Dynamics CRM - Start workflow

Declaration

<AMDYNAMICSCRM ACTIVITY="start_workflow" SESSION="text" SERVER="text" OFFICE365="YES/NO" USERNAME="text" PASSWORD="text (encrypted)" DOMAIN="text" ORGANIZATION="text" AUTODISCOVER="YES/NO" DISCOVERYURI="text" ORGANIZATIONURI="text" HOMEREALMURI="text" AUTHTYPE="text (options)" TIMEOUT="number" PROXYTYPE="text (options)" PROXYSERVER="text" PROXYPORT="number" PROXYUSERNAME="text" PROXYPASSWORD="text (encrypted)" WORKFLOWID="text" ID="text" RESULTVARIABLE="text"  />

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Description

Starts a Dynamics CRM workflow process, which encompasses logical rules that define the steps necessary to automate specific business processes, tasks, or sets of actions to be performed on Dynamics CRM records.

NOTE: To function properly, this activity requires a Microsoft Dynamics CRM System Administrator or System Customizer security role or equivalent permissions.

Practical usage

This activity can be used to start an automatic or child workflow on demand. An automatic workflow is conditional, therefore, it only runs as soon as the conditions defined in the workflow logic are met. A child workflow runs only when started by another workflow.

Parameters

Connection

Property Type Required Default Markup Description
Connection --- --- --- --- Indicates where Dynamics CRM user credentials, connection properties and other preferences should originate from. This is a design mode parameter used only during task construction and configuration, thus, comprises no markup. The available options are:
  • Host (default) - Specifies that user credentials and preferences are configured individually for this activity. This option is normally selected if only a single activity is required to complete an operation.
  • Session - Specifies that user credentials and preferences are obtained from a pre-configured session created in an earlier step with the use of the Dynamics CRM - Create session activity. This option is normally selected if a combination of related activities are required to complete an operation. Consolidating several activities to a single session can make the task more manageable and eliminate redundancy. Moreover, a single task supports simultaneous execution of multiple sessions, which can improve efficiency and speed up production.
Session Text Yes if connection is session-based DynamicsCrmSession1 SESSION="DynamicsCrmSession1" The name of an existing session to attach this activity to. This parameter is active only if the Connection parameter is set to Session. The default session name is 'DynamicsCrmSession1'.
Server (protocol) Text (options) Yes HTTPS
  1. PROTOCOL="HTTPS"
  2. PROTOCOL="HTTP"
 Specifies the protocol used to connect to the Dynamics CRM server. The URL can be HTTP or HTTPS and the port is optional if it is HTTP over port 80 or HTTPS over port 443. The available options are:
  • HTTPS (default) - Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, which adds security capabilities of SSL/TLS to standard HTTP communications.
  • HTTP - Hypertext Transfer Protocol
Server Text Yes (Empty)
  1. SERVER="crm.dynamics.com"
  2. SERVER="209.223.157.106"

The URL or IP address of the Dynamics CRM server to establish a connection with. If entering a URL, the port is optional if it is http over port 80 or https over port 443. (for example, crm-server:port). The server URL is typically in the format of:

http://crm-server:port/organization-name

Or for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online:

https://organization-name.crm.dynamics.com

Username or Windows Live ID Text Yes (Empty)
  1. USERNAME="super.man
  2. USERNAME="super.man@crypton.com
 The username of the service account that is used to connect using AD, SPLA, or Passport authentication types. The format for this is specific to the authentication type: domain\username for AD and SPLA authentication types and a Windows Live ID for Passport authentication.
Password Text Yes (Empty) PASSWORD="encrypted" The password of the service account that is used to connect using AD, SPLA, or Passport authentication. Manually enter a password, or click the icon to select from the list of credentials variables available to you that may correspond with this activity.
Domain name (optional) Text No (Empty) DOMAIN="netauto.com" The name of the domain that will verify user credentials (optional).
Organization name Text Yes (Empty) ORGANIZATION="Fortra" The name of the organization associated with the account. To query organization names and Dynamics CRM server URIs that exist on the system, click the Discover button.
Microsoft Office 365 Yes/No No No OFFICE365="YES" If selected, connection will be established by way of Office365 account. Set this option to YES if using  Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online through Microsoft Outlook. Disabled by default.
Auto discover Yes/No No No AUTODISCOVER="YES" Auto-discovery helps you detect where the Dynamics CRM components are installed, whether locally or remotely. If selected, Automate will use CrmDiscoveryService to obtain a name and URL endpoint for a target organization (disabled by default). The CrmDiscoveryService Web service is accessed through a global URL of an on-premise Microsoft Dynamics CRM server. Each Microsoft Dynamics CRM server hosts the CrmDiscoveryService Web service, which is located here: http://<server:port>/MSCRMServices/2007/AD/CrmDiscoveryService.asm.
NOTE: Setting this parameter to YES inactivates various settings.
Discovery URI Text No (Empty) DISCOVERYURI="crm.disco.com" The Discovery URL used by your site if you are connecting to a Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online organization. To connect to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, the discovery service is first hit to retrieve a passport authentication ticket. This ticket indicates that a Live ID user is, in fact, authenticated to use the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online instance.
Organization URI Text No (Empty) ORGANIZATIONURI="crm.org.com"

The URL of the organization service. If the Auto discover parameter is selected, this parameter becomes inactive.
Home realm URI Text No (Empty) HOMEREALMURI="crm.home.com"

The URL of the home realm. This is the address of the identity provider. If the Auto discover parameter is selected, this parameter becomes inactive.
Authentication type Text (options) No LiveID
  • AUTHTYPE="ActiveDirectory"
  • AUTHTYPE="Federation"
  • AUTHTYPE="LiveId"
  • AUTHTYPE="OnlineFederation"
 The type of authentication used to connect to the Dynamics CRM server. If the Auto discover parameter is selected, this parameter becomes inactive. The available options are:
  • None - Authenticates with Dynamics CRM using the current Windows credentials of the application. This is typically used in development environments and only works with on-premises deployments in the same Active Directory domain (or trusted domain) as the Microsoft Dynamics CRM server.
  • Active Directory - Authenticates using Active Directory credentials of a specific service account. This is mainly used for on-premises deployments.
  • Federation - Establishes an authentication gateway using a combination of IAG and Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) in order to provide external users with access to the sensitive information that is stored in the CRM system without having to create Active Directory trusts.
  • Live ID - Authenticates using the Windows Live ID authentication mechanism (previously known as Passport authentication). Mainly used for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online deployments.
  • Online Federation - Contains the available identity providers for the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online service.
Timeout (seconds) Number No 120 TIMEOUT="120" The total amount of time (in seconds) to allow for a synchronous connection request to the CRM server to complete. If this value is surpassed, a timeout error will occur. The default value is 120 seconds (3 minutes).
Proxy type Text (options) No System default
  • PROXYTYPE="none"
  • PROXYTYPE="http"
 The type of proxy in which to connect to. The available options are:
  • System default - Connect to the default proxy server currently recognized by the system.
  • None - No proxy connection required.
  • HTTP - Connect to an HTTP proxy.
Use authentication --- --- --- --- If enabled, specifies that the proxy requires authentication before granting access to resources. If disabled (default), specifies that no authentication is required. This is a visual mode parameter only used during design time, therefore, it contains no properties or markup. This parameter is active only if the Proxy Type parameter is set to HTTP.
Proxy server Text Yes if proxy type is HTTP (Empty) PROXYSERVER="proxy.server.com" The hostname or IP address of the proxy server to connect to. This parameter is active only if the Proxy type parameter is set to HTTP.
Proxy port Number No 808 PROXYPORT="1028" The port that should be used to connect to the proxy server. The default value is 808. This parameter is active only if the Proxy type parameter is set to HTTP.
Proxy username Text No (Empty) PROXYUSER="username" The username used to authenticate connection with the proxy server (if required). This parameter is active only if the Proxy type parameter is set to HTTP.
Proxy password Text No (Empty) PROXYPWD="encrypted" The password used to authenticate connection with the proxy server (if required). Manually enter a password, or click the icon to select from the list of credentials variables available to you that may correspond with this activity. This parameter is active only if the Proxy type parameter is set to HTTP.

Workflow

Property Type Required Default Markup Description
Workflow ID Text Yes (Empty) ENTITY="myaccount" The workflow ID to start.
Entity ID Text Yes (Empty) ID="accountid" The ID of the entity that the workflow is performed on.
Populate variable with system job ID Text No (Empty) RESULTVARIABLE="jobID" The name of an existing variable to populate with the job ID of the workflow.

Description

Error Causes

On Error

Example

NOTE:
  • Copy and paste the sample AML code below directly into the Task Builder Steps Panel.
  • To successfully run the sample code, update parameters containing user credentials, files, file paths, or other information specific to the task to match your environment.

Description

This sample task uses the Dynamics CRM - Start workflow activity to start a workflow process.

Copy 
<AMVARIABLE NAME="theVar" />
<AMDYNAMICSCRM ACTIVITY="create_session" PROTOCOL="http" SERVER="209.223.157.106" USERNAME="administrator" PASSWORD="AM2gvUWJwwypS+Z9QcnFzL2L9z1QydMMsQpaME" DOMAIN="netautoinc" ORGANIZATION="netautodyn" AUTODISCOVER="no" DISCOVERYURI="http://209.223.157.106/XRMServices/2011/Discovery.svc" ORGANIZATIONURI="http://dynamicscrm2011/netautodyn/XRMServices/2011/Organization.svc" AUTHTYPE="ActiveDirectory" SESSION="DynamicsCrmSession1" />
<AMDYNAMICSCRM ACTIVITY="start_workflow" SESSION="DynamicsCrmSession1" WORKFLOWID="workflowid" ID="accountid" RESULTVARIABLE="theVar" />
<AMDYNAMICSCRM ACTIVITY="end_session" SESSION="DynamicsCrmSession1" />