Introduction to

Windows Workflow Foundation

Keith PijanowskiPlatform Strategy Advisor

Developer Platform EvangelismMicrosoft Corporation

Agenda

• What is Workflow Foundation?• Introduction to the WF Development Environment• WF Activities• BizTalk and WF• Questions

Windows Workflow Foundation

Single workflow technology for Microsoft

A framework for building workflow into appsPart of .NET Framework 3.0 (formerly WinFX)

Makes declarative workflow a mainstream paradigm

The workflow platformThe workflow platformfor Microsoft products andfor Microsoft products and

partner/customer ecosystempartner/customer ecosystem

Abbreviation: WFAbbreviation: WF

What is a Workflow?

Like a flowchart…. or a state diagram…. or based on rules.

A program declared as set of activitiesCoordinates people and software

Has real-world control flow

Runs durably and transparently

Tolerates dynamic change

Visual Studio 2008 and WF

Activity Basics

Activities are the building blocks of workflows

The unit of execution, re-use and composition

Basic activities are steps within a workflow

Composite activities contains other activities

Base Activity Library provides out-of-the-box activity set

Partners and customers author custom activities

Activity LibraryActivity Library

Workflow Runtime Workflow Runtime EngineEngine

Runtime ServicesRuntime Services

Visual Studio DesignerVisual Studio Designer

Summary Windows Workflow Foundation

TransparencyTransparency

FlexibilityFlexibility

What is Workflow?What is Workflow?

Workflow is the software Workflow is the software implementation of implementation of business process or business process or business logicbusiness logic

What’s the value of What’s the value of Workflow?Workflow?

ExtensibilityExtensibility

A A WorkflowWorkflow

Host ProcessHost Process

ActivitActivityy

Building A Workflow

Categorizing the WF Activities

ExecutionCodeSequenceParallelInvokeWorkflowCallExternalMethod

CoordinationTransactionScopeCompensatableTransactionScopeCompensateCompensatableSequenceSynchronizationScope

EventsEventDrivenListenHandleExternalEventEventHandlingScopeDelay

FlowIfElseWhileConditionedActivityGroupPolicyReplicatorThrowSuspendTerminateFaultHandler

Web ServicesInvokeWebServiceWebServiceInputWebServiceOutputWebServiceFaultSend (.NET 3.5 only)

Receive (.NET 3.5 only)

StateStateStateInitializationStateFinalizationSetState

Authoring Modes

XAML

Markup Only

XAML C#/VB

Markup + Code

C#/VB

Code only

Workflow Compiler

C#/VB Compiler

XAML

Markup Only

NET Assembly

Workflow RuntimeWorkflow Runtime

Workflow Workflow InstanceInstance

Host Application

Workflow Runtime

Runtime Services

XAML

Workflow Execution

Workflow Instance

PersistenceLoader

IdleIdle!!

WorkfloWorkflow w

InstanceInstance

12

Workflow and BizTalk ServerWorkflow and BizTalk Server

MessagingMessagingDesignDesignToolsTools

BusinessBusinessActivityActivityMonitorMonitorAndAndAdminAdminToolsTools

OrchestrationOrchestration

TransformationTransformation

AdaptersAdapters

BizTalkBizTalk ServerServerAcceleratorsAccelerators

Premium BPM serverPremium BPM serverDistinct server productDistinct server product

Use in B2B, EAI, BPM scenariosUse in B2B, EAI, BPM scenarios

Deployable solutionsDeployable solutions

Manageability, Scale-outManageability, Scale-out

WorkflowWorkflow

Future version will migrate to Future version will migrate to Windows Workflow Foundation for Windows Workflow Foundation for orchestrationorchestration

.NET 3.0.NET 3.0

Visual Studio DesignerVisual Studio Designer

Windows Workflow Windows Workflow FoundationFoundation

Workflow frameworkWorkflow frameworkFuture technology exposed via .NET Future technology exposed via .NET 3.0 3.0

Broad set of scenarios Broad set of scenarios

Used to build solutionsUsed to build solutions

Enables manageability and scale-out Enables manageability and scale-out in solutionsin solutions

Use for building workflow into apps Use for building workflow into apps or workflow enabled servers or workflow enabled servers

13

BizTalk Server provides workflow across BizTalk Server provides workflow across existing applications and between existing applications and between trading partners as part of its business trading partners as part of its business process and integration feature setprocess and integration feature set

““If you are integrating multiple applications If you are integrating multiple applications with some interaction that involves system with some interaction that involves system workflow you should use BizTalk Server”workflow you should use BizTalk Server”

““If you want runtime scalability, fault If you want runtime scalability, fault tolerance and administration tools you should tolerance and administration tools you should use BizTalk Server”use BizTalk Server”

Windows Workflow Foundation is a Windows Workflow Foundation is a framework for adding workflow inside a framework for adding workflow inside a custom applicationcustom application

““If you are building a complete application If you are building a complete application that includes workflow you should use that includes workflow you should use Windows Workflow Foundation”Windows Workflow Foundation”

BizTalk ServerBizTalk ServerEAI, B2B & EAI, B2B & BPMBPM

Windows Windows Workflow Workflow FoundationFoundation

How to Choose?How to Choose?BizTalk Server or Workflow BizTalk Server or Workflow FoundationFoundation

For More Information …

• .NET Framework Technology Samples• WF on the Microsoft Developer Network• Microsoft .NET Framework Community• Windows Vista Technologies

Workflow Web SitesMSDN® Workflow Page

Download the Microsoft® Visual Studio® ExtensionsDownload 10 Hands-on Labsmsdn.microsoft.com/workflow

ForumsAsk questions in the forumswww.WindowsWorkflow.net/ Forums

Community SiteDownload samples, tools, and runtime service componentswf.netfx3.com

MSDN Virtual Labsmsdn.microsoft.com/virtuallabs/NETFramework