I encountered this strange error while installing the update 2.1 for Dynamics 365 On Premise. The environment was a load balanced one with 2 Front End Servers, 2 Back End Servers, 2 SSRS Servers and 1 SQL Server. The upgrade was attempted to be carried out in place, by just running the executable downloaded from the Microsoft official link. The Front End Server upgrades worked just fine and so did the SSRS Servers, but the Back End ones kept failing (both of them) with a Fatal Error.
This error, however, did not popup when we attempted to upgrade from Dynamics 365 to 8.1 and 8.2 respectively. They were carried out in the exact same way as Update 2.1 (8.2.1).
The Environment & Issue
The 2 Front End Servers were running the Web Application Server, Organization Web Service, Discovery Web Service, Help Server and the Deployment Web Service. The 2 Back End Servers were running the Asynchronous Processing Service, Email Integration Service, Sandbox Processing Service, Deployment Tools and VSS Writer Service.
The Server layout looked like the image below.
The log file after enabling tracing didn’t give much except for this error message (which doesn’t help at all)
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10:56:11| Info| InstallerException: 1603 10:56:11| Error| System.Exception: Action Microsoft.Crm.UpdateWrapper.MspInstallAction failed. ---> Microsoft.WindowsInstaller.InstallerException: Fatal error during installation. at Microsoft.WindowsInstaller.Installer.ApplyPatch(String patchPackage, String installPackage, InstallType installType, String commandLine) at Microsoft.Crm.UpdateWrapper.MspInstallAction.Do(IDictionary parameters) at Microsoft.Crm.Setup.Shared.CrmAction.ExecuteAction(CrmAction action, IDictionary parameters, Boolean undo) --- End of inner exception stack trace ---, Error, RetryCancel, Option1 10:56:25| Info| InputResult: Cancel 10:56:25| Info| CrmAction execution time; MspInstallAction; 00:03:54.5708790 10:56:25| Error| Exception occured when installing update: System.Exception: Action Microsoft.Crm.UpdateWrapper.MspInstallAction failed. ---> Microsoft.WindowsInstaller.InstallerException: Fatal error during installation. at Microsoft.WindowsInstaller.Installer.ApplyPatch(String patchPackage, String installPackage, InstallType installType, String commandLine) at Microsoft.Crm.UpdateWrapper.MspInstallAction.Do(IDictionary parameters) at Microsoft.Crm.Setup.Shared.CrmAction.ExecuteAction(CrmAction action, IDictionary parameters, Boolean undo) --- End of inner exception stack trace --- at Microsoft.Crm.Setup.Shared.CrmAction.ExecuteAction(CrmAction action, IDictionary parameters, Boolean undo) at Microsoft.Crm.UpdateWrapper.HotfixMspInstaller.Install() 10:56:25| Info| CrmAction execution time; PopulateUninstallDirectoryAction; 00:00:00.0156140 10:56:25| Error| Install exception.System.Exception: Action Microsoft.Crm.UpdateWrapper.MspInstallAction failed. ---> Microsoft.WindowsInstaller.InstallerException: Fatal error during installation. at Microsoft.WindowsInstaller.Installer.ApplyPatch(String patchPackage, String installPackage, InstallType installType, String commandLine) at Microsoft.Crm.UpdateWrapper.MspInstallAction.Do(IDictionary parameters) at Microsoft.Crm.Setup.Shared.CrmAction.ExecuteAction(CrmAction action, IDictionary parameters, Boolean undo) --- End of inner exception stack trace --- at Microsoft.Crm.Setup.Shared.CrmAction.ExecuteAction(CrmAction action, IDictionary parameters, Boolean undo) at Microsoft.Crm.UpdateWrapper.HotfixMspInstaller.Install() at Microsoft.Crm.Setup.Shared.ComposedInstaller.InvokeInstall(Installer installer, IDictionary stateSaver) at Microsoft.Crm.Setup.Shared.ComposedInstaller.InternalInstall(IDictionary stateSaver) at Microsoft.Crm.Setup.Shared.ComposedInstaller.Install(IDictionary stateSaver) at Microsoft.Crm.UpdateWrapper.UpdateSetup.Install(IDictionary data) at Microsoft.Crm.Setup.Shared.SetupBase.ExecuteOperation() 10:56:25|Verbose| Method exit: Microsoft.Crm.UpdateWrapper.UpdateSetup.ExecuteOperation 10:56:25| Info| failed. 10:56:25| Info| Setup did not complete successfully. Action Microsoft.Crm.UpdateWrapper.MspInstallAction failed. Fatal error during installation. 10:56:25| Error| Setup did not complete successfully. 10:56:25|Verbose| Method exit: Microsoft.Crm.UpdateWrapper.UpdateSetup.RunInternal 10:56:25|Verbose| Update Not Completed 10:56:25|Verbose| Update Not Completed 10:56:25| Info| Dynamics 365 Server Update 2.1 (KB4013759) was not completed successfully because of the following problems: Action Microsoft.Crm.UpdateWrapper.MspInstallAction failed. Fatal error during installation. |
Resolving the issue
The resolution was to go to Deployment Manager, then to Servers (which will list all your servers) and disable one of the Back End Servers, install the upgrade in that Servers and then enable it back on.
When you try to disable a server, it will give you a warning that the services would be stopped. Just click OK.
This should disable the server and you can see it from the Server list.
Run the upgrade in the server, and once it’s done (it should succeed this time) and Server is restarted, go back to Deployment Manager and enable the server back.
The steps were carried out for both the Back End Servers and this time it worked fine! No errors!
Strange as it is, there was no information given by the Microsoft Support team as to why it happened, but I believe this is something they have come across with other customers as well.
Thank you for posting this – the whole Internet and this was the only search result that seems to address and solve the problem!
Hi Colin,
You are welcome. I didn’t find it anywhere else to be honest which is why I made it a point to share so others might benefit off it.
Thanks!
Dynamotion
This blog saved me from a huge headache! I applied the patch DEV and QA with no issue (same environment configurations with 2 and 2). When I got to PROD, this error came up. I spend over 1.5 hours on the phone with MS and they couldn’t figure it out!
Hi Jason,
Glad to hear this helped you! I spent a few days troubleshooting this and was finally asked by a Microsoft rep to try this approach.
Thanks!
Dynamotion
it is great to find your post.
ı have spent couple of days for resolving this issue.
Thanks again
We are all on the same boat, aren’t we? 🙂
Thank you Sooo much.. My wife thanks you too..
This saved my hole evening/night.
You’re welcome lol! xD
P.S. I hope you meant “whole” *chuckles*
Hi
I have found that I am getting this when updating from 2.1 to 2.2 on premise. I only have 2 full role CRM application servers and 1 SQL server. I tried disabling one of the servers then upgrading the other but this did not work. any ideas? Have you had this also when upgrading.
Thanks
James
Hi James,
I encountered this while upgrading from 8.2.0 to 8.2.1. I believe it has got something to do with their upgrade package after 8.2.0 for on premise.
Thanks!
Dynamotion
I had the same issue. When I re-read this post it says to update the DISABLED server, not the enabled server.
Hi Gene,
You are right. You update each server AFTER you have DISABLED them.
So just to be clear – do you update the disabled Server or the other servers?
Hi James,
You update the disabled server. It appears that when the server is on a disconnected mode, the upgrade goes through.
Cheers!
“Fatal Error while installing updates in Dynamics 356”. did you mean 365?
Yes I meant 365 🙂
My bad, it was a typo.