My presentation from Microsoft Summit 2015 Romania

1. Introduction to Windows Workflow Foundation
Andrei Oros

2. Andrei Oros
CTO - Flowster Solutions GmbH
andrei.oros@flowster.de
Computer Science Engineer
Master - Strategic Management

3. Agenda
Overview
Scenarios
Technology
Demo

4. What is Windows
Workflow Foundation ?

5. • Human Workflows
• Application Workflows
• Enterprise Integration Workflows
• Data Integration Workflows
...
Windows Workflow Foundation (WWF)
.NET technology for defining,
designing, hosting & running
processes as workflows .NET 4.5
.NET 3.5
.NET 3
.NET 4.6
.NET 4
WF 3x
WF 4, interop 3x
major improvements
minor updates

6. .NET 4
• Re-Architecture of Core Model, Runtime,
Hosting, Integration, Tooling
• Great Performance improvements
• Designer rehosting made easier
• Limited Compatibility with WF 3x (Interop)
WWF 4x highlights
.NET 4.5
Designer improvements
• Usability - designing, navigation
• Annotations - activities, vars, args
• C# expressions support
New Activities
State Machine
Workflow Services
Versioning
• Workflow Identity
• Dynamic Update
.NET 4.6
• small update - resume timeout interval for
non-protocol bookmarks

7. History
2006 - present

8. WWF vs BizTalk Server
Visual Studio
Windows Workflow
Foundation
.NET 3
WWF <-> .NET 3
BTS R2 - WWF & WCF
Interceptors
BTS Extensions WWF
SDK (2007)
btsSend & btsReceive
BizTalk Server 2006
Orchestration
Design Tools
Messaging
WF SDK & Interceptors
...

9. WF 4x, interop 3.5, 3
WF 3.5, 3
WF 3

10. When should we use WWF ?
Scenarios
• Long Running Business Logic
• Stateful Processes
• Often Changing Logic
• Transparency of Process & Execution
• Business Process Management Engines
• Integration - Middleware Layer
• Automation *
...
Examples
• Banking - credit req.
• HR - on/off boarding
• Purchasing - Orders
• Document Management
• IT Operations & Infrastructure
Management
...

11. Technology

12. Windows Workflow Foundation
Workflow
Runtime
Hosting
Tooling
Activity LibraryActivitiesWF Logic
Visual Studio Rehosted Designer PS Script Editors
Ext.TrackingPersistence
...
WorkflowServiceHost * WF ManagerWorkflowApplication
WF Invoker
Persistence
Definitions
Data Stores
Logs
WF App WF Svc
...

13. Workflow Types

14. Sequential Workflow
• intuitive
• linear logic
• loops (while, foreach)
• no "goto"

15. Flowchart Workflow
• very intuitive
• flow chart logic
• loops
• "goto" possible

16. State Machine Workflow
• easy to model
• state transitions + events​
• triggers​

17. Workflow
Authorship

18. Visual Studio

19. Rehosted Workflow Designer
Easy to Implement
• Designer
• Activities Toolbox
• Activity Properties
• Runtime
• Output
• Custom Tracking
...

20. Code

21. Declarative XAML
System.Activities.XamlIntegration
contains classes that provide
support for the serialization of
activities into XAML

22. Declarative XAML <-> Code

23. Powershell WF
PS v3
Workflow
Parallel
Foreach –parallel
Sequence
InlineScript
Checkpoint-workflow
Suspend-workflow

24. Powershell WF - Azure Automation
Runbooks - SMA
Powershell Workflow Windows PS Workflow text runbook
Graphical
Powershell Workflow based - managed
exclusively in Azure Portal GUI.
Powershell Windows PS Script text runbook
TechNet Gallery 130+ examples

25. Workflow Activities
& Activity Libraries

26. WWF Activity Libraries
Custom
Activity base class
CodeActivity execute, tracking, variables & args
NativeActivity + abort/cancel exec, bookmarks, ..
DynamicActivity DOM like - IcustomTypeDescriptor

27. WWF Custom Activity

28. WF Runtime & Hosting
Workflow Manager
Azure Logic Apps
*nix

29. Workflow Runtime & Hosting
WorkflowInvoker WorkflowApplication WorkflowServices
Simple Scenarios
No Hosting
Short Lived WFs
No Instance Control
No Persistence
No Bookmarks
Long Running WFs
Single Instance
Hosting
Instance Control
Persistence
Bookmarks
(Un)Loading
Long Running WFs
Multiple Instances
WorkflowServiceHost
Instance Control
Persistence
Bookmarks
Service Messaging
.NET
Framework

30. Workflow Execution Logs & Output
Tracking Records
Custom tracking participant
Result - Output(s)

31. Workflow Persistency
Data Stores
WorkflowIdentity
Definition <-> Instance
Scalability
Vertical
Horizontal
*Persistence

32. Workflow Manager
Authoring, Hosting & Management
• Azure & On Premise
• REST Endpoint & Client API
• Multi-tenancy (Scopes) & Scaling
• Management (DB Stores)
• Tracking and Monitoring
• Instance Management
• Fully Declarative Authoring
Custom Solution

33. WWF & Azure Logic Apps
• 2015 Q1
• JSON Definition
Language
• Visual Designer in
Web Browser
• Azure only, no On-
Premise version

34. What about *nix ?
OLIVE - experimental / incubation module
WF 3.5 - inactive | WF4 - no timeline
HostRuntimeWorkflowActivity
SSH SVC

35. Demo. Rehosted Workflow Designer

37. Conclusions

38. * Powerful Workflow Platform
* Enterprise Level
* Full Featured, Flexible
* Easy to Integrate & Extend
* Supported
Questions ?

39. Reference / Links
Windows Workflow Foundation
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/jj684582.aspx
What's new in WF 4.5
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh305677.aspx
A Developer's Introduction to WWF
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee342461.aspx
Workflow Manager
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj193504(v=azure.10).aspx
Powershell Workflows & Azure Automation
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/articles/automation-graphical-authoring-intro/
WF 4x Code Samples
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=21459
Rehosting the Workflow Designer
https://github.com/orosandrei/Rehosted-Workflow-Designer

40. Thank you.
Andrei Oros
hello@andreioros.com
linkedin.com/in/orosandrei
@orosandrei