Building workflows for Microsoft SharePoint Products and TechnologiesMohammed ZayedInformation Worker Specialist

Moh_zd@hotmail.comMohzd.blogspot.com

Agenda

Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) overviewMicrosoft Sharepoint Server in a glanceSharePoint Integration with WF Building Workflow in MS SharePoint DesignerWorkflow authoring scenariosLive Demo - Using the workflowDeveloping workflow with Visual StudioLive Demo - Building the workflowWorkflow Tools Technical ComparisonsMicrosoft Business Process Management VisionInformation Worker Products and ServicesResources and Best PracticesSummery

Windows Workflow Foundation (WF)Single workflow technology for Windows

Extensible framework & toolsetBase platform for Microsoft, ISV and customer solutions

A framework for building workflow into applicationsA framework to build on - not an application or serverExposed to developers via .NET 3.0

Windows Operating Systems (Client and Server)

Office 2007 Future MSFT Application Custom ISV Application

.NET 3.0/3.5 Framework

Windows Workflow Foundation (WF)

Encapsulated logic for coordinating business processes provides abstractions to model real world processesvaluable for modeling long running and stateful behaviorWorkflows in WF are decomposed into activities

What are workflows?

Sequential workflows

modeled as flowchart

State machine workflow

modeled as state diagram

.. What is MS Workflow ?

Workflow is a natural way to organize and run a set of work units, or activities, to form an executable file representation of a work processMicrosoft Windows platform component that provides a programming framework and tools for development and execution of workflow-based applications

WF: Designer for Visual Studio.netWorkflow Extensions for .NET Framework 3.0

WF: Runtime EngineMS.NET Framework 3.0/3.5

Simplify how people work

together

Reduce IT costs and

improve security

Help protect and manage

content

Find information and improve

business insight

A New World Of Work

Trends Role of Software

Cost pressure

Always on, always

connected

Transparent organization

One world of business

PortalPortal

SearchSearchEnterpriseEnterpriseContentContent

ManagemeManagementnt

BusinessBusinessProcessProcess

andandFormsForms

BusinessBusinessIntelligenceIntelligence CollaboratioCollaboratio

nn

SharePoint Investment AreasSharePoint Investment Areas

PlatforPlatformm

ServiceServicess

Workspaces, Mgmt,Workspaces, Mgmt,Security, Storage,Security, Storage,

Topology, Site ModelTopology, Site Model

BusinessBusinessIntelligenceIntelligence

Server-based Excel spreadsheets and data visualization, Report Center, BI Web Parts, KPIs/Dashboards

CollaborationCollaboration

Docs/tasks/calendars, blogs, wikis, e-mail integration,

project management “lite”, Outlook integration,

offline docs/lists

Business Business Process Process

andandFormsForms

OOB workflows, WF Integration, Rich and Web forms based front-ends, LOB actions, pluggable SSO

PortalPortal

Enterprise Portal template, Site Directory, My

Sites, social networking,

privacy control

SearchSearchEnterprise scalability,contextual relevance,

rich people and business data search

EnterpriseEnterpriseContentContent

ManagementManagementIntegrated document management, records management, and Web content management with policies and workflow

Workflow Services

SequencingState managementTracking capabilitiesTransaction supportWSS Provides custom implementation:

transaction, persistence, notifications, roles, tracking, and messaging.

What are activities?

Activities are reusable components (like form controls)Model based on activity producers and consumersProducer encapsulates logic into reusable black boxProducer exposes behavior through properties and events Consumer drops activity on workflow designer in Visual Studio

Workflow Authoring Scenarios

Visual Studio andWorkflow SDK

Out-of-the-BoxSolutions

(with customization)

SharePoint Designer Workflow

Routing and ApprovalReview – Approval

Signature collectionEast Asian workflow

Stru

ctu

red

A

d H

oc

Office Server FeaturesList Moderation

Publishing ProcessDocument Expiration

Tracking ApplicationsIssue tracking

LOBIntegration

Custom Form ActionsEmail Notification

Exception Handling

Document ProcessesSpec Review

Weekly Status Report

Custom Tracking Apps

Service RequestsAsset Tracking

Industryspecific processes

Purchase ordersProduct lifecycle mgmt

Office Activity Examples

Create TaskComplete TaskOn Task ChangeDelete TaskUpdate ItemCreate ItemCopy/Delete ItemOn Item ChangeLog to workflow history list

Activities are the building blocks of workflows.

Creating your own Activities

Create a new Workflow Activity Library projectInherit from System.Workflow.ComponentModel.Activity

Must override the Execute methodWrite your custom codeDefine custom Properties

WSS Workflow Fundamentals

WSS supports workflows on items and documentsWF associated with list, document library or content typeWF can be started and completed by user actionsWF can be configured to start without user action

WSS adds a dimension of human accountabilityAll WSS workflows are associated with a task list

WSS adds a dimension of tracking and reportingAll WSS workflows are associated with a workflow history list

..WSS Workflow Fundamentals

Workflow StagesWorkflow AssociationWorkflow InitiationWorkflow StatusWorkflow Task Completion

Workflows are run on items and documentsWorkflows associated with list, document library or content typeFarm-wide table tracks associations to WF templates

WSS Workflow Architecture

Workflow Template Collection

Workflow Assembly

Workflow Assembly

Workflow Assembly

Content Type

List

Document Library

Farm-level WorkflowAssociation Table

Workflow A

Workflow B

Workflow C

Sample Business Process

Request Approval

Send Task to Approver

Decision

Approval Completed

Request change

Revise proposal

Proposal Rejected

Approver Delegates

Simplified Business Process

Request Approval

Send Task to Approver

Decision

Approval Completed

Using The Workflow

Developing Workflow Tools Comparison

Using Visual Studio.net DesignerIt’s not for a specific Sharepoint SiteDeveloping custom code to your activitiesDesign Forms to communicate with usersDone by Professional DeveloperCan author both sequential and state workflows

Using Sharepoint DesignerIt’s for a specific Sharepoint SiteCode-free, declarative rules-based workflows .you are in effect assembling pre-existing activities into workflowsLikely Done by Web designer or Knowledge worker.Can Author sequential workflow only.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms461944.aspx

What Is SharePoint Designer?

New product targeted at enterprise solution creators and designers using SharePoint technologiesGreat web design tool

High quality design surface and integrated code viewDeep web standards support (XHTML, CSS, XSLT, XML)Excellent ASP.NET support (control hosting, prop editing, data binding, intellisense)

Part of MS family of web tools:Microsoft Office SharePoint DesignerExpression Web DesignerVisual Studio Web Developer

The Workflow DesignerCreating application logic without code

Workflow Designer Overview

RAD workflow development toolDeep SharePoint integrationLow barrier to entryEnables new scenarios:

Custom SharePoint List logic

Reporting & tracking apps (event-based)

Rule-Based “No Code” Workflows

Built on Windows Workflow Foundation hosting in SharePointWorkflows are composed of pre-existing building blocks and conditional logic

Based on Events, Conditions, and ActionsDescribed by XOML files in web siteTriggered by initiation form or list eventsSupports rich data binding to list items

Extensible via custom actions, conditions

Sample Workflow Actions

Assign Custom Task Send EmailCreate/Update/Delete List itemCollect FeedbackWait for TimerWait for Data Change

Creating a custom workflow in Sharepoint Designer

Development Steps

1. Model workflow in Visual Studio2. Create and bind InfoPath forms3. Deploy to SharePoint server4. Debug the running workflow

Workflow Deployment

Compile your workflow template as a strong-named assembly.Create the feature definition file that provides Windows SharePoint Services with the information necessary to deploy your workflow at the specified scope.Create the workflow definition file that provides Windows SharePoint Services with the information necessary to instantiate and run the workflow.Set the deploy property so that building the solution deploys the workflow files to the correct location, copies the workflow assembly to the global assembly cache (GAC), and activates the workflow feature in Windows SharePoint Services.

Model Workflow In Visual StudioPrerequisites:

Visual Studio 2005 extensions for WF – (RC5)SharePoint 2007 SDK – Visual Studio templates for SharePoint workflow

Create project of type “SharePoint Sequential Workflow Library”Create the workflow

Visual Studio 2005 extensions for WFhttp://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=5D61409E-1FA3-48CF-8023-E8F38E709BA6

SharePoint Server 2007 SDK:http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=6d94e307-67d9-41ac-b2d6-0074d6286fa9

Association formUser adds workflow to a listFor setting options on WF

Initiation formFor manual workflow startCollects workflow parameters

Task completion formA user to edit a task from WFUser edits or enters data

Modification formLinked off WF status pageCan modify in-flight WF

Create And Bind InfoPath FormsTypes of InfoPath forms in Workflows

Create And Bind InfoPath FormsInfoPath forms are used in these places

Hosting Environment

Create And Bind InfoPath FormsSharePoint hosts the InfoPath form

Hosting Environment

Create And Bind InfoPath FormsData from SharePoint is passed in

SharePoint object

_________

_________

_________

Hosting Environment

Create And Bind InfoPath FormsSubmit the form, saves data to SharePoint

SharePoint object

_________

_________

_________

Hosting Environment

Create And Bind InfoPath FormsSharePoint starts the workflow

SharePoint object

_________

_________

_________

SharePoint -> Task/WF Host

SharePoint Task

•instructions =“Please do this.”

Task data as xml ItemMetadata.xml

Create and Bind InfoPath Forms Pushing data from WF task into IP

InfoPath Task Form

<z:row xmlns:z=“#RowsetSchema”

ows_instructions=“”/>

Deploy To SharePoint Server

Generate Metadata filesFeature.XMLWorkflow.XML

Create the CAB (WSP)Box admin installs “WSP” file

Install/activate the “feature”IISResetAssociate workflow to the list/library

Debug The Running Workflow

Visual Studio running on server machineOpen the workflow in Visual StudioAttach to all of the W3WP ProcessesStart the workflow

Building The Workflow

Recap – Steps involvedCreate Workflow project in Visual Studio 2005Model the workflowCreate and bind InfoPath formsDesign workflow code and activitiesSign and compile the assemblyAuthor the feature definition file

Add GUIDAdd titleAdd descriptionAdd manifest location

Author workflow template definition fileAdd GUIDAdd nameAdd descriptionAdd form URN’s Add assembly details extract the public key

Run the post build event to deploy the workflowAssociate the workflow to a listAttach to the W3WP.exe process and debug

VSTO to make it easier

Visual Studio tools for Office (VSTO) soon to be releasedInclude new VS templates for SharePoint workflow

Development steps with VSTOCreate workflow in Visual Studio Tools for OfficeDesign the actual workflow, add code etc. (This is the “real” developer task)Press F5

Advanced Workflow Features

Collaboration and CommunicationsCollaboration and Communications

Information workers need tools to enable them to work Information workers need tools to enable them to work collectively irrespective of any geographical barriers.collectively irrespective of any geographical barriers.

Empowering Global Teams with Collaborative Workspaces

Unified Communications

Connecting People, Process, and Information

Knowledge NetworkKnowledge Networkfor SharePoint Server 2007for SharePoint Server 2007

Communications that once were separate become unified

E-mail, instant messaging, and Web conferencing are available to people in the context of the work they are doing

Teams can easily collaborate by using workspaces that match when, how, and

where they are working

Business ProcessesBusiness Processes

Organisations need tools to define a Organisations need tools to define a collection of related collection of related structural activities that produce something of valuestructural activities that produce something of valueInformation workers need tools to enable them to easily Information workers need tools to enable them to easily undertake these activities providing appropriate inputs and undertake these activities providing appropriate inputs and handling the outputs.handling the outputs.

Workflow – e.g. Approval, Request Feedback, Translation

Window WorkflowFoundation

Workflows in flight are persisted in SharePointHuman workflow interaction via Office Client or SharePoint.

Out of the box standard patterns re shipped with MOSS 2007Custom workflows developers using SharePoint Designer 2007

Complex workflow developers using Visual Studio

Windows Workflow is great for workflow

within an application whereas BizTalk is great for workflow across applications and this is precisely

why BizTalk shines in Enterprise Application Integration scenarios

Business Process Orchestration and IntegrationProcess Orchestration

AdaptersMessage translation

Well proven – high scalable Extensive admin and analytics tools

Biztalk Adapter for SharePoint Libraries

Electronic FormsScalable, security-

enhanced, standards-based data-gathering solution

Business IntelligenceBusiness Intelligence

Information workers need tools to make well informed Information workers need tools to make well informed business decisions and enable competitive advantage.business decisions and enable competitive advantage.

Business Insight

Drive Business Performance

Microsoft

Office PerformancePointOffice PerformancePointServer 2007Server 2007

Performance management process through personalized Web-based

scorecardsAdvanced analytic and data visualization

capabilitiesPlanning, budgeting and forecasting

Dashboards, KPI web partsBrowser based access to spreadsheet

functionalityConnect to OLAP cubes / SQL 2005 Analysis

Services

Project and PortfolioProject and Portfolio

Organisations Organisations need tools to effectively manage and need tools to effectively manage and coordinate work, resources and costs … ranging from one-coordinate work, resources and costs … ranging from one-time projects to complex programs and portfolios across the time projects to complex programs and portfolios across the business.business.

Effectively manage and coordinate work from simple projects to complex programsManage projects and programsControl resources and finances

Time and status reporting

Manage projects, programs and applications

Align portfolios with business strategiesAdvanced portfolio analytics and

optimization

Identify, select, manage, and deliver portfolios that align with their business strategy

Thank you!