Discussion:
Contact "Modified By" field set to me upon creation of contact
(too old to reply)
msandid
2010-03-16 18:59:37 UTC
Permalink
Hi all,

We ran into this issue and ran a small test and confirmed it: A user
regularly runs an Advanced Find query to check that no one messed up
her contacts. The latest run showed me (admin) as having modified some
of the contacts even though I never touched them.

We tested it: She created dummy contacts and immediately ran the query
again. She was listed under Created By but I was listed under Modified
By even though I never touched them!

Is there anything we're missing as to how this field is set? Shouldn't
it be set to her?

Thank you.
Mohamed
Dave
2010-03-17 15:50:56 UTC
Permalink
Post by msandid
Hi all,
We ran into this issue and ran a small test and confirmed it: A user
regularly runs an Advanced Find query to check that no one messed up
her contacts. The latest run showed me (admin) as having modified some
of the contacts even though I never touched them.
We tested it: She created dummy contacts and immediately ran the query
again. She was listed under Created By but I was listed under Modified
By even though I never touched them!
Is there anything we're missing as to how this field is set? Shouldn't
it be set to her?
Thank you.
Mohamed
Mohamed,
There must be some other process (workflow, Windows service, onSave
Javascript, pre or post-save plug-in) doing an update.on this record
as soon as an insert happens. I would suggest creating a quick
workflow to audit the entity. (Just create another entity, and add a
workflow to the original entity to create a new record in this new
entity. Make sure that the workflow runs on create, and on update of
any field.) That should enable you to see the second update that is
happening.
HTH,
Dave

-------------------------------------------
David L. Carr, President
Visionary Software Consulting, Inc.
Cell: 503-351-4207
Email: ***@earthlink.net
http://www.vscrm.com
msandid
2010-03-18 21:33:52 UTC
Permalink
Post by Dave
Post by msandid
Hi all,
We ran into this issue and ran a small test and confirmed it: A user
regularly runs an Advanced Find query to check that no one messed up
her contacts. The latest run showed me (admin) as having modified some
of the contacts even though I never touched them.
We tested it: She created dummy contacts and immediately ran the query
again. She was listed under Created By but I was listed under Modified
By even though I never touched them!
Is there anything we're missing as to how this field is set? Shouldn't
it be set to her?
Thank you.
Mohamed
Mohamed,
There must be some other process (workflow, Windows service, onSave
Javascript, pre or post-save plug-in) doing an update.on this record
as soon as an insert happens.  I would suggest creating a quick
workflow to audit the entity.  (Just create another entity, and add a
workflow to the original entity to create a new record in this new
entity.  Make sure that the workflow runs on create, and on update of
any field.)  That should enable you to see the second update that is
happening.
HTH,
Dave
-------------------------------------------
David L. Carr, President
Visionary Software Consulting, Inc.
Cell: 503-351-4207
Hi Dave,

I have implemented a workflow as you suggested and it does indeed show
an extra record: First record shows the original creator. Second one
shows me as the modifying person.
I looked at all the JS scripts but there is nothing there. However,
upon reading your email again, I remembered that one of the scripts
(created for us by consultants) runs some updates/services before the
record is saved. These updates format phone numbers and fix parent-
child relationships.
This script was written using my login so I am wondering if this
causes CRM records to have my login listed on the latest time stamp
until the next person makes a new change. That's probably it!

On a separate note, thanks for the idea of using a workflow to
generate an audit trail, which is sorely missing from MS CRM. I could
create workflows to keep an audit of the most important record types:
Contact, Account, Notes, Activities...
The workflow allows detecting any change to the record being tracked:
Creation, deletion, modification of a field...

My question is: Is there an easy way to automatically track which of
these operations took place?

I would like the newly-created tracking entity to tell me which
operation happened: Was the record created, deleted, which field was
modified... without having to create a separate workflow for each
operation/field. Is there a way to transfer that information? If not,
worst case scenario, I could create 3 separate workflows for creation,
deletion, and modification.

I hope my question makes sense and thanks again for your help.

Mohamed
Dave
2010-03-19 14:08:20 UTC
Permalink
Post by msandid
Post by Dave
Post by msandid
Hi all,
We ran into this issue and ran a small test and confirmed it: A user
regularly runs an Advanced Find query to check that no one messed up
her contacts. The latest run showed me (admin) as having modified some
of the contacts even though I never touched them.
We tested it: She created dummy contacts and immediately ran the query
again. She was listed under Created By but I was listed under Modified
By even though I never touched them!
Is there anything we're missing as to how this field is set? Shouldn't
it be set to her?
Thank you.
Mohamed
Mohamed,
There must be some other process (workflow, Windows service, onSave
Javascript, pre or post-save plug-in) doing an update.on this record
as soon as an insert happens.  I would suggest creating a quick
workflow to audit the entity.  (Just create another entity, and add a
workflow to the original entity to create a new record in this new
entity.  Make sure that the workflow runs on create, and on update of
any field.)  That should enable you to see the second update that is
happening.
HTH,
Dave
-------------------------------------------
David L. Carr, President
Visionary Software Consulting, Inc.
Cell: 503-351-4207
Hi Dave,
I have implemented a workflow as you suggested and it does indeed show
an extra record: First record shows the original creator. Second one
shows me as the modifying person.
I looked at all the JS scripts but there is nothing there. However,
upon reading your email again, I remembered that one of the scripts
(created for us by consultants) runs some updates/services before the
record is saved. These updates format phone numbers and fix parent-
child relationships.
This script was written using my login so I am wondering if this
causes CRM records to have my login listed on the latest time stamp
until the next person makes a new change. That's probably it!
On a separate note, thanks for the idea of using a workflow to
generate an audit trail, which is sorely missing from MS CRM. I could
Contact, Account, Notes, Activities...
Creation, deletion, modification of a field...
My question is: Is there an easy way to automatically track which of
these operations took place?
I would like the newly-created tracking entity to tell me which
operation happened: Was the record created, deleted, which field was
modified... without having to create a separate workflow for each
operation/field. Is there a way to transfer that information? If not,
worst case scenario, I could create 3 separate workflows for creation,
deletion, and modification.
I hope my question makes sense and thanks again for your help.
Mohamed- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -
Mohamed,
I'm glad I could help. Re: "what happened"... There is no easy way I
know of to tell that wihtin a workflow. But, logically, the first
record in the audit entity for any one original record will be the
create... All subsequent records are updates... And the last one is
the delete... HTH,
Dave
-------------------------------------------
David L. Carr, President
Visionary Software Consulting, Inc.
Cell: 503-351-4207
Email: ***@earthlink.net
http://www.vscrm.com

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