Deploying List Workflow in SharePoint Online

Recently, I had a query from one of my readers about migrating the Workflows from development to production and the environment is SharePoint Online.

Scenario:

Suppose that you have created a List Workflow in development site in SP Online and now it is ready to move to Production in SP Online, you can follow the following steps to deploy the workflow. This method is easy, cheaper since no third party tool (licensing cost) is used for migration/deployment.

Solution:

1. Take the backup of SP list with or with out content (depending upon the requirement). List backup will be in .stp format.

2. Download the List Template from List Templates (Site Settings -> Web Designer Galleries -> List Templates).

3. Upload the List Template in the PROD site in the same path (Site Settings -> Web Designer Galleries -> List Templates).

4. Create a new app from "Add an App" and create the list with the same Internal Name (impt: the internal name of the list created in the PROD should be the same as DEV environment)

5. Open the DEV site SP designer, point to the List Workflow -> Click save as template from ribbon (in Manage section) - This will save your WF as web part solution (.wsp) in the Site Assets Library. 

6. Download the WSP and upload it to the PROD site solutions: Site Settings ->  Web Designer Galleries -> Solutions -> Upload & Activate the solution

7. Now navigate to the Site Settings -> Site Actions -> Manage Site Features -> Activate the workflow (it should be in the name Workflow Template "name of the workflow" from web template "name of the site")

Note: If you do not the create the list with the same internal name in the PROD, you will get an error while activating the feature.

8. Now, navigate to the list -> list settings -> workflow settings -> you should see the Workflow associated with the list already. If you face any issues, remove the associated workflow, add it again either from SP designer or from SharePoint UI itself.

Hope this helps you in deploying the workflow from development site to production site in SharePoint Online.

If this useful to you, share this post using the buttons below / share your comments which will make me write more!  😊

Read More

Creating reports using OData Feed in Power BI

Today, I published my second Tech Net article about creating reports in Power BI using OData feeds after winning gold winner for TechNet Guru August month :)
To learn about basics of Power BI, click this article: Power BI in SharePoint Online
Articles in SharePoint Business Intelligence (BI) series: 🔗

Power BI in SharePoint Online
Creating reports using OData Feed in Power BI
Power View report in SharePoint
Display Power BI reports in SharePoint Online

Scenario:
In this article, let’s get the data from OData (Open Data Protocol) feeds and use the Power BI desktop software to design reports and publish it to Power BI site
To learn more about what OData is and how to integrate, read the following articles:

1. https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/data/hh237663.aspx 
2. https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Access-OData-Feeds-from-Power-Query-82BD48B9-6A2F-4F2A-83C9-6868BA1D30E2
3. http://www.odata.org/   

Read my article from the following TechNet link and share your valuable comments:

                 Creating reports using OData Feed in Power BI

Power BI Dashboard screenshot reference:

Power BI Dashboard from mobile app reference:

                    

          

Update 26-Oct-2015
I am happy to share with you all that my second TechNet article is awarded for SQL BI and Power BI Technical Guru - September, 2015.
Gold Winner!!!!

Also, this post is highlighted in TechNet Wiki Magazine, 12th edition | Last Articles Spotlight and Guru Awards Edition. :)

Read More

Tabbed View Report using SSRS

Today, I published my first Tech Net article about creating Tabbed View Report using SSRS. SQL Server Reporting Services is a powerful BI tool by Microsoft.

Soon, I will publish articles about SSRS and its integration with SharePoint. Read my article from the following link and share your valuable comments:

Tabbed View Report using SSRS

Scenario Explained in the article:

Suppose take an example employee database which stores their professional summary, salary information, personal information, etc. The end user will search for an Employee by Emp ID as the parameter only one time and the result will be displayed in a tabbed view like professional summary in one tab, salary in another tab and personal information in another tab. Each tab should be clickable and when a Tab1 is clicked, other Tab result should be hidden. In the similar way, show and hide data should work for all the other tabs.

Don't forgot to share this post if this helps you!

Update 22-Sep-2015
I am happy to share with you all that my first TechNet article is awarded for SQL BI and Power BI Technical Guru - August, 2015.
Gold Winner!!!!
Ref: http://blogs.technet.com/b/wikininjas/archive/2015/09/19/technet-guru-awards-august-2015.aspx

Read More

Deprecated Features in SharePoint 2016 Preview

SharePoint Foundation

1. SharePoint Foundation 2013 remains available for use

2. Previous releases of SharePoint Server included SharePoint Foundation, a free edition of SharePoint that included most of the core functionality and architecture provided by the commercial editions of SharePoint. SharePoint Foundation is no longer available in the SharePoint Server 2016 release.

Standalone Install mode

SharePoint Server 2016 IT Preview doesn't support the standalone install option, so it is no longer available in the setup program. Use the MinRole during installation and choose one of the available install options. The Single Server Farm option where everything is installed on the same computer is supported for dev/test/demo purposes. When you use this option, you must install SQL Server yourself and then run the SharePoint Server 2016 farm configuration wizard.. For more information, see "MinRole farm topology" in New and improved features in SharePoint Server 2016 IT Preview.

ForeFront Identity Manager client (FIM)

Earlier versions of SharePoint used ForeFront Identity Manager client (FIM) to synchronize between Active Directory and SharePoint. SharePoint Server 2016 IT Preview no longer uses FIM as the synchronization client. The default process is Active Directory Import. You can also use any synchronization tool such as Microsoft Identity Manager 2016, or any third-party tool. We'll soon release tools to help you deploy and configure Microsoft Identity Manager 2016 to work with SharePoint Server 2016 IT Preview for identity synchronization.

Excel Services in SharePoint

Excel Services and its associated business intelligence capabilities are no longer available in SharePoint Server. Excel Services functionality is now part of Excel Online in Office Online Server Preview, and SharePoint users can use the services from there.

The following Excel Services functionality has been deprecated:

• Trusted data providers
• Trusted file locations
• Trusted data connection libraries
• Unattended service account
• Excel Services Windows PowerShell cmdlets
• Opening of Excel workbooks from SharePoint Central Administration site

The following Excel Services functionality requires Excel Online in Office Online Server Preview:

• Viewing and editing Excel workbooks in a browser (with or without the Data Model)
• Excel Web Access web part for SharePoint
• ODC file support (no longer requires Data Connection Librariees)
• Programmability features such as JavaScript OM, User Defined Function Assemblies, SOAP and REST protocol support

SharePoint BI capabilities

SharePoint Server 2016 requires updated versions that will ship later this year. The SQL Server 2014 Power Pivot and Power View add-ins for SharePoint 2013 cannot be deployed or used in SharePoint Server 2016 IT Preview. The following business intelligence features won't be available until then:

• Power Pivot Gallery
• Scheduled Data Refresh
• Using another workbook's Data Model as a data source
• Power View reports (standalone or embedded in Excel workbooks)
• Power View Subscriptions and Report Alerting

Power Pivot Management Dashboard

• BISM Link support

Tags and Notes

The Tags and Notes feature is no longer available in SharePoint Server 2016 IT Preview. Users can no longer create new tags and notes or access existing ones.

Read More