Dynamics 365 Customization: Plugins and Custom Workflows

Dynamics 365 Customization: Plugins and Custom Workflows

Introduction

[Explain when out-of-the-box automation isn't sufficient; benefits of server-side plugins vs client scripts.]

Prerequisites

• Dynamics 365 environment with Dataverse
• Plugin Registration Tool
• Visual Studio with SDK libraries

Plugin Architecture Overview

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Create Plugin Project

using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;
using System;

public class AccountPlugin : IPlugin
{
    public void Execute(IServiceProvider serviceProvider)
    {
        var context = (IPluginExecutionContext)serviceProvider.GetService(typeof(IPluginExecutionContext));
        var serviceFactory = (IOrganizationServiceFactory)serviceProvider.GetService(typeof(IOrganizationServiceFactory));
        var service = serviceFactory.CreateOrganizationService(context.UserId);

        if (context.InputParameters.Contains("Target") && context.InputParameters["Target"] is Entity entity)
        {
            // Business logic here
            entity["description"] = "Processed by plugin";
        }
    }
}

Step 2: Register Plugin

[Use Plugin Registration Tool to connect, register assembly, register step (message, entity, stage)]

Step 3: Custom Workflow Activity

using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Workflow;
using System.Activities;

public class GenerateInvoiceNumber : CodeActivity
{
    [Input("Prefix")]
    public InArgument<string> Prefix { get; set; }

    [Output("Invoice Number")]
    public OutArgument<string> InvoiceNumber { get; set; }

    protected override void Execute(CodeActivityContext context)
    {
        var prefix = Prefix.Get(context);
        var number = $"{prefix}-{DateTime.Now:yyyyMMdd}-{Guid.NewGuid().ToString().Substring(0, 8).ToUpper()}";
        InvoiceNumber.Set(context, number);
    }
}

Step 4: Error Handling & Logging

try
{
    // Plugin logic
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
    throw new InvalidPluginExecutionException($"Error in AccountPlugin: {ex.Message}", ex);
}

Step 5: Testing & Debugging

[Attach Visual Studio debugger via Plugin Registration Tool profiler; test in sandbox environment]

Step 6: Deployment Pipeline

[Include assembly versioning, automated registration via PowerShell/DevOps pipeline]

Best Practices

• Keep plugins lightweight; offload long operations to async jobs
• Use early-bound entities for type safety
• Implement retry logic for external calls
• Version assemblies for rollback capability

Troubleshooting

Issue: Plugin execution timeout
Solution: Move logic to asynchronous step or external Azure Function

Issue: Insufficient permissions
Solution: Use impersonation context or grant service account roles

Issue: Plugin not firing
Solution: Verify registration step (message, entity, stage), check filtering attributes

Key Takeaways

• Plugins enable complex server-side automation beyond declarative tools.
• Custom workflow activities provide reusable components.
• Proper error handling and logging ensure maintainability.

Next Steps

• Implement plugin telemetry with Application Insights
• Build reusable library of workflow activities

Additional Resources

• Write a Plugin
• Workflow Extensions
• Plugin Registration Tool

Which business process will you automate first?