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Export your customizations as a solution

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Applies To: Dynamics 365 (online), Dynamics 365 (on-premises), Dynamics CRM 2013, Dynamics CRM 2015, Dynamics CRM Online, Dynamics CRM 2016

If you want to export customizations you make to a Microsoft Dynamics 365 system, you export those customizations as a solution. For example, you might want to create a backup of all your customizations in case anything happens. To create a backup of your customizations, you export a special solution called the Default Solution. The Default Solution contains all the components in your system.

You might also want to export a solution if you’re an ISV and you want to distribute Dynamics 365 customizations as a package.

Export the Default Solution to create a backup

  1. Make sure you have the System Administrator security role or equivalent permissions in Microsoft Dynamics 365.

    Check your security role

    • Follow the steps in View your user profile.

    • Don’t have the correct permissions? Contact your system administrator.

  2. Go to Settings > Customizations.

  3. Click Customize the System.

  4. In the solution explorer, click Export Solution.

    Solution Explorer showing Export Solution

  5. When you’re prompted to open or save Default_1_0.zip, click Save.

Important

Some user information may be exported when exporting workflows, for example, the domain logon, the forms authentication user name, or the Microsoft account unique user identifier (PUID) value.

Export a solution to create a custom package

  1. Make sure you have the System Administrator security role or equivalent permissions in Microsoft Dynamics 365.

    Check your security role

    • Follow the steps in View your user profile.

    • Don’t have the correct permissions? Contact your system administrator.

  2. Go to Settings > Solutions.

  3. In the list, select the solution you want to export, and then click Export.

  4. In the Publish Customizations step of the Export Solution wizard, you have the option to Publish All Customizations. Note that only published customizations are exported. When you’re ready to proceed, click Next.

    Note

    Installing a solution or publishing customizations can interfere with normal system operation. We recommend that you publish customizations when it’s least disruptive to users.

  5. If your solution contains any missing components that are required, you’ll see the Missing Required Components step. Disregard this warning only if you intend to import the solution as an unmanaged solution back into the original organization. Otherwise, follow the instructions in the dialog box to cancel the export, and then add the required components. More information:  MSDN: Managed and unmanaged solutions.

  6. In the Export System Settings (Advanced) step, you can specify certain system settings to include in your solution. If your solution depends on any of the groups of system settings, select them, and then click Next. More information:  Settings options for solution export.

  7. In the Package Type step, specify whether to export the solution as an Unmanaged or Managed solution, and then click Next.

    Note

    Export a solution as a managed solution only when it’s complete and you’re ready to distribute it. After exporting a managed solution, you can’t import it back into the organization it was exported from; you can only import it into a different organization. More information:  MSDN: Managed and unmanaged solutions.

  8. In the Source Dynamics 365 Version step, select the Dynamics 365 version you want to export to. For example, you might want to test a solution that you intend to distribute to organizations using an earlier version of Dynamics 365 or Dynamics CRM. Note that if you install Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 Service Pack 1 (SP1) (version 6.1), and you specify version 6.0 as the target for your solution export, solution components dependent on features added in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 Service Pack 1 (SP1) will be removed. More information:  MSDN: Exporting a solution for a specific Dynamics 365 version.

  9. Click Export to download the solution file.

  10. When prompted to open or save the compressed (.zip) file, click Save As.

  11. Specify a location to save your solution, and then click Save.

Important

  • Don’t add files to a compressed (.zip) file that contains customizations and settings exported from Microsoft Dynamics 365. Dynamics 365 will attempt to import the first file in the compressed (.zip) file. If it’s not a valid file, the import will fail.

  • Some user information may be exported when exporting workflows, for example, the domain logon, the forms authentication user name, or the Microsoft account unique user identifier (PUID) value.

Privacy notice

You can import and export solutions to and from Microsoft Dynamics 365 (online). When you do so, the solutions, which may contain personal information, are transferred over a secure connection between your computer and Microsoft servers. In turn, third-party code imported to Dynamics 365 (online) could eventually transmit Customer Data to an external system (i.e. InsideView) or configure/expand entities that get synchronized (i.e. exported) to other external systems that are controlled by a party other than Microsoft.
If a solution to be imported is meant to transmit Customer Data outside of the security boundaries of Dynamics 365 (online), Administrators are invited to verify the types of Customer Data that will be called by the service/software/application prior to uploading third-party code to their Dynamics 365 (online) instance.
Extraction of Customer Data by third party services/software/applications or solutions is controlled by the customer, not Microsoft. The final destiny and privacy policies applicable to the data points extracted by these external solutions are controlled by the Administrator; adequate review of the policies applicable by the third parties operating these services/software/apps is recommended.

See Also

MSDN: Introduction to solutions
MSDN: Package and distribute extensions with solutions