Here is a link to my latest blog post on Dynamics University:
Dynamics GP 10.0 Mainstream Support has ended - What does this mean for Payroll?
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Friday, December 7, 2012
"What If"? - New post on the DU Blog
My latest blog post on Dynamics University about the "What If" questions payroll clerks get from employees.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Have you made your Christmas list? Rockton Software has ...
Rockton Software makes their Christmas list ... and it includes U-LINC from Integrity Data! See the article here.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Blog on Dynamics GP Position Control
A link to my latest blog on Dynamics University relating to Dynamics GP Position Control.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
New product - Negative Deductions Enhancement
Integrity Data has announced a new product that I had the pleasure of performing the quality assurance effort on. The new product is Negative Deductions Enhancement. See the following for the blog I wrote that is posted on the Dynamics University Blog.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Creating documents during a workflow
One of the primary reasons that we decided to utilize SharePoint for the U-LINC workflow engine is that it is so robust with so much out of the box functionality. Additionally, there are a plethora of free and for fee extensibility products.
We had a request come up recently that could have deep reaching impacts for a lot of our customers. The customer wanted to create a customer welcome letter anytime a new customer was created in their system. Not having done this before, I went searching for an extensibility product that would allow SharePoint workflow to create a Word document. I was pleasantly surprised when I found that this was easily accomplished with some of that robust out of the box functionality.
Essentially, you create a Word document and use that as the default template for a SharePoint document library. The workflow then creates a list item in the target document library using information from the current list item which has information from the U-LINC Integration.
There is a complete step-by-step here. This has now become part of our standard demo and customers are getting amped when they start thinking through how they could utilize this type of functionality.
This is just one example of how U-LINC's dependancy on SharePoint enables a rich user experience.
More coolness later ...
We had a request come up recently that could have deep reaching impacts for a lot of our customers. The customer wanted to create a customer welcome letter anytime a new customer was created in their system. Not having done this before, I went searching for an extensibility product that would allow SharePoint workflow to create a Word document. I was pleasantly surprised when I found that this was easily accomplished with some of that robust out of the box functionality.
Essentially, you create a Word document and use that as the default template for a SharePoint document library. The workflow then creates a list item in the target document library using information from the current list item which has information from the U-LINC Integration.
There is a complete step-by-step here. This has now become part of our standard demo and customers are getting amped when they start thinking through how they could utilize this type of functionality.
This is just one example of how U-LINC's dependancy on SharePoint enables a rich user experience.
More coolness later ...
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
U-LINC enables workflow for Vicinity Manufacturing!
Vicinity Manufacturing has put a video together on how they have integrated U-LINC with their solution. Check it out, it's pretty cool!
Friday, May 25, 2012
How do I email the "originator" of a workflow?
Many customers want to include the originator of a workflow as a participant in the process. Maybe they want to email the originator that an approval process was started on a record they saved, or perhaps that a change they made was rejected.
The SharePoint Designer workflow builder can identify the creator/updator of a SharePoint list item and use that information for the purpose of emailing the originator of the workflow. However, with U-LINC, the workflow originator is the user account that the U-LINC Web Services has assigned. As such, if this is an account like integrity\ulinc, the originator will not be the intended workflow participant.
The solution ...
When a user creates a U-LINC integration, the system automatically includes a "SQL User" column in the target list. This column will be populated with the user ID that made the connection to SQL Server. If your application that is storing data in SQL is using Windows authentication, this will be populated with the Windows user ID. You can therefore use the "SQL User" column to identify the workflow originator.
However, In the case of Dynamics GP, this will be the backoffice user ID because Dynamics GP uses SQL authentication to make the connection to SQL. SharePoint workflow cannot email Dynamics GP user 'THOMAS', so, how do we include the true originator as a participant in the workflow for U-LINC enabled workflows? Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. The most common implementation is to create a SharePoint list ("User") that contains a column to store the Dynamics GP backoffice user ID and a column to store a "Person or Group" content type value. This allows them to create items in the list for each Dynamics GP user, specifying the associated Active Directory user.
From our workflow builder, we lookup the Active Directory user using the SQL User value from the list item.
You will need to ensure all of your backoffice users are identified in the new SharePoint list. One way to ensure that these records stay in sync, is to create the "User" list from our "New User Notification" template. This includes an integration on the SY01400 table in the DYNAMICS database, the table that contains all the backoffice users. Once you have the target "User" list, just add your Active Directory user column to the list. Now, you can be sure that any backoffice users added to Dynamics GP will automatically be included in the list to cross reference the Active Directory user ID. Finally, you can put a workflow on the "User" list to have your IT department identify the Active Directory user ID for all new Dynamics GP users.
And the uses for U-LINC continue to grow ...
The SharePoint Designer workflow builder can identify the creator/updator of a SharePoint list item and use that information for the purpose of emailing the originator of the workflow. However, with U-LINC, the workflow originator is the user account that the U-LINC Web Services has assigned. As such, if this is an account like integrity\ulinc, the originator will not be the intended workflow participant.
The solution ...
When a user creates a U-LINC integration, the system automatically includes a "SQL User" column in the target list. This column will be populated with the user ID that made the connection to SQL Server. If your application that is storing data in SQL is using Windows authentication, this will be populated with the Windows user ID. You can therefore use the "SQL User" column to identify the workflow originator.
However, In the case of Dynamics GP, this will be the backoffice user ID because Dynamics GP uses SQL authentication to make the connection to SQL. SharePoint workflow cannot email Dynamics GP user 'THOMAS', so, how do we include the true originator as a participant in the workflow for U-LINC enabled workflows? Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. The most common implementation is to create a SharePoint list ("User") that contains a column to store the Dynamics GP backoffice user ID and a column to store a "Person or Group" content type value. This allows them to create items in the list for each Dynamics GP user, specifying the associated Active Directory user.
From our workflow builder, we lookup the Active Directory user using the SQL User value from the list item.
You will need to ensure all of your backoffice users are identified in the new SharePoint list. One way to ensure that these records stay in sync, is to create the "User" list from our "New User Notification" template. This includes an integration on the SY01400 table in the DYNAMICS database, the table that contains all the backoffice users. Once you have the target "User" list, just add your Active Directory user column to the list. Now, you can be sure that any backoffice users added to Dynamics GP will automatically be included in the list to cross reference the Active Directory user ID. Finally, you can put a workflow on the "User" list to have your IT department identify the Active Directory user ID for all new Dynamics GP users.
And the uses for U-LINC continue to grow ...
Custom workflow actions don't work from U-LINC??
Many of our customers are choosing to extend the out-of-the-box SharePoint Designer workflow actions in order to enhance the capabilities of their U-LINC enabled workflows. Many of these custom workflow solutions (like iLoveSharePoint) will modify the SharePoint web.config file and put their dll's into the "AuthorizedTypes" and "SafeControls" sections.
This "tells" SharePoint that these dll's are trusted and it's ok to execute the functionality within the dll. These custom solutions are obviously unaware of the U-LINC Web Services. As such, they do not update the web.config file for the web services. As such, you may install a new custom workflow action and have it work fine when manually creating/updating a SharePoint list item, however, that same workflow fails when a U-LINC integration creates/updates the same list item.
"Repair Config" to the rescue ...
You can either manually copy out the "AuthorizedTypes" and "SafeControls" entries from the SharePoint web.config to the U-LINC Web Services web.config, or launch the U-LINC Configuration Manager from the SharePoint Server and select to "Repair Config" from the SharePoint Application or Web Services pages.
This will ensure that all entries that exist in the SharePoint web.config also exist in the U-LINC Web Services web.config file.
HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAAAAY!
This "tells" SharePoint that these dll's are trusted and it's ok to execute the functionality within the dll. These custom solutions are obviously unaware of the U-LINC Web Services. As such, they do not update the web.config file for the web services. As such, you may install a new custom workflow action and have it work fine when manually creating/updating a SharePoint list item, however, that same workflow fails when a U-LINC integration creates/updates the same list item.
You can either manually copy out the "AuthorizedTypes" and "SafeControls" entries from the SharePoint web.config to the U-LINC Web Services web.config, or launch the U-LINC Configuration Manager from the SharePoint Server and select to "Repair Config" from the SharePoint Application or Web Services pages.
This will ensure that all entries that exist in the SharePoint web.config also exist in the U-LINC Web Services web.config file.
HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAAAAY!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
How do I enable Session State for U-LINC?
U-LINC requires that Session State is enabled in SharePoint. Many
systems will not have Session State currently enabled. When the
U-LINC Configuration Manager reports that Session State is not enabled, the
following procedures should be followed to correct this issue.
There are many ways to enable SharePoint Session State. This documents the simplest, most oft implemented Session State settings.
To enable ASP.NET session state:
There are many ways to enable SharePoint Session State. This documents the simplest, most oft implemented Session State settings.
From
IIS Manager:
Select
the site that SharePoint is installed into.
Select
“Modules”. Ensure that a module is created for the
“System.Web.SessionState.SessionStateModule”. If one does not
exist, select to “Add Managed Module”, enter a name (e.g. “SessionState”) and
select the “System.Web.SessionState.SessionStateModule” from the Type drop down
list. Select the OK button.
Select
“Pages and Controls”. Ensure “Enable Session State” is set to
“True” under “Services”. If set to something other than “True”,
set it to “True” and select “Apply”.
Close
and relaunch the U-LINC Configuration Manager and ensure that it does not report
that Session State is not enabled.
Additional Information from Microsoft on Session State for SharePoint:http://blogs.msdn.com/b/markarend/archive/2010/05/27/using-session-state-in-sharepoint-2010.aspx
Additional Information from Microsoft on Session State for SharePoint:http://blogs.msdn.com/b/markarend/archive/2010/05/27/using-session-state-in-sharepoint-2010.aspx
To enable ASP.NET session state:
- Enter the following PowerShell command in the SharePoint 2010 Management
Shell window:
Enable-SPSessionStateService –DefaultProvision - On each web application for which you want to use session state, edit the
web.config file and set the enableSessionState property of the pages element as
follows:
<pages enableSessionState="true">
How do I embed a graphic into a SharePoint Designer workflow?
Many of our customers want the ability to "pretty up" the emails that get sent out from workflows. One thing that will help enhance the readability of emails is to embed graphics inside the email.
Within SharePoint Designer, you cannot technically "embed" an image. However, you can embed a link which points to an image. That being said, the typical approach is to save an image to your SharePoint site, typically a "Site Pictures" picture library. Once you have the image you want to embed into your email on your SharePoint Site, simply copy the URL to the image use it within a workflow variable in your "Send an email" workflow action. To do this, create a "Local Variable" called "ULINC Image", then add an action to "Set Workflow Variable".
Use the following value for your variable, swapping out the URL to your specific URL:
<img src="http://ulinc/Site%20Pictures/ULINCNotification.jpg"/>
Next, add a "Send an Email" action, or select one that already exists. Open the "Define E-mail Message" window and select to "Add or Change Lookup". Select the workflow variable for which you just assigned a value.
When you are done, your email should look something like this (note the [%Variable: ULINC Image%] tag):
Once this is complete, finish defining the contents of your workflow email and publish the workflow. It's that easy ... well it's easy once you know how, and now you do!
Use the following value for your variable, swapping out the URL to your specific URL:
<img src="http://ulinc/Site%20Pictures/ULINCNotification.jpg"/>
Next, add a "Send an Email" action, or select one that already exists. Open the "Define E-mail Message" window and select to "Add or Change Lookup". Select the workflow variable for which you just assigned a value.
When you are done, your email should look something like this (note the [%Variable: ULINC Image%] tag):
Once this is complete, finish defining the contents of your workflow email and publish the workflow. It's that easy ... well it's easy once you know how, and now you do!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
How do I handle expiration notification workflows?
SharePoint Standard and Enterprise versions contain the ability to implement retention policies. These retention policies can delete an item/document after a certain period of time, move the item/document to a long term storage location, or even initiate a workflow on the item.
For users who have this functionality, creating an expiration notification for something like a certification is relatively easy. Simply create the notification workflow that sends an email if the certification expiration date is less than the current date. Then, setup a retention policy to kick off the workflow. However, for SharePoint Foundation users, this becomes a little tricky.
The easiest way I have found is to create a PowerShell script and run it from a nightly timer job. The script would essentially fire the workflow for each of the items in the target list created by U-LINC. The workflow would look to see if the expiration date of the item is within the specified timeframe and if so, send an email.
Here is an example of a script to kick off a workflow for every item in a list:
Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell –ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
$site = Get-SPSite http://tfranz6
$web = Get-SPWeb -Identity http://tfranz6/u-linc/department
$list = $web.Lists["Vendor"]
$wf = $list.WorkflowAssociations[0]
$result = $list.Items
foreach ($r in $result)
{
$site.WorkflowManager.StartWorkflow($r,$wf,$wf.AssociationData)
}
In this script, you would need to modify the URL to your root SharePoint site and the site which contains the target list. Additionally, you would need to change the list name. Finally, you will need to determine the correct ID for the workflow association. If you only have one workflow tied to the list, this is most likely "0" (e.g. $list.WorkflowAssociations[X]). If you are unsure about the workflow association ID, you can find it by running the following script, incrementing the index ("X") until you find the correct ID. There is probably a better way to do this, I just didn't find it easily.
$site = Get-SPSite http://tfranz6
$web = Get-SPWeb -Identity http://tfranz6/u-linc/department
$list = $web.Lists["Vendor"]
echo $list.WorkflowAssociations[0].Name
Once you have your PowerShell script created, simply save it with the .ps1 extension. You can then create a batch file that launches PowerShell and executes your script.
powershell -noexit -file "c:\ExecuteNotificationWorkflows.ps1"
You can then call your batch file from a Task Scheduler job (Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Task Scheduler).
This approach should work with all of our timed notification workflow templates.
Now that' just cool, I don't care who ya are!
For users who have this functionality, creating an expiration notification for something like a certification is relatively easy. Simply create the notification workflow that sends an email if the certification expiration date is less than the current date. Then, setup a retention policy to kick off the workflow. However, for SharePoint Foundation users, this becomes a little tricky.
The easiest way I have found is to create a PowerShell script and run it from a nightly timer job. The script would essentially fire the workflow for each of the items in the target list created by U-LINC. The workflow would look to see if the expiration date of the item is within the specified timeframe and if so, send an email.
Here is an example of a script to kick off a workflow for every item in a list:
Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell –ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
$site = Get-SPSite http://tfranz6
$web = Get-SPWeb -Identity http://tfranz6/u-linc/department
$list = $web.Lists["Vendor"]
$wf = $list.WorkflowAssociations[0]
$result = $list.Items
foreach ($r in $result)
{
$site.WorkflowManager.StartWorkflow($r,$wf,$wf.AssociationData)
}
In this script, you would need to modify the URL to your root SharePoint site and the site which contains the target list. Additionally, you would need to change the list name. Finally, you will need to determine the correct ID for the workflow association. If you only have one workflow tied to the list, this is most likely "0" (e.g. $list.WorkflowAssociations[X]). If you are unsure about the workflow association ID, you can find it by running the following script, incrementing the index ("X") until you find the correct ID. There is probably a better way to do this, I just didn't find it easily.
$site = Get-SPSite http://tfranz6
$web = Get-SPWeb -Identity http://tfranz6/u-linc/department
$list = $web.Lists["Vendor"]
echo $list.WorkflowAssociations[0].Name
Once you have your PowerShell script created, simply save it with the .ps1 extension. You can then create a batch file that launches PowerShell and executes your script.
powershell -noexit -file "c:\ExecuteNotificationWorkflows.ps1"
You can then call your batch file from a Task Scheduler job (Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Task Scheduler).
This approach should work with all of our timed notification workflow templates.
Now that' just cool, I don't care who ya are!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
U-LINC Whitepaper
Follow the link below for a whitepaper on U-LINC.
U-LINC™: Workflow Virtually Anywhere and Anytime for Microsoft Dynamics® GP
U-LINC™: Workflow Virtually Anywhere and Anytime for Microsoft Dynamics® GP
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Link your Dynamics GP entity to anything ... sounds cool huh?
One cool "extra" that comes with the Dynamics GP Adapter for U-LINC is the ability to link an entity (vendor, customer, employee, sales transaction, etc.) to a URL. Then navigate to that URL from a Dynamics GP Window.
Note the "i" icon on the top right of the window? In this case, click on the link opens a SharePoint document library containing all the PO's for the selected vendor.
Conceptually, you could link to anything ... from document libraries, to portal sites, to pdf and Word documents. If you can build a hyperlink to it, you can create a connection between a Dynamics GP record and that object.
The obvious next question is, "So how do I identify the specific URL for the selected record?" It's actually quite easy, open the target SharePoint list for the integration to the table that contains the record, and find the associated list item. Open the item and set the "More Information URL" to the desired value.
Once you save this change, the icon will appear for that record in Dynamics GP.
While this approach may be labor intensive, you can automate the population of this field from a SharePoint workflow. Simply create a workflow that sets the field value when an item is added to the list.
The key in this scenario, is that the URL is consistent for all vendors, save the Vendor ID. We get that from the current list item and use it in the URL as a variable.
With this feature, U-LINC can now "LINC" Dynamics GP to SharePoint to provide a rich end user experience ... hope you enjoy this feature!
(Note: this feature is near and dear to me ... I coded this on a weekend after a meeting with a partner who thought that's what U-LINC did before we showed him what it actually does ... :-) Hope you like it as much as I do!)
Note the "i" icon on the top right of the window? In this case, click on the link opens a SharePoint document library containing all the PO's for the selected vendor.
The obvious next question is, "So how do I identify the specific URL for the selected record?" It's actually quite easy, open the target SharePoint list for the integration to the table that contains the record, and find the associated list item. Open the item and set the "More Information URL" to the desired value.
Once you save this change, the icon will appear for that record in Dynamics GP.
While this approach may be labor intensive, you can automate the population of this field from a SharePoint workflow. Simply create a workflow that sets the field value when an item is added to the list.
The key in this scenario, is that the URL is consistent for all vendors, save the Vendor ID. We get that from the current list item and use it in the URL as a variable.
With this feature, U-LINC can now "LINC" Dynamics GP to SharePoint to provide a rich end user experience ... hope you enjoy this feature!
(Note: this feature is near and dear to me ... I coded this on a weekend after a meeting with a partner who thought that's what U-LINC did before we showed him what it actually does ... :-) Hope you like it as much as I do!)
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
How do I create workflows with SharePoint Designer?
SharePoint Designer 2010 is an easy to use, free tool available from Microsoft. It has the ability, among other things, to build workflows on SharePoint lists. With U-LINC, you can populate a list with the information that is critical to your business process, then using a tool like Designer, put a workflow on that list.
Download link - 32 Bit
Download link - 64 Bit
(Note: If you have Microsoft Office 32-Bit installed, you will need to use the 32-Bit version of Designer.)
SharePoint Designer 2010 can be installed and run from the SharePoint Server or a client machine.
Once installed, simply launch the application and connect to the SharePoint site where your target was created by U-LINC. Navigate to "Lists and Libraries" and select your target list. Select to create a "New..." workflow, give your workflow a descriptive name and OK. The workflow editor will open and you are ready to start defining your Steps, Conditions and Actions.
Below are some links to help you learn how to build your workflows:
SharePoint Designer Workflow - office.com (reference guides, tutorials, video's)
Google Search
Remember, you can extend the functionality of your SharePoint site by deploying extensiblity tools, some of which are free. The "How does U-LINC work?" post talks about some of the tools available. The most often asked for feature, is the ability to interact with the ERP data from the workflow. For example, they may want to inactivate a record until an approval process is complete. There are two common methods for accomplishing this, both utilize the free iLoveSharePoint custom workflow actions. One workflow action is "Execute SQL". This workflow action allows you to build a dynamic T-SQL statement that you can execute within the workflow. The other action is "Call a Web Service". Depending on how complex your data interaction is and whether or not there is existing business logic you can utilize will determine which action you want to use. The "down and dirty" approach is to do a simple table update from the "Execute SQL" action. A more elaborate implementation would be to use eOne's SmartConnect tool to build a map, then call into their web service referring to the map ID.
Now ... go build a workflow, it's really not that difficult! And have some fun learning something new in the process ...
Download link - 32 Bit
Download link - 64 Bit
(Note: If you have Microsoft Office 32-Bit installed, you will need to use the 32-Bit version of Designer.)
SharePoint Designer 2010 can be installed and run from the SharePoint Server or a client machine.
Once installed, simply launch the application and connect to the SharePoint site where your target was created by U-LINC. Navigate to "Lists and Libraries" and select your target list. Select to create a "New..." workflow, give your workflow a descriptive name and OK. The workflow editor will open and you are ready to start defining your Steps, Conditions and Actions.
Below are some links to help you learn how to build your workflows:
SharePoint Designer Workflow - office.com (reference guides, tutorials, video's)
Google Search
Remember, you can extend the functionality of your SharePoint site by deploying extensiblity tools, some of which are free. The "How does U-LINC work?" post talks about some of the tools available. The most often asked for feature, is the ability to interact with the ERP data from the workflow. For example, they may want to inactivate a record until an approval process is complete. There are two common methods for accomplishing this, both utilize the free iLoveSharePoint custom workflow actions. One workflow action is "Execute SQL". This workflow action allows you to build a dynamic T-SQL statement that you can execute within the workflow. The other action is "Call a Web Service". Depending on how complex your data interaction is and whether or not there is existing business logic you can utilize will determine which action you want to use. The "down and dirty" approach is to do a simple table update from the "Execute SQL" action. A more elaborate implementation would be to use eOne's SmartConnect tool to build a map, then call into their web service referring to the map ID.
Now ... go build a workflow, it's really not that difficult! And have some fun learning something new in the process ...
Monday, May 14, 2012
My workflows won't fire ... what's up?
There are several reasons why your workflow may not be firing automatically. The most common reason is that the edit to the SharePoint list item was initiated by the "System Account". This is easy to check, simply open the SharePoint list item that was created and scroll down to the bottom of the window. You will see who last edited the item. If it say's "System Account", there is your answer.
You might be thinking, "But this was edited by editing a SQL item, U-LINC updated the SharePoint list item ... not the system account". If that is the case, then you need to see what user the U-LINC Web Service Application Pool Account is referencing. If it is a SharePoint system account, you will need to change it to an account that has "Contribute" access to SharePoint and has "sysadmin" priveledges to the SQL instance hosting your SharePoint content database.
To check this, launch IIS Manager, and select the "Advanced Settings" for the U-LINC site.
Make note of the Application Pool name. Then open the "Advanced Settings" for that Application Pool Account. You can change it to your new account and voila, your workflow fires ... hopefully ;-).
If not, you might check your workflow settings in SharePoint Designer and ensure the "Start Options" are marked correctly.
Hope this helps ...
To check this, launch IIS Manager, and select the "Advanced Settings" for the U-LINC site.
Make note of the Application Pool name. Then open the "Advanced Settings" for that Application Pool Account. You can change it to your new account and voila, your workflow fires ... hopefully ;-).
If not, you might check your workflow settings in SharePoint Designer and ensure the "Start Options" are marked correctly.
Hope this helps ...
I have an overlapping integration for the template I want to import, what are my options?
When the system determines that you have an overlapping integration, you have a couple options. If you are simply wanting to see how this particular template is put together, then enter a unique "Integration Name" prior to importing the template. The U-LINC Configuration Manager (UCM) will create a new integration that will be "Inactive". We only allow one active integration per primary table, therefore, if you have another integration for the same primary table that is active, you will not be able to activate the downloaded template integration.
The obvious next question is, how do I import a template which has an overlapping integration and be allowed to activate both? The answer is to ensure the "Integration Name" for the template you are going to import is the same as the existing overlapping template. During the import, the UCM will merge your existing integration with the template integration being imported. It's important to know that these changes will be effective immediately, so if your current integration is active, U-LINC will immediately begin sending the information to the target SharePoint list. However, the imported template workflow will still need to be published prior to using the new template.
Hope this is helpful!
(Note: This approach was changed and will require U-LINC version 1.2 or later. There is a different method for the RTM version that is still supported in 1.2.)
The obvious next question is, how do I import a template which has an overlapping integration and be allowed to activate both? The answer is to ensure the "Integration Name" for the template you are going to import is the same as the existing overlapping template. During the import, the UCM will merge your existing integration with the template integration being imported. It's important to know that these changes will be effective immediately, so if your current integration is active, U-LINC will immediately begin sending the information to the target SharePoint list. However, the imported template workflow will still need to be published prior to using the new template.
Hope this is helpful!
(Note: This approach was changed and will require U-LINC version 1.2 or later. There is a different method for the RTM version that is still supported in 1.2.)
Thursday, May 10, 2012
U-LINC Security Requirements
When implementing any enterprise software, security is usually a significant part of the implementation. While we attempted to mitigate as many security requirements as possible, security issues continue to be at the top of our support list.
Understanding the pieces that comprise the U-LINC solution will help end users and partners to identify what potential issues may crop up during implementation and use.
There are three key components to U-LINC Foundation:
Workflow initiation scenario:
When data changes in SQL Server, a trigger fires which contacts the web services. The web services then interact with SharePoint to create an item in a list. Once the list item is created, a SharePoint List workflow is initiated.
Creation of an integration:
When a user wants to create a new integration, the SharePoint application creates a trigger in SQL and creates a new list to house items created when data in SQL changes.
Adapter workflow visibility:
When a user displays a record in an ERP system using the associated adpater, the adapter gets the workflow state of the current record using the web services.
Seeing now how these systems interact, you can begin to infer the security requirments.
In order for SQL Server to authenticate to the U-LINC Web Services, the SQL Server process account must be a domain account. By default, all domain authenticated users can access the U-LINC Web Services.
In order for the U-LINC Web Services to perform its necessary actions, the application pool account associated with the IIS web site hosting the web services must have "Contribute" access to the SharePoint site where the U-LINC SharePoint application is installed. Additionally, the application pool account should be a SQL sysadmin on the SQL Server instance which hosts the SharePoint content database.
When the SharePoint application creates SQL Server triggers, it can use Windows Authentication or SQL Server Authentication to make the connection. This is defined within the U-LINC Application Source.
Our standard recommendation is to create a new domain account and grant the following privileges to the account:
This post covers a portion of the overall security implications of U-LINC. In a later post, I will cover best practice recommendations for securing your lists which contain the data used for workflow activites.
Wow ... this is fun ... more to come ...
Understanding the pieces that comprise the U-LINC solution will help end users and partners to identify what potential issues may crop up during implementation and use.
There are three key components to U-LINC Foundation:
- SharePoint Application
- Web Services
- SQL Triggers
Workflow initiation scenario:
When data changes in SQL Server, a trigger fires which contacts the web services. The web services then interact with SharePoint to create an item in a list. Once the list item is created, a SharePoint List workflow is initiated.
Creation of an integration:
When a user wants to create a new integration, the SharePoint application creates a trigger in SQL and creates a new list to house items created when data in SQL changes.
Adapter workflow visibility:
When a user displays a record in an ERP system using the associated adpater, the adapter gets the workflow state of the current record using the web services.
Seeing now how these systems interact, you can begin to infer the security requirments.
In order for SQL Server to authenticate to the U-LINC Web Services, the SQL Server process account must be a domain account. By default, all domain authenticated users can access the U-LINC Web Services.
In order for the U-LINC Web Services to perform its necessary actions, the application pool account associated with the IIS web site hosting the web services must have "Contribute" access to the SharePoint site where the U-LINC SharePoint application is installed. Additionally, the application pool account should be a SQL sysadmin on the SQL Server instance which hosts the SharePoint content database.
When the SharePoint application creates SQL Server triggers, it can use Windows Authentication or SQL Server Authentication to make the connection. This is defined within the U-LINC Application Source.
Our standard recommendation is to create a new domain account and grant the following privileges to the account:
- Domain User
- "Contribute" access to SharePoint
- "sysadmin" permissions to SQL (hosting SharePoint content database)
This post covers a portion of the overall security implications of U-LINC. In a later post, I will cover best practice recommendations for securing your lists which contain the data used for workflow activites.
Wow ... this is fun ... more to come ...
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
How do I link to the U-LINC "Workflows" SharePoint window from an email?
When creating a SharePoint workflow, you may want to include a link to the U-LINC "Workflows" window to ease the navigation to assigned workflow tasks from an email sent to the "Assigned To" user. This is quite easy to do.
This window will show all running workflows as well as their associated tasks including a history of completed tasks associated with the selected item.
You will want to gather a couple pieces of information from the "Integrations" window in the U-LINC SharePoint application. You will want to make note of the URL to the site in which U-LINC is installed. Also, you will want the exact name (case is important) for the target integration/list. In this case my site URL is http://tfranz6/ulinc and the target integration/list name is "Employees".
Hope this helps!
(Note: This approach was changed and will require U-LINC version 1.2 or later. There is a different method for the RTM version that is still supported in 1.2.)
This window will show all running workflows as well as their associated tasks including a history of completed tasks associated with the selected item.
You will want to gather a couple pieces of information from the "Integrations" window in the U-LINC SharePoint application. You will want to make note of the URL to the site in which U-LINC is installed. Also, you will want the exact name (case is important) for the target integration/list. In this case my site URL is http://tfranz6/ulinc and the target integration/list name is "Employees".
From SharePoint Designer, or your SharePoint workflow builder of choice, simply create a "Click Here" hyperlink and for the Address of the hyperlink, put in the following:
http://tfranz6/ulinc/_layouts/Integrity.SpIntegration.SP/apWorkflowDetails.aspx?IsDlg=1&IntegrationTitle=Employee&ItemID=[%Current Item: ID%]
You will want to replace the highlighted snippets with the associated information you previously gathered. Also, the [%Current Item: ID%] was added using the "Add or Change Lookup" button and selecting the ID from the Current Item.
Hope this helps!
(Note: This approach was changed and will require U-LINC version 1.2 or later. There is a different method for the RTM version that is still supported in 1.2.)
How do I install/configure U-LINC?
The installation and initial configuration of U-LINC is handled by the U-LINC Configuration Manager (UCM). The UCM has its own lightweight installer that lays down some files on the local server. The UCM must be installed on a SharePoint front-end server and the SQL Server hosting the data that workflow "stuff" needs to occur on.
Once the UCM is installed on a SharePoint front-end server, simply launch the application and work top down through the navigation pane on the left side of the main application window.
The first step after launching the UCM is to publish the SharePoint Application. Next, we deploy the U-LINC Web Services and activate the product.
If the SharePoint front-end server is also hosting the target SQL databases, you can configure those databases for use from the same instance of the UCM you have already used. Otherwise, you will need to install the UCM onto the SQL Server. From the SQL Server, you can select the databases to configure for use with U-LINC and Activate those.
At this point the U-LINC foundational components are all installed and you are ready to begin building workflows on your business critical data. If you are using Dynamics GP, you will want to install the correct adapter (Dynamics GP 10.0 & later are supported). The adapter allows you to expose workflow information inside of the application as well as enforce UI constraints for records that have incomplete workflows.
This is just an overview of the installation routine for U-LINC. You will want to refer to the installation documentation for a complete set of instructions.
So the most obvious question is, how do I download the install? At this point, we are requiring our -U-LINC partners to complete the partner training prior to accessing the install. Customers will want to work through their partner to obtain the install.
Once the UCM is installed on a SharePoint front-end server, simply launch the application and work top down through the navigation pane on the left side of the main application window.
The first step after launching the UCM is to publish the SharePoint Application. Next, we deploy the U-LINC Web Services and activate the product.
If the SharePoint front-end server is also hosting the target SQL databases, you can configure those databases for use from the same instance of the UCM you have already used. Otherwise, you will need to install the UCM onto the SQL Server. From the SQL Server, you can select the databases to configure for use with U-LINC and Activate those.
At this point the U-LINC foundational components are all installed and you are ready to begin building workflows on your business critical data. If you are using Dynamics GP, you will want to install the correct adapter (Dynamics GP 10.0 & later are supported). The adapter allows you to expose workflow information inside of the application as well as enforce UI constraints for records that have incomplete workflows.
This is just an overview of the installation routine for U-LINC. You will want to refer to the installation documentation for a complete set of instructions.
So the most obvious question is, how do I download the install? At this point, we are requiring our -U-LINC partners to complete the partner training prior to accessing the install. Customers will want to work through their partner to obtain the install.
Friday, April 20, 2012
What's the difference between an "Integration" in U-LINC and a "Workflow"?
<soapbox>
I have always been a stickler when it comes to technical terminology because often time’s miscommunication occurs when someone inadvertently says one thing, but means another. My coworkers (and my wife :) hate it when I “correct”their statement using a more precise &/or correct word. However, I believe it is important for the listener to fully understand the thought that is being conveyed.
<soapbox/>That being said, our internal team as well as our customers and partners have had some confusion as we have rolled out U-LINC in distinguishing where an “Integration” ends and a “Workflow” begins.
Quite simply, a U-LINC Integration is the definition of the business critical data that we want to listen for changes on in SQL Server.
From Websters Online Dictionary:
Workflow
A workflow is a reliably repeatable pattern of activity enabled by a systematic organization of resources, defined roles and mass, energy and information flows, into a work process that can be documented and learned. Workflows are always designed to achieve processing intents of some sort, such as physical transformation, service provision, or information processing.
Workflows are closely related to other concepts used to describe organizational structure, such as silos, functions, teams, projects, policies and hierarchies. Workflows may be viewed as one primitive building block of organizations. The relationships among these concepts are described later in this entry.
The term is used in computer programming to capture and develop human to machine interaction. Workflow software aims to provide end users with an easier way to orchestrate or describe complex processing of data in a visual form, much like flow charts but without the need to understand computers or programming.
In the case of SharePoint, the automation of a “Workflow” is handled by the SharePoint Workflow engine and is comprised of “Steps” and “Actions”. You can group your workflow actions within a series of steps. These steps can mirror your current manual business process. The actions can then automate some of the work that needs to occur to complete a particular business process. SharePoint has several workflow actions included out of the box and you can extend the workflow actions available to you through the many extensibility tools available for SharePoint, some free, some for a fee.
Given these definitions, we can have a single “Integration” which could have multiple “Workflows”. For example, you have a workflow for customer credit limit changes and a workflow for collecting a customer tax exemption number. Both of these workflows would be supported by a single U-LINC “Integration”.
I hope this brings clarity to the difference between these tightly interwoven concepts.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
How does U-LINC work?
U-LINC is a SQL Server to SharePoint application. Essentially, when data is changed in an identified table in a SQL database, the system will push that information to a SharePoint list. Once that information is in a SharePoint list, you can use SharePoint workflow to handle the business process logic. There are many ways to create a workflow in SharePoint. You can use reusable workflows and attach them to a list through a web browser on your SharePoint site. Another option is to use SharePoint Designer to create a workflow. It has the ability to perform parallel processes, conditional steps, assign SharePoint tasks, along with a miriad of other options. You can extend the workflow actions available to the workflow using free tools like ILoveSharePoint (http://ilovesharepoint.codeplex.com). Another option is to use a SharePoint extensibility tool like Nintex Workflow ( http://www.nintex.com/en-US/Products/Pages/NintexWorkflow2010.aspx) to graphically build a workflow. Once the workflow is built, the worflow status can be exposed in Dynamics GP using the U-LINC for Dynamics GP Adapter. The end user can define which windows in Dynamics GP get the U-LINC workflow ribbon as well as which fields &/or buttons on the form are locked when a displayed record is in workflow. With these tools, the end user has everything they need to enforce complex business processes and receive real-time notifications of critical business information.
More to come ...
More to come ...
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
U-LINC Batch Approvals
One often asked question is, "Can I do batch approvals with U-LINC?" The simple answer is yes, but the devil is always in the details. This approach applies to any transaction type, RM, PM, GL, etc. Conceptually, the user wants to create a transaction, and then force the system to go through an approval process for the batch that it is saved to. That being said, the workflow is actually on the batch header record, but it is initiated when a transaction is created.
So, what we do is setup two U-LINC integrations. The first integration is on the batch header table. We then put an approval process workflow on the supporting list for this integration.
We then create a second integration on the transaction open table and create a workflow on the second list that starts the workflow on the batch header list item. There are a couple ways to do this. One way would be to use the "Start Another Workflow" action in the http://spdactivities.codeplex.com/ project. This is a free CodePlex project that will give you some really useful workflow actions. Secondly, we could add a column to our batch header list called "Workflow Status". The transaction workflow could then set the value of this field to "In Process". The batch header workflow would fire because the record was changed and the approval process would kick off. The last step of the batch workflow would be to set the "Workflow Status" to "Completed".
Like I stated before, this is a generic answer for any type of batch approval process. Remember, the great thing about U-LINC is that it is only limited by your imagination!
Until next time ...
So, what we do is setup two U-LINC integrations. The first integration is on the batch header table. We then put an approval process workflow on the supporting list for this integration.
We then create a second integration on the transaction open table and create a workflow on the second list that starts the workflow on the batch header list item. There are a couple ways to do this. One way would be to use the "Start Another Workflow" action in the http://spdactivities.codeplex.com/ project. This is a free CodePlex project that will give you some really useful workflow actions. Secondly, we could add a column to our batch header list called "Workflow Status". The transaction workflow could then set the value of this field to "In Process". The batch header workflow would fire because the record was changed and the approval process would kick off. The last step of the batch workflow would be to set the "Workflow Status" to "Completed".
Like I stated before, this is a generic answer for any type of batch approval process. Remember, the great thing about U-LINC is that it is only limited by your imagination!
Until next time ...
Integrity Data's newest product - U-LINC (Workflow anywhere)
So our dev team has been discussing putting out some blogs to help our customers better utilize our latest wonder child, U-LINC.
"U-LINC has made workflow virtually anytime and anywhere for Microsoft Dynamics a reality. It works seamlessly within and across your existing Microsoft Dynamics system without changing the way the organization does business. U-LINC is flexible, easy to use, and greatly improves organizational performance."
As such, I am going to (time permitting) start blogging on some of the really cool things you can do to better utilize U-LINC in your environment. Watch for the posts to start rolling out soon ...
More to come ...
"U-LINC has made workflow virtually anytime and anywhere for Microsoft Dynamics a reality. It works seamlessly within and across your existing Microsoft Dynamics system without changing the way the organization does business. U-LINC is flexible, easy to use, and greatly improves organizational performance."
As such, I am going to (time permitting) start blogging on some of the really cool things you can do to better utilize U-LINC in your environment. Watch for the posts to start rolling out soon ...
More to come ...
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