How to Debug Custom Workflow Activity and Async Plug-In in MSCRM

One of the most common requirement while developing, testing and/or troubleshooting is the ability to debug our code. This is not an exception in the case we are developing a Dynamics CRM plug-in or workflow assembly.

Hence, I decided to briefly describe here steps to debug your code in MSCRM which might be either Sync Plug-In or A Sync Plug-In or Custom Workflow

To debug a Custom Workflow Activity Follow below steps :

1. Copy the .pdb file for the assembly to the %installdir%(c:)\\server\\bin\\assembly or 
3. C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Dynamics CRM\\Server\\bin\\assembly


folder. The assembly can be deployed as on-disk or stored in the database. The recommended deployment is in the database, but for debugging you should choose on-disk. 

4. Next, attach the debugger to the CrmAsyncService.exe process. 
5. Make sure that you remove the .pdb & .dll file when you have finished debugging because it uses memory to have it loaded.

To debug a Asynchronous Plug-In Follow below steps :

1. Firstly Build Plug-in solution
2. Register it on Plug-in registration tool
3. Go to Plug-in solution in Visual Studio 2012
4. Add Debugger at specified location within code.
5. Attach process from Tools >Attach To Process > CrmAsyncService.exe(both) > OK
6. Perform action for debugging Plug-in Solution

To debug a Synchronous Plug-In Follow my below post :

 http://arpitmscrmhunt.blogspot.in/2014/04/how-to-debug-plugin-in-mscrm-2011-on.html


Note : Make sure that you remove the .pdb and .dll file when you have finished debugging because it uses memory to have it loaded and it will give \”Plug-In assembly could not be loaded\” error while you import Plug-In Solutions from one organisation to other have different Database.
To Import Plug-In solution from Organisation1 to Organisation2(both have different database) make sure all the plugins of Organisation1 must be in Database

Hope it will help someone to debug Plugin & Workflows 🙂

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