Deploying Microsoft Dynamics CRM on multiple servers

Earlier, in the Single server versus multiserver subsection of this chapter's Introduction section, we mentioned some of the reasons for and benefits of installing Dynamics CRM 2011 on multiple computers. In this recipe, we will discuss how to deploy Dynamics CRM on a multiserver environment.

Getting ready

In a multiple-server deployment, there are usually two or more server computers running the Dynamics CRM 2011 Full Server installation. But for improved performance, the server roles (Front End Server role, Back End Server role, Deployment Administration Server) can further be deployed across different server machines. When Dynamics CRM 2011 is deployed across multiple servers, Network Load Balancing (NLB) must be configured to provide load balancing.

In case of deploying various server roles into separate servers, Microsoft's recommendation is to not install the Help Server role on the same server where Front End Server roles are installed. This is to minimize the CRM system's exposure to denial-of-service attacks.

Let us take an example of two server nodes (CRM001 and CRM002), where Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Full Server is configured (or will be installed) as a server cluster (CRMCluster) and the CRM installation uses a SQL Cluster environment (SQLCluster).

The following network diagram describes our multiserver deployment scenario:

We have to perform the following steps to make this setup work:

  • Installing Dynamics CRM 2011 on both the server nodes (CRM001 and CRM002)
  • Creating a server cluster (CRMCluster)
  • Configuring the SPN for the CRM Application Pool service account (CRMServiceAccount)
  • Configuring NLB

How to do it…

To achieve multi-server deployment in our scenario, we have to complete the following subtasks.

First, we have to install Dynamics CRM 2011 on two server nodes; we will achieve this one at a time. Here, we are assuming that the installation of a Full Server role will be performed for both these server machines. As stated in the earlier sections, installing Microsoft Dynamics CRM Workgroup Server 2011 on multiple servers is not supported.

To install Dynamics CRM 2011 on these two machines, perform the following steps on each of the machines independently:

  1. Follow the steps outlined in the Installing Dynamics CRM 2011 Server recipe to install Dynamics CRM 2011 server.
  2. On the Specify Deployment Options page, select the instance of SQL Server that will be used for the Microsoft Dynamics CRM databases (CRMSQL). Then, check the Create a new deployment option. Click on Next and continue the setup.
  3. On the Specify Security Account page, select a domain user account (CRMServiceAccount) that has been created previously.
  4. Click on Continue to finish the installation.

The next steps are to create a server cluster for servers CRM001 and CRM002 and to enable loading balancing between them. The recommended settings while creating the NLB are as follows:

  • Port Range: 0 to 65535 (the default range)
  • Protocols: Both
  • Affinity: Single

The next step is to configure the SPN for the CRM Application Pool service account.

In this deployment, we are using a domain user account (CRMServiceAccount) to run the Dynamics CRM 2011 Application Pool. When IIS 7.0 (or higher) is used on a cluster environment, we need to set up SPN for the Application Pool account. Active Directory uses the SPN for mutual authentication of a service instance, which enables the service instance to correctly authenticate a user who attempts to access resources that are located on other domain-member computers.

Perform the following steps to configure the SPN for the CRM Application Pool Account:

  1. Log in to the Active Directory server machines with domain admin credentials.
  2. Launch the ADSI Edit console from All Programs | Administrative Tools | ADSI Edit.
  3. Expand the domain and the node that starts with DC= and then expand CN=Users.
  4. Right-click on CRMServiceAccount and click on Properties.
  5. From the attribute list, select servicePrincipalName and then click on Edit.
  6. In the Value to add textbox, enter HTTP/CRMNLBName.FQDN and then click on Add.

    Here, CRMNLBName is the CRM Server's cluster name (in this case, CRMCluster) and FQDN is the Fully Qualified Domain Name of the cluster, for example, CRMCluster.MyOrg.com.

  7. In the Value to add box, enter HTTP/CRMNLBName and then click on Add.
  8. Click on OK the next two times.
  9. Close the ADSI Edit window.

Now it is time to configure the NLB for this deployment. NLB will be configured using Dynamics CRM 2011 Deployment Manager. Perform the following steps to configure the NLB:

  1. Launch the deployment manager. This is usually accessible via the following path:

    Start | All Programs | Microsoft Dynamics CRM | Deployment Manager

  2. Right-click on Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and then click on Properties as shown in the following screenshot:
  3. Click on the Web Address tab and verify that the cluster name (in this example, CRMCluster) appears, and then click on Advanced:
  4. Select The deployment uses an NLB. Click on OK and then close the deployment manager:

How it works…

Multiserver deployment gives performance benefits and scaling advantages. However, with Microsoft Dynamics CRM Workgroup Server 2011, the Dynamics CRM 2011 server roles cannot be installed on separate computers. Load balanced multiserver deployment, as stated in the recipe, is essentially the most likely deployment paradigm in a production environment.

There's more…

It is common practice to deploy Dynamics CRM 2011 with a SQL Server clustered environment. To achieve this, create a SQL Server cluster, and then during Dynamics CRM 2011 installation, on the Select SQL Server page, type the virtual server name that was specified when we created the SQL Server cluster.

The multiserver deployment of Dynamics CRM 2011 can be more complex than what has been discussed in this recipe. One example of a complex deployment can be to deploy all server roles to separate server machines.

The following diagram describes a multiserver CRM 2011 deployment with different server roles deployed on separate server machines.

When we select a server role other than Full Server, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server setup does not create an organization database during the installation. If the deployment does not have an organization database, we must use the deployment manager to create a new organization. The next recipe will guide us with creating a new organization in Dynamics CRM 2011.

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