Connecting to Dynamics 365 using C#

Summary

As of April 2022, most of the methods below have been deprecated by Microsoft. Connecting to Microsoft via a console application now requires an Azure App registration.

To connect to Microsoft Datavaerse via Azure Functions, click here: https://eax360.com/call-dataverse-api-from-within-an-azure-function/

There are multiple methods for connecting to Microsoft Dynamics from a command-line application.

I have added some deprecated/unsupported methods for connecting to Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement for historic context.

Using AuthType Client Secret

1. Register a new Azure Application.
2. Provide the API permissions as appropriate.
3. Generate secret.
4. Make a note of the clientid, secret, and tenantid.

 public static string _org = "https://acme.crm11.dynamics.com";
 public static string _clientId = "e0fff54f-54d2-45b6-b82a-084320087";
 public static string _clientSecret = "f347Q~j5hF0a7jdhcbshs73js,g0gsf33";

internal static IOrganizationService ConnectSource()
{
    var connectionString = $@"AuthType=ClientSecret; url={_org}; ClientId={_clientId}; ClientSecret={_clientSecret}";

    using (var svc = new CrmServiceClient(connectionString))
    {
WhoAmIRequest request = new WhoAmIRequest();

WhoAmIResponse response = (WhoAmIResponse)svc.Execute(request);

Console.WriteLine("Your UserId is {0}", response.UserId);
    }

    CrmServiceClient connn = new CrmServiceClient(connectionString);

    CrmServiceClient.MaxConnectionTimeout = new TimeSpan(60, 60, 60);

    return connn;
}

Using the OrganizationServiceProxy (Deprecated)

Note that this method has been deprecated as of 2021. The method uses an un-secure approach to storing credentials.

using System;
using System.Linq;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Client;
using System.ServiceModel.Description;
using Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.Messages;

namespace Carl.Crm.OrgServiceProxy
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            try
            {
                Uri oUri = new Uri("https://yourcrm.crm.dynamics.com/XRMServices/2011/Organization.svc");
                ClientCredentials clientCredentials = new ClientCredentials();
                clientCredentials.UserName.UserName = "your@email.com";
                clientCredentials.UserName.Password = "yourpassword";

                OrganizationServiceProxy _serviceProxy = new OrganizationServiceProxy(oUri, null, clientCredentials, null);
                _serviceProxy.EnableProxyTypes();

                OrganizationServiceContext orgContext = new OrganizationServiceContext(_serviceProxy);

                RetrieveVersionRequest versionRequest = new RetrieveVersionRequest();
                RetrieveVersionResponse versionResponse = (RetrieveVersionResponse)_serviceProxy.Execute(versionRequest);

                Console.WriteLine("Microsoft Dynamics CRM version {0}.", versionResponse.Version);
                Console.ReadLine();

            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                Console.WriteLine(ex.ToString());
            }
            Console.ReadLine();
        }
    }
}

Using Xrm.Client (Deprecated)

Note that this method has been deprecated as of 2021. The method uses an un-secure approach to storing credentials.

using Microsoft.Xrm.Client;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Client.Services;
using Xrm;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Messages;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Metadata;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace CRM_Console_App
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            //Simplified Connection: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg695810.aspx
            CrmConnection crmConnection = CrmConnection.Parse("Url=http://crm/beta; Domain=MyDomainName; Username=Administrator; Password=MyPassword;");
            OrganizationService service = new OrganizationService(crmConnection);
            XrmServiceContext context = new XrmServiceContext(service);

            var allisonBrown = new Xrm.Contact
            {
                FirstName = "Allison",
                LastName = "Brown",
                Address1_Line1 = "23 Market St.",
                Address1_City = "Sammamish",
                Address1_StateOrProvince = "MT",
                Address1_PostalCode = "99999",
                Telephone1 = "12345678",
                EMailAddress1 = "allison.brown@example.com"
            };

            context.AddObject(allisonBrown);
            context.SaveChanges();

        }
    }
}

Using Xrm.tooling v8.1 D365 (Deprecated)

Works for Dynamics 365 Online (period of 2018 & 2019) version 8.1.

Note that this method has been deprecated as of 2021. The method uses an un-secure approach to storing credentials.

using Microsoft.Xrm.Tooling.Connector;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Messages;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Metadata;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace Dynamics365.Connections
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            try
            {
                var connectionString = @"AuthType = Office365; 
                Url = https://[org].crm4.dynamics.com/;Username=[username];Password=[password]";
                CrmServiceClient conn = new CrmServiceClient(connectionString);

                IOrganizationService service;
                service = (IOrganizationService)conn.OrganizationWebProxyClient != null ? (IOrganizationService)conn.OrganizationWebProxyClient : (IOrganizationService)conn.OrganizationServiceProxy;

                RetrieveEntityRequest retrieveEntityRequest = new RetrieveEntityRequest
                {
                    EntityFilters = EntityFilters.All,
                    LogicalName = "account"
                };
                RetrieveEntityResponse retrieveAccountEntityResponse = (RetrieveEntityResponse)service.Execute(retrieveEntityRequest);
                EntityMetadata AccountEntity = retrieveAccountEntityResponse.EntityMetadata;

                Console.WriteLine("Account entity metadata:");
                Console.WriteLine(AccountEntity.SchemaName);
                Console.WriteLine(AccountEntity.DisplayName.UserLocalizedLabel.Label);
                Console.WriteLine(AccountEntity.EntityColor);

                Console.WriteLine("Account entity attributes:");
                foreach (object attribute in AccountEntity.Attributes)
                {
                    AttributeMetadata a = (AttributeMetadata)attribute;
                    Console.WriteLine(a.LogicalName);
                }
                Console.ReadLine();
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            { }
        }
    }
}

Using Xrm.tooling v9.1 D365 (Deprecated)

The snippet illustrates connecting to an on-premise environment. Other authentication types can be found here:

using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Messages;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Metadata;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Tooling.Connector;
using System;
using System.Net;

namespace Dynamics365.Connections
{
    internal class Program
    {
        private static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            try
            {
                ServicePointManager.SecurityProtocol = SecurityProtocolType.Tls12;

                string envcon = @"AuthType = AD; Url = http://192.168.0.30/exp01/;Domain=cedomain;Username=serviceaccount;Password=CC%******";
                CrmServiceClient conn = new CrmServiceClient(envcon);
                //var service = (IOrganizationService)conn.OrganizationWebProxyClient ?? conn.OrganizationServiceProxy;

                IOrganizationService service;
                service = (IOrganizationService)conn.OrganizationWebProxyClient != null ? (IOrganizationService)conn.OrganizationWebProxyClient : (IOrganizationService)conn.OrganizationServiceProxy;

                RetrieveEntityRequest retrieveEntityRequest = new RetrieveEntityRequest
                {
                    EntityFilters = EntityFilters.All,
                    LogicalName = "account"
                };
                RetrieveEntityResponse retrieveAccountEntityResponse = (RetrieveEntityResponse)service.Execute(retrieveEntityRequest);
                EntityMetadata AccountEntity = retrieveAccountEntityResponse.EntityMetadata;

                Console.WriteLine("Account entity metadata:");
                Console.WriteLine(AccountEntity.SchemaName);
                Console.WriteLine(AccountEntity.DisplayName.UserLocalizedLabel.Label);
                Console.WriteLine(AccountEntity.EntityColor);

                Console.WriteLine("Account entity attributes:");
                foreach (object attribute in AccountEntity.Attributes)
                {
                    AttributeMetadata a = (AttributeMetadata)attribute;
                    Console.WriteLine(a.LogicalName);
                }

                Console.ReadLine();
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            { }

            Console.ReadLine();
        }
    }
}