Key Environment Planning Tips for a Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Upgrade

If you're thinking about upgrading to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, you probably have a number of questions about changes in your IT and server infrastructure.

From a technical perspective, the first thing you have to know is that the biggest difference between Dynamics CRM 2011 and any previous release is that you have to move up to an all 64-bit environment. For instance, Windows Server 2008 SP2 or later is required, and SQL Server Reporting Services must also be on a supported version of SQL, Bob Peskin, CRM Practice Manager at Infinity Info Systems, explained to a recent CRMUG audience.

He said it's also important to note that if you're on version 3 of Dynamics CRM, you have to upgrade to version 4 before you can upgrade to Dynamics CRM 2011.

"There are things you need to think about in terms of your planning and how you plan ahead and how you plan through the whole process," Peskin said. "If you start with version 3, you have to plan and upgrade to the 4. If you're on version 4 on supported hardware and software, you have to go down one path. If you aren't, you have to go down another path. If you're on 32-bit hardware and you have to reuse that hardware, you know that it has to be 64 bit for CRM 2011, you have to rebuild that machine from scratch. But how do you do that if it's your only CRM server? Can you afford downtime-the time CRM is nonoperational? That's going to be a big factor in your approach and your plan of how you switch from 4 to 2011."

You also have to have a recovery plan in place for what to do in the event ...