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Enabling Workflow Applications on SharePoint Portal Server

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This section describes how to enable custom workflow applications on Microsoft® SharePoint™ Portal Server 2001.

You can implement custom workflow applications on SharePoint Portal Server. You must store all workflow process definitions in the applications folder and not in the workspaces folder. After you create it, users can take advantage of your custom workflow application by saving documents to the application folder where the process definition is stored.

Note

If users save documents outside the workspace, they will lose all the advantages of the workspace, including role-based security, versioning, check-out, and check-in.

In addition to the specific file location, you must also configure your SharePoint Portal Server.

To configure your server for workflow applications:

  1. Create a local Workflow System Account (WFSA).
  2. Create a local Exchange Domain Server Group and add the WFSA to the group.
  3. Grant the WFSA rights to act as part of the operating system.
  4. Modify the Workflow COM+ Application so it runs as the WFSA.
  5. Grant WFSA role access to the Workflow COM+ Application. This requires role access to workflow applications and privileged workflows.
  6. Verify Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) service on SharePoint Portal Server is configured with the correct Full Qualified Domain Name (FQDN).

For more information about Microsoft Exchange 2000 Workflow Designer, see Microsoft Exchange SDK.

Mail-Enabled Workaround

SharePoint Portal Server does not support workflow system account mailboxes. Specifically, you cannot have mail-enabled folders or a mail-enabled workflow system account. However, you can still send e-mail by using the local Microsoft Windows® 2000 SMTP service.

The following code example specifies how to send mail by using the SendUsing and SMTPServer fields. The WorkflowSession object provides access to the workflow item and messaging. You do not need to create this object, because the workflow engine passes the WorkflowSession object to the script host. Scripts can immediately call WorkflowSession methods and properties by using the object name. For more information about these objects, see Microsoft Exchange SDK.

Sub SendMessage (strTo, strSubject, strBody)
   Dim  oMsg
   Set oMsg = WorkflowSession.GetNewWorkflowMessage()
   
   With oMsg
       .To = strTo
       .From = "SystemAcct@" & workflowsession.domain
       .Subject = strSubject
       .AutoGenerateTextBody = True
       .MimeFormatted = True
       .HTMLBody = strBody
       .Configuration.Fields( _
"http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/sendusing").Value = 2
       .Configuration.Fields( _
"http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserver").Value = _
WorkflowSession.Server & "." & workflowsession.Domain
       .Configuration.Fields.Update
       .Send
   End With
   Set oMsg = Nothing
End Sub