Starting a Process

  • 10 April 2009
  • 9 replies
  • 1 view
D
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Greetings all.

 I'm new to this software, but have learned fairly quickly.  I have a few processes designed, but it really would be nice if I could figure out a way to have the process instances be started by the individuals who need to be able to start them... without them having to drill down crazily in the workspace to the workflow server, the process, and the process instances, and start a new one.

 The main process I'm interested in starts with the filling out of an InfoPath form.

 How can I let users just go to a site, fill out the form, hit submit, and have it automatically start the workflow?

 Thanks for any help you can offer.

9 replies

C
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What sort of environment are you running there?


First thought would be to create an InfoPath integrated workflow, that would solve your problem with little to no pain.

D
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Corporate environment - have a working distributed install with workspace and and K2 server on one box, SQL Server and SSRS on another, and SharePoint on a third.

K2 for RS is installed on the database box, but K2 for SharePoint isn't installed on the SharePoint server; it's not being used for workflow development.

 I have a workflow with InfoPath integrated events... but the workflow has to be started manually to get to the InfoPath client events that participants have to fill out.

 I'd like to understand how to just let anyone start the workflow.

C
Badge +4

Is your InfoPath form the starting point of the workflow?


If it is you could wrap the K2 api in your own webservice to start a new process instance, or you might want to try using the K2 web services themselves (should be at <bp server>:port/runtimeservices/infopathservice.asmx).


Do you have MOSS or WSS?  If you have MOSS I would recommend using InfoPath Forms Services, it makes things sooooo much easier.

D
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Yes, the InfoPath form is the logical starting point of the workflow.  It is hosted on the SharePoint site and is configured to be browser-compatible, and is intended to be filled out using Forms Services.  Yes, it's running MOSS.

How would I go about using the K2 web services?  If that's a big bit of info to supply, do you know of any online resources/tutorials/etc.?

I have a fairly strong software dev background from college, but have never programmed .NET stuff.  I can kind of hack my way through code and make a few changes but writing things from scratch isn't doable for me right now... that's why K2 seemed like a logical choice, in that so much of it seems to be designed to avoid having to write your own code from the bottom up (or, in a lot of cases, avoid code at all).

But yeah, the InfoPath form starts everything.  The process I'm trying to automate currently is a paper-based mess of a process for the business, and begins with a hiring manager filling out a form.

C
Badge +4

Well good news is that I don't think you need to code anything!


So currently your InfoPath form has no knowledge of the K2 workflow?


Here is what I would suggest:



  2. Drag the InfoPath Integration wizard onto your workfow designer surface
  3. Fill out the appropriate properties (the most important being the InfoPath form view that starts the process)
  4. Bam! - Your InfoPath form should now be fully integrated with K2

After a deploy you should be able to go to the form library where it was published to, fill out the IP form, submit it, and that will automatically start the K2 process for you.


 

D
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Oh, I see... so the forms that get published by K2 to the SharePoint libraries, the view that will open will be the first one in the workflow, and therefore the Action item options will be for whatever that fist InfoPath Client Event action options are supposed to be for that first view?

 And the completion of said form and selection of the "submit" action will progress the workflow?

C
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Sort of, remember that your process only starts when the form is submitted, so you won't be able to surface any 'actions' from say a client event.  However you could have a few lines coming off the start point that will be followed if a user selected some value on the form initially.  Once the form has been completed and they select Submit, your workflow will start.


Hopefully that helps you out some.

D
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Hm, okay, I think I understand.  Thanks for the help!
J
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It is a very common confusion, the Start activity in the process map is where execution begins once a process instance is kicked off.

In your case of infopath integrated process, K2 provides rich functionality to configure how your process instances will be started.

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