Option Sets in MS CRM

If you use Microsoft CRM and want to explore the data from the database you will eventually run into data from Option Sets.  These are pre-defined values you can store for a field.  When you create an Option Set CRM stores the values in a special table called StringMapBase (you can also reference the view StringMap for these values.)


Because ALL Option Set values are stored in this table you need to determine which ones relate to your data.  This is not always easy but the following query can be helpful.

select a.AttributeName AS OptionSet, b.Name AS ObjectName, a.ObjectTypeCode

from StringMapBase a

inner join MetadataSchema.Entity b

on a.ObjectTypeCode = b.ObjectTypeCode

What this query does is join the Option Sets to the Entity table and shows the name of the CRM Entity that the Option Set relates to.


Save that query to a view and you can easily find option values for whatever reports you need them for.  When you find the right option set create a view in your reporting database to encapsulate those values for reference purposes.

User prompted for login in Sharepoint

SharePoint is a pre-requisite for Business Portal, a component of our Dynamics GP application for several clients.  A tough problem I've run into just now and before is SharePoint prompting the user to login.


Normally a user is granted access to SharePoint through SharePoint group membership.  That is typically all that is required.  When that user's network account is added to a SharePoint group - such as Visitors or Members, then SharePoint should recognize them and not prompt for a login if Windows Authentication is configured.


I was stumped because even though Windows Authentication is configured the Web Application configuration was set for Kerberos.  I needed to go into SharePoint Central Administration and change the Web App to NTLM to solve that little problem.