Our CRM team member, Lee-ann has found some really useful tools that significantly reduce administration time from within Dynamics CRM 2011. If you would like any more information, please ring or email me.
1. View Layout Replicator
The View Layout Replicator Utility allows you to easily
replicate the columns and column formatting from the source view to
multiple views within the same entity. The tool can be found here.
2. Searchable Property Updater
This tool retrieves the attributes being used on the forms and
then allows you to specify only those attributes as searchable in
CRM. Additionally it allows you to select multiple attributes from
within an Entity to be set as Searchable. Click this link to download
the tool on codeplex.
3. User Settings Utility
The User Settings Utility is useful for updating user settings
for multiple users at once. System administrators can identify a
group of users and update settings such as setting the default
page, time zone, calendar, records per page, email preferences,
etc. This utility is available here.
4. Metadata Tools
a. Metadata Browser
Metadata Browser is a Silverlight application that is packaged
as a Managed solution which allows you to retrieve the Entity,
Attribute and Relationship metadata schema within CRM. This
information can then be exported to Excel. The tool is available here.
b. Metadata Document Generator
This utility allows you to general excel and word documents with
the metadata schema and also include information such as whether
the fields are mandatory, searchable, audited, etc. Here's the link to
codeplex.
5. CRM Solution Bulk Export
This utility allows you to take a backup of multiple un-managed
solutions in your CRM organisation. Here's the link to
codeplex.