Microsoft MB2-866 (Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Customization and Configuration) exam dumps vce, practice test questions, study guide & video training course to study and pass quickly and easily. Microsoft MB2-866 Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Customization and Configuration exam dumps & practice test questions and answers. You need avanset vce exam simulator in order to study the Microsoft MB2-866 certification exam dumps & Microsoft MB2-866 practice test questions in vce format.

A Foundational Guide to the MB2-866 Exam

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Customization and Configuration exam, designated MB2-866, was a pivotal certification for IT professionals specializing in the Microsoft Dynamics ecosystem. Passing this exam validated a candidate's expertise in tailoring the CRM 2011 platform to meet specific business requirements. It demonstrated a deep understanding of how to configure and extend the application's core components without writing code. This included skills in managing entities, fields, forms, views, charts, and dashboards, as well as implementing security and managing the solution lifecycle.

This certification was designed for individuals who played the role of a customizer or a functional consultant. These are the professionals responsible for translating business needs into tangible system configurations. The MB2-866 exam served as a benchmark, assuring employers and clients that a certified individual possessed the foundational skills necessary to effectively modify the system, enhance user experience, and ensure the platform aligned with organizational processes. It was a key step in building a career centered on Microsoft's business applications.

It is important to note that the MB2-866 exam and the CRM 2011 platform are now retired, having been superseded by many newer versions under the Dynamics 365 brand. However, the principles and strategies involved in preparing for such a product-specific exam remain highly relevant. This series will explore the challenges and techniques for mastering an exam like the MB2-866, using it as a case study for preparing for any in-depth technology certification. The core concepts of customization, configuration, and solution management have evolved but are still central to the platform today.

The Importance of Focusing on New Features

When preparing for a certification exam that covers a new version of a product, such as the transition from CRM 4.0 to CRM 2011 for the MB2-866, a critical strategy is to focus heavily on the new and changed features. Certification bodies, including Microsoft, often design exams to specifically test knowledge of the latest updates. The primary reason for this is to prevent individuals from passing based solely on legacy knowledge from previous versions. The goal is to certify professionals on their current competency with the most up-to-date platform.

This approach ensures the certification maintains its value and relevance in the marketplace. For the MB2-866, this meant that a candidate with extensive CRM 4.0 experience could not simply coast through the exam. They would have needed to dedicate significant study time to the major architectural and feature changes introduced in CRM 2011, such as the new Solutions framework, role-based forms, and the introduction of dashboards. While this sometimes risks under-testing core, unchanged functionality, it is a deliberate strategy to validate modern skills.

Of course, fundamental concepts that carry over from previous versions are still essential for real-world application and will appear on the exam. However, the feeling among many test-takers was that a disproportionate number of questions were centered on these new elements. Therefore, a successful study plan for the MB2-866 required a diligent review of the "What's New" documentation and, more importantly, extensive hands-on practice with these new capabilities to build the necessary proficiency to pass.

Key Skill Areas Measured in the MB2-866

The MB2-866 exam was structured around a set of "skills measured" objectives, which provided a clear roadmap for candidates. The primary area of focus was on configuring and customizing the core components of the application's data structure. This involved a deep understanding of entities, which are now known as tables. A candidate needed to know how to create new custom entities and modify existing system entities. This included configuring entity properties, such as ownership, primary fields, and communication and collaboration options.

Another major skill area was the management of fields, previously known as attributes. The exam tested a candidate's ability to create different types of fields, such as text, whole number, option sets, and lookups. This also included an understanding of field properties, field security profiles, and how to create and manage global option sets, a new feature in CRM 2011. A thorough grasp of the different data types and their appropriate use cases was essential for success in the MB2-866 exam.

Beyond the data structure, the exam covered the customization of the user interface. This included configuring forms by adding, removing, and arranging fields, sections, and tabs. It also involved creating and customizing system views to display relevant data to users, as well as building charts and dashboards for data visualization. Finally, the MB2-866 exam assessed skills in managing the security model, including business units, security roles, and teams, and the critical topic of managing customizations through the Solutions framework.

Who Was the Ideal Candidate for the MB2-866?

The ideal candidate for the MB2-866 certification was a professional tasked with adapting the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 platform to meet specific business needs. This role often carries titles such as Customizer, System Administrator, or Functional Consultant. These individuals typically work closely with business analysts and stakeholders to understand their requirements and then use the built-in customization tools to implement the desired functionality. They are the power users who know the platform's capabilities inside and out.

This certification was not aimed at developers who write custom code, plugins, or JavaScript. While an understanding of the platform's architecture is beneficial for everyone, the MB2-866 focused exclusively on what could be achieved through the user interface without programming. This is often referred to as "declarative" customization. The ideal candidate would be proficient in navigating the customization area of the application and would have hands-on experience in building and modifying the system's components.

Furthermore, a strong candidate would possess excellent problem-solving skills and a logical mindset. Many of the exam questions were scenario-based, presenting a business problem and asking for the best configuration-based solution. This required the ability to analyze requirements, understand the constraints and capabilities of the platform, and select the most efficient and effective approach. The MB2-866 was designed to validate this practical, solution-oriented skill set.

Navigating Terminology Changes from CRM 4.0

For candidates transitioning their knowledge from CRM 4.0, a minor but important challenge in preparing for the MB2-866 exam was adapting to the updated terminology used in CRM 2011. Microsoft made several changes to the names of core components, largely to make them more intuitive and accessible to a broader audience, including end-user customizers. While these were simple name changes, being unfamiliar with the new terms could cause confusion and lead a candidate to dismiss a correct answer as a "distractor."

The most prominent change was the shift from "attributes" to "fields." In CRM 4.0, the individual data points within an entity were officially called attributes. However, in common parlance, most users and even consultants referred to them as fields. CRM 2011 formalized this by adopting the term "fields" throughout the user interface. Similarly, the data types for these fields were renamed to be more descriptive. For example, the "picklist" data type became "option set," and the "bit" data type was renamed to "two options."

These changes were intended to "dumb down" the technical jargon and make the platform more approachable. For instance, "int" became "whole number," and "float" became "floating point number." While these changes seem trivial, they were important to master for the exam. The questions and answer options in the MB2-866 would exclusively use the new CRM 2011 terminology, so a candidate needed to be fluent in this updated vocabulary to avoid any confusion.

The Structure of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011

To succeed in the MB2-866 exam, a candidate needed a solid understanding of the fundamental structure of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 application. The platform is built around a relational database model, where information is organized into entities. System entities, such as Account, Contact, and Opportunity, are provided out of the box to manage common business processes. The power of the platform, and the core focus of the exam, lies in the ability to create new custom entities to model any unique business data.

Each entity contains a collection of fields that store specific pieces of information. The user interface for interacting with this data is primarily through forms and views. Forms provide the interface for creating, reading, and updating a single record within an entity. Views are lists of records that can be sorted, filtered, and displayed in various ways. A key part of the MB2-866 was knowing how to customize these forms and views to present the right information to the right users at the right time.

Underpinning this entire structure is a comprehensive security model. This model is based on a hierarchy of business units, with users being assigned to a specific business unit. Access to data is then controlled through security roles, which are collections of privileges that define what actions a user can perform on which entity records. Understanding how to configure this security model to meet complex data access requirements was a crucial skill for any professional certified in the MB2-866.

Developing an Effective Time Management Strategy

One of the most common sources of anxiety during a certification exam like the MB2-866 is the fear of running out of time. A proactive and strategic approach to time management is essential to stay calm and focused. The first step, taken right at the beginning of the exam, is to make a quick calculation based on the total number of questions and the total time allotted. This gives you a clear benchmark for how much time you can afford to spend on each question or on small blocks of questions.

A simple and effective method is to break down the total time into manageable chunks. For example, if the MB2-866 exam had 75 questions and a 120-minute time limit, you could calculate the time per block of five questions. In this case, 75 questions divided by 5 is 15 blocks. 120 minutes divided by 15 blocks gives you 8 minutes per block of five questions. This simple mental math provides an easy-to-track pace. Every time you complete five questions, you can quickly check the clock to see if you are on, ahead, or behind schedule.

Having this pacing strategy allows you to make informed decisions as you progress through the exam. If you are running ahead of schedule, you know you have a bit of extra time to spend on a particularly tricky question. If you find yourself falling behind, it is a clear signal that you need to pick up your pace and perhaps defer more difficult questions until the end. This structured approach to time management turns a potential source of stress into a tool for success.

The Sequential vs. Flagging Approach

When faced with a difficult question during the MB2-866 exam, candidates generally have two approaches: they can either commit to answering every question in sequence or they can flag difficult questions for review and come back to them at the end. The best strategy often depends on your personal style and your time management. The sequential approach, where you try to answer every question on the first pass, can be very effective for maintaining momentum and focus. It prevents you from building up a daunting list of unanswered questions to face at the end.

This approach works best when you are confident in your knowledge and are keeping up with your time benchmarks. If you encounter a challenging question but know you are ahead on time, you can afford to take a moment, re-read the question carefully, and work through the options without falling behind. This allows you to resolve the question with the immediate context still fresh in your mind, which can often be more efficient than trying to recall the details later.

However, if you are falling behind schedule, the flagging approach becomes a necessary and powerful tool. Instead of getting bogged down on one difficult question and wasting precious minutes, you should make your best educated guess, flag the question, and move on to the next one. This ensures that you have a chance to answer all the easier questions that you definitely know, maximizing your potential score. You can then use any remaining time at the end to revisit the flagged questions.

Deconstructing the Exam Question

A highly effective technique for answering multiple-choice questions in an exam like the MB2-866 is to deconstruct the question before you even look at the available answers. As you read the question stem, which includes the scenario and the specific query, try to formulate the ideal answer in your own mind. This active engagement with the question forces you to think critically about the problem being presented and what the correct solution would entail.

For example, a question might describe a business requirement to restrict access to a specific field on the Account form to only managers. Before looking at the options, you should think, "The tool for this is Field Security Profiles." You would then scan the list of answers looking for the option that involves creating and configuring a Field Security Profile. If you find an answer that exactly matches the one you formulated, you can select it with a very high degree of confidence.

This method helps you avoid being confused or misled by "distractors." Distractors are answer options that are intentionally designed to be plausible but are incorrect for a subtle reason. They might describe a feature that does not exist, a process that is not best practice, or a solution that does not apply to the specific version mentioned in the question. By forming your own answer first, you are less likely to be swayed by these tempting but incorrect options.

The Power of Trusting Your Instincts

In the high-pressure environment of the MB2-866 exam, it is easy to fall into the trap of second-guessing yourself. You might answer a question, feel reasonably confident, but then later go back and start to over-analyze it, ultimately changing your correct answer to an incorrect one. This is a common and frustrating experience. While careful review is important, there is also immense value in learning to trust your initial instincts, especially when you are not 100% certain of the answer.

Often, your "gut feeling" is not just a random guess. It is the result of your subconscious mind quickly processing all the information you have absorbed during your studies. A half-remembered detail from a training manual or a faint memory of a hands-on lab exercise can surface as an intuitive sense that one answer is better than another. This rapid, subconscious recall can be surprisingly accurate and can often be the source of those few vital extra marks needed to pass the exam.

The key is to find a balance. If, during your review, you have a clear "aha" moment and realize you made an obvious mistake, you should absolutely change your answer. For example, you might realize you misread the question, or another question might have inadvertently given you a clue to an earlier one. However, if you are simply re-reading a question you were unsure about and are tempted to change your answer without a clear reason, the best advice is often to stick with your first choice.

Managing Cognitive Load and Exam Fatigue

The MB2-866, like any certification exam, is not just a test of knowledge; it is also a test of mental endurance. Maintaining focus and concentration for the entire duration of the exam is critical. As you progress, cognitive fatigue can set in, making it harder to read questions carefully and think critically. It is important to have strategies to manage this. One simple but effective technique is to take very short mental breaks. After completing a block of questions, you might close your eyes for ten seconds and take a deep breath.

Pacing yourself, as discussed in the time management section, is also a key part of managing fatigue. Rushing through the exam can be just as mentally draining as getting bogged down. A steady, controlled pace helps to keep your stress levels in check and allows you to conserve mental energy for the entire test. It is also important to ensure you are well-rested and have had a good meal before the exam begins. Physical well-being has a direct impact on cognitive performance.

Finally, do not let difficult questions drain your mental reserves. If you encounter a question that you find completely baffling, it is often best to make a quick educated guess, flag it if you wish, and move on with a positive attitude. Dwelling on a single difficult question can create a negative feedback loop, increasing your anxiety and making it harder to focus on the subsequent questions that you are more likely to know the answer to.

The Return of the 'Choose All That Apply' Question

A particularly challenging question format that was reintroduced in Microsoft exams around the time of the MB2-866 is the "choose all that apply" type. These are multiple-choice, multiple-answer questions where, crucially, you are not told how many of the options are correct. This ambiguity adds a significant layer of difficulty, as you cannot rely on knowing whether you are looking for one, two, or even all of the answers. This format tests for a much deeper and more confident level of knowledge than a standard single-answer question.

These questions are often posed in a scenario format. For example, a question on the MB2-866 might state, "An organization wants to achieve a specific customization objective. Which of the following approaches would accomplish this goal? (Choose all that apply)." The challenge here is that there could be multiple valid, independent methods to achieve the same outcome. You would need to evaluate each option on its own merits and decide if it is a correct and complete solution to the problem presented.

Another variation of this question type might require you to select all the individual components that, when combined, form a single, complete solution. For example, you might need to select all the steps required to configure a specific security feature. This tests your understanding of a process from start to finish. Due to their complexity, these questions require a very thorough and careful reading of both the question and every single answer option.

Strategic Approaches to Multiple-Answer Questions

When faced with a "choose all that apply" question on the MB2-866, it is essential to have a systematic approach rather than relying on guesswork or superstition. While it might feel tempting to assume that there will always be at least two correct answers and never all of them, there is no evidence to support this. The most effective strategy is to treat each answer option as a separate true-or-false statement in the context of the question being asked.

Read the question stem carefully to understand the objective. Then, evaluate the first answer option and ask yourself, "Is this statement true? Does this action achieve the stated goal?" If the answer is yes, select it. If the answer is no, leave it unselected. Then, move on to the second answer option and repeat the process, evaluating it completely independently of your decision on the first option. Continue this for all the available choices.

This methodical, true-or-false approach forces you to analyze each option critically and avoids the trap of trying to guess the "pattern" or the number of correct answers the question designer had in mind. It ensures that your selections are based on your knowledge of the subject matter, not on flawed assumptions about the exam's structure. This disciplined technique is the most reliable way to maximize your score on these notoriously difficult questions.

Deconstructing Scenario-Based Questions

Many of the questions on the MB2-866 exam were not simple knowledge-recall questions but were instead complex, scenario-based problems. These questions typically present a short story or a business case and then ask you to select the best solution or course of action. To answer these correctly, you must be able to extract the relevant information from the scenario and ignore any extraneous details that might be included to distract you.

The first step in tackling a scenario-based question is to carefully read the entire scenario to understand the business context. What is the organization trying to achieve? What are their pain points or constraints? As you read, pay close attention to any specific keywords or technical requirements mentioned, such as a specific version of a product or a particular security requirement. These details are often the key to identifying the correct answer.

After understanding the scenario, focus on the actual question being asked. What is the specific problem you need to solve? Once you have a clear understanding of the objective, you can then begin to evaluate the answer options. For each option, ask yourself, "Does this solution meet all the requirements and constraints outlined in the scenario?" The best answer will be the one that is not only technically correct but also the most efficient and appropriate for the given business context.

Identifying and Avoiding Distractors

In any multiple-choice exam, distractors are a constant threat. These are answer options that are intentionally designed to be plausible but are ultimately incorrect. The MB2-866 exam was no exception. Distractors can take many forms. A common type is an answer that describes a real feature but one that is not suitable for the specific problem described in the question. For example, the answer might be a valid solution in general, but it might not work with a specific configuration mentioned in the scenario.

Another common type of distractor is an answer that uses familiar terminology but in an incorrect context. This is designed to catch candidates who are only superficially familiar with a topic. To avoid these traps, you need a deep and precise understanding of the concepts. This is where extensive hands-on practice becomes invaluable. When you have personally configured a feature multiple times, you are much less likely to be fooled by a subtly incorrect description of how it works.

The technique of formulating your own answer before looking at the options is one of the most effective defenses against distractors. By approaching the question with a clear idea of what the correct solution should be, you are less likely to be swayed by the tempting but flawed logic of a well-designed distractor. Always read every option carefully and critically evaluate why an answer might be incorrect before committing to your final choice.

Questions on System Prerequisites and Limits

Another style of question that frequently appears in configuration-focused exams like the MB2-866 relates to system prerequisites, supported configurations, and system limits. These questions are designed to test your knowledge of the specific technical requirements for installing and running the software. For example, a question might present several combinations of operating systems, SQL Server versions, and hardware specifications and ask you to identify which ones are suitable for installing the CRM 2011 server.

These questions can be particularly tricky because they often rely on pure memorization of technical details from the implementation guide. While they may not test your conceptual understanding, they are a way for the exam to verify that you have done your due diligence in studying the official documentation. The best way to prepare for these questions is to review the official planning and installation guides and create a summary sheet or flashcards with the key requirements.

Similarly, you might be asked questions about the limits of the system, such as the maximum number of fields you can create for an entity or the maximum number of options in an option set. While you may not encounter these limits in day-to-day customization, they are a part of the platform's defined specifications. A thorough review of the official product documentation is the only reliable way to prepare for these types of specific, fact-based questions on the MB2-866.

The Central Role of the Solutions Framework

One of the most significant architectural changes introduced in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 was the Solutions framework. This feature fundamentally changed how customizations were packaged, distributed, and managed. Given its importance, it was a heavily tested topic on the MB2-866 exam, often feeling disproportionately represented compared to its weighting in the official skills measured document. A deep and thorough understanding of Solutions was therefore absolutely critical for any candidate hoping to pass.

The Solutions framework provides a mechanism for developers and customizers to package all their related customizations into a single file. This file can then be easily exported from a development environment and imported into a testing or production environment. This addressed a major pain point from previous versions, where moving customizations was a more manual and error-prone process. The MB2-866 exam expected candidates to have a complete grasp of this entire lifecycle, from creating a solution to exporting and importing it.

This framework is not just a simple container. It includes powerful capabilities for managing versions, dependencies, and the behavior of customizations after they have been deployed. Concepts such as managed and unmanaged solutions, solution layering, and managed properties were all new and complex topics that required dedicated study and hands-on practice. A candidate for the MB2-866 needed to treat the Solutions framework as a core pillar of their preparation strategy.

Unmanaged vs. Managed Solutions: A Critical Distinction

A fundamental concept within the Solutions framework that was heavily tested on the MB2-866 is the distinction between unmanaged and managed solutions. An unmanaged solution is essentially a container for customizations that are still in development. When you import an unmanaged solution, the customizations are directly applied to the target environment and become part of the default solution. They can be freely modified or deleted after import, just as if they had been created directly in that environment.

Unmanaged solutions are typically used to move customizations between different development environments. They are not intended for distribution to end customers. For example, a team of customizers might use an unmanaged solution to consolidate their work before moving it to a shared integration environment. The key takeaway is that unmanaged solutions offer complete flexibility, but they do not provide any protection or control over the customizations once they are deployed.

In contrast, a managed solution is a finalized, packaged set of customizations that is intended for distribution and installation. When you import a managed solution, it is installed as a separate layer on top of the system's default solution. The customizations within a managed solution cannot be directly modified in the target environment, unless the creator of the solution specifically allowed it using managed properties. This provides a controlled and predictable way to deploy applications.

Understanding Solution Layering and Merging

The concept of solution layering is one of the most complex but essential topics to master for the MB2-866. When you install a managed solution, its components are not merged into the default solution; instead, they form a distinct layer. You can install multiple managed solutions, creating a stack of layers. The behavior of the system is determined by the "top" layer. If two solutions modify the same component, such as the main Account form, the changes from the solution that was installed last will be the ones that the user sees.

The exam would often present scenarios to test your understanding of this merging behavior. For example, "You import Solution A, which adds Field X to the Account form. You then import Solution B, which adds Field Y to the Account form. What does the user see?" In this case, the final form would be a merge of the original form and the changes from both solutions, so the user would see both Field X and Field Y.

The situation becomes more complex when solutions are uninstalled. If you uninstall a managed solution, all the customizations that were part of that solution are removed from the system. Understanding the final state of a component after a series of solution imports and uninstalls was a key skill. A candidate for the MB2-866 needed to have hands-on experience with these scenarios to build an intuitive understanding of how the solution layers interact.

The Power and Purpose of Managed Properties

Managed properties are a powerful feature associated with managed solutions that provide a granular level of control over what can be customized after a solution has been deployed. The creator of a managed solution can set managed properties for each component within their solution. These properties define whether a specific aspect of that component can be modified in the target environment. This was a critical concept for the MB2-866 exam, particularly for questions related to ISV (Independent Software Vendor) solutions.

For example, when creating a custom entity, the solution creator could set a managed property to prevent anyone from creating new fields for that entity in the target environment. They could set another property to allow new forms to be created but prevent the modification of existing forms. These properties provide a way to protect the integrity of a deployed application while still allowing for a controlled level of customer-specific customization.

The exam would test your understanding of these properties from both the perspective of the solution creator and the consumer. You would need to know what options are available when defining managed properties and what the impact of those settings would be in the target environment. A deep dive into the official documentation and hands-on experimentation with managed properties was a necessary part of preparing for the MB2-866.

Importing and Exporting Solutions: The Practical Process

Beyond the theoretical concepts, the MB2-866 exam would test your practical knowledge of the process of exporting and importing solutions. You would need to know the steps involved in exporting a solution, including the choice between exporting it as managed or unmanaged. When exporting a managed solution, the system locks it, and you can no longer modify its components in the development environment. This is an important consideration that could be the basis for an exam question.

When importing a solution, you would need to be aware of the potential for conflicts and how the system handles them. For example, what happens if you try to import a solution that contains a component that has already been customized in the target environment's default solution? Understanding how the system manages these dependencies and potential overwrites was a key part of the knowledge required for the MB2-866.

The exam would also cover the options available during the import process, such as the ability to activate or deactivate processes and SDK message processing steps upon import. A proficient customizer needs to be familiar with all these nuances to ensure that deployments are smooth and predictable. Hands-on practice with the entire import and export lifecycle was the only way to build the level of confidence and familiarity needed to answer these practical, process-oriented questions correctly.

Configuring Entities and Their Properties

At the very heart of any customization effort in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 lies the entity. Entities are the fundamental building blocks that are used to model and manage business data. The MB2-866 exam required a deep and practical understanding of how to work with both system and custom entities. A candidate needed to know how to create a new custom entity from scratch, defining its display name, plural name, and schema name. This is the first step in tailoring the system to a specific business domain.

Beyond just creation, the exam tested a candidate's knowledge of the various properties that can be configured for an entity. This includes setting the ownership type, which determines whether records are owned by a user or team, or by the organization as a whole. You would need to understand the implications of this choice, as it is something that cannot be changed after the entity is created. Other properties, such as enabling activities or connections for an entity, were also key areas of focus.

A successful candidate for the MB2-866 would be able to analyze a set of business requirements and translate them into the correct entity configuration. For example, if a business needed to track a type of record that required collaboration and communication tracking, you would need to know to enable activities for that custom entity. This ability to map business needs to technical properties was a core competency validated by the exam.

Creating and Managing Fields

Once an entity is created, the next step is to define the specific pieces of data that will be stored for each record. This is done by creating fields, which were known as attributes in previous versions. The MB2-866 exam placed a heavy emphasis on a candidate's ability to create and manage fields of various data types. The platform offers a rich set of data types, and knowing which one to use for a given requirement was a critical skill.

The exam would test your knowledge of the different data types and their new names in CRM 2011. For example, a "picklist" became an "option set," "bit" became "two options," and "int" became "whole number." You needed to know the use cases for each, such as using an option set for a predefined list of values or using a lookup field to create a relationship with another entity. The introduction of global option sets in CRM 2011, which allow a single option set to be shared across multiple entities, was also a key topic.

Furthermore, the exam would cover the configuration of field properties. This includes setting a field as required, searchable, or enabling it for auditing. A particularly important concept was field security. You needed to know how to create a field security profile to restrict access to a specific field to certain users or teams. This granular level of security control was a powerful feature, and the MB2-866 exam expected you to be proficient in its configuration.

Customizing Forms for Enhanced User Experience

Forms are the primary interface through which users interact with data in CRM 2011. The ability to customize forms to make them more intuitive and efficient for users was a major part of the MB2-866 exam. A candidate needed to be an expert in using the form editor to add, remove, and arrange fields. This included an understanding of the form's structure, which consists of tabs, sections, and columns. A well-designed form can significantly improve user adoption and productivity.

The exam would test your knowledge of how to work with different types of form components. This included adding sub-grids to display related records, such as showing a list of contacts associated with an account. It also included adding web resources, such as HTML pages or images, to a form to provide additional information or functionality. The introduction of role-based forms in CRM 2011 was a major new feature, and the MB2-866 would expect you to know how to create different form layouts for different security roles.

In addition to the layout, you needed to know how to configure the properties of the fields on the form. This included making a field read-only, hiding a field by default, or setting a default value. While the MB2-866 did not cover JavaScript, it did expect you to be proficient in all the declarative customization options available in the form editor to control the user experience.

Creating and Customizing Views

While forms are used to view a single record, views are used to display lists of records. The ability to create and customize views to provide users with relevant and actionable lists of data was another core skill tested in the MB2-866 exam. You needed to know the difference between the various types of views, such as Public Views, Personal Views, and System Views (like Quick Find and Advanced Find).

The exam would focus on your ability to use the view editor to configure Public Views. This included selecting the columns to be displayed in the view and setting the default sorting order. A major part of view customization is defining the filter criteria. You needed to be proficient in using the advanced find interface to build complex queries that would filter the records to show only the desired data. This could involve grouping conditions with AND/OR logic and filtering on related entities.

A proficient customizer would be able to take a business requirement, such as "Show me all active accounts in California that have had no activity in the last 90 days," and translate it into the correct filter criteria for a system view. This ability to manipulate data through views is fundamental to making the CRM system a powerful tool for users, and the MB2-866 ensured that certified professionals had mastered this skill.

Understanding the Security Model

Underpinning all customization in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 is a robust and granular security model. A comprehensive understanding of this model was absolutely essential to pass the MB2-866 exam. The model is based on a hierarchy of business units. You needed to know how to create and manage this hierarchy to reflect an organization's structure. Users are placed within these business units, which can control their access to data.

The core of the security model is the concept of security roles. A security role is a collection of privileges that define the actions a user can perform (such as Create, Read, Write, Delete) on different entity types. These privileges can be set at different access levels, such as User, Business Unit, or Organization. The exam would present complex security scenarios and require you to determine the correct combination of security roles and access levels to meet the requirements.

In addition to security roles, the MB2-866 would test your knowledge of teams and how they can be used to share records and collaborate across business units. As mentioned earlier, the exam also covered the more granular security options of field security profiles. A deep and practical understanding of how all these different components of the security model work together was non-negotiable for any candidate aspiring to earn the MB2-866 certification.

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