Create Workflow in Microsoft Office 2007 SharePoint Server
Create Workflow in Microsoft Office 2007 SharePoint Server
By : Kasim Wirama, MCDBA, MVP SQL Server
Workflow has been implemented by most organizations for a long time, and before .NET era, workflow was a custom made application with all custom workflow possibility scenarios and their complex exception handlings. Workflow features are presented by .NET framework 3.0 with Windows Workflow Foundation (WWF). Another technology that deals with workflow is MOSS 2007 (Microsoft Office 2007 SharePoint Server). MOSS is built on top of Windows SharePoint Service 3.0, one of service available in Windows 2003 Server.
With MOSS 2007, workflow creation is much simpler and easier. In SharePoint 3.0, there is one workflow template, i.e: Three state worklow. MOSS 2007 add more workflow templates such as Approval template (regarding to document approval), Collect Feedback template, Collect Signature template, and Disposition Approval template. MOSS 2007 allows you to create custom workflow template with WWF and Visual Studio 2005 installed with minimal .NET framework is 3.0.
This article will show you how to configure MOSS 2007 to create first workflow using Approval workflow template.
First, you need to install Windows SharePoint 3.0 as one of windows components in Windows Server 2003, then followed by installation of MOSS 2007. From Microsoft Office Server program group (opened from Start menu), choose SharePoint 3.0 Central Administration.
In Application Management tab, you enable search service by clicking Manage Search Service in Search section. You will be presented search items with their status (started or not started), you select search services that are not yet started, to make it started.
Back to Application Management tab, create new web application by selecting Create or extend Web application in SharePoint Web Application Management. Choose Create a new Web application. Apply all settings in Create New Web Application by clicking OK. Now you have a new web application with particular port (for example : http://yourcomputername:39473), you can create multiple sites below this new web application.
In Home tab, select Shared Services Administration link to create new Shared Service Provider.
Back to Application Management tab, choose Create site collection in SharePoint Site Management section. In Template Selection, I choose Enterprise tab, and select Document Center option in a list box under the tab. I named my site is myworkflow. Now in Application Management tab, I select Site Collection List under SharePoint Site Management, and choose /sites/myworkflow link, copy the URL (in my computer, it is http://delta:39473/sites/myworkflow), and paste onto new IE windows.
Workflow creation
Now you are ready to create new workflow. This article gives sample how to create workflow from existing template provided by MOSS 2007, in this case (document) Approval workflow template. From Site Action tab menu (upper right side), choose Create link, and click Document Library link in Library section. Select yes options and provide email address for incoming e-mail. I named new document library is my document library, you can name it whatever you like.
in my document library entered from myworkflow site , select Settings > Document Library Settings, and choose Workflow Settings in Permissions and Management section. Click Add a workflow link. Now you can specify items for your new document approval workflow. Here is my workflow sample, choose Approval in Workflow section, give name (my first workflow) in Name section, choose Tasks in Task List and Workflow History in History List section, tick Allow this workflow to be manually started….. in Start Options then click Next.
In next screen, at Workflow Tasks section, select One participant at a time (serial), tick Request a change before completing the task. Define Approvers in Default Workflow Start Values and specify messages that will be included in your workflow request (optional), and due date is set to 2 days. In Complete the Workflow section, uncheck all, and in Post-completion Workflow Activities section, tick Update the approval status (use this workflow to control content approval).
These are my configured workflow, you need to understand option you choose, and try to experiment with different options than mine.
Last mandatory step is to enable document library versioning setting, by clicking Settings > Document Library Settings > Versioning Settings, and select Yes in Content Approval section.
Now your workflow is ready to be run.
Wait for my next sharing about workflow in MOSS 2007.