1. Building Custom Workflows
Giorgio Garcia-Agreda
CEO Crionet
MVP Microsoft Dynamics CRM

2. Agenda Architecting CRM over xRM Business Processes and Workflows
When to use Custom Workflows
DEMO

3. The X Factor Sort of (smart) middle ground
Become the tailor of yourself
Use a flexible/customizable framework for creating your tailor-made solutions
Points
Fraction of the cost
Possibly mature skills on architecture/process

4. 3 Prerequisites for X
Layers

5. Multiple layers/tiers
Layers are a strict requirement for systems with a considerable lifespan
Benefits
Maintainability, ease of implementation, extensibility, and testability
Implementation is …
Neither free of issues nor cheap

6. Separation of Concerns E. Dijkstra, 1974
Break the system into distinct features
Each feature represents a concern
Map one concern at a time to a module
From each module, other concerns are irrelevant

7. Microsoft ASP.NET Connections
Classic layers
Presentation
Business
Services (application logic, workflows)
Domain layer (model and behavior)
Domain services
Security model
Data access
Updates will be available at _06/ASP_Connections

8. Presentation Data Access Business SoC violation
(idiomatic) Presentation
Presentation
Controller
View engine
Worker service
SoC
violation
Data Access
Orchestration
Business
Other components
Repository
Application logic
IRepository
Storage
Domain services
Entity +
relationships
Data
Domain

9. Relays requests to the orchestration
Presentation
UI (front-end)
UI logic (e.g., MVP / MVVM)
UI helpers
GOAL
Relays requests to the orchestration

10. Exchange data with presentation
Orchestration
Implementation of use-cases
Methods that control server processes
Example: Place the order
GOAL
Exchange data with presentation

11. Domain Object model Domain services Entities, relationships
Domain logic
Domain services
Repository of entity-specific operations that span across the system

12. Data General interface for common operations
May deal with O/RM tools, data access API
Specific interface for common operations
Wrapper around O/RM tools

13. Processes Architecture Model

14. Business Processes
Business Processes are the core of ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE APPLICATION
Business Process
Automated
Interactive

15. Workflows Workflow is the entity used to implement a process
Are built on top of WWF4
WWF programming model
Manages process execution
Support active processes (extended time)
Preserves state of the process execution

16. Workflows in CRM2011 Custom Workflow Activities ACTIVITY IN A PROCESS
On-premise and Online
Create assemblies containing derived classes from WWF Activities
ACTIVITY IN A PROCESS

17. Workflows in CRM2011 Custom XAML Workflows For on-premise only
Use Visual Studio workflow designer
Import XAML into MS Dynamics CRM
Used without compilation

18. When to use a Workflow
Changes in business logic are performed by non-developers
A non-developer could use CRM to define only conditions when custom actions are performed
Workflow are asynchronous and AFTER an event occurs
For synchronous processing, use plug-ins
Manual Triggering with «Run Workflow»

19. Custom Workflow Activities
WWF includes an Activity Library providing:
Control flow
Sending and receiving messages
Doing Work in parallel
WWF supports the creation of
CUSTOM WORKFLOW ACTIVITIES

20. DEMO Building Custom Workflows Activities
Accelerate Using Developer Toolkit