Transcript Workflow in Windows SharePoint: Technology for Web 2.0?

Workflow in Windows SharePoint:
Technology for Web 2.0?
David Chappell
Chappell & Associates
www.davidchappell.com
Copyright © 2007 David Chappell
What is a Workflow?
An Abstract View
1) Execute
first action
2) Execute
second action
Runtime
Engine
3) Execute next
action . . .
Defining Windows Workflow Foundation
Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) is a
framework for building workflow-based
Windows applications
– It’s targeted at developers, not
information workers or business
analysts
WF is now a standard part of Windows
– The goal is to provide a common
workflow framework for Windows
applications
– Including both system and human
workflow
WF
What’s a Workflow?
A WF workflow is a set of activities
Activities
Workflow
Each activity is actually a class
– It can be reused in multiple workflows
Activities can be provided by:
– Microsoft
– Anybody else
WF
Illustrating Its Components
Visual Studio 2005
Workflow
WF Workflow
Designer
Base Activity Library
(BAL)
BPEL Library
Runtime
Engine
Runtime
Services
Host Process
Other Activities
Creating WF Workflows
The WF Workflow Designer
Workflow in Windows SharePoint
Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) is a
standard part of Windows Server 2003
– WSS version 3 hosts the WF runtime
engine
Office SharePoint Server, part of the 2007
Microsoft Office system, adds more
workflow capabilities
– All of which are built on WF and WSS
version 3
WSS
Illustrating Its Components
SQL Server
Document
Library 1
Document
Library N
Site 1
Site 2
…
Site N
...
Windows Server 2003
List 1
Item A
Item B
Item C
...
List N
...
Windows SharePoint Services
Item A
Item B
Internet Information Services
Item C
...
Microsoft Office
Web Browser
WSS
Illustrating WF Workflows
SQL Server
Document
Library
Site 1
Site 2
…
Site N
Windows Server 2003
Workflow Instances
Associations
List
Item A
Workflow
Templates
WF Runtime Engine
Windows SharePoint Services
Item B
Item C
...
Internet Information Services
WSS
Interacting with Workflows
A WSS-hosted workflow places tasks on a
user’s task list
– A user can access this list via a web
browser or Outlook 2007
WSS defines several custom WF activities,
including:
– CreateTask: adds a task to a task list
– OnTaskChanged: informs the workflow
that a task has been modified
An Example WSS Workflow
Document
Library
Task List
Site
Workflow
Templates
Workflow Instance
1) Select document
and association
Windows SharePoint
Services
Approve
...
4) Add task
to task list
5) Check task list
2) Create workflow
instance
Workflow
Initiator
3) Customize and start
workflow instance
6) Complete task
Workflow
Participants
WSS
Starting a Workflow
WSS
Completing a Task
WSS
Creating Workflows
Developers: WF Workflow Designer
Information workers: Office SharePoint
Designer
– Allows defining workflows by specifying
conditions and actions for each step
WSS
Illustrating Office SharePoint Designer
What Office SharePoint Server 2007 Adds
A group of customizable pre-defined
workflows
– Approval, Collect Feedback, etc.
The ability to interact with workflows
directly from Office applications using
InfoPath workflow forms
A range of content-management
capabilities
– Such as document templates and broad
search capabilities
Office SharePoint Server
Starting a Workflow in Word 2007
Office SharePoint Server
Completing a Task in Outlook 2007
Summary
Windows Workflow Foundation (WF)
provides a general framework for creating
workflow-based applications
Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) 3.0
builds on WF to support human workflow
Office SharePoint Server 2007 builds on
WSS 3.0, adding:
– Broader workflow support
– Enterprise content management
For Further Reading
White papers:
– Introducing Windows Workflow Foundation
– Understanding Workflow in Windows SharePoint
Services and the 2007 Microsoft Office System
Both available at:
www.davidchappell.com/articles/white_papers.html
About the Speaker
David Chappell is Principal of Chappell & Associates in San Francisco,
California. Through his speaking, writing, and consulting, he helps IT
professionals understand, use, and make better decisions about
enterprise software.
David has been the keynote speaker for dozens of conferences and
events in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Australia. His
popular seminars have been attended by tens of thousands of
developers, architects, and decision makers in forty countries.
David’s books have been published in ten languages and used in
courses at MIT, ETH Zurich, and many other universities. He is Series
Editor for Addison-Wesley’s award-winning Independent Technology
Guides, and he has been a regular columnist for several publications.
In his consulting practice, David has helped clients such as HewlettPackard, IBM, Microsoft, Stanford University, and Target Corporation
adopt new technologies, market new products, train their sales staffs,
and create business plans.
David’s comments have appeared in The New York Times, CNN.com,
and various other publications. Earlier in his career, he wrote software
for supercomputers, chaired a U.S. national standardization working
group, and played keyboards with the Peabody-award-winning
Children’s Radio Theater. David holds a B.S. in Economics and an M.S.
in Computer Science, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.