If you have been struggling with installing the Dynamics 365 report authoring extensions then look no further as this article contains everything that you need to know in order to complete the install simply.

What is the Dynamics 365 report authoring extension?

So what is the Dynamics report authoring extension? The Dynamics 365 report authoring extension is the component of dynamics 365 that allows you to build custom reports within the Dynamics Framework. The extension connects to the backend Dynamics 365 database using the SSDT (SQL Server Data Tools) and allows fetch queries to return data through the Dynamics Interface.

How do I easily install the Dynamics report authoring extension?

First, you need to find the version of Dynamics CRM that you are using and uninstall any existing version of the dynamics report authoring extension if you already have it installed.

You can find which version of CRM that you are using by going to your settings gear in the top right-hand corner of Dynamics and then selecting the about option. This will bring up all the specifics about the version major and minor of Dynamics CRM release you are running.

You need to find the Major release to make sure that you are installing the compatible version of the report authoring extension.

Where are the dynamics report authoring extensions for my version of Dynamics CRM?

Here is a list of the downloads available from Microsoft depending on the CRM version you are using. The link will also provide the most up to date information on the specific requirements needed in order to support the extensions.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 – V9 (Version 9) – Report authoring Extension Download

Microsoft Dynamics 2015 – V8 (Version 8) – Report authoring Extension Download

What are the system requirements to run the Dynamics report authoring extensions?

Here is a list of the supported operating systems and development environments that can run the report authoring extensions. So at a minimum, you will need to ensure that you have these criteria met.

Additionally, you need to remember if you have an existing version of the report authoring extensions you will need to remove them.

• Supported Operating Systems
  • Windows 10
  • Windows Server 2012 R2
  • Windows Server 2012
  • Windows 8
  • Windows 7
• Supported Development Environments
  • Microsoft Visual Studio 2015
  • Microsoft Visual Studio 2013
  • Microsoft Visual Studio 2012
  • Visual Studio 2010 and SQL Server Data Tools

What can I do with the Dynamics 365 report authoring extensions?

The out of box reporting options within the Microsoft Dynamics platform will provide a high degree of match in most situations around reporting.

There is the ability to export the information that you need into multiple formats, metrics, custom views, advanced finds, and dashboards that can be built. But in some cases, you may have some more complex reporting needs than the out of box reporting can solve easily.

Some examples are if you are returning very large datasets, joining other data, not within the Dynamics 365 environment, or performing complex calculations.

In some of these situations, you may need another solution. The report authoring extensions and Power BI are two great solutions that can assist with this particular scenario.