Overview of Workflows in Sharepoint

Office Workflow Vision• Facilitate human processes by attaching business

logic to items and documents in Windows SharePoint Services, while providing context and tracking progress

• Empower information workers using Office Serverwith out-of-the-box solutions and self-service tools to support a broad range of routing and tracking scenarios without IT involvement

• Empower organizations to build a broad range of sophisticated workflow solutions that take advantageof the full functionality of the Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) platform and integrate into the SharePoint and Office experiences

Office Workflow Ecosystem

SharePoint ServicesSharePoint Services

WFWF WebWebServiceService

HistoryHistoryListList

ReportingReporting& Admin& Admin

SourceSourceListList

TaskTaskListList

Initiation and Initiation and parameter parameter settingsettingAd-hoc Ad-hoc CustomizationCustomization(Forward/Delegat(Forward/Delegate)e)Task CompletionTask Completion

Authoring AppsAuthoring AppsBrowser UIBrowser UI

AdministrationAdministrationReporting/StatusReporting/StatusInitiationInitiationParameter settingParameter settingAd-hoc Ad-hoc CustomizationCustomization(Forward/Delegate)(Forward/Delegate)Task NotificationTask Notificationand Completionand Completion

OutlookOutlook

Task Task NotificationNotificationTask Task CompletionCompletion

SharePoint DesignerSharePoint Designer

Wizard-based Wizard-based authoringauthoringForms Forms integrationintegrationApplication Application deploymentdeployment

AccessAccess

Initiation and Initiation and parameter parameter settingsettingTask CompletionTask CompletionReportingReporting

Workflow Authoring Scenarios

Visual Studio andWorkflow SDK

Out-of-the-BoxSolutions(with customization)

SharePoint Designer Workflow

Routing and ApprovalRouting and ApprovalReview – ApprovalReview – Approval

Signature collectionSignature collectionEast Asian workflowEast Asian workflow

Stru

ctu

red

Ad

H

oc

Office Server FeaturesOffice Server FeaturesList ModerationList Moderation

Publishing ProcessPublishing ProcessDocument ExpirationDocument Expiration

Tracking ApplicationsTracking ApplicationsIssue trackingIssue tracking

LOBLOBIntegrationIntegration

Custom Form ActionsCustom Form ActionsEmail NotificationEmail Notification

Exception HandlingException Handling

Document ProcessesDocument ProcessesSpec Review Spec Review

Weekly Status ReportWeekly Status Report

Custom Tracking Custom Tracking AppsApps

Service RequestsService RequestsAsset TrackingAsset Tracking

IndustryIndustryspecific processesspecific processes

Purchase ordersPurchase ordersProduct lifecycle mgmtProduct lifecycle mgmt

•Data External to SharePoint

•Reusable Workflows in SharePoint

•Management of SharePoint

•Content specific workflow

•Rules based notification

The workflow functionality in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 is built on the Windows Workflow Foundation (WF), a Microsoft Windows platform component that provides a programming infrastructure and tools for development and execution of workflow-based applications. WF simplifies the process of asynchronous programming to create stateful, long-running, and persistent workflow applications. The WF run-time engine manages workflow execution and allows workflows to remain active for long periods of time and to survive restarting the computer. Run-time services offer functionality such as transactions and persistence to manage errors gracefully and correctly

Workflow Architecture

Windows Workflow Foundation supports two fundamental workflow styles:

•Sequential workflows 

 Represents a workflow as a procession of steps that execute in order until the last activity completes. However, sequential workflows are not purely sequential in their execution. Because they can receive external events and include parallel logic flows, the exact order of activity execution can vary.

•State machine workflows  

 Represents a set of states, transitions, and actions. One state is denoted as the start state, and then, based on an event, a transition can be made to another state. The state machine can have a final state that determines the end of the workflow

Who Uses Workflow?

• Adhoc participation by Knowledge workers– Participates in WSS, Office, and Outlook– Starts workflows, completes tasks– Focus – flexible and familiar

• Familiar to WSS Administrators– Set workflow settings (available workflows, default settings)– Manage Site/Box (deployment, activation)– Focus – consistent and integrated

• Powerful tools for Developers– Suited development tools

• VS for professional developers

• SharePoint Designer for site authors

– SDK with activities and samples

Workflow Authoring Tools

SharePoint Designer (Web Designer)SharePoint Designer (Web Designer)

ActivitiesActivitiesRe-use OOB/deployed activitiesRe-use OOB/deployed activities

FormsFormsAuto-generated FormsAuto-generated Forms-ASPX-ASPX

DeploymentDeployment Workflow authored live against serverWorkflow authored live against serverRuntime compilationRuntime compilation

Development ModelDevelopment ModelWizard-based workflow designerWizard-based workflow designer

Visual Studio (Pro-Dev)Visual Studio (Pro-Dev)

ActivitiesActivitiesRe-use OOB/deployed activitiesRe-use OOB/deployed activitiesCan author new activitiesCan author new activities

FormsForms Designed FormsDesigned Forms-InfoPath-InfoPath-ASPX-ASPX

DeploymentDeploymentSolutions package generatedSolutions package generatedBox administrator installableBox administrator installable

DevelopmentDevelopment ModelModelVisual workflow designerVisual workflow designer

Office Workflow Host

• WSS host provides:– Persistence– Event Delivery– Timer– History and Reporting– WSS Application Integration

• Workflow Foundation is hosted in WSS process on all front-end machines

• Workflow instances are aggressively dehydrated to the back-end database

Visual Studio 2005 Designer for Windows Workflow Foundation SharePoint Designer 2007

Can write workflows for Windows SharePoint Services or SharePoint Server

Can write workflows for Windows SharePoint Services or SharePoint Server

Code-behind file enables developer to write custom Visual C# or Visual Basic .NET code to express business logic

No code-behind file; workflow rules file declaratively encapsulates business logic

Generates workflow markup file Generates workflow markup file

Workflow is authored as a template, which can be associated with multiple sites and lists

Workflow is authored against and data-bound to specific list at design time

Workflow markup file, or markup and code-behind files, are compiled into workflow assembly

Workflow markup, workflow rules, and supporting file are stored, uncompiled, in a specific document library on the site

Workflow template must be associated with each list on which it is to be available

Association happens when the workflow is authored against the specific list; no later association is necessary or possible

Can use any forms technology. For example, ASP forms for Windows SharePoint Services workflows, or InfoPath forms for SharePoint Server workflows

Automatically generates ASP.NET forms, which you can then customize

Can include workflow modifications Workflow modifications are not available

Can use custom symmetrical InfoPath forms, which enables Office client integration of custom workflow forms

InfoPath forms integration not available

Can author custom activities for inclusion in workflows Must use activities provided

Package workflow assembly and workflow definition as a SharePoint feature, and deploy to the site

Automatically handles deployment to specific list

Can use Initiation form to gather information from the user when starting the workflow

Can use Initiation form to gather information from the user when starting the workflow

Can use custom forms for users to interact with SharePoint tasks

Can use custom forms for users to interact with SharePoint tasks

Visual Studio debugging available No step-by-step debugging available

Can author both sequential and state workflows Can author only sequential workflows

Detailed comparison of capabilities