Refresh old dev with new prod data in crm 2011 - Convert Managed solution to unmanaged

The thought for this post came from my own experience. I have been developing for about a year and we went live and my development does not have sufficient data to test. The data connection tool from MS CRM is not that helpful for me. So I decided to build my own dev from prod

1. Take a backup of the prod database
2. Create a second dev database
3. Restore the prod database into Dev
4. Update the database to remove the publisher readonly flag and solution managed flag.
5. Import unmanaged solution from dev to overwrite the solution in new dev

Restoring prod database into dev

Completed successfully

Change the org id. use the attached sql file.

Use SQL to remove the read only property on publisher of your solution and set is managed to false

Done :)

Happy CRMing

How to export a MANAGED Solution in CRM 2011

The following is not recommended and it at your own risk.

In general, MS CRM 2011 allows you to export a Unmanged solution. But in case if you want to update any of the default component of MS CRM, you will not be allowed to do so as the IsCustomizable is set to false.
Also you might encounter situations where you will not be able to extend a previously imported Managed solution or export a Managed solution. However you can override all these if you get access to the SQL database.

Please make a note of the few system tables.
1. SolutionBase - Base table where the solution information is stored - Update the IsManaged to False
2. SystemFormBase - Base table for forms. If you want to update a form, get the form id and set the IsManaged to False. You can filter the forms by using the Solution Id and the Entity Id.

Go Hack yourself :)