There are two different types of solution while exporting or importing in MSCRM.
Managed Solution:
Managed solutions are installed on top of the system solution and can modify any customizable solution components or add more solution components.
Managed solutions can also be layered on top of other managed solutions. As long as a managed solution enables customization of its solution components, other managed solutions can be installed on top of it and modify any customizable solution components that it provides.
If you import a managed solution and want to revert the changes back to previous version, you can do it by simply deleting the solution. Deleting the solution will delete the solution as well the all components from the environment.
The components in the managed solution can not be configured or customized.
Unmanaged Solution:
Unmanaged solutions are groups of unmanaged customizations. Any unmanaged customized solution component can be associated with any number of unmanaged solutions.
You create a managed solution by exporting an unmanaged solution and selecting to package it as a managed solution.
Deleting an unmanaged solution from environment will delete solution from environment. However, all the components will persist in the environment.
The components in the managed solution can be configured or customized.
Steps to export solution:
Step 1:
For UCI:
Click advance find > Setting > Solutions > Select the solution and click on the export button.
For Classic:
Setting > Solutions > Select the solution and click on the export button.
Step 2:
Click on the publish all customization button, if any. Click next.
Step 3:
Select the settings accordingly. For now, we will not be selecting any of the option. Click next.
Step 4:
Select the package type and click on the Export button.
It might take few seconds to few minutes to download the zip file. This zip file will be used to import the customization and configuration to another environment.
Steps to import the solution
Step 1:
Click on the import button and browse to the solution zip file path and add it to import. Click next.
Step 2:
You can see details of the package by clicking on the detail button. You can also see the warning “Changes applied by importing an unmanaged solution cannot be uninstalled. Do not install this solution if you want to roll back these changes” this is because we are installing the unmanaged solution.
Click on the import button.
Once imported successfully you will get the details of component in package installed.
Click on publish all customizations button. Wait for completion and close the wizard box.
With these steps, you have successfully exported and imported the solution.
Note: Importing solutions is one of the most important task. You might get errors when moving the solutions. You have to resolve these errors and issues by looking into the error logs and by your sense of understanding.
MSCRM With Ramandeep 