Datasheet

Technology Leadership
Although most CIOs don’t care about how Windows Workflow Foundation works or its technical archi-
tecture, they should care about some of the benefits such a tool can bring to an enterprise. For one,
workflows provide a unified process-oriented development platform. The integration and consolidation
of technologies is a key objective for many in technical leadership positions.
In addition, workflow helps bring process to the forefront of software projects. As anyone in a leadership
position knows, recent legislation such as Sarbanes-Oxley requires organizations to have a good handle
on their processes. Windows Workflow Foundation provides a framework for tracking and monitoring
these processes.
ISVs and Service Providers
One thing Microsoft has been very good at, whether intentionally or not, is fostering a community of
vendors that build software on and for Microsoft technologies. Even though Microsoft is the behemoth
that it is, it cannot always build software that meets everyone’s needs. This is where Independent
Software Vendors (ISVs) and service partners come into play.
ISVs are great at catering to the needs of niche and even mainstream markets. For example, the web con-
trols that come out of the box with ASP.NET, such as the GridView, are great and provide a nice foundation
on which to create web applications. However, many industries require more robust controls with client-
side capabilities and enhanced editing features. There are many grid controls on the market today that, for
a relatively inexpensive price, provide developers with the flexibility and functionality they require.
No doubt it will be the same story with workflow. For example, Microsoft is including a few prebuilt
workflows with Office and SharePoint 2007 for documentation and management. However, there may
be complex scenarios for specific industries, perhaps healthcare, that will allow technology service
providers and ISVs to meet a need not yet met by Microsoft.
Summary
This chapter gave you a little background on the history of software development and a crash course in
workflow. You learned that because workflow is already a predominant function of traditional software
development, it makes sense for workflow-specific platforms to exist.
There are several traits that a workflow platform should possess. Workflows should coordinate work
performed by people and software, and should be long running and stateful, based on extensible mod-
els, and transparent and dynamic throughout their lifecycle.
You were also introduced to Windows Workflow Foundation, Microsoft’s answer to the problem of
workflow in software. Windows Workflow Foundation is part of the .NET Framework 3.0.
Finally, this chapter discussed who should consider using Windows Workflow Foundation and why.
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Chapter 1: An Introduction to Workflow and Windows Workflow Foundation
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