1. Workflows in
SharePoint 2013:
Architecture
#spsbe
Peter Plessers

2. Thanks to our
Sponsors
Platinum
Gold
Silver

3. About me
• Peter Plessers
• Product Manager
SharePoint Architect
• Spikes

4. We love
workflows

5. What has
changed?

6. Agenda
• Workflow Architecture
• Workflow Features
• Workflow Development
• Workflows & Apps

7. Workflow
Architecture

8. Architecture
SP2010
SharePoint 2010
Tools
Visual Studio 2010 SP Designer
SharePoint 2010 Workflow

9. Declarative
Architecture
SP2010
.rules
.xoml
.WF
3.5
Code
.dll
.WF
3.5

10. Architecture
SP2013 SharePoint 2013
Tools
Workflow
Manager
Visual Studio 2012 SP Designer
Solutions Contents
Apps Events
SharePoint
2010
Workflow
Workflow Services Manager
Deployment Subscription
Instances Interop
Workflow Service Application proxy
Workflow
Service Bus

11. Architecture
SP2013

12. Declarative
Architecture
SP2013
.xaml
.WF
4.5

13. Architecture
SP2013
Benefits
• Move load from SharePoint to
workflow farm
• Fully declarative workflows
• Scalability
• Reliability

14. Demo

15. Workflow
Manager
Installation

16. Workflow
Manager
Installation
Register-SPWorkflowService –SPSite
“http://portal.dev.com/” –WorkflowHostUri
“http://localhost:12291″ –AllowOAuthHttp

17. Workflow
Features

18. New Features

19. New
Workflow
Activities
Building Blocks
• Stage
• Loop
• App Step
• Parallel Block

20. New
Workflow
Activities
Workflow Activities
• Call Web Service (HttpSend)
• Go to stage

21. New
Workflow
Activities
Dynamic Value
• Nested sets of key-value pairs
• Used in combination with
„HttpSend‟ activity
• Activities to manipulate
DynamicValues

22. SharePoint
Designer
SharePoint Designer
• Visual Designer (Visio Add-in)
• Copy paste of configurations
• Package list / site workflows

23. Demo

24. Removed
Workflow
Features
No InfoPath forms
• Auto-generated ASPX forms
• Task Forms
• Initiation Forms
• Association Forms

25. Removed
Workflow
Features
Missing Workflow Activities
• Document Set Activities
• Permission Activities
• Declare Record
• Lookup manager of user

26. Removed
Workflow
Features
No Visio Visualization of WF
Status
• Only available for SP2010
workflows

27. Development

28. Development
• Custom WF activity
• Custom Task Form

29. Custom WF
Activity
Custom WF activity
• Lookup Assistant activity

30. Demo
Custom WF Activity

31. Custom WF
Activity
Problems you might encounter
• SharePoint ignores new version
of WF activity
Restart VS + check DB
• SharePoint designer breaks
Clear SP Designer cache

32. Demo
Custom Task Form

33. Workflows & Apps

34. App Web
(from WSP)
Host
web
Client side technologies and
declarative workflows
Your Hosted
Site
Azure
SharePoint
Web
SharePoint
Web

35. Workflows &
Apps
SharePoint
Web
App
Web
SharePoint
Web
App
Web
Azure
Your
Hosted
Site
SharePoint
hosted
Cloud
hosted
Workflows are deployed to the App Web

36. Deploy
workflows to
host web
Deploy workflows
• Deploy workflow to app web
• On App Installed Event
• Use CSOM to publish your
workflow from app web to host
web

37. From app
web to host
web
• Read workflow definition from app web
WorkflowDeploymentService.GetDefinition(id)
• Publish workflow definition to host web
WorkflowDeploymentService.PublishDefinition(def)
• Create task + workflow history list
• Publish subscription
WorkflowSubscriptionService.PublishSubscription(s)

38. THANK YOU
Peter Plessers
peter.plessers@spikes.be
www.spikestogether.com
Questions?