Juan Carlos

How to install and configure workflow infrastructure in SharePoint 2013

January 15th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: CloudShare, Dev / Test, SharePoint | Tags: , , , , , , ,


Workflows are another key area in  SharePoint 2013 where Microsoft has made great investments. In fact, workflow platform is completely new in that it allows creation, usage and deployment of .NET Framework 4.x workflows in a SharePoint 2013 farm. Microsoft has completely redesigned the workflow platform for SharePoint by creating the Windows Azure Workflow Server (WAS) that enables us to completely separate the SharePoint side from the workflow one. Indeed, workflow infrastructure in SharePoint 2013 is completely independent from the SharePoint point of view that consumes and uses workflows through a web services façade.

Workflow infrastructure in SharePoint 2013 is not set up as part of the installation process of the platform. You can install WAS in an independent server or in a web frontend server after you have installed SharePoint 2013. There are two options to install Workflow infrastructure for SharePoint 2013:

Installing Workflow Manager 1.0

To simplify the workflow infrastructure setup, we are going to use the Web Platform Installer option explained above:

  • Download the installer from the web and execute it.
  • In the “Spootlight” tab of the Web Platform Installer, look for the SharePoint workflow components by using the sesrch box.
  • In the search results, click the “Add” button for the Workflow Manager 1.0 row. Then, click the “Install” button.

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  • The installation process will install Workflow Manager 1.0 and configure all the necessary dependencies:
    • Execute ASP.NET IIS Registration Tool.
    • IIS Management Service.
    • Service Bus 1.0.
    • Microsoft Windows Fabric.
  • In order to start the installation process, just click the “I accept” button in the wizard.

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  • Once the installation process ends, you can start with the configuration as it’s described in the “Configure” step tab of the wizard. Click the “Continue” button so the wizard shows a summary window with all the components installed and configured.

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Configuring Workflow Manager 1.0

Once you have installed Workflow Manager 1.0, a configuration window wizard is started:

  • As you can see, there are three possibilities for configuring the Workflow Manager. Just click the first one:

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  • In the first configuration window of the wizard, you have to specify parameters like:
    • SQL Server where all the needed databases will be created.
    • Service account.
    • Key for certificates generation.

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  • Click the “Next” button in order to start the configuration. In the next window, check that all configurations are right and press the “Configuration” button.

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  • If everything is correct with the configuration, the next window will confirm that all configurations are complete without any errors or warnings.

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Testing the installation

Well, once you have finished the configuration process you should verify that everything is right:

  • Some databases (5) have been created. You can check databases created by using the SQL Server Management Studio.

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  • A new IIS site for workflow management has been created. You can check it by using the IIS Manager.

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  • The workflow service endpoint (by means of the site created) is ready to be utilized. You can check it by browsing the Workflow Management Site from IIS Manager.

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Associating the workflow service with an existing Site Collection

Well, you are almost done and only need one additional configuration step in order to start creating and deploying SharePoint 2013 workflows: you need register the workflow service with an existing site collection by using the following Register-SPWorkflowService cmdlet. Execute it in the SharePoint 2013 Management Shell. Please ensure you use the following syntax:

Register-SPWorkflowService –SPSite “http://c4968397007/” –WorkflowHostUri “https://c4968397007:12290″ –AllowOAuthHttp

Finally, open SharePoint Designer 2013 and check you can create SharePoint 2013 workflows Sonrisa

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And that’s all you need to know about how to setup the workflow infrastructure for SharePoint 2013.

Happy CloudSharing!

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About the author:
With 8 years of experience in the TIC sector, what best define me is the interest and knowledge of new technologies as a natural way for attending and solving customer problems and needs. Mi career in the TIC sector, and particularly in the .NET platform started in 2003, just after finishing my studies at the university, in the global worldwide consultancy company Accenture. There, I had the opportunity of working during 3 years in big national and international projects performing different task and roles: development of VB.NET applications, application test and deployment, management of small development teams and so on. In May 2006 I left Accenture and started a new adventure at the Microsoft Innovation Center in Cantabria (CIIN) as a Solutions Architect. In this new stage, I have had the opportunity of knowing deeply a variety of Microsoft technologies such as SharePoint, Office 365, Windows Azure, Visual Studio, SQL Server Reporting Services, BizTalk, LINQ, Entity Framework, etc. At the CIIN I perform evangelism activities just around these technologies, and I have the honor of belonging to one of the more specialized organizations in SharePoint in Spain.

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  • http://www.novatechconsulting.it/ Mario Saccoia

    thanks for post!!!

  • http://twitter.com/spbreed Karthik

    Thanks for sharing this..

  • http://twitter.com/BruceAlbany Bruce Albany

    If you are using the SharePoint Server 2013 RTM Cloudshare template, then you will need to delete some left over GAC nasties from the Workflow Beta that was installed previously on this VM. Instructions are here: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sharepointadmin/thread/a063b020-454b-4adf-a85d-fbc1b0b7ba03

  • http://www.facebook.com/shahzebkn ShahXeb Khan

    nice but I’d like to add something that if you have Installed SharePoint Developer tools Preview for VS 12. then do uninstall this first then use this command Register-SPWorkflowService –SPSite “http://spsrv” –WorkflowHostUri “http://spsrv:12291/” –AllowOAuthHttp, I had the same problem. When I uninstalled tool then after restarted server I tried to run Register-SPWorkflowService.

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  • http://haydenhancock.com Hayden Hancock

    I’ve followed your guide (4 times) and still can’t get this to work right. Everything seems to install fine, however, SharePoint Designer still does not show the SharePoint 2013 workflow Platform Type.

    Under Manage Service Applications, I am only seeing a Workflow Service Application Proxy.