Workflows 2013 Ups and Downs

#SPSSTHLM10Bernd Rickenberg (@bernd.rickenberg)PointworkJanuary 25th, 2014

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Agenda Architecture Overview Installing the Infrastructure Creating Workflows Deploying Workflows Nintex vs. Microsoft References

Architecture Overview

Source: Microsoft 16-07-2012http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/jj163177.aspx

Agenda Architecture Overview Installing the Infrastructure Creating Workflows Deploying Workflows Nintex vs. Microsoft References

Installing the Infrastructure

App Management SA User Profile SA Workflow Client on all

servers

• Single server, on-premise

• One account: Current login, SharePoint application pool and Workflow Manager

• SharePoint 2013 with December CU

• WFM 1.0 CU 1 and Service Bus 1.0 CU1

Prerequisites (SharePoint)

DEV Environment

Installing the Infrastructure Install binaries with WebPI Deploy service bus and workflow manager farm

Connect SharePoint to workflow manager farm

Demo

Installing the Infrastructure

Agenda Architecture Overview Installing the Infrastructure Creating Workflows Deploying Workflows Nintex vs. Microsoft References

Creating Workflows

Visual Studio SharePoint Designer Visio Fiddler for debugging

Tools SharePoint Designer VersionsVersion Issue

RTM Call web service action does not keep values

15.0.4433.1506KB2752031, 11-12-2012

Ok

15.0.4454.1000KB2767858, 12-02-2013

Ok

15.0.4535.1507KB2768006, 08-10-2013

Error when switching to Visio view

15.0.4551.1003KB2837633, 10-12-2013

Visio export not working

Demo

Creating Workflows

Agenda Architecture Overview Installing the Infrastructure Creating Workflows Deploying Workflows Nintex vs. Microsoft References

Deploying Workflows

List Site Reusable

• Visio export/import• WSP• Server Side API• Client Side APIs: JSOM,

CSOM• PowerShell with

custom CSOM tool

Workflow Types Deployment Options

Demo

Deploying Workflows

Agenda Architecture Overview Installing the Infrastructure Creating Workflows Deploying Workflows Nintex vs. Microsoft References

Nintex vs. Microsoft (On-Premise)

Nintex 2013 Azure Workflows

Activities 100+1 36

Custom activities

Yes Yes

Workflow Engine

WF 3.5 WF 4.5

Visual Designer Yes Yes

Deployment NWF XAML

Requires developer skills

Depends Still

Notes:1 – Plus Nintex Live: Amazon EC2, Bing, Dropbox, Exchange, Google, Yammer, …

Nintex vs. Microsoft (SharePoint Online)

Nintex 2013 Azure Workflows

Activities 361 36

Custom activities

No No

Workflow Engine

WF 4.5 WF 4.5

Visual Designer Yes Yes

Deployment XAML XAML

Requires developer skills

Depends Still

Notes:1 – Plus Nintex Live: Amazon EC2, Bing, Dropbox, Exchange, Google, Yammer, …

Agenda Architecture Overview Installing the Infrastructure Creating Workflows Deploying Workflows Nintex vs. Microsoft References

References Installing Workflows (all HTTPS)

http://www.harbar.net/archive/2013/07/26/Article-Workflow-Manager-Farms-for-SharePoint-2013-Part-One-Core.aspx

Debugging Workflowshttp://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn508412.aspx

OAuth Tokenshttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/kaevans/archive/2013/04/05/inside-sharepoint-2013-oauth-context-tokens.aspx http://blogs.msdn.com/b/kaevans/archive/2013/08/25/creating-a-fiddler-extension-for-sharepoint-2013-app-tokens.aspx

Dynamic Valueshttp://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windowsazure/jj193441(v=azure.10).aspx

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Appendix: Known Issues SharePoint 2013 workflows do not appear in the dropdown in SharePoint

designer and the 'Workflow Service Application Proxy' is connectedSolution: The service connection for the current web application to the 'Workflow Service Application Proxy' is missing

Installation fails when adding the workflow host with 'Could not successfully create management Service Bus entity 'WF_Management/WFTOPIC'…'Solution: This usually happens when you are not running the installation with workflow runas account

When running a workflow in SharePoint you get the error message when trying to get a list from client.svc: 'Unauthorized access. Invalid JWT token. Could not resolve issuer token.' Solution: This typically happens when you reinstalled a Workflow Manager farm with HTTP front-end. Use register the workflow farm using the HTTPS endpoint instead

Appendix: Known Issues Workflows do not work after content database was replicated from an

other SharePoint farm (e.g. from production to test)Solution: Re-publish all workflows

Workflows do not work on a blank team site (STS#1)Solution: Use a standard team site (STS#0)

Running a workflow in SharePoint you get unauthorized access errorsSolution 1: You are logged on with the system account. Activate the site feature 'Workflows can use app permissions' Solution 2: You are logged on with a user account. Create a user profile for the user

Register-SPWorkflowService fails: Failed to query the OAuth S2S metadata endpoint at URI 'http://demo2/_layouts/15/metadata/json/1‘Solution: Use the –AllowOAuthHttp switch

Appendix: Remove WF Farm Leave the workflow farm via 'Workflow Manager Configuration' tool Uninstall Cumulative Update for Workflow manager 1.0, Cumulative Update for Service

Bus 1.0 (from add/remove programs – view installed updates) Then uninstall workflow manager, service bus and windows fabric via add/remove

programs (from add/remove programs) Manually delete all six databases (only if all prior steps have succeeded). If you delete the

databases before that you must also manually delete the registry key HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Service Bus

Manually delete the folder c:\program files\workflow manager (if still there) Manually delete the remaining windows services (if still there)

sc delete "Service Bus Message Broker"sc delete "Service Bus Gateway"sc delete "Workflow Manager Backend"sc delete "Windows Fabric Host Service"

Delete all instances of the Workflow Service Application Proxy from the SharePoint farm