This document provides an overview of workflows in SharePoint 2013 and Office 365. It discusses the workflow architecture including the new workflow platform and topology options. It also covers creating workflows with SharePoint Designer 2013 and Visual Studio, demonstrating common workflow scenarios. Best practices for workflows are presented along with conclusions.

1. Technical Overview of Workflows in
SharePoint 2013 & Office 365
#SPSBE08
Serge Luca
April 18th, 2015

2. PlatinumGoldSilverThanks to our sponsors!

3. Serge Luca
Brussels
@sergeluca
Freelance, author, speaker
SharePoint MVP since 2007
With another (SQL Server) MVP : www.shareql.com
Works with SharePoint since v1 in 2002
Author of Workflow Foundation certification exam for Microsoft
About Me

5. Agenda
Introduction
Workflow Architecture
Creating workflows with SharePoint Designer 2013
Creating workflows with Visual Studio
4 Very Important Good Practices
Conclusions
Q&A

6. Introduction
Access servicesWorkflow
SharePoint client object
model (CSOM, REST)
Office and
SharePoint Store
Apps et cloud app
model
Search Workflows

7. Human Resources
• Employee On/Off-boarding
• Performance Management
• Leave Requests
• Complaints Handling
Information Technology
• Help Desk
• HW/SW Provisioning
• Upgrade & Maintenance
• Change Management
Sales
• RFI/RFP Management
• Pricing Negotiations
• SOW Processing
• Opportunity Management
Finance
• Expense Management
• Invoice Processing
• Project Approvals
Procurement
• Purchase Orders
• RFI/RFP
• Services Agreements
• Vendor Management
Facilities
• Work Orders
• Lease Agreement
• Move In/Out Requests
• Asset Tracking
Product Management
• Requirements
Management
• Release Management
• Stage-Gate Process
Customer Support
• Case Management
Marketing
• Campaign Planning
• Collateral Review
• Press Release
Operations
• Monitoring/Data
Collection
• Quality Control & Testing

9. 2 workflow platforms

10. 2 workflow platforms
SP 2013 farm Workflow FarmWorkflow Farm
SharePoint 2010
workflows
Windows
Server
SQL Server
Non supporté en SharePoint
Foundation
SharePoint 2013
workflows
Windows
Server
SQL Server

11. Workflow Farm = 1 or 3 machines (not 2, not 4,…)
• Collocated = Workflow Manager on (1 or 3 ) SP machines
• Federated = Workflow Manager farm serving multiple SharePoint Farms
• Distributed = Multiple Workflow Manager farms serving multiple
SharePoint tenants and potentially SharePoint Farms
Topologies

12. Topologies: co-located (fromHarbar&wilén)
Workflow
Manager
Workflow
Manager
Workflow
Manager

13. Topologies: Federated (fromHarbar&wilén)
Workflow Manager
Scope 1
(SP Farm 1)
Scope 2
(SP Farm 2)

14. Topologies: ‘Distributed’ (fromHarbar&wilén)
Workflow Manager
Scope 1
(SP Tenant1)
Scope 2
(SP Tenant 2)
Workflow Manager
Scope 1
(SP Tenant3)
Scope 2
(SP Tenant 4)
SP Tenant 1
SP Tenant 2
SP Tenant 3
SP Tenant 4

15. SharePoint 2013 and Workflow Service
SharingContentEvents People
SharePoint
2010 WF
_API (REST OM)
Workflow Services Manager
Service Bus
Instances Interop
Deployment Messaging
WF Service Application Proxy
Workflow
Manager
OAuth
Access
Control
WorkflowClient

16. Comparing 2010 and 2013 Workflows
SharePoint 2010 SharePoint 2013
Legacy (backward comp, i.e
upgrade)
Future
Coupled to SP servers Decoupled (other consuming
platforms)
In process Out process, on premise or
cloud (Azure if O365)
Declarative or custom code Declarative
SP Foundation and SP server SP server
Content types No*
App friendly
.Net framework used by SP
(.Net 3.51)
.Net framework xxx (.Net 4.5
today, xxx tomorrow)

17. • Collect Feedback*
• Collect Signatures*
• Approval*
• Disposition Approval*
• Tree State*
1

18. Which Microsoft Workflow tool ?
SharePoint Designer 2013 Visual Studio 2013
Power Users, SP devs SP devs
Can use Visio No
Cannot debug Can debug, including SP online
No ALM support Full ALM support
Cannot be part of Apps Can be part of Apps
1

20. Demo 0. Workflow, forms,…

21. What’s new in SPD
workflows
Stages

22. Demo 1
Stages

23. 2

24. geneva json 2
2

25. 2

26. Demo 2 : calling REST/JSON web services

27. 2

28. Demo 3 : calling the SharePoint REST API
(GET)

29. 2

30. Demo 4 : calling the SharePoint REST API
(POST)

32. Do your remember ?
SharePoint Designer 2013 Visual Studio 2013
Can use Visio No
Power Users, SP devs SP devs
Cannot debug Can debug, including online
No ALM support Full ALM support
Cannot be part of Apps Can be part of Apps
3

33. 3

34. 3

35. The workflow is hidden in the App
3

36. Demo 5 : (App) Workflow hidden in the
App

37. Integrated workflow apps

38. 3

39. Demo 6 : (App)Workflow visible in
SharePoint

41. 4 Best practices
4

43. Conclusions

45. Thank you!

47. Contoso App catalog
4