Building a Workflow Process for Exchange Server

The Workflow Designer for Exchange Server makes it possible for you to build, modify, and add script to workflow processes for Microsoft® Exchange 2000 public folders or SharePoint Portal Server folder. A workflow process is made up of a series of tasks and events, the order in which they must occur, and (optionally) the script that is executed for each event. In its simplest form, a workflow process automates and enforces the order of tasks.

Before you can build a workflow process, you must:

• Have or create a public folder in Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server or SharePoint Portal Server.
• Have appropriate permissions on the Exchange 2000 Server or SharePoint Portal Server.
• Plan the business processes you want to track.

In This Section

• Understanding the Workflow Process
  A workflow process is a series of tasks or events, the order in which they must be performed, permissions defining who can perform them, and code that can be run when they are performed.
• Configuring the Exchange Server for Workflow Development
  Before you can create a public workflow project, you must first configure the Exchange Server for workflow applications.
• Creating the Exchange Folder for the Project
  Before you can create a workflow project, you must have a public folder in Microsoft® Exchange 2000 Server or SharePoint Portal Server.
• Creating the Project and Workflow Process for Exchange Server
  When you create a workflow process, you can modify it by adding, deleting, or rearranging its components or adding scripts to automate processes.
• Setting the Project Properties for Exchange Server
  The Project Properties are workflow-related properties for all Microsoft® Exchange folders or SharePoint Portal Server folders.
• Using the Workflow Design Surface
  The Workflow Design Surface is used to lay out and to design the workflow process.
• Adding and Modifying States in a Workflow
  After creating a workflow process and adding states, you can add additional events to these states, such as Enter or Exit.
• Adding and Modifying Transitions in Workflow
  After creating a workflow process and adding states, you can add transitions, such as Change or Receive, to connect the new state to existing states in your diagram.
• Copying a Workflow Process for Exchange Server
  When you have created a workflow process, you might want to copy it to the current folder and then modify it or copy it to another folder.
• Deleting a Workflow Process for Exchange Server
  If you have delete permissions on the folder, you can remove a workflow process. When a workflow process has been deleted, you cannot undo the delete to recover it.
• Viewing and Printing the Workflow
  After you have created a workflow process, you can view it and print it.
• Testing Your Workflow for Exchange Server
  After adding a workflow process and a user interface, you can test the workflow process.

Related Sections

• Developing Workflow Applications for Exchange Server
  Generally, the term "workflow" is used to describe applications that are modeled as business processes. Typical workflow applications include forms routing/approval, document review/publishing, and issue tracking.
• Workflow Applications Architecture for Exchange Server
  A workflow application consists of forms and documents that a user manipulates and tools on the server that manage those documents according to a set of rules.
• Planning a Workflow Process for Exchange Server
  As with all development, planning is the key to creating successful applications. The Workflow Designer for Exchange Server automates many of the activities required to create a workflow process for Microsoft® Exchange 2000 Server or SharePoint Portal Server.
• Developing the User Interface for Exchange Workflow
  Typically, the user interface is independent of CDO Workflow objects and runs on a client computer.
• Scripting in the Workflow Designer for Exchange Server
  Add functionality to your workflow process by using Microsoft® Visual Basic® Scripting Edition (VBScript).
• Advanced Workflow Process Management
  When you have created your workflow processes using the Workflow Designer for Exchange Server, you can use the advanced management features.
• Troubleshooting Workflow Applications for Exchange Server
  This topic provides information to help you avoid or resolve the most common errors and issues you might encounter when using Workflow Designer for Exchange Server.