be uninstalled.
- Managed solution can be overridden by another new version of managed solution.
Unmanaged Solution:
Unmanaged solution allows the solution to be modified after it is imported. Unmanaged solution is still under development stage and it is not intended to be distributed or installed.
- All the elements or components in the solution can be customized without any restriction.
- An unmanaged solution can be exported.
- When the unmanaged solution is completed and ready to distribute it, export it and package it as a managed solution.
· Unmanaged solution files can be transported from one environment to the other.
- Entities, Fields, web resources can be removed manually.
The solution acts as a container for the components. If user deletes the solution the components still exist in the default solution.
When a solution is unmanaged, the following steps can takes places:
- Components can be added and removed.
- Components can be deleted that allow for deletion.
- Can Export and Import the unmanaged solution.
- Unmanaged Solution can be exported as a managed solution once the changes are done.