CLI 315 Solution Architectures with Microsoft Office Professional

CLI 315 Solution Architectures with Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003: Fabri. Kam and Generi. Co Chris J. T. Auld Managing Director- Kognition Microsoft Regional Director & MVP chris@kognition. co. nz

Agenda Talk about Microsoft Office technologies in the context of Office solutions! Solution Scenarios Office technologies Examples

Solution Scenarios Document Creation Reporting Line of Business ERP CRM Custom You name it!

Solution Scenarios Document creation Client-Side User directed/initiated Done in the context of the document Context specific actions/information Assisted authoring e. g. Fabrikam Project Document Requires flexibility Examples: contracts, financial documents Server-Side Done in bulk Must be fast and scalable Usually template-based Examples: reports, etc.

Solution Scenarios Document creation solutions Client-Side ISmart. Document Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO) 2003 Server-Side Wordprocessing. ML/Spreadsheet. ML Both VSTO 2005 (Data Islands w/o App running) ASPOSE Components (incl Powerpoint) Active. Docs (High end document gen)

Solution Scenarios Reporting Data browsing Connect to back-end systems Slice & dice data Leads to actions Data viewing Server-generated Rich formatting Can lead to data browsing Mail Merges

Solution Scenarios Reporting solutions Microsoft Office Excel XML Import/Export Pivot Tables, etc Microsoft Office Share. Point Portal Server BI Portal Microsoft Office Wordprocessing. ML Custom schema support!

Solution Scenarios Line of business Connecting to a single application Connect directly? Database, Web Service, . NET Remoting, etc. Multiple Apps Connect to each independently – or Use a Service-Oriented Architecture Single interface Much easier for client development

Solution Scenarios Line of business solutions Share work across multiple Office apps Connect to systems with managed code Web Services. NET Remoting Enterprise Services Some office apps interop better than others Build your own (Generi. Co)

Technologies XML (Namespaces, XSLT, XML Schema, XPath) Managed Code Support Task Pane Collaboration and Workflow PAG Application Blocks

Technologies XML Native File Format Document generation made easy Using XPath can query the document for data Custom Schema Support Documents now aware of data XML Import/Export Data detached from document! Extended Object Model Custom solutions target the data, not the document

Technologies XML – what it means Document format doesn’t matter Logic not tied to structure Information not tied to document Less brittle – automated grannyware Document format or even type can change on context Microsoft Office Info. Path for gathering Word for documentation Excel for reporting Same Schema

Technologies Managed code Many new managed code solutions Word and Excel ISmart. Document, VSTO 2003 VSTO 2005 Info. Path SP 1 Native & VSTO (limited) Outloook Managed Com Add-In VSTO 2005 Powerpoint ASPOSE Powerpoint Always got COM Interop…

Technologies Task pane Context-specific information Can be used to manipulate the document ISmart. Document, VSTO 2005 Show contextual info from other sources IBF, Research Services, Smart Tags Document-specific ISmart. Document, VSTO 2003, VSTO 2005 App-specific IBF (multi-app), Research Services, Smart Tags

Technologies Collaboration and workflow Microsoft Share. Point Biz. Talk Server 2004 Web Services SQL Server, SQL XML, SQL Notification Services Live Communications Server Etc. Come to PDC!

Technologies PAG application blocks Remember, we’re coding. NET here!!! App blocks apply to us Office devs as well Smart Client Offline Application Block See Blog. Cast with Ari. B www. dot. net. nz Updater Application Block* *Many Office solutions have very good updating scenarios all of their own

Examples Available Now DVDs swapped for Evals Examples for partners, customers and you! Fabri. Kam 6 Office System Solutions and 4 Infrastructure Components Generi. Co Office System Smart Client connected to SOA

Fabri. Kam Introduction Solution Platform Best Practices, Code Samples Team, Department, Enterprise Business Processes DVD – Code, Documentation, Infrastructure, and Resources Delivery Format DVD, Fully configured and expandable (order from msdn. microsoft. com/fabrikam) Swap for evals at end of session. Documentation on MSDN

Fabri. Kam Solution overview Components Active Directory Integration Share. Point Library Aggregator Share. Point Routing Service SQL Server SQL XML service Solutions Expense Report Technical Manual Creation Project Site Manager Budget Planning Status Report Sales Order Capture/Processing

Fabri. Kam Solution Details Expense report requirements Stored in database Tamper resistant Identity confirmation Automated workflow Must not be persisted on client disk

Fabri. Kam Solution Details Expense report solutions Stored in database SQLXML - shreds Form XML on submit SQLXML - recreates Form XML on request Tamper resistant Digitally sign form on server when it is generated Identity confirmation Info. Path digital signatures and windows security context Automated workflow Biz. Talk 2004 Orchestration Must not be persisted on client disk Disable save Custom Share. Point Web Part Displays form status in workflow Generates new/requested forms using SQLXML Adapter

Fabri. Kam Solution Details Expense report architecture SQLXML FPC SQL Share. Point Web Part Info. Path Form BTS 04 Orchestration E-mail (Receipt)

Demo Fabrikam Expense Application

Fabri. Kam Solution Details Technical manual creation requirements Gather project kickoff information Project contributors and roles Document meta-data Chapter headings, descriptions, etc Launch Project Generate Share. Point site Generate initial document Make doc generation easy Provide Routing and Workflow

Fabri. Kam Solution Details Technical manual creation solutions Gather project kickoff information Single Info. Path form walks user through process Launch Project Info. Path form submits XML to web service which Generates Share. Point site Adds users Generates Wordprocessing. ML & saves to site Make doc generation easy ISmart. Document solution aids authors while writing Provide Routing and Workflow Custom Share. Point Routing Service

Fabri. Kam Stats 20 k+ lines of managed code solutions 600 pages of documentation Strong Office managed code story Word, Excel, Info. Path Strong Back Office story Share. Point customization BTS 04 Orchestrations SQL 2 k w/SQLXML

Generi. Co Introduction Service Oriented Architecture 3 rd Party Spec The Middleware Company IMHO Not as SOA as it should be Thin Client Mobility Client Office System Smart Client

Generi. Co Smart client requirements Must use Office System wherever appropriate Must work offline Must mimic thin-client application Main portal window Expense reports Employee Reviews Tasks Product Catalog Employee Search Must not break thin-client

Generi. Co Smart Client Challenges Share data across apps Effectively call SOA Translate between thin client calls and smart client calls Offline detection Data synchronization

Generi. Co Smart client solution Offline Smart Client Offline Application Block Portal site Outlook Managed Code Add-In similar to “Today” Page Expense Report Info. Path – Gather information Excel – Analyze, approve or deny for managers Employee Review Info. Path – Gather information Word – Final format of review Tasks Outlook tasks Employee Search Information Bridge Framework

Generi. Co Smart Client Service agent Between Office applications and SOA Resources shared across client Caching Communications Offline Detection Enterprise Services De-coupled logic App Pool Events Handles all SOA communication

Generi. Co Overview Service Agent

Generi. Co Service Agent SOA Client App (VSTO/IPath/etc) Service Agent Client Proxy Service Agent Events Legend Office App Enterprise Services App Blocks Service Agent “server” proxy Agent Cache Proxy Queue Processor Entry Cache Thread

Generi. Co Service Agent Application blocks SOA Agent Cache Proxy Queue Processor Entry Legend Cache Thread Office App Enterprise Services App Blocks

Generi. Co Service Agent Enterprise services Client App Service Agent Events (VSTO/IPath/etc) Service Agent “server” proxy Service Agent Client Proxy Legend Office App Service Agent Enterprise Services App Blocks

Generi. Co Service Agent Client App Service Agent Events (VSTO/IPath/etc) Service Agent Client Proxy Service Agent “server” proxy Agent Cache SOA Proxy Queue Processor Legend Office App Enterprise Services Entry Cache Thread App Blocks

Conclusion Combine the power of Office System 2003 with the power of. Net programming to generate enterprise class solutions! There are examples out there to look at!

More Info http: //www. syringe. net. nz Presentation files will be up today All links mentioned here will be included Fabri. Kam DVD order form http: //msdn. microsoft. com/fabrikam Fabri. Kam Documentation http: //msdn. microsoft. com/library/en-us/fabrikam/html/ODC_OFIntroduction_to_Fabri. Kam 3 Generi. Co update coming soon! Whitepapers, presentations, sample code, etc. http: //www. microsoft. com/windowsserversystem/ overview/benefits/cstrial. mspx Other Questions? chris@kognition. co. nz www. syringe. net. nz