Microsoft Office SharePoint 2007 Technical Enablement TourPatrick Tisseghem (Managing Partner – U2U)patrick@u2u.be

Introducing the Microsoft Office Forms Server

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation.

Agenda

● Office Forms Server● The Business Data Catalog

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation.

Microsoft InfoPath● Rich-client desktop app● Platform creation and delivery of electronic forms

Capture business dataDynamic, XML-based formsRich data entry and validation

Automate business processesIntegration with multiple back-end systems and services

Rapid solution developmentConditional and rule-based logicScript and .NET support

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation.

Challenges● Forms can only be

filled in with smart client● Hard to offer off-line

capabilities● Integration in Office

and own apps● Programming against

InfoPath OM is often a challenge on its own

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation.

The InfoPath Template

XSN File

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation.

Designing InfoPath Templates

● Basically same steps as designing an InfoPath 2003 template

● Improvements for template designers– New controls– Additional functions (date-related operations)– Better management of data connection definition files– Better off-line support– Re-use InfoPath chunks via template parts– Document and data importers

DEMODesigning an expense report

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation.

Publishing InfoPath Templates

● Publishing wizard– As an Installable File (MSI or JS)– To a Network Folder– Via an Email– To a SharePoint Library

● InfoPath Forms Services– Part of MOSS 2007 – Available as stand-alone product on top of WSS v3– Fill out InfoPath forms with or without the InfoPath client

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation.

InfoPath Forms Solutions Topology

InfoPath Client (Design Mode)

Intranet Extranet / Internet

Browser

InfoPath Client (Edit Mode)

Server Farm Forms Services

IW : InfoPath DesignerDeveloper : VS Tools

Browser

InfoPath Client (Edit Mode)

DEMODeploying for a browser-based scenario

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation.

Integration with WSS v3

● Windows SharePoint Services 2007– Form Template Library

● Master library of all admin deployed forms– Document Libraries

● Multiple form templates per library– Content Type Templates

● Simplify document library creation

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation.

Integration with Office 2007

● Forms in Email– Integrate the InfoPath forms experience with Outlook

● Office - Document Life Cycle– Workflow– Document Information Panel

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation.

Integration in Custom Applications

● Web Applications– Opening forms from links in Web pages– Embedding forms in aspx pages

using the XMLFormView ASP.NET control

● Windows Applications– ActiveX hosting of InfoPath in native or managed application

● Rich API exposed– Interact with InfoPath content

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation.

Supporting the .NET Developer● Fully Managed (CLR 2.0): No more PIAs● System.Xml: No more MSXML

● Improved Development Experience

– Visual Studio Tools for Applications (VSTA)● Out of the Box development● Lowers the bar for forms with managed code● Compatible with Visual Studio Tools for Office

– Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO)● Embedded designer for professional devs● One IDE for all your projects: Workflow, etc. ● Integrated toolbox, project wizard, etc.

DEMOIntegrating InfoPath in your own apps

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation.

Customer NeedsBased on SPS 2003 feedback

● Less integration code● Deep integration of data into the places users work● New application types that blend data and collaboration● Lack of structured data search● Bridge portal and business application UI● Centrally manage security, auditing, connections

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation.

Business Data Catalog (BDC)Connects Office servers to business data

MetadatMetadataa

Business Data Business Data CatalogCatalog

Web Web PartsParts ListsLists SearchSearch User User

ProfilesProfilesCustom Custom

AppsApps

DatabaseDatabase

WS WS ProxyProxy

ADO.NEADO.NETT

Web Web ServiceService

List List storestore

SearcSearchh

IndexIndexProfileProfile StoreStore

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation.

Design MotivationsWhy do we need the BDC?

● No code integration● Centralized deployment● Low latency● Centralized data security● Designed for portal & collab. scenarios

– Data query, indexing, personalization

● The BDC is not: Transactions, workflow, data transformation, adapters

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation.

Business Data Web PartsSimple business apps with no code

● Scenario– 360-degree view of customer

● Today– Clipping, custom web parts, data view

● MOSS 2007: Reusable biz data web parts– Show new data with no new code or binaries– Master-detail applications with no code– Integrated with dashboards and filters– Customizable in FrontPage

DEMOBringing in business data in SharePoint sites

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation.

Business Data SearchSearch data, not just documents

● Scenario: Find an account manager in Siebel

● Today– Vertical applications lack full-text search– Most users can’t locate or access vertical apps– Hard to crawl business data with SharePoint

● MOSS 2007: Search any database or web service– No need to write custom IFilters or protocol handlers– No need to create HTML representations of data– Highly customizable results– Integrated with scopes and search center

DEMOSearching for business data

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation.

Business Data in ListsCollaborate around business data

● Scenarios– Tag a proposal with a customer– Track and annotate key support cases– Pick from the canonical list of cost centers

● Today– Text or lookup fields– Irregular data, duplicated lists of values

● MOSS 2007: Business data column– One column type that stores any entity– One-click refresh– Integrates with list features: workflow, versioning, etc.

DEMOLooking up business data in lists

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation.

Business Data in User ProfilesBusiness-specific targeting & personalization

● Scenarios– Show news about your customers– Automatically filter dashboard by region

● Today– Code required to augment user profile with non-Active

Directory data– Personalized web parts require custom code

● Office 12: Join user profile store and BDC– Map user profile property to field of entity– Filter web parts with user-profile filters

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation.

Review

● Office Forms Server● The Business Data Catalog

Questions?

Section title hereSub title here