Microsoft Office InfoPath

2007:

SharePoint, Hosted Forms

and Workflow
Carlos Mora
Product Manager
Unique World Software
Agenda

Background
InfoPath and MOSS
Deployment and Administration
New features
Workflow
E-forms?
Forms drive business processes
Inefficiencies and inaccurate information cause significant
negative downstream effects
Forms hide the complexities of processes
Electronic information capture helps streamline the complex
processes sitting behind forms
Forms are everywhere
People in your organisation are inundated by forms— expense
reports, benefit statements, and so on
Forms User
A form is a form
Background

What was InfoPath 2003?

Rich, dynamic forms
XML\XSD based
No code required
BizTalk front-end
InfoPath 2007

What’s new in InfoPath 2007?

Hosted InfoPath Forms
Design Once (and Compatibility Checker)
Office Integration
Why InfoPath instead of
ASP.NET?
InfoPath
XML data binding
Integrated with SharePoint
Rapid Dev and Deployment
Scoped environment
ASP.NET
More code
Complete customisation
2007 Microsoft Office System
InfoPath forms solutions

Reach more users with better forms

Streamline data-driven business processes
Rapidly develop and deploy form solutions

Smart Client and Browser WSS, SQL, ERP, CRM…

InfoPath 2007

MOSS Enterprise Includes

Portal Server
Content management services
Self calculation services
Workflow
Business data catalogue
Office Forms Server
WSS
Office Forms services (InfoPath Forms Services)
Office InfoPath 2007 Solutions
Part of SharePoint Investments
Server-based Excel Docs/tasks/calendars,
spreadsheets and blogs, wikis, e-mail
data visualization, integration, project
Report Center, BI management “lite,”
Web Parts, Outlook integration,
KPIs/Dashboards Business offline docs/lists
Intelligence Collaboration
Forms
Services
Rich and Web Platform Enterprise Portal
forms based Services template, Site
front-ends, LOB Business Workspaces, Mgmt, Portal Directory, My
actions, Processe Security, Storage, Sites, social
pluggable SSO Topology, Site Model networking,
s privacy control

Content Search
Management
Integrated document Enterprise scalability,
management, records contextual relevance, rich
management, and people and business data
Web content search
management with
policies and workflow
Agenda

Background
InfoPath and MOSS
Deployment and Administration
New features
Workflow
Publishing, Opening, and Filling
MOSS2007

Services
Publish XSN

Forms
Replay event
InfoPath log
Designer Generate
ASPX

XSN WSS

Download Download
Return
script and
XSN, XML
updated data
data array Postback event
array log via XMLHTTP
Take offline as needed

InfoPath Client Browser

One form: User anywhere Business
Process
…with browser-based InfoPath forms es

Internet
Internet
Explorer
Explorer Firefox
Firefox

Designed once!

Tested for:
Mobile
Mobile Internet Explorer,
Device
Device Firefox,
Safari,
Netscape
HTML enabled
mobile devices

On:
Windows
Macintosh
Linux
Unix
Content Types and InfoPath

Content Type
Central management
of content and process
Publish a form
template
as a content type
Different form
templates
in one library
Doc Lib A Doc Lib B
Forms share
site columns
Deploying Forms to Office
Server
1. For IWs, one step secure model
1. Publish from InfoPath to a SharePoint library
Scenario: Team forms, like status reports and surveys
Codeless, domain trust, data connections using DCL
May be disabled by the administrator

2. For Administrators, flexible process

1. Developer gives completed form to administrator
2. Administrator reviews and uploads the form template
3. Activation may be delegated to Site Collections
Scenario: Centrally managed forms, like expense report
Supports forms with code, full trust, data connections in
the store, mobile
Managed in Central Administration Console
InfoPath Forms Services
Administration
Form lifecycle
Server administrator is the gatekeeper of forms
with code
Upgrade forms with no down time
Gracefully retire forms with “quiescing”
Any form template can be used in multiple
places across the server
Site content type for each form template
Improved library integration and sharing
Agenda

Background
InfoPath and MOSS
Deployment and Administration
New features
Workflow
Data Connection Problem
Test-production migration

Test http://test Production http://production

Data Data
Data Connection Problem
Data connection sharing

7 forms
=
7 copies
of settings

Moving your database means opening and modifying all 7 forms

 Data Connection Problem
Authentication delegation

Network logon denied

restricted token
cannot be delegated

Database Server (Tier 3)

SQL access via
Windows
Authentication
Network logon via http Multi-hop
restricted token grantedDelegation:
NTLM
Web Front End (Tier 2)
HTTP

Interactive logon via

the console primary
Windows token granted

Client computer (Tier 1)

Data Connection Solution
Test-production migration

Test http://test Production http://production

Data Data

Additional level of indirection means you re-

test only the data connection file
 Data Connection Solution
Data connection sharing

One data query

=
One connection
file

Moving your database means opening and modifying one connection file
Data Connection Solution
Authentication delegation

SQL Access granted

to service account

Database Server (Tier 3)

Anonymous access
to web server

Web Front End (Tier 2)

HTTP

Interactive logon via

the console primary
Windows token granted

Client computer (Tier 1)

Data Connection Libraries
Security and data connection control

User form templates

Site collection admin controls UDC files
Farm admin controls policy
Cross-domain connections
Server-specific, embedded SQL and WS Proxy auth
Admin-approved form templates
Farm admin controls UDC files
Cross-domain connections always allowed
Server-specific, WS proxy and SQL auth always
allowed
Data analysis and reporting

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007

Report Center
Define Key Performance Indicators
Report directly on promoted data in SharePoint
Document Library
Report on data in SQL Server 2005 Analysis
Services
Agenda

Background
InfoPath and MOSS
Deployment and Administration
New features
Workflow
The Workflow Problem

I need
Intelligent routing of data using business rules
Both system-based and human-based
processing
Solutions that can adapt to changing
requirements
Workflow in InfoPath

For Simple Scenarios

Views, email, SharePoint
For Complex Scenarios
BizTalk, SharePoint
For Medium Scenarios
MOSS2007 (WWF), out-of-the-the-box, MOSS
Designer, VS2005
Microsoft Office SharePoint
Server Workflow – Benefits
Office client integration
Workflow experience is consistent across
applications
Based on Windows Workflow Foundation
One workflow engine for Microsoft
Simple workflows available out of the box
Many workflow needs require no custom work
Fully-extensible
Custom InfoPath task forms
Workflow driven by InfoPath form contents
Managed code business logic
2007 Microsoft Office System
InfoPath forms solutions

Reach more users with better forms

Streamline data-driven business processes
Rapidly develop and deploy form solutions

Smart Client and Browser WSS, SQL, ERP, CRM…

Solutions for 2003

Carlos Mora
Product Manager
Unique World Software
Web Forms Solution for
InfoPath 2003?
SharePoint Forms
www.sharepointforms.com