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Document Category: Workflow Conductor

Deactivate the workflow site feature in the site collection

Deactivate the workflow site feature in the site collection

If you think you may want to use the workflow again later, but you don’t want users with Design or Full Control permission to be able to associate it to a list or library, you can deactivate the workflow solution as a feature in the site collection. Deactivating the workflow site feature will terminate any running instances of the workflow and the workflow cannot be associated to a list or library.

SiteAdminYou must be a Site Collection Administrator to perform these procedures.

Step Action
1. Delete the workflow’s association to all lists and libraries. See Removing a Workflow Association for details on how to do that. |
2. In the top level site of the site collection, go to Site Actions > Site Settings.
3. In the Site Collection Administration section, click Site collection features.
4. Locate the workflow in the feature list and click Deactivate.
5. Click Deactivate this feature to confirm the action.

See Also:

Custom User Task Form Widget

Custom User Task Form Widget

The Custom User Task Form widget allows designers to define a set of possible responses and assign a task to users to complete a form to submit their selection. The overall result of the collected user responses is based on various business rules that can be set in the widget, with the result stored to a variable.

Widget Properties:

Column Description
Task Assigned To (Required):

Enter one or more users or groups to complete the form. Each user is assigned a task when the widget runs. Assignees’ names can be entered using any of the following methods:

  • Type a SharePoint or Active Directory display name or account name for a user or group and click the Check User icon (Icon-Checkmark). Separate multiple users with a semicolon (;).
  • Click the Lookup User icon (Icon-UserLookup) to search for a SharePoint or Active Directory user or group in the User Lookup form.
  • Enter a lookup to user or group data using the Add Lookup button (Button-AddLookup) in the User Lookup form.
Expand Groups:

If a SharePoint group is entered in the Approvers property, the Expand Groups setting determines whether a single task is assigned to the entire group or if a separate task is assigned to each member of the group.

  • Select Yes to assign each user in the group a task, as if each name was entered individually in the Approvers property.

  • Select No to assign one task to the entire group. Only one user in the group needs to complete the task.

    NOTE: The owner of the group is considered a member of the group and is also assigned a task. The only exception is when the owner is the default system account, which will not be assigned a task.
Required Responses:

Select the number of approvals required to save the response as a variable. The possible selections are:

  • All Responses: All users assigned to the task must respond to fulfill the requirement.
  • This number: Enter the number of users assigned to the task that must respond to fulfill the requirement.
  • This percentage: Enter the percentage of users assigned to the task that must respond to fulfill the requirement.
    Save first response: The response from the first will be stored in assigned variable and complete the requirement.
Value: This field is only shown if This number or This percentage are selected from the Required Responses drop-down menu. Based on your selection, type the appropriate number in the box, or use a lookup.
Task Form (Required):

Build the task form with possible responses for the assignees to complete by clicking the ellipses to the right of the field. The Custom Task Form Settings window will open with the following fields:

  • Task Form Title: Type a name for the form.
  • Task Form Description: Type a description for the form.
  • User Choices: Enter the responses for the user to choose from.
  • Value to Store for Outcome: Enter the value to save for each response choice (see the screenshot below for an example).
    SA08CustomUserTaskForm-ChoiceValue.jpg
Outcome to Save: From the drop-down menu, select Most chosen response to save the response(s) chosen by the most task assignees or Least chosen response to save the response(s) chosen by the fewest task assignees.
Ties:

Decide what outcome to save in the event that two or more responses tie. Choose one of the following options from the drop-down menu:

  • Save all tied values – Saves all tied values, separated by comas. For example, “value1,value2,value3”.
  • Use the first choice – Saves only the value of the tied item listed first in the User Choices column of the Task Form property.
  • Write this value – Saves a designer-defined value in the case of a tie. For example, “tie”.
Save Outcome To (Required):

Pick a variable to save the outcome of the responses to. This can be an existing variable, or you can click the Create a variable link to define a new one:

  • Name: Enter a name for the variable.
  • Type: Choose the type of variable: Text, Boolean, DateTime, Number, or Record.
  • Default Value (Optional): Choose a default value for the variable.
  • Click Add to add the variable to the Current Variables list.
  • Click Save Changes to save the variable.
    SA08CustomUserTaskForm-NewVariable.jpg
Send Task Assignment Emails:

Select an option to determine if the widget will send notification e-mails to users.

  • Select Yes to send an e-mail to users when a task is assigned.
  • Select No to assign the task without sending task assignment e-mail.
Send Status Emails to Initiator:

Select an option to determine if the widget will send notification e-mails to the initiator.

  • Select Yes to send an e-mail the initiator when the status changes.
  • Select No if you do not want e-mails sent to the initiator when the status changes.
Notification Subject/Body: Customize the subject and body for the notification e-mail sent for the original Request Approval task. Default text can be specified in the Request Approval Task Notification sections of the Workflow Conductor Control Panel E-mail Settings.
Reassignment Subject/Body: Customize the subject and body for the notification e-mail sent if a task is reassigned. Default text can be specified in the Request Approval Task Reassignment sections of the Workflow Conductor Control Panel E-mail Settings.
Request Change Subject/Body: Customize the subject and body for the notification e-mail sent if a change is requested for the task. Default text can be specified in the Request Approval Task Change Request sections of the Workflow Conductor Control Panel E-mail Settings.
Send Reminder: Send a reminder email to task assignees some number of days before a task’s due date is reached.
Days Before Due Date (Required if Send Reminder=Yes): Enter the number of days prior to the Due Date that the reminder email should be sent. This can be set explicitly, or the value can be set dynamically at runtime using a lookup.
Reminder Subject/Body: Customize the subject and body for the reminder notification e-mail sent to task assignees prior to the task Due Date. Default text can be specified in the Custom User Task section of the Workflow Conductor Control Panel E-mail Settings.
Escalate Overdue: Reassign a task to a specified person if it passes the task Due Date without being completed.
Escalate To (Required if Escalate Overdue=Yes): Enter one or more users or groups to escalate the task to.
Escalation Subject/Body: Customize the subject and body for the reminder notification e-mail sent to task assignees prior to the task Due Date. Default text can be specified in the Custom User Task section of the Workflow Conductor Control Panel E-mail Settings.
Days Until Due: Enter the number of days until the task is due. You can enter a specific number or use a lookup. The number of days is added to the current date at the time the widget is run to determine the Due Date for each approver task. The calculated task Due Date is included in the task notification e-mail. If you do not enter a Days Until Due value, the Due Date property will be used, if there is one, or the task Due Date will be empty.
Due Date:

Enter a Due Date for the task. You can enter a specific date using the calendar control or use a lookup. Unlike the Days Until Due property, this property sets a specific Due Date for the task. This is useful in situations where a particular deadline must be met. The task Due Date is included in the task notification e-mail. If you do not enter a Due Date, the value in the Days Until Due property will be used, if there is one, or the task Due Date will be empty.

NOTE: If both the Due Date and Days Until Due properties are defined, the task Due Date field will be set to the earlier of the two dates. If neither is defined, the task Due Date field will be blank.
Allow Reassignment:
  • Select Yes to allow approvers to delegate their task to another user. If reassignment is allowed, a Reassign Task button is displayed at the bottom of the task form. See the Reassign Task section for more details about this option.
  • Select No if you do not want approvers to be able to delegate tasks to other users.
Allow Request Change:
  • Select Yes to allow approvers to create a new task for the item that must be completed before the approver task is completed. If change requests are allowed, a Request Change button is displayed at the bottom of the task form. See the Request Change section for more details about this option.
  • Select No if you do not want approvers to be able to create new tasks using the task form.
Allow Comments:
  • Select Yes or No from the drop-down menu.
Save Comments To: Each approver has the opportunity to enter comments when completing an approval task. You can view task comments in the completed task. If the Send Email property is set to Yes, a summary of all comments is e-mailed to the workflow initiator when the widget is finished running. You can also store the comments in a workflow variable for use later in the workflow. To assign a workflow variable, select a Text data type variable from the Save Comments To list. Create variables in the Workflow Settings tab in the settings pane, or click the Create new variable link next to the variable list. If multiple approvers enter comments, each comment is appended to the workflow variable.
Allow Attachment: Select Yes or No from the drop-down menu.
Item to Attach: Use a lookup to add an attachment.
Click Apply to save the widget settings.

Example of Custom User Task Form Widget

Return to User Interaction Widgets List

See Also:

Create Task Widget

Create Task Widget

The Create Task widget creates a new task in a selected task list with values for standard task fields set directly in the Widget Properties pane.

NOTE: If you need to define additional fields or set Priority or Status values other than the ones provided in the Create Task widget, consider the Create Item widget instead.

Widget Properties:

Column Description
Task List (Required) By default, the task will be created in the Default Task List configured in Central Administration > Workflow Conductor Control Panel > General Settings. To select a different Task List for the new task in the site, site collection, or another site in another site collection, click the Icon-Ellipsis button and make selections in the Site Collection, Site, and List boxes.
Title (Required) Enter a Title for the new list by typing text in the property field or by clicking the Icon-Ellipsis button to open the text editor. Add lookups to the Title using the Add Lookup button (Button-AddLookup) in the text editor.
Priority

Select a Priority for the task. Available choices are:

  • (1) High
  • (2) Normal (default)
  • (3) Low
Status

Select an initial Status for the task. Available choices are:

  • Not Started (default)
  • In Progress
  • Completed
  • Deferred
  • Waiting on someone else
Percent Complete Enter a number between 0 and 100 to set an initial Percent Complete, either by typing a number or by adding a lookup to a number using the Add Lookup icon (Icon-Search).
Assigned To

Enter a user to assign the task to using one of the following methods:

  • Type a display name or account name for a SharePoint or Active Directory user or SharePoint group and click the Check User icon (Icon-Checkmark).
  • Click the Lookup User icon (Icon-UserLookup) to search for a SharePoint or Active Directory user or SharePoint group in the User Lookup form.
  • Enter a lookup to user or group data using the Icon-UserLookup button in the User Lookup form.
Task Description Enter a Task Description for the task by typing text in the property field or by clicking the Icon-Ellipsis button to open the text editor. Add lookups to the Task Description using the Add Lookup button in the text editor.
Start Date

Define a Start Date for the task using one of the following methods:

  • Type a date directly in the text box.
  • Select a date or date/time using the Calendar icon (Icon-Calendar).
  • Add a lookup to a date or date/time value using the Add Lookup icon (Button-AddLookup).
Due Date Define a Due Date for the task using one of the methods described in the Start Date property above.

NOTE: The Start Date and Due Date fields in a default SharePoint Task have a Date Only display format, and any specific time you enter for them is stored with the field but is not displayed in the Task list. Dates entered in the Widget Properties without a time will be stored in SharePoint with a time of 12:00 AM. If the SharePoint field is later changed to a Date and Time display format, the time stored with the field will be displayed.
Save ID To Select a workflow variable with a Text data type to store the new task ID. Create variables in the Workflow Settings tab in the settings pane, or click the Create new variable link next to the variable list. The task ID variable can be used later in your workflow to reference the item you just created.
Run As This widget can run with the permissions of the workflow initiator, the workflow designer, or another user. Select the option in the Run As property that best matches your requirement. For more information, see the Common Widget Properties topic.
Click Apply to save the widget settings.

Example Using Create Task Widget

Return to Lists and Items Widgets

See Also:

Create List Widget

Create List Widget

The Create List widget creates a new list or library in the current site, another site in the current site collection, or in a site in different site collection. The following list types can be created by the Create List widget:

Announcements Calendar Contacts Custom List Custom List in Datasheet View Discussion Board Document Library
Form Library Issue Tracking Links Picture Library Survey Tasks

The list or library is created using the default SharePoint options for columns and list settings, except where noted in the widget properties.

Widget Properties:

Column Description
Site (Required)

Click the Icon-Ellipsis button to select a site for the new list:

  • Select Current Site to create a list in the current site.
  • Select Other Site in Site Collection to create a list in another site in the current site collection or in another site collection.
  • Select Workflow Variables to create a list in a site named in a workflow variable, selected from the Variable Containing Site Name list. If you are creating a list in the current site collection, the variable must contain the sitename portion of the site URL (e.g., http://myserver/sales). If you are creating a list in another site collection, the variable must contain the full URL of the site (e.g., http://myserver/sitecoll/site).
Title (Required) Enter a Title for the new list by typing text in the property field or by clicking the Icon-Ellipsis button to open the text editor. Add lookups to the Title using the Add Lookup button (Button-AddLookup) in the text editor.
List Description Enter a List Description for the new list by typing text in the property field or by clicking the Icon-Ellipsis button to open the text editor. Add lookups to the List Description using the Add Lookup button (Button-AddLookup) in the text editor.
List Type Choose the type of list to create from the List Type list. See below for available list types.
Add to Quick Launch Select Yes to add the site to the Quick Launch.
Run As This widget can run with the permissions of the workflow initiator, the workflow designer, or another user. Select the option in the Run As property that best matches your requirement. For more information, see the Common Widget Properties topic.
Click Apply to save the widget settings.

Example Using Create List Widget

See Also:

Create SharePoint Group Widget

Create SharePoint Group Widget

The Create SharePoint Group widget creates a SharePoint group for any site in any site collection in the current Web application.

NOTE: Creating a SharePoint group requires the Create Groups site permission in SharePoint. If it is possible that the workflow initiator will not have this permission, use the Run As property to run the widget as another user with the required permission.

Widget Properties:

Column Description
Group Settings (Required)

Click the Icon-Ellipsis button to specify the configuration settings for the new SharePoint group:

  • Site Collection and Site (Required): Select the site collection and site where the group will be created.
  • Name (Required): Type a name for the new group or enter a lookup to a name using the Add Lookup icon (Check User Icon).
  • About Me: Enter a description for the group or enter a lookup to a description using the Add Lookup icon.

  • Group Owner (Required): A group owner manages group membership and group settings. Enter a user or group who will be the owner for the new group using one of the following methods:

    • Type a SharePoint or Active Directory display name or account name for a user or group and click the Check User icon (Icon-Checkmark).
    • Click the Lookup User icon (Icon-UserLookup) to search for a SharePoint or Active Directory user or group in the User Lookup form.
    • Enter a lookup to user or group data using the Add Lookup button (Button-AddLookup) in the User Lookup form.

  • Group Permissions: Choose the permissions that users who belong to the new group will have on the site. If you do not choose any permissions, the group will be created but will have no access to the site.
Run As

This widget can run with the permissions of the workflow initiator, the workflow designer, or another user. Select the option in the Run As property that best matches your requirement.

NOTE: If you want to run as another user, you must be able to enter the user name and password for that user.
Click Apply to save the widget settings.

Return to User & Group Management Widgets

See Also:

Create Site

Create Site

SA08CreateSite.jpgThe Create Site widget creates a new SharePoint site. Sites can be created in any site collection in the Web application. The widget includes the following options and features:

  • Provides all the same options as creating a site from the SharePoint Site Actions menu.
  • Choose from any built-in or custom site template.
  • Save the new URL of the site to a workflow variable to use later in the workflow.
  • Create sites in other site collections.
  • Run this widget with alternate credentials.

Return to Site Management Widgets

See Also:

Create Column Widget

Create Column Widget

NOTE: This widget is available in Workflow Conductor 2.5 or newer only.

The Create Column widget creates a new column in a SharePoint list or library. This includes Bamboo Custom Columns. The following standard SharePoint column types can be created using Create Column:

sa08_2010_CreateColumn-ColumnTypes.jpg

Widget Properties:

Column Description
Column Settings (Required)

Click the Icon-Ellipsis button to open the column settings form where you can select a column type to add and define column options:

  • Select Current List (the default) to create the column in the list the workflow is started on.
  • Select Other List to create a column in another list or library in the site, site collection, or a list in another site collection. Select the Site Collection, Site, and List where you want to create the column.
  • Column Name: Enter a name for the column. You can enter a specific name or use a lookup to text to use for the column name.
  • Column Type: Select a column type.
  • Column Properties: The column properties you can set will vary depending on the column type you select. For help with column properties, see Site Column Types and Options (Office.Microsoft.com).
  • To validate columns, expand the Column Validation options by clicking the plus sign to the left. Then, enter the Formula and User message in the appropriate fields.
    CreateColumn.jpg
  • Click OK.
Run As This widget can run with the permissions of the workflow initiator, the workflow designer, or another user. Select the option in the Run As property that best matches your requirement. For more information, see Common Widget Properties.
Click Apply to save the widget settings

Example Using Create Column Widget

Return to Lists and Items Widgets

See Also:

Create Item Widget

Create Item Widget

The Create Item widget adds a new item to a list or library with field values defined in the widget properties.

Widget Properties:

Column Description
Item (Required)

Click the Icon-Ellipsis button to select properties for the new item:

  • Site Collection/Site/List Target: To create an item in a list in the current site, select a list in the List Target box. To create an item in a list in another site or site collection, make the desired selections in the Site Collection and Site boxes and then select a List Target.

  • Item Fields:

    • Available fields in the list or library are added to the form when you select a List Target. Required list fields (marked with a red asterisk *) are automatically selected.

    • To specify a value for a field, check the box in front of the field name and enter a value using one of the following methods:

      • Choose a field value (for Choice and Yes/No fields)
      • Enter text in the field text box
      • Add a lookup using the Add Lookup icon (Icon-Search)

    • To remove a field from the list of fields to populate, uncheck the checkbox in front of the field name.

    • Use Record Variable: If you want to create an item using data from a Record variable instead of specifying values for each field, check the Use Record Variable box and select an available Record variable. Important notes about Record variables:
    • Record variables contain a single record (row) from the results of a Query Database widget.
    • Columns in the list will be populated with data from the record field with the same name. If your database field names do not match SharePoint column names, use SELECT field AS column.
    • If a column in the list has no matching field in the record, it will be skipped. If the column has a default value configured in SharePoint, the column will be populated with that default value.
    • If a field in the record has no matching column in the list, it will be skipped.
    • If the required SharePoint column Title or Name has no matching field in the record, it will be populated with data from the first field in the record.
    • If other required columns in the list have no matching fields in the record, they will be left blank in the list.

  • Overwrite an existing item: Check this box to overwrite an item with the same Name, if one exists in the List Target. This option is available only for libraries.
Save Item ID to Variable (Required) Select a workflow variable with a Text data type to store the new item ID. Create variables in the Workflow Settings tab in the settings pane, or click the Create new variable link next to the variable list. The item ID variable can be used later in your workflow to reference the item you just created.
Run As This widget can run with the permissions of the workflow initiator, the workflow designer, or another user. Select the option in the Run As property that best matches your requirement. For more information, see the General Widget Properties section.
Click Apply to save the widget settings.

See Also:

Create AD Account

Create AD Account

The Create AD Account widget creates an Active Directory user account in the LDAP path selected in the widget properties. The widget has the option to generate a random password, which is saved to a workflow variable.

This widget uses the Active Directory Settings and Active Directory Account Options properties configured in the Workflow Conductor Control Panel > General Settings page. These settings provide a list of pre-configured LDAP paths that can be used in the widget, determine if Conductor Studio designers can enter their own LDAP paths, and set default account policies for new accounts.

NOTE: This widget accesses Active Directory with the permission of the user account configured with the LDAP path selected in the widget.

Widget Properties:

Column Description
New Account Details (Required)

Click the Icon-Ellipsis button to specify the Active Directory LDAP path and account information for the new user:

  • LDAP Path:

    • If there are pre-defined LDAP paths configured in the Workflow Conductor Control Panel > General Settings page, they will be listed here. Select an LDAP path from the list to create a user account in one of the pre-configured Active Directory locations.
    • If the option to Allow custom LDAP paths in widgets is selected in the Workflow Conductor Control Panel > General Settings page, you can also select Other LDAP Path and enter an LDAP path and a user name and password with permission to create user accounts in that Active Directory location. See the General Settings page for LDAP path examples.

  • New Account Details:

    • Complete required and optional Active Directory account properties. Properties can be entered by typing values directly or by entering a lookup using the Add Lookup icon (Icon-Search).
    • The Autogenerate Password option is selected by default for new user accounts. This option generates a random password, which is stored in the variable selected on the main Widget Properties pane. The password will follow these rules:
      • Password length will meet or exceed Active Directory password length requirements, with a minimum length of 8 characters.
      • Password strength will include a random set of lowercase, uppercase, numbers, and symbols (`~!@#$%^&*()-_=+[]{}|;:'”,<.>/?).
        To specify a password, uncheck the Autogenerate Password option and type a password that meets or exceeds Active Directory policy.
Save Password to Variable (Required) Select a workflow variable with a Text data type to store the auto-generated or manually-entered account password. Create variables in the Workflow Settings tab in the settings pane, or click the Create new variable link next to the variable list. The password variable can be used later in your workflow to reference the password you just assigned.
Click Apply to save the widget settings.

Example of Using Create AD Account Widget

Return to User & Group Management Widgets

See Also:

Create AD Group

Create AD Group

The Create AD Group widget creates an Active Directory security or distribution group in a specified Active Directory location. The widget has the following features and options:

SA08CreateADGroup.jpgCreate a group in a pre-configured LDAP path or enter a custom LDAP path (if allowed).

  • Group names and other group properties can be entered using text, lookups, or workflow variables.

  • Create security or distribution groups.

  • Create groups with Domain Local, Global, or Universal scope.

  • Store the group name in a workflow variable for use later in the workflow.

This widget runs with the permissions of the user configured with the LDAP path.
Create AD Group Widget

Return to User & Group Management Widgets

See Also:

Copy Item Widget

Copy Item Widget

The Copy Item widget copies a list or library item from one list or library to another. Any fields that exist in both the source and target lists are copied.

Icon-Warning Widget Limitation:The source and target list types and column types must match or the Copy Item widget will fail.

Widget Properties:

Column Description
Source Item (Required)

Click the Icon-Ellipsis button to select an item to copy.

  • Select source item:
    • To copy the current item, select Current Item (the default).
    • To copy a different item in the current list or an item in another list, site, or site collection, select External List Lookup and make the desired selections in the Site Collection, Site, and List boxes. To identify the item in the list that you want to copy, select a Filter Field and enter a match criteria in the Equals box, either by typing one or by adding a lookup using the Add Lookup (Add Lookup Icon) icon. If more than one item is matched, the first item returned is selected as the source item to copy.
Target List (Required)

Click Icon-Ellipsis to select a target list or library to copy the source item to.

  • Select target item:
    • To create a copy of the item in the current list, select Current List.
    • To copy the item to a different list in the current site or to a list in another site or site collection, select Other List and make the desired selections in the Site Collection, Site, and List boxes.

  • Overwrite existing items: To overwrite an item with the same Name in the target library, check the Overwrite existing items checkbox.

    NOTE: This option is only available for document libraries.
Run As This widget can run with the permissions of the workflow initiator, the workflow designer, or another user. Select the option in the Run As property that best matches your requirement. For more information, see Common Widget Properties.
Click Apply to save the widget settings.

Example Using Copy Item Widget

Return to Lists and Items Widgets

See Also:

Configuring WF Conductor Account Settings

Configuring WF Conductor Account Settings

Overview of Workflow Conductor Control Panel

To configure the Workflow Conductor access accounts, go to Central Administration > Workflow Conductor, and then click Account Settings.

Icon-WarningIMPORTANT: You must configure these settings before you use Workflow Conductor.

Settings page of WFC Control Panel

Shared Services Account. The Shared Services Account is used by the Conductor Studio, Conductor widgets, and at runtime as required by workflows, and for some Workflow Conductor settings. This account requires the following permissions:

  • Read, write, and execute permissions to the Conductor_Content database (the db_owner role is recommended).
  • Must be a member of the local server Administrators group on each Web front-end server (WFE) where Workflow Conductor is installed.

Deployment Account. The Deployment Account is used to deploy workflow solutions to your SharePoint farm. This account requires:

  • Read, write, and execute permissions to the Conductor_Content database (the db_owner role is recommended). This account is used to save the .wsp installation package to the database before it is deployed.
  • Must be a member of the local server Administrators group on each Web front-end (WFE) server where Conductor is installed and deployed.
  • Must be a SharePoint Farm Administrator in order to deploy workflow solutions.

Configuring WF Conductor Categories

Configuring WF Conductor Categories

Overview of Workflow Conductor Control Panel

Top

Workflow Conductor Widgets are listed in the Conductor Studio by category so they are easy to find. Beginning with WFC Release 4.0, we offer a search utility so you can search for widgets. Simply start typing the widget name and any corresponding widgets containing your keywords appear in the widget box.Searching.png Categories.jpg
SharePoint 2010 Release 4.0		 conductor studio categories.jpg
SharePoint 2013 Release 3.5 and prior releases

By default, each widget appears in a category. (Some widgets appear in more than one category.) The default widget categories are:

  • Frequently Used
  • Workflow Logic
  • User Interaction
  • User and Group Management
  • Site Management
  • Lists and Items
  • External Data

For your organization, you may want to:

Move Widgets between Categories

To move widgets to an existing category:

Step ActionTop
1. Select the category to move the widget(s) to in the Category drop down box.

select category.jpg
2. Choose to show Unassigned Widgets. All the widget currently NOT assigned to the selected category are listed.

show unassigned.jpg
3.

check widgets to assign.jpgCheck the widget(s) you want to include in the selected category.

NOTE: The full list of widgets spans multiple pages. Click the 1, 2, or 3 at the bottom of the widgets table to view other pages.
4.

When ready, click OK to save your changes.

NOTE: Clicking OK closes the page and returns you to the Workflow Conductor Control Panel page. To add more widgets to other categories, click Widget Categories. If you change the selected category before clicking OK, your changes to the category will NOT be saved.

To remove widgets from an existing category:

Step ActionTop
1. Select the category to remove the widget(s) from in the Category drop down box.

select category.jpg
2. Choose to show All Widgets. All the available widgets are shown. The widgets currently included in the selected category have a check displayed.

show all widgets.jpg
3.

all wdigets with checks.jpgUncheck the widget(s) you want to remove from the selected category.

NOTE: The full list of widgets spans multiple pages. Click the 1,2, or 3 at the bottom of the widgets table to view other pages.
4.

When ready, click OK to save your changes.

NOTE: Clicking OK closes the page and returns you to the Workflow Conductor Control Panel page. To remove more widgets from other categories, click Widget Categories. If you change the selected category before clicking OK, your changes to the category will NOT be saved.

Top

Add or Remove Categories

AddRemove Category link.jpgIf the default categories for widgets are not satisfactory for your organization, you can change them. To add or delete categories, click the Add or Remove Categories link at the top of the Widget Categories page.

To add a new category from the Add or Remove Categories page:

Step ActionTop
1. sa08_2010CPWidgetCategories.jpgEnter the name of the new category and if desired, enter a description as well. As you can see from the list of existing categories, the Description value is optional.
2.

Click Save to save the new category. The Add or Remove Categories page will close.

NOTE: The new category will have no widgets at first. To add widgets to your new category, see Add or Remove Widget Categories.

To delete an existing category from the Add or Remove Categories page:

Step ActionTop
1. Click the box next to the categories that you want to delete.

delete categories.jpg
2.

Click Delete to delete the selected categories. The Add or Remove Categories page will close.

NOTE: The widgets that were assigned to the deleted category are not deleted; however, you will no longer see them in the Conductor Studio unless they are assigned to another category.

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Hide Widgets so they cannot be used

There may be some widgets that you don’t want to make available to workflow designers. If this is the case, you can hide them. To hide a widget, remove it from all categories. See Add or Remove Widget Categories for more information.

NOTE: The widgets that were assigned to the category are not deleted, though you will no longer see them in Conductor Studio unless they are assigned to another category.

Configuring WF Conductor E-mail Settings

Configuring WF Conductor E-mail Settings

Overview of Workflow Conductor Control Panel

On the E-mail Settings page of the Workflow Conductor Control Panel, globally configure:

E-mail Templates

To configure global e-mail templates for task e-mails sent by Workflow Conductor, go to Central Administration > Workflow Conductor, and then E-mail Settings. You can configure the default templates used for E-mail messages sent for Request Approval, Request Feedback, and Collect Data From User task notifications, task reassignments, and task change requests. Administrators can also configure E-mail Approval settings from this page of the Workflow Conductor Control Panel.

These e-mail templates are used as the default text for corresponding properties in the Request Approval, Request Feedback, and Collect Data From User widgets. The default text can be customized on a per-widget basis by the workflow designer.

To add references to elements like the list name, the workflow initiator, the workflow title, “Current Task” properties, and other common elements, click the Add Lookup button next to each section and select a lookup to insert. The actual value of the lookup will be filled in when the workflow runs.

NOTE: To add a hyperlink that has a display name different from the URL (e.g., Bamboo instead of http://www.bamboosolutions.com), enter the hyperlink in the following format, including the surrounding brackets ([]):

 [_URL(http://url.com),_Text(Text to display)]

See Using Lookups in Workflow Studio for more information.

To set an e-mail template back to the system default, click the Reset to Default button below the template. To save changes to a template, make sure to click OK at the bottom of the E-mail Settings page.

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E-mail-based Task Approvals

E-mail-based task approvals are available for tasks created from the Request Approval Widget. Prior to using email-based approval the following actions are required:

  1. E-mail needs to be enabled and configured on the Windows Server running SharePoint.

  2. SharePoint needs to be configured to allow incoming email.

  3. For each site where a workflow that requires e-mail-based task approval runs, configure settings that allow users to approve requests via e-mail:

    Step Action
    1.

    Manage Site Features.jpgActivate the site feature Bamboo Workflow Incoming Email for each site where email-based approval will be allowed. This is a site where the workflow runs and the Workflow Tasks list resides.

    Click Site Actions > Site Settings > Site Features. Locate the Bamboo Workflow Incoming Email feature and click Activate to activate it on the site.

    wf incoming email site feature.jpg

    NOTE: This site feature is not activated by default.

    When the site feature is activated, the list Bamboo.Conductor.IncomingEmail will be created.
    2.

    From the List Settings page for the Bamboo.Conductor.IncomingEmail list, configure the Incoming email settings.

    Icon-WarningIMPORTANT: Make sure the E-mail address you choose is unique. No other lists should have the same address.

    incoming email1.png
    3. In the E-mail Settings page of the Workflow Conductor Control Panel in Central Administration, locate the Email-based Approval and Rejection Settings (at the bottom of the page).
    4. email based approvals1.jpgIn the Enable email-based approval section, select Yes from the drop-down menu.
    5.

    email based approvals2.jpgIn the Define Approval Word box, enter the word users should respond with for an approval. In the Define Reject Word box, enter the word users should respond with for a rejection.

    Icon-WarningIMPORTANT: The Approve and Reject words are case sensitive.

    When task assignees receive the e-mail notification message telling them they need to review a task, they can reply to the email, entering either the Approve Word or the Reject Word in the body of the reply. The task will then be automatically approved or rejected with no further action required by the assignee.
    6.

    email based approvals3.jpgThe Limit e-mail approvals to the following users section allows administrators to restrict approval emails to specific users or groups by typing their names in the box.

    Icon-WarningIMPORTANT: When adding more than one user or group, separate names with semi-colons.
    7. When all settings are made, click OK to save your changes.

Configuring WF Conductor General Settings

Configuring WF Conductor General Settings

Overview of Workflow Conductor Control Panel

To change global Workflow Conductor general settings, go to Central Administration > Workflow Conductor, and then click General Settings.

sa08_2010CPGeneralSettingsTop.jpg
You should review and update each setting listed here after you install Workflow Conductor.

Configuring WF Conductor System Settings

Configuring WF Conductor System Settings

Overview of Workflow Conductor Control Panel

To define required database and e-mail server settings for Workflow Conductor, go to Central Administration > Workflow Conductor, and then click System Settings.

Icon-WarningIMPORTANT: You must configure these settings before you use Workflow Conductor..

Settings page of WFC Control Panel

SQL Server. Enter the name of the server and SQL Server instance where the Workflow Conductor Configuration Database was created/installed. Click the green arrow to load the available databases into the selection list for the next item, Workflow Conductor Database.

Enter the SQL Server name and instance in the following format:

  • DBSERVER – The Conductor database is installed on the default SQL Server instance on the server DBSERVER.
  • DBSERVEROFFICESERVERS – The Conductor database is installed on the OFFICESERVERS instance on DBSERVER. This is common for SharePoint 2007 installations that use SQL Server Express.
  • DBSERVERSharePoint – The Conductor database is installed on the SharePoint instance on DBSERVER. This is common for SharePoint 2010 installations that use SQL Server Express.
  • DBSERVERSQLINSTANCE – The Conductor database is installed on the SQLINSTANCE instance on DBSERVER. If the Conductor database is installed on something other than the default instance on the SQL Server, you must specify the instance name.
    Workflow Conductor Database

Workflow Conductor Database. Select the Conductor content database you created when running the Workflow Conductor Configuration Database utility during the Workflow Conductor install.

E-mail Server. Enter the SMTP Server Name that you want to use to send E-mails from Conductor widgets. This is typically the same SMTP server that you use to send SharePoint alerts. Enter the default From and Reply To E-mail addresses as well. If the server has been configured to use SMTP Authentication, check the Use SMTP Secure Authenticated Connection box and enter the secure SMTP port (usually 465) and required login information.

Configuring WF Conductor Workflow Designers

Configuring WF Conductor Workflow Designers

Overview of Workflow Conductor Control Panel

sa08_2010CPWorkflowDesigners.jpgTo specify who can design Conductor Studio workflows in your SharePoint farm, go to Central Administration > Workflow Conductor, and then Workflow Designers.

By default, any user with the SharePoint Design permission for the site and the list/library can use the Conductor Studio. This is the minimum permission needed to successfully create and deploy workflows.

To restrict further who can design workflows in the Conductor Studio, follow these steps:

Step Action
1. Select the option Only the following users and AD groups
2. Enter a list of SharePoint users and/or groups separated by semi-colons. Use the Lookup (SPNameLookup.jpg) if you would rather search for names/groups than enter them directly. When you have the list, click SPpeopleChecker.jpg to resolve the names and make sure they are entered correctly.
3.

Click OK to save the configuration. Only the names/groups entered will be able to launch the Conductor Studio to design and deploy workflows.

Icon-WarningIMPORTANT: All workflow designers must have at least the SharePoint Design permission for the site and the list/library where Conductor Studio is started. Any user with Design permission will see the Workflow Conductor icons in the list/library ribbon, but only designers listed in the Workflow Designers list will be able to start the Conductor Studio. Others will see an access denied message.

Configuring UAC for Workflow Conductor

Configuring UAC for Workflow Conductor

Applies To:

  • Workflow Conductor 2.5.2 and higher
  • Windows Server 2008
  • SharePoint Server 2010
  • SharePoint Foundation 2010

Background

In order to use the Solution Deployment Method to deploy workflows using Workflow Conductor on Windows Server 2008, you must disable User Access Control (UAC) Admin Approval Mode or turn off UAC. Alternatively, when using the Simple Publishing Method, UAC does not need to be modified or turned off.

The procedures for disabling Admin Approval Mode and for turning off UAC are both provided below. You only need to follow the one that best fits your environment. For more information about UAC, see TechNet article: User Account Control Step-by-Step Guide.

To disable Admin Approval Mode:

Step Action
1. While logged into the server as a member of the local Administrators group, click Start > All Programs > Accessories> Run.
2. secpolmsc.jpgType secpol.msc in the Open box, and then click OK.
3. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue.
4. From the Local Security Settings console tree, double-click Local Policies, and then double-click Security Options.
5. Scroll down and double-click User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode.
6. Select the Disabled option, and then click OK.
7. Close the Local Security Settings window.

To turn off UAC:

Step Action
1. While logged into the server as a member of the local Administrators group, click Start > Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, click User Accounts.
3. In the User Accounts window, click User Accounts.
4. In the User Accounts tasks window, click Turn User Account Control on or off.
5. If UAC is currently configured in Admin Approval Mode, the User Account Control message appears. Click Continue.
6. Clear the Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer check box, and then click OK.
7. Click Restart Now to apply the change right away, or click Restart Later and close the User Accounts tasks window.

Configured approvers not receiving emails when a task is assigned

Configured approvers not receiving emails when a task is assigned

After creating a workflow using the Request Approval widget, the approval tasks are created for the approvers, but they don’t get an email notification.

Even when completing the tasks in SharePoint, the status email that goes to the workflow initiator are not sent. What’s wrong with the approval task notification emails?

In order for these notification emails to be sent, make sure that the “Reply to” email is set in the System Settings page of the Workflow Conductor pages in Central Admin (see a screen shot below). If this value is blank, the task approval notifications will not be sent.

WF_SS.png

Complete Task

Complete Task

The Complete Task widget sets the value of a selected task’s Status field to Completed.

Widget Properties:

Column Description
Task to Mark “Completed” (Required)

Click the Icon-Ellipsis button to select a target Task List and task:

  • Task List: To complete a task in a task list in the current site, select a Task List that contains the task you want to mark Completed. The Current Task List option selects the default Task List configured in the Workflow Conductor Control Panel. To complete a task in another site or site collection, make the desired selections in the Site Collection and Site boxes and then select a Task List.
  • Filter Field/Equals: To identify the item in the list that you want to update, select a Filter Field and enter a match criteria in the Equals box, either by typing one or by adding a lookup using the Add Lookup (Add Lookup Icon) icon. If more than one item is matched, the first item returned is updated.
Run As This widget can run with the permissions of the workflow initiator, the workflow designer, or another user. Select the option in the Run As property that best matches your requirement. For more information, see the General Widget Properties section.
Click Apply to save the widget settings.

Example Using Complete Task Widget

Return to Lists and Items Widgets

See Also:

Conditional Branch Widget

Conditional Branch Widget

The Conditional Branch widget branches the workflow based on the status of up to two conditions. If the conditions are met, the workflow follows the True path. If not, the workflow follows the False path. If more than two conditions are required, Conditional Branch widgets can be nested.

Drop other widgets in each branch to take different actions for True or False conditions.

sa08LimitationIcon.jpg Widget Limitations:

  • When entering a condition to match values in SharePoint Person or Group or Choice columns configured to allow multiple values, enter the matching value in the format listed below:
    • Person or Group columns: User1;User2 (Note: There is no space after the semicolon for the match condition, even though SharePoint displays one in the actual column value.)
    • Choice columns: Value1, Value2 (Note: The space after the comma is required.)
      The values must be listed in the same order as they appear in the SharePoint column. For example: If the condition is listed as User1;User2 or Value1, Value2, SharePoint column values entered as User2; User1 or Value2, Value1 will not match.

Widget Properties

Column Description
Condition (Required): Click Icon-Ellipsis to open the Condition Builder form.
Condition: Choose from a set of pre-defined conditions or compare two data sources using a set of logical operators. See the table below for a list of available conditions.
Condition Description Enter Comparison
Value(s) As
Compare these data sources

Compares two values (of the same data type) using a logical operator. The following logical operators are available:

  • Equals / Does Not Equal
  • Contains / Does Not Contain
  • Is Empty / Is Not Empty
  • Starts With / Does Not Start With
  • Ends With / Does Not End With
  • Greater Than / Less Than
  • Greater Than or Equal To / Less Than or Equal To
 Text or lookup
Current item was created between these dates Checks whether an item was created within a date range Date/Time or lookup to date/time value
Current item was modified between these dates Checks whether an item was last modified within a date range. Date/Time or lookup to date/time value
If two date ranges overlap Checks whether two sets of dates overlap each other. Date/Time or lookup to date/time value
Specific date/time is within a date range Checks whether a specific date time is between two dates.
Current item was created by this user background-color: white;|Current item was modified by this user Date/Time or lookup to date/time value
Current item was modified by this user Checks whether an item was last modified by a specific user. Person or lookup to Person value
Current item has these keywords in the title Checks whether the Title of the current item contains a particular text string (case insensitive). Text or lookup to text string
User is a member of an Active Directory group Checks whether a user is a member of a specific Active Directory group. User: Person or lookup to Person value
Group: Group or lookup to Group value
User is a member of a SharePoint group Checks whether a user is a member of a specific SharePoint group. User: Person or lookup to Person value
Group: Group or lookup to Group value
Role is assigned to User Checks whether a user role is assigned. User: Person or lookup to Person value
Group: Group or lookup to Group value
Add Another Condition: Click this link to add another condition to the Condition Builder. Conditions can be joined using AND or OR. Once a second condition is added, remove it by clicking the Remove Condition link.
Click Apply to save the widget settings.

Example of Conditional Branch Widget

Return to Workflow Logic Widgets List

See Also:

Complementary Products for Workflow Conductor

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Compare Widget

Compare Widget

The Compare widget compares two or more values and stores the result (True or False) in a workflow variable.

sa08LimitationIcon.jpg Widget Limitations:

When entering a compare condition to match values in SharePoint Person or Group or Choice columns configured to allow multiple values, enter the matching value in the format listed below:

  • Person or Group columns: User1;User2

    NOTE: There is no space after the semicolon for the match condition, even though SharePoint displays one in the actual column value.

  • Choice columns: Value1, Value2

    NOTE: The space after the comma is required.

The values must be listed in the same order as they appear in the SharePoint column. For example: If the condition is listed as User1;User2 or Value1, Value2, SharePoint column values entered as User2; User1 or Value2, Value1 will not match.

Widget Properties:

Step Action Result
1. Click the sa08EllipsisIcon.jpg button to define the comparison values and criteria:

Compare Item (Required):

  • Value 1/Value 2: Enter two values to compare. You can enter values explicitly or define them using lookups.
  • Operator: Select from the list of available comparison operators. Available operators will vary depending on the field types being compared:
    • is equal to
    • is not equal to
    • is greater than
    • is less than
    • is greater than or equal to
    • is less than or equal to
    • begins with
    • contains

Save to Variable (Required): Select a workflow variable with a Boolean data type to store the comparison results. The variable will be set to True or False. Create variables in the Workflow Settings tab in the settings pane, or click the Create new variable link next to the variable list.
2. Click Apply to save the widget settings.

Example of Using Compare Widget

Return to Workflow Logic Widgets List

See Also:

Widget Properties

Widget Properties

Overview of the Workflow Conductor Studio

sa08WidgetCommonProperties.jpgAfter a widget is dropped into the workflow, it must be configured before the workflow can use it. To set the properties of a widget, drag your widget to the studio and right-click on it to display the Widget Properties ** for that widget.

Widget Properties vary by widget, but there are a few properties that most widgets have in common. They are described on this page. For a list of the properties unique to a particular widget, see the documentation for that widget.

Icon-WarningIMPORTANT: After making changes to any property in the Widget Properties, be sure to click Apply to save your changes.

The common widgets are described in the table below.

# Common Property Description
1. Display Name This property will default to the widget name, but you can change it to something specific to your workflow to better describe what that widget is configured to do. For example, you might change the Display Name from “Send Email” to “Notify Initiator via Email” to provide more detail about what that particular Send Email widget is doing. When you update a widget Display Name property, it also updates the widget in the Studio diagram.
2. Description This is an optional setting that allows you to add a short description for the widget to explain the purpose of it in the workflow. It is only displayed in Conductor Studio, and is not used anywhere in the workflow.
3. Logging Level

You can select different levels of logging for each widget in your workflow. Workflow logs of workflow run time events can be viewed using the Workflow Conductor Log Viewer Web Part by selecting Run Time mode. Available Logging Level settings are:

  • Errors Only (the default, and least verbose)
  • Errors and Warnings
  • Errors, Warnings, and Info (most verbose)

Workflow Designers can override individual widget Logging Level settings when a workflow is started manually.
4. If Widget Errors:

By default, Conductor will stop a workflow if it encounters an error on any widget. You can customize this behavior for each widget by selecting one of the following options:

  • Stop Workflow (default): The workflow will stop running with a status of Errored (or Canceled in SharePoint 2007). An email containing an error message will be sent to the Workflow Initiator, or other person as configured. See Workflow Error Reporting for more information.
  • Skip This Step: The workflow will skip the step (widget) that errors and continue with the next step.
  • Pause Workflow: The workflow pauses on the step that errors, and sends a notification to the people listed in the Workflow Error Reporting section of the Workflow Conductor Control Panel General Settings page (by default, the Workflow Initiator). The notification includes a link to a form where you can cancel the workflow, skip the step with the error, or repeat the step if the error is now resolved. For more information, see Resolving Workflow Errors.

NOTE: Per-widget error handling options are available in Workflow Conductor 2.5 and higher. Previous versions of Workflow Conductor provide global error handling options in the Workflow Conductor Control Panel General Settings page. Errors in workflows deployed with previous versions of Workflow Conductor will cancel the workflow, no matter what the previous error handling settings were.

By default, widgets are executed with the permission level of the Workflow Initiator. You can override this for many widgets using the Run As property. The Run As property has the following options:

  • Workflow Initiator (default): The widget will run with the permissions of the person who initiates (starts) the workflow.
  • Workflow Designer: The widget will run with the permissions of the user who deployed the workflow from Conductor Studio.
  • Other: The widget will run with the permissions of another user. Click the Lookup User icon sa08userlookupbutton.jpg and enter the Username and Password of another user account. Click Save.

Check In Widget

Check In Widget

The Check In widget checks an item into a library, with options to increment versions and add version comments.

NOTE: The item must be currently checked out to the workflow initiator, or the workflow initiator must have the SharePoint Override Check Out permission to check in items checked out to other users. If it is possible that the workflow initiator will not have this permission, use the Run As property to run the widget as another user with the required permission.

Widget Properties:

Column Description
Item (Required)

By default, the Current Item is checked in. Click the Icon-Ellipsis button to open the Item Lookup form where you can select an item to check in:

  • Select Current Item (the default) to check in the item the workflow was started on.
  • Select External List Lookup to check in an item to another library in the site, site collection, or another site in another site collection:
    • To check the item in to a list in the current site, select a list in the List box. To check in an item to a list in another site or site collection, make the desired selections in the Site Collection and Site boxes and then select a library from the List of available libraries.
    • To identify the item in the library that you want to check in, select a Filter Field and enter a match criteria in the Equals box, either by typing one or by adding a lookup using the (Icon-Search) Add Lookup icon. If more than one item matches the criteria, the first item returned is checked in.
Version Comments Add Version Comments for the document by typing text in the property field or by clicking the Property Editor button to open the text editor. Add lookups to the Version Comments using the (Button-AddLookup) Add Lookup button in the text editor.
Version Type

Select a version type that matches the library Versioning settings, configured in Settings > Library Settings > Versioning settings.

  • Major: Creates a major version of the document (e.g., 2.0), if the library Versioning settings are set to Create major versions.
  • Minor: Creates a minor version of the document (e.g., 2.1), if the library Versioning settings are set to Create major and minor (draft) versions.
  • Overwrite: Overwrites the current version of the document, keeping the same version number. This option works with any Versioning setting, including No versioning.
Run As This widget can run with the permissions of the workflow initiator, the workflow designer, or another user. Select the option in the Run As property that best matches your requirement. For more information, see the General Widget Properties section.
Click Apply to save the widget settings.

Example Using Check In Widget

Return to Lists and Items Widgets

See Also:

Check Out Widget

Check Out Widget

The Check Out widget checks out an item in a library.

Widget Properties:

Column Description
Item (Required)

By default, the Current Item is checked out. Click the button to open the Item Lookup form where you can select an item to check out:

  • Select Current Item (the default) to check out the item the workflow was started on.
  • Select External List Lookup to check out an item in another library in the site, site collection, or another site in another site collection:
    • To check out an item in another library in the current site, select a library in the List box. To check out an item in a library in another site or site collection, make the desired selections in the Site Collection and Site boxes and then select a library from the List of available libraries.
      To identify the item in the library that you want to check out, select a Filter Field and enter a match criteria in the Equals box, either by typing one or by adding a lookup using the Add Lookup icon (Icon-Search). If more than one item matches the criteria, the first item returned is checked out.
Run As This widget can run with the permissions of the workflow initiator, the workflow designer, or another user. Select the option in the Run As property that best matches your requirement. For more information, see the General Widget Properties section.
Click Apply to save the widget settings.

Example Using Check Out Widget

Return to Lists and Items Widgets

See Also:

Collect Data From User Widget

Collect Data From User Widget

The Collect Data From User widget creates a task to collect data from a user during the workflow using a task form. Unlike a workflow initialization form, which can only collect data from the user when the workflow starts, Collect Data From User can collect data at any point during the workflow. The workflow is paused until the task is completed.

The task form can be a custom form created using the widget, or the task can use an existing form created in an earlier workflow. The ID of the task created by the widget is saved to a workflow variable so fields in the task form can be referenced later in the workflow.

If you are using SharePoint 2010 and the server has InfoPath Forms Services, you can customize data collection task forms (Workflow Conductor 2.5 for SharePoint 2010 and higher).

Collect Data From User tasks are created in the default workflow task list configured in the Workflow Conductor Control Panel General Settings page. Choose a different task list by changing the workflow options.

Icon-Warning Widget Limitations:

  • To edit the field list in a Collect Data From User task form in a workflow template that has been deployed, you must give the task form a different name.
  • Workflow task integration with Microsoft Outlook (the “Edit this Task” or “Open this Task” button) is only available in SharePoint Server 2010 or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.

Widget Properties:

Condition Description
User (Required):

Enter a single SharePoint or Active Directory user or SharePoint group to assign the task to, using one of the following methods:

  • Type a display name or account name for a SharePoint or Active Directory user or SharePoint group* and click the Check User icon (Icon-Checkmark).
  • Click the Lookup User icon (Icon-UserLookup) to search for a SharePoint or Active Directory user or SharePoint group* in the User Lookup form.

  • Enter a lookup to user data using the Add Lookup button (Button-AddLookup) in the User Lookup form.

    NOTE: Groups will be expanded to send a task notification e-mail to each user in the group. A single task is created for the group. The task is marked Completed when any member of the group submits the task form.
Form (Required):

Click the Icon-Ellipsis button to create or select a task form:

Select Create New Form (the default) in the Form Type list to create a new task form.

NOTE: Once you create a Collect Data From User task form for a workflow and deploy that workflow, the task form is available for use in future workflows created in the same site collection.

  • Enter a name for the form in the Form Name box.
  • Click Add Field to add a new field to the task form.

  • Type or choose the required options in the pop-up window.

    • Field Name: Type the name as it should appear on the form.

    • Description: Type a description for the form.

    • Field Type: Choose the field input type from the drop-down menu.

    • Single line of text

    • Multiple lines of text
    • Number
    • Yes/No
    • Choice
    • Date and Time
    • Person or Group

  • Requires value: Check the box to make this a required field for users.

  • Click the edit icon (Icon-Edit) to modify the settings for an existing field.

  • Click the delete icon (Icon-Delete) to delete an existing field from the task form.

Select Use Existing Workflow Conductor Form in the Form Type list to select an existing task form. Then, select an existing form from the Workflow Conductor Forms list. Existing forms are Collect Data From User task forms created in previous workflows in the same site collection.
Send Task Assignment Emails:

Select an option to determine if the widget will send notification e-mails to approvers.

  • Select Yes to send an e-mail to task assignees when a task is assigned.
  • Select No to assign the task without sending task assignment e-mail.
Send Status Emails to Initiator:

Select an option to determine if the widget will send notification e-mails to the workflow initiator.

  • Select Yes to send an e-mail to workflow initiators when all tasks are completed.
  • Select No to allow tasks to be completed without notification email being sent to the workflow initiator.
Task Name: Enter a custom task name for the task (e.g., “Enter new employee information”). This task name is how the task is displayed in SharePoint task lists. If you do not enter a Task Name, a default name of “Please Review ItemName” is assigned when the widget runs.
Task Description: Enter an optional custom task description for the task (e.g., “Please enter new employee information to continue with the employee intake process.”).
Notification Subject/Body: Customize the subject and body for the notification e-mail sent for the original Collect Data task. Default text can be specified in the Collect Data From User Task Notification sections of the Workflow Conductor Control Panel E-mail Settings.
Reassignment Subject/Body: Customize the subject and body for the notification e-mail sent if a task is reassigned. Default text can be specified in the Collect Data From User Task Reassignment sections of the Workflow Conductor Control Panel E-mail Settings.
Send Reminder:

Send a reminder email to task assignees some number of days before a task’s due date is reached.

NOTE: This feature requires Workflow Conductor version 3.5 or later.
Days Before Due Date (Required if Send Reminder=Yes) This parameter appears when Send Reminder is set to Yes. Enter the number of days prior to the Due Date that the reminder email should be sent. This can be set explicitly, or the value can be set dynamically at runtime using a lookup.
Reminder Subject/Body: Customize the subject and body for the reminder notification e-mail sent to task assignees prior to the task Due Date. Default text can be specified in the Request Approval Task Reminder sections of the Workflow Conductor Control Panel E-mail Settings.
Escalate Overdue:

Reassign a task to a specified person if it passes the task Due Date without being completed.

NOTE: This feature requires Workflow Conductor version 3.5 or later.
Escalate To (Required if Escalate Overdue=Yes):

Enter a single SharePoint or Active Directory user to escalate the task to, using one of the following methods:

  • Type a display name or account name for a SharePoint or Active Directory user or SharePoint group* and click the Check User icon (Icon-Checkmark).
  • Click the Lookup User icon (Icon-UserLookup) to search for a SharePoint or Active Directory user or SharePoint group* in the User Lookup form.

  • Enter a lookup to user data using the Add Lookup button (Button-AddLookup) in the User Lookup form.

    NOTE: Groups will be expanded to send an escalation notification e-mail to each user in the group. A single task exists for the group. The task is marked Completed when any member of the group submits the task form.
Escalation Subject/Body: Customize the subject and body for the reminder notification e-mail sent to task assignees prior to the task Due Date. Default text can be specified in the Collect Data From User Task Escalation sections of the Workflow Conductor Control Panel E-mail Settings.
Days Until Due: Enter the number of days until the task is due. You can enter a specific number or use a lookup. The number of days is added to the current date at the time the widget is run to determine the Due Date for the task. The calculated task Due Date is included in the task notification e-mail. If you do not enter a Days Until Due value, the Due Date property will be used, if there is one, or the task Due Date will be empty.
Due Date:

Enter a Due Date for the task. You can enter a specific date using the calendar control or use a lookup. Unlike the Days Until Due property, this property sets a specific Due Date for the task. This is useful in situations where a particular deadline must be met. The task Due Date is included in the task notification e-mail. If you do not enter a Due Date, the value in the Days Until Due property will be used, if there is one, or the task Due Date will be empty.

NOTE: If both the Due Date and Days Until Due properties are defined, the task Due Date field will be set to the earlier of the two dates. If neither is defined, the task Due Date field will be blank.
Allow Reassignment:

  • Select Yes to allow assigned users to delegate their task to another user. If reassignment is allowed, a Reassign Task button is displayed at the bottom of the task form.

  • Select No if you do not want assigned users to be able to delegate the task to another user.
Save ID To:

Select a workflow variable with a Number data type to store the data collection task ID.

NOTE: Click the Create new variable link next to the variable list to create a variable if one doesn’t already exist.

Use this ID with an External Lookup to access form values from fields in the task later in the workflow, as shown here:

sa08CollectDataLookupEx.jpg

Icon-Warning IMPORTANT: If you are using the Collect Data from User widget in a workflow that you are publishing to a site or site collection, see this article for more information about referencing the form values.
Click Apply to save the widget settings.

Return to User Interaction Widgets List

See Also:

Check if your Workflow Conductor Configuration Database is the correct version

Check if your Workflow Conductor Configuration Database is the correct version

If you have completed an install or upgrade of Workflow Conductor and are having some issues, a Bamboo Support Engineer may ask you to check the version of the Workflow Conductor Configuration Database. To do this, follow these steps:

Step Action
1. checkDBVersion.jpgIn SQL Server Management Studio, expand the Tables in your Workflow Conductor Configuration Database.
2. checkDBVersion1.jpgRight click the table called dbo.Version and choose *Select Top 1000 Rows* from the menu that appears.
3. checkDBVersion2.jpgThere is only one row in this table and it has two columns. Check the value of the Version column to learn the version of the Configuration Database. If you have just upgraded to Workflow Conductor R3.5, the value of this column should be 3.5.0.0

Changing Workflow Options

Changing Workflow Options

Workflow Conductor workflows support the same options as any other SharePoint workflow. To set these options after a workflow is deployed, go to Tools > Workflow Settings in the list or library (Site Actions > Site Settings > Workflow settings for site workflows). In the Workflow settings page, click the workflow name to change any of its settings, including:

  • The workflow display name
  • The Task and History lists the workflow uses
  • Start options for the workflow:
  • Permissions required for starting the workflow
  • Starting the workflow automatically when an item is created or changed (does not apply to site workflows)

When you deploy a workflow with Workflow Conductor, it is automatically associated to the list or library with the following default options:

  • Name: The name you gave the workflow in Conductor Studio
  • Task List: The Default Task List defined in the Workflow Conductor Control Panel
  • History List: Workflow History
  • Start Options:* Allow this workflow to be manually started by an authenticated user with Edit Items Permissions

Workflow Conductor 1.5 and higher lets you select workflow Start Options at design time in Conductor Studio.

Other available Start Options for Workflow Conductor workflows include:

  • Require Manage List Permissions to start the workflow
  • Start this workflow to approve publishing a major version of an item (requires versioning)
  • Start this workflow when a new item is created
  • Start this workflow when an item is changed

To change options for a workflow you deployed with Workflow Conductor, including workflow start options:

Step Action Result
1.

SharePoint 2007:

Go to Settings > List Settings (or Settings > Library Settings) in the list or library of the associated workflow.

SharePoint 2010:

Click the List Settings or Library Settings button in the List or Library tab of the Tools ribbon.

 kb12457_01.jpg

sa08_kb12458_07.jpg
2. In the Permissions and Management section, click Workflow settings. WFsettings.jpg
3. Change workflow options as desired, and then click OK. kb12457_03.jpg

See Also:

Call Web Service

Call Web Service

The Call Web Service widget allows a workflow to call a SOAP Web service and store the XML response from the service in a workflow variable.

You can also use this widget to create custom calls to SOAP Web services. Note: This feature is intended for advanced users who fully understand and have permission to edit the target Web service.

Widget Properties:

Column Description
Web Service Method (Required)

This property opens a form that allows you to define the connection and properties for the Web service. The properties below can be defined on this form:

  • URL: Enter the URL of a SOAP Web service.
  • Username/Password: If the SOAP Web service requires a login to access any or all methods, enter it here. Any login information you enter is stored with the widget and used any time the workflow runs.
  • Web Service Method: After you enter a URL, click the Get Methods button to retrieve a list of methods the Web service supports. Select a method for the widget to use.
  • Services: Select Call SOAP Service to request data using available methods published by the Web service, or select Edit SOAP Service to build your own XML request to submit to the Web service.

  • Call SOAP Service: A list of parameters required by the Web service is displayed. Enter any required values, either explicitly or by using a lookup. You can test the XML response for explicit values by clicking the Test button at the bottom of the form.

    NOTE: The Test function will not work for lookup values, since lookups are performed only when the workflow runs.

  • Edit SOAP Service: Enter a Content type, SOAP Action, and XML SOAP Request to send to the Web service. The SOAP Action you enter may override any Web Service Method you selected.
  • Filter Result XML Tags: By default, the widget returns the entire XML response from the Web service. If you want to return only a specific tag within the response, enter a tag or list of tags in this field. If you enter a list of tags, the contents of the last tag in the list is returned.
Save To Variable (Required) Select a workflow variable with a Text data type to store the results from the Web service call. Create variables in the Workflow Settings tab in the settings pane, or click the Create new variable link next to the variable list.
Run As This widget can run with the permissions of the workflow initiator, the workflow designer, or another user. Select the option in the Run As property that best matches your requirement. For more information, see the Common Widget Properties topic.
Click Apply to save the widget settings.

Example Using Call Web Service Widget

Return to External Data Widgets

See Also:

Calculate Widget

Calculate Widget

The Calculate widget accepts Excel-style functions and stores the results in a workflow variable. Function parameters can include lookups, and functions can be nested to perform multiple operations.

Step Action Result
1. Click the Icon-Ellipsis button to enter a formula:

Formula (Required):

  • Create Formula: Enter a formula in the formula box. For a list of available functions and usage information, click the Help sa08CalcHelpButton.jpg button.

  • Add Lookup: To insert a lookup in a function, click the Add Lookup button. See Using Lookups in Workflow Studio for more information.
2. Select a workflow variable with a Text, Date Time, or Number data type to store the results from the calculation. Save to Variable (Required)
Create variables in the Workflow Settings tab in the settings pane, or click the Create new variable link next to the variable list.
3. Click Apply to save the widget settings.

Widget in Action:

Return to Workflow Logic Widgets

See Also:

Building a Workflow

Building a Workflow

Before building a workflow, make sure you are familiar with the Conductor Studio interface by reading Getting Started with Conductor Studio. All of the actions referenced in the list below are described in that section. Once you understand how Conductor Studio works, the rest is easy:

Step Action Result
1. Start with the end in mind. It may be helpful to draw it out on paper or a whiteboard so that you can make sure to capture all the steps in your business process so that you know what you want to accomplish throughout the workflow.
2. In the list or library where you want the workflow to run, start Conductor Studio by clicking on the Create button in the List or Library tab of the Tools ribbon. If you want to build a site workflow, you can start Conductor Studio from any list in the site.

sa08_2010startstudio.jpg

NOTE: If you are using Simple Publishing to deploy workflows and you want to create a workflow that is available to any list or library in the entire site collection, you must start Conductor Studio from a list or library in the top-level site in the site collection. To build a site workflow, start Studio from any list in the site. Workflows deployed using Solution Deployment are always available to any site in the site collection no matter where they are created.
3. On the Workflow Settings tab in the settings pane, give your workflow a Title and Description. Select the desired workflow Start Option (does not apply to site workflows).

Make sure to click Apply to save the workflow settings.
sa08WFSettingsWFName.jpg

Icon-Warning Warning: If you do not enter a Title, you will get an error message when you attempt to deploy the workflow.
4. Configure any workflow variables and workflow initialization form fields required for your workflow.
sa08WFSettingsFormsVariables.jpg
Icon-Tip Workflow variables and form fields can be configured and updated at any time.
5. Drag widgets from the widget pane and arrange them in the workflow diagram pane according to your workflow requirements. For a description of available widgets, see About Workflow Widgets.
SA08_2010DragWidget.jpg
6. Set the required properties for each widget in the workflow on the Widget Properties tab in the settings pane. Make sure to click Apply after configuring the properties for each widget.
sa08SetApprovalStatusApply.jpg
7. When you are finished, click Save in the Conductor Studio ribbon to save the workflow. See Workflow Conductor Templates for more information about saving workflow templates.
sa08_2010_2_5_SaveAs.jpg

Icon-Tip If you do not save your workflow here, you will be prompted to save it when you deploy.
8. In the Conductor Studio ribbon, click the publishing option that applies to your workflow. Publishing a workflow automatically associates it to the list, library, or site.

sa08_2010StudioMenuDeploy.jpg

  • If Workflow Conductor is configured to use the Solution Deployment method, Deploy will be the only option.
  • If Workflow Conductor is configured to use the Simple Publishing method, you may see options to publish the workflow to the list, site, site collection, or as a site workflow, depending on the options configured.

    Click the option that best fits the scope of the workflow.

    sa08_2010StudioMenuSimplePublish.jpg

  • For the Simple Publishing options Publish to Site and Publish to Site Collection, you will be prompted for additional settings for list and content type association.

  • The default settings will automatically associate the workflow to the list where you started Conductor Studio and will make it available to all content types in the list.

For more information about deployment methods and workflow scopes, see About Workflow Deployment.
9. Your workflow is now available in the list or library where you started Conductor Studio. sa08_2010StartWFfromItemMenu.jpgDepending on the Start Option you selected for the workflow, it can be started manually using the Workflows option for an item (as shown here), or will start automatically when an item is created, changed, or published.

You can also start workflows manually from the Tools ribbon or from the item properties:

sa08_2010StartWFfromRibbon.jpg

Site workflows are started from the All Site Content page. Automatic start options do not apply to site workflows.
sa08_2010_StartSiteWorkflow.jpg

Now that you have successfully built and deployed a workflow, learn How to Manage Workflows in Your Farm.

Associating a site or site collection workflow with a new list

Associating a site or site collection workflow with a new list

This topic applies to workflows that have been published to the site or site collection or deployed as a solution to the site collection.

Step Action
1.

wf setting icon in list ribbon.pngOn the list where you want to associate a workflow that has been published to the site or site collection, go to the list ribbon.

In the Settings area of the ribbon, click the Workflow Settings icon. The Workflows page appears.
2.

wf settings - choose a content type.pngOn the Workflows page, see the workflows that are already associated with the list, if any.

NOTE: There may be some workflows associated with a specific content type on the list; you won’t see them until you select the content type.

wf settings - chose a content type.png
If you want to associate a workflow that was published to a specific content type, select the content type from the drop down selection box and click Add a workflow. Otherwise, select All and then click Add a workflow.
3.

Select the workflow template from the list at the top of the page. SharePoint out-of-the-box workflows will be listed here, as well as Workflow Conductor workflows that may have been published to the site or site collection.

NOTE: If you don’t see the template you want, it may be associated with a specific content type (or not). Be sure to choose the correct content type or All.

assoc top.jpg
4.

Give the new workflow a unique name. This will be the name that will be listed in the Workflow Settings page.

Icon-Tip The name you give the workflow will also be used in the Tasks list and/or History list if you choose to create new tasks and history lists (see Steps 5 & 6 below).

assoc new name.jpg

Icon-WarningIMPORTANT: When you give the workflow a unique name, it will not be as easy to link it to the workflow template that was used to publish the workflow. You might consider using the original name as part of the new, unique name.
5.

Choose the task list to use for storing tasks created in the workflow. All tasks lists that exist on the site will be listed.

NOTE: Not all workflows create tasks, so worrying about this selection may be unnecessary.

If you choose New task list, a new task list will be created in the site when the workflow is associated with the list. The new tasks list will be named according to the unique name you give your workflow. For example, if the unique name given is XXX, the new tasks list will be called XXX Tasks.

assoc new tasks with selection.jpg

Icon-WarningIMPORTANT: If your workflow references a workflow task (i.e., a Collect Data From User widget references the Workflow Tasks list), choosing a different workflow tasks list may result in a broken workflow if the workflow designer assumed the workflow tasks list would not change. See Using the Collect Date from User Widget in a Workflow Published to a Site or Site Collection for more information.
6.

Choose the history list to use for storing the history of this workflow. All workflow history lists that exist on the site will be listed.

NOTE: All workflows generate history, but workflow history lists are hidden lists. You will not see them listed in Site contents.

If you choose New history list, a new history list will be created in the site when the workflow is associated with the list. The new history list will be named according to the unique name you give your workflow. For example, if the unique name given is XXX, the new history list will be called XXX History.

assoc history list.jpg
7.

Choose the desired start options for this workflow on this list.

Icon-Tip If some start options are disabled, it is because those options were NOT checked when the workflow was published to the site or site collection.

assoc start options.jpg
8. Click OK to complete the workflow association. Your workflow is now associated with the list.

Configure Approval Process for Publishing Articles

Configure Approval Process for Publishing Articles

Applies To:

  • SharePoint Knowledge Base Solution Accelerator R2.0 or newer
  • Workflow Conductor R1.6 or newer
  • SharePoint Server and Foundation 2010
  • MOSS 2007 and WSS v3.0

Icon-Warning IMPORTANT if you are using Workflow Conductor prior to Release2.x: Set up the following workflow processes during off hours. Publishing the workflow templates requires the application pool to be recycled. (Upgrade your WFC product soon so that you won’t need to publish during off hours!)

LIMITATIONS:

To approve workflow tasks, users require the following permissions: Assignee, Initiator, Site Collection Administrator.

NOTE: To complete task forms and to view the Approve, Reject and Submit buttons, users must be able to:

  1. Read the workflow item that the workflow is running on and
  2. Edit items in the Workflow Tasks List that is associated with the workflow.

To create an approval process to publish KB articles:

  1. Install and configure SharePoint Knowledge Base Solution Accelerator. See the KBSolution Accelerator for more information.
  2. Install and configure Workflow Conductor. See Workflow Conductor for more information.
  3. Configure the approval workflow for publishing articles following the steps below.
Import and publish the workflow template
Step Action Result
1.

From the KB Admin site, go to Site Actions > View All Site Content > Bamboo KB Articles List.

  • Use the ribbon to select the List Settings.
  • Under the Workflow Conductor section of the ribbon, select Create or Edit Workflows.
 12669-1.jpg
Workflow Conductor Studio opens.
2. Click Import from the Workflow Conductor Studio menu. 12669-2.jpg
3.

Click Browse and navigate to the SharePoint Knowledge Base Solution Accelerator product extraction folder.

Open the misc folder and select SA05 Submit Article for Approval.xoml.txt.

Click Open, then Import.

 12669-3.jpg
4.

The workflow template is loaded into Workflow Conductor Studio.

In the workflow diagram pane, click on Submit to KB Approval Team.

 12669-4.jpg
5. In the Widget Properties tab in the settings pane, enter the account(s) for the user(s) who will approve KB articles. 12669-5.jpg
6.

If desired, modify the other widget properties:

  • Approval Type: The default is All Approvals Required. If desired, change the setting to One Approval Required or Multiple Approvals Required.
  • Days Until Due: Enter the number of days until this workflow task is due.
  • Due Date: Enter a due date for the workflow task. Note: If the Days Until Due and Due Date fields both have values, the earliest date will be selected as the due date.
  • Allow Reassignment: The default is No. Choose Yes to allow the workflow task to be assigned to another approver.
  • Allow Request Change: The default is No. Choose Yes to allow the approver to enter a comment for the requester to make changes and resubmit for approval.
  • Logging Level: The default is Errors Only. Choose another option to allow more detailed logging, such as Errors and Warnings or Errors, Warnings and Info.
  • Click Apply.

Workflow Conductor updates the diagram.
7. Select Publish > Deploy from the Workflow Conductor Studio menu. 12669-6.jpg
Icon-Warning IMPORTANT: This action will recycle the application pool, and users will receive a 500 error.
8. Click Yes to save the workflow as a template. 12669-7.jpg
The template is saved to the template gallery, and the application pool is recycled.
12669-8.jpg
10. Click Close to close Workflow Conductor Studio. 12669-9.jpg
12. Configure the Workflow Start Feature. You can start a workflow using the out-of-the-box SharePoint button, located in the ribbon, or you can create your own buttons for the KB workflow approval process (available for SharePoint 2010 only). For SharePoint 2007, start a workflow using the out-of-the-box SharePoint button.
12669-10.jpg
13. From the KB Admin site, navigate to Site Actions > Site Settings > Site Actions > Manage Site Features and activate the Workflow Start Feature. 12669-11.jpg
14. Return to the KB Admin site and select the Workflow Configuration List. Complete the following fields.

12669-12.jpg
Make sure to associate the workflow with the correct Bamboo KB Articles List and workflow template.

  • Ribbon Section Name: Enter a name for the section of the ribbon that will contain the workflow button. This is a required field.
  • Workflow Button Name: Enter a name for the button that will be displayed in the ribbon. This is a required field.
  • Tooltip Title: Enter a title for the workflow that will appear in a tooltip.
  • Tooltip Description: Enter a description for the workflow that appear in a tooltip.
  • Associated Workflow: Choose a list and a workflow that is associated with the button.
15.

Start a workflow to approve and publish articles: ◦From the KB Admin site, select Article Control > Manage Articles.

Locate the desired draft article for which you want to start the workflow. The New button is located in the ribbon.

 12669-13.jpg
To view the New button, view the draft article in view form, or navigate to the Bamboo KB Articles List, select the desired article, and use the ribbon to select List > Items and click the button.
12669-14.jpg
16. Click Submit for Publishing Approval. Workflow Conductor will open. Click Start Workflow. 12669-15.jpg
17. Return to the article. The article now has a new field, Article Status, with the value Under Review. 12669-16.jpg
18. The approver will receive an e-mail notification with a link to the article and a link to the approval form. 12669-17.jpg
20. The approver can either Approve or Reject the article. If the article has already been approved or rejected, the form only displays the Cancel button. 12669-18.jpg
21. Once the article has been approved, the status changes from Draft to Publish, and the article is available to end users in the KB Client site. 12669-19.jpg

See Also:

Configure Approval Process for Publishing Comments

Configure Approval Process for Publishing Comments

Applies To:

  • SharePoint Knowledge Base Solution Accelerator R2.0 or newer
  • Workflow Conductor R1.6 or newer
  • SharePoint Server and Foundation 2010
  • MOSS 2007 and WSS v3.0

Icon-Warning IMPORTANT: Set up the following workflow processes during off hours. Publishing the workflow templates requires the application pool to be recycled.

Icon-Warning LIMITATIONS: To approve workflow tasks, users require the following permissions: Assignee, Initiator, Site Collection Administrator.

NOTE: To complete task forms and to view the Approve, Reject and Submit buttons, users must be able to:

  1. Read the workflow item that the workflow is running on and
  2. Edit items in the Workflow Tasks List that is associated with the workflow.

To create a workflow to approve and publish comments:

  1. Install and configure SharePoint Knowledge Base Solution Accelerator. See the KBSolution Accelerator for more information.
  2. Install and configure Workflow Conductor. See Workflow Conductor for more information.
  3. Configure the approval workflow for publishing comments following the steps below.
Import and publish the workflow template
Step Action Result
1.

From the KB Admin site, go to Site Actions > View All Site Content > Bamboo KB Articles List.

  • Use the ribbon to select the List Settings.
  • Under the Workflow Conductor section of the ribbon, select Create or Edit Workflows.
12669-1.jpg
Workflow Conductor Studio opens.
2. Click Import from the Workflow Conductor Studio menu. 12669-2.jpg
3.

Click Browse and navigate to the SharePoint Knowledge Base Solution Accelerator product extraction folder.

Open the misc folder and select SA05 Article Comment Approval.xoml.txt.

Click Open, then Import.

 12669-20.jpg
4.

The workflow template is loaded into Workflow Conductor Studio.

In the workflow diagram pane, click on Submit to KB Comment Approval Team.

 12669-21.jpg
5. In the Widget Properties tab in the settings pane, enter the account(s) for the user(s) who will approve comments. 12669-22.jpg
6.

If desired, modify the other widget properties:

  • Approval Type: The default is All Approvals Required. If desired, change the setting to One Approval Required or Multiple Approvals Required.
  • Days Until Due: Enter the number of days until this workflow task is due.

  • Due Date: Enter a due date for the workflow task.

    NOTE: If the Days Until Due and Due Date fields both have values, the earliest date will be selected as the due date.

  • Allow Reassignment: The default is No. Choose Yes to allow the workflow task to be assigned to another approver.
  • Allow Request Change: The default is No. Choose Yes to allow the approver to enter a comment for the requester to make changes and resubmit for approval.
  • Logging Level: The default is Errors Only. Choose another option to allow more detailed logging, such as Errors and Warnings or Errors, Warnings and Info.
  • Click Apply.

Workflow Conductor updates the diagram.
7. Select Publish > Deploy from the Workflow Conductor Studio menu. 12669-6.jpg
Icon-Warning IMPORTANT: This action will recycle the application pool, and users will receive a 500 error.
8. Click Yes to save the workflow as a template. 12669-7.jpg
The template is saved to the template gallery, and the application pool is recycled.
12669-23.jpg
9. Configure the Workflow Start Feature. You can start a workflow using the out-of-the-box SharePoint button, located in the ribbon, or you can create your own buttons for the KB workflow approval process (available for SharePoint 2010 only). For SharePoint 2007, start a workflow using the out-of-the-box SharePoint button.
12669-10.jpg
10. From the KB Admin site, navigate to Site Actions > Site Settings > Site Actions > Manage Site Features and activate the Workflow Start Feature. 12669-11.jpg
11. Return to the KB Admin site and select the Workflow Configuration List. Complete the following fields.

12669-22.jpg
Make sure to associate the workflow with the correct Bamboo Comments List and workflow template.

  • Ribbon Section Name: Enter a name for the section of the ribbon that will contain the workflow button. This is a required field.
  • Workflow Button Name: Enter a name for the button that will be displayed in the ribbon. This is a required field.
  • Tooltip Title: Enter a title for the workflow that will appear in a tooltip.
  • Tooltip Description: Enter a description for the workflow that appear in a tooltip.
  • Associated Workflow: Choose a list and a workflow that is associated with the button.

    12669-25.jpg
15.

Start a workflow to approve and publish comments:

To begin the workflow, an end user or a Knowledge Base Administrator submits a rating or a comment for an article and clicks Submit.

 12669-24.jpg
16. The approver receives an email notification with a link to the comment and a link to the form to Approve or Reject the comment.

12669-26.jpg
When the approver clicks the link, a form appears for approving or rejecting the comment.
12669-27.jpg
If the approver has already rejected or approved the comment, the only available option is Cancel.
17. Return to the article in the KB Client site. The comment is now published.

12669-28.jpg

NOTE: When publishing comments, users with the appropriate level of permission can publish comments using the Publish button through the Approve & Manage Comments link in the KB Admin site instead of using the workflow to publish comments. However, the KB Comment Approval status for that comment will show as In Progress instead of Completed because the comment was not published through the open workflow. This can lead to many open tasks in the Workflow Tasks List.
12669-37.jpg
18. To close out workflow tasks, navigate to All Site Content > Lists > Workflow Tasks List. 12669-38.jpg
19. Approve the desired comments. 12669-39.jpg
The item’s status will change to Completed.
Status.jpg

See Also:

Alphabetical List of Workflow Conductor Widgets

Alphabetical List of Workflow Conductor WidgetsTop

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Top

C

Top

D

E

Top

G

  • Get User Info: Get a SharePoint user profile property.
  • Get Previous Version: Query and return the value of a field for the previous version of an item if Item Versioning is enabled.

L

Top

M

  • Move Item: Move an item to a list or library.

Q

Top

R

Top

S

Top

U

  • Update AD Account: Update Active Directory account information for an AD account.
  • Update Item: Update one or more fields for an item in a list or library.
  • Update User Info: Update information in a SharePoint user profile.

Top

W

Add User To AD Group Widget

Add User To AD Group Widget

The Add User To AD Group widget adds one or more existing SharePoint or Active Directory users to an existing Active Directory group.

This widget uses the Active Directory Settings property in the Workflow Conductor Control Panel > General Settings page. These settings provide a list of pre-configured LDAP paths that can be used in the widget and determine if Conductor Studio designers can enter their own LDAP paths. See the General Settings page for more information.

NOTE: This widget accesses Active Directory with the permission of the user account configured with the LDAP path selected in the widget.

Widget Properties:

Column Description
User (Required)

Enter one or more users to add to an Active Directory group, using one of the following methods:

  • Type a SharePoint or Active Directory display name or account name for one or more users and click the Check User icon (Icon-Checkmark). Separate multiple users with a semicolon (;).
  • Click the Lookup User icon (Icon-UserLookup) to search for a SharePoint or Active Directory user in the User Lookup form.
  • Enter a lookup to user data using the Add Lookup button (Button-AddLookup) in the User Lookup form.
Group (Required)

Click the Lookup AD Group icon (Icon-LookupADGroup) to enter an Active Directory group:

  • Select LDAP Path:

    • If there are pre-defined LDAP paths configured in the Workflow Conductor Control Panel > General Settings page, they will be listed here. Select an LDAP path from the list to update groups in one of the pre-configured Active Directory locations.
    • If the option to Allow custom LDAP paths in widgets is selected in the Workflow Conductor Control Panel > General Settings page, you can also select Other LDAP Path and enter an LDAP path and a user name and password with permission to manage groups in that Active Directory location.

  • Group Name: Enter a group name using one of the following methods:

    • Click the Get Groups button to list available Active Directory groups. Select a group from the list and click OK.
    • Click the Add Lookup button and enter a lookup to a value that contains an Active Directory group name. Click OK.
Click Apply to save the widget settings.

Example of How to Use the Add User to AD Group Widget

Return to User & Group Management Widgets

See Also:

How to Use ‘Add User To SharePoint Group’ Widget

How to Use ‘Add User To SharePoint Group’ Widget

sa08AddUserSPGroup-Ex1.jpgIn this example, the Add User to SharePoint Group widget is configured to add a user to the SharePoint Designers group as part of a workflow that performs a number of activities when a user is assigned an administrative role in the company.

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Widget Properties

User & Group Management Widgets

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Add User to SharePoint Group Widget

Add User to SharePoint Group Widget

The Add User To SharePoint Group Widget adds one or more existing SharePoint or Active Directory users to an existing Active Directory group.

NOTE: To update membership to a SharePoint group, a user must be a site collection administrator or the owner of the group. If the option to allow group members to edit group membership is selected in the group properties, any group member may also update the group. If it is possible that the workflow initiator will not have this permission, use the Run As property to run the widget as another user with the required permission.

Widget Properties:

Column Description
User (Required)

Enter one or more users to add to an Active Directory group, using one of the following methods:

  • Type a SharePoint or Active Directory display name or account name for one or more users and click the Check User icon (Icon-Checkmark). Separate multiple users with a semicolon (;).
  • Click the Lookup User icon (Icon-UserLookup) to search for a SharePoint or Active Directory user in the User Lookup form.
  • Enter a lookup to user data using the Add Lookup button (Button-AddLookup) in the User Lookup form.
Group (Required)

Enter an existing SharePoint group in the current site collection using one of the following methods:

  • Type a SharePoint group name and click the Check Group icon (Icon-Checkmark).
  • Click the Lookup SharePoint Group icon (Icon-LookupADGroup) to search for a SharePoint group.
  • Enter a lookup to group data using the Add Lookup icon (Icon-Search).
Run As This widget can run with the permissions of the workflow initiator, the workflow designer, or another user. Select the option in the Run As property that best matches your requirement. For more information, see the General Widget Properties section.
Click Apply to save the widget settings.

Example of How to use this widget

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Add Attachment Widget

Add Attachment Widget

The Add Attachment widget attaches a file to a SharePoint List item.

Widget Properties:

Column Description
Get Item From Select whether the file being attached to a SharePoint List item will be found in a SharePoint Document Library or will be found using a Web address (URL).
Select from Document Library (Required if Get Item From=Document Library)

Select an item from a Document Library that will be attached to a SharePoint List item.

NOTE: Lookups to a SharePoint List instead of a Library will not work.
Item URL (Required if Get Item From=Web Address) Enter the full Web address (including the file extension) of the file being attached. This URL can be defined explicitly at design time, or dynamically at run time by using a Lookup.
Attach Item To

Select the SharePoint List item to which the previously selected item will be added as an attachment.

NOTE: The file can only be added as an attachment to a SharePoint List item, not to an item in a SharePoint Document Library.
Click Apply to save the widget settings.

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Add Column

Add Column

SA08AddColumn.jpgThe Add Column widget adds an existing site column to a SharePoint list or library. Site columns can be added to any list in any site collection in the Web application. The widget includes the following features and options:

  • Automatically add the new column to all content types configured for the list or library.
  • Add the new column to the default list view.
  • Add columns to lists and libraries in other site collections.
  • Run this widget with alternate credentials.

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