2011 User's Guide Copyright

Relationship Behavior

You can configure the relationship behavior for the following actions performed on the primary entity record:

• 
  Assign
  
• 
  Share
  
• 
  Unshare
  
• 
  Reparent
  
• 
  Delete
  
• 
  Merge
  

The three predefined types of behavior are:

• 
  Parental. All actions cascade down to the child records. Deleting a parent record also deletes all child records. Reassigning a parent record to a user also reassigns all the child records to the same user.
  
• 
  Referential. No actions cascade down to the child records. Deleting a parent record also deletes any linking data in any child record.
  
• 
  Referential, Restrict Delete. No actions cascade down to the child records, except that deletion is not allowed if there are any child records.
  

• 
  Cascade All. This is a parental type of behavior. All actions cascade down to all child records, including inactive records.
  
• 
  Cascade Active. All actions only cascade down to all active child records.
  
• 
  Cascade User-Owned. Actions only cascade down to child records assigned to the same user as the owner of the parent record.
  
• 
  Cascade None. This a referential type of behavior. No actions cascade down to child records.
  

• 
  Use Referential, Restrict Delete behavior to prevent the deletion of any record with a child record.
  
• 
  Use Parental behavior to delete any child record when deleting a parent record.
  
• 
  Set the Delete action to Cascade All or Referential, Restrict Delete.
  

In addition to data integrity, your business can apply relationship behavior when data in records change or when the status of records change. The relationship behavior can cascade this action so it does not need to be done manually.

Limitations for Hierarchical Relationships

• 
  Each entity can have only one parental relationship. Most Microsoft Dynamics CRM system entities already have a parental relationship and this relationship cannot be changed.
  
• 
  Entities can have referential relationships with any entity, including business entities. You can create multiple relationships between two entities. Entities can have referential relationships with themselves, allowing linked records of the same type. However, a record cannot be linked to itself.
  
• 
  In Microsoft Dynamics CRM, the customer entities are Accounts or Contacts. These two entities together represent a composite Customer entity. Some Microsoft Dynamics CRM business entities, such as Opportunity and Case must be related to a Customer. However, you cannot create this type of relationship with custom entities.
  

Mapping

Create or edit 1:N relationships between entities

This task requires the System Administrator or System Customizer security role or equivalent permissions. Customization tasks can be performed only while you are online. More information: Customization Permissions (on page 474)

A 1:N relationship is a hierarchical relationship. More information: Understanding Hierarchical Entity Relationships (on page 572)

1. 
   In the Navigation Pane, click Settings.
   
2. 
   Under Customization, click Customizations.
   
3. 
   In the Customization area, click Customize the System.
   
4. 
   Under Components, expand Entities, and then expand the entity you want.
   
5. 
   Under the entity, click 1:N Relationships.
   
6. 
   To edit a relationship or view the details for a relationship, select the relationship, and on the Actions toolbar, click Actions, and then click Edit.
   

To add a new relationship, click the New 1-to-Many Relationship button.

You can't add new relationships to some entities, for example Address or Activity. More information: Understanding Hierarchical Entity Relationships (on page 572)

1. 
   For a new relationship, in the Relationship Definition section, select the Related Entity. A default Name value will be added after you select the Related Entity. You can accept this name or enter a new one.
   

If you change theRelated Entity before you save, the value of the Name field will not change. Make sure that this value is meaningful before you save.

1. 
   In the Lookup Field section, for a new relationship, enter information in the following fields:
   

• 
  Display Name
  
• 
  Name
  
• 
  In the Requirement Level list, you can choose one of the following options:
  

• 
  No Constraint
  
• 
  Business Required
  
• 
  Business Recommended
  

2. 
   In the Navigation Pane Item for Primary Entity section, in the Display Option list, you can choose one of the following options:
   

• 
  Use Plural Name
  
• 
  Use Custom Label
  
• 
  Do Not Display
  

3. 
   In the Relationship Behavior section, for new relationships and for existing relationships with Type of Behavior set to Parental, you can choose the type of relationship.
   

1. 
   In the Type of Behavior list you can choose one of the following relationship types:
   

• 
  Parental
  
• 
  Referential
  
• 
  Referential, Restrict Delete
  
• 
  Configurable Cascading
  

2. 
   If you selected the Configurable Cascading relationship type, for each of the six actions listed below, you can select the behavior for the action.
   

• 
  Assign
  
• 
  Share
  
• 
  Unshare
  
• 
  Reparent
  
• 
  Delete
  
• 
  Merge
  

• 
  Cascade All
  
• 
  Cascade None
  
• 
  Cascade Active
  
• 
  Cascade User-Owned
  
• 
  Remove Link
  

4. 
   Click Save and Close to close the Relationship form.
   
5. 
   When your customizations are complete, publish them:
   

• 
  To publish customizations for only the component that you are currently editing, on the Home tab, in the Save group, click Publish.
  
• 
  To publish customizations for all unpublished components at one time, click Publish All Customizations.
  

• 
  A custom entity cannot be the primary entity in a relationship with a related system entity that cascades. This means you cannot have a relationship with any action set to Cascade All, Cascade Active, or Cascade User-Owned between a primary custom entity and a related system entity.
  
• 
  No new relationship can have any action set to Cascade All, Cascade Active, or Cascade User-Owned if the related entity in that relationship already exists as a related entity in another relationship that has any action set to Cascade All, Cascade Active, or Cascade User-Owned. This avoids relationships that create a multi-parent relationship.
  
• 
  Any time you change user interface elements or implement form scripts for an entity, you must publish changes to apply them. Any customizations that change the data schema of Microsoft Dynamics CRM such as custom entities, relationships, or fields are applied immediately.
  

Related Topics Understanding Hierarchical Entity Relationships 572 Understanding Entities 499