Microsoft Flow session : tips, pitfalls, warnings to be known before starting a real world Flow project
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This document provides an overview and summary of Microsoft Flow including tips, pitfalls, and limitations. It discusses how to create and manage flows, how flows can interact with on-premises data via the data gateway, different environments and compliance features, ways to extend flows via connectors and APIs, pricing plans, and the product roadmap. Key takeaways include keeping flows simple, managing business logic and errors, limitations around state machines and long durations, and opportunities for the workflow engine and approval processes.
![Environments & compliance
Isolated spaces
where Flows/Data
are running/stored
Ex HR, Marketing,
Operations, Legal,
DEV, TEST, UAT,
PROD…
Different rules (DLP)
Ex « Marketing can
use twitter, But Legal
and Operations
cannot »
Different regions if
needed
[Plan 2 for creating
& using several Env]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/flowsergelucazurich-180528123051/85/Microsoft-Flow-session-tips-pitfalls-warnings-to-be-known-before-starting-a-real-world-Flow-project-25-320.jpg)
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Microsoft Flow session : tips, pitfalls, warnings to be known before starting a real world Flow project
- 1. Tips, pitfalls, problems and warnings Jon Levesque @PNWAdventureGuy Serge Luca @sergeluca SharePoint Saturday Zurich 26.5.2018 @Kraftwert Impact Hub Zurich Microsoft Flow
- 2. Serge Luca Managing Partner at ShareQL About Serge 12 x SharePoint MVP, BrusselsSharePoint since 2002 O365 Architect (Admin, Dev, governance) Worked for the MS workflow team Blog: http://sergeluca.wordpress.com/ [email protected] @sergeluca SharePoint Flow Dev Architecture Bullshit Professional Skills
- 5. 5 Agenda Introduction The concept Creating Flows Flows and on premises Environment + Data Loss prevention Extensibility : communication with the outside world Price & roadmap
- 7. Personal productivity Collaboration Citizen development Bridge between Applications 4 main Benefits
- 8. The context-Business Apps Empower power users Connect data across apps More efficient developers App Services Service Fabric Azure Functions … Azure functions Graph api … SQL Server BI Data analytics Internet of Things (IoT) … Build modern business app fast
- 9. 9 PowerApps & Flow : buildings bloc for ERP & CRM Dynamics 365
- 11. Creating and managing Flows Microsoft Account (free) or Office 365 or Dynamics 365 or Flow (paid) or PowerApps (or free new PowerApps Community Plan) Flow.microsoft.com From Powerapps.microsoft.com From A modern SharePoint Online list / document library Mobile app (iOS-Android-Windows Mobile)
- 12. Flow templates
- 14. demoHOT DOG NOT HOTDOG
- 16. Approval problems… What do we do if the item (to be approved) is deleted ? What if the flow is cancelled ? approval reassignment (cannot hide it, does not work with states) Flow limitations : flow duration = max 30 days Approval duration = max 30 days ->What if Approval 1 = 20 days & Approval 2 = 15 days ?
- 17. Limitations • Create nested flows 250 actions/flow • Max 5.000 iterations in Do until • Max 5.000 iterations in For each (100.000 in Plan 1)Loops • No OOB site level actions ->roadmap ( new : Send An Http Request To SharePoint ) • Cannot OOB change item security ->roadmap ( new : Send An Http Request To SharePoint ) • SharePoint security model is not Flow security model (roadmap) SharePoint
- 18. Limitation : no state machines
- 19. Limitation : no custom approval form
- 21. Flow and data on premises • Install the « on Premises data gateway » (shared between PowerBI, PowerApps and Azure Logic Apps) Not just databases, but also Powershell scripts, files and (recently) : REST API web services
- 22. 24 SharePoint 2019 and Microsoft Flow/PowerApps are becoming good friends !!!
- 23. demo FLOW & DATA ON PREM
- 24. Environments
- 25. Environments & compliance Isolated spaces where Flows/Data are running/stored Ex HR, Marketing, Operations, Legal, DEV, TEST, UAT, PROD… Different rules (DLP) Ex « Marketing can use twitter, But Legal and Operations cannot » Different regions if needed [Plan 2 for creating & using several Env]
- 26. ENVIRONMENTSDEV MARKETING TEST MARKETING UAT MARKETING PROD MARKETING DEV OPERATIONS US TEST OPERATIONS US UAT OPERATIONS US PROD OPERATIONS US U S DL P DEV OPERATIONS EUROPETEST OPERATIONS EUROPEUAT OPERATIONS EUROPE PROD OPERATIONS EUROPE E U DL P
- 27. Attention We can export-import Flows from Env1 to Env2 • We have to recreate the connections (fixed in roadmap) • SharePoint lists based on GUID (! From SharePoint test site to SharePoint prod site !) On premise data gateway : • Gateways only in the default environment
- 28. Extensibility & Communication with the outside world
- 29. Call – Flow - Called Action Request (usually coupled with Response action) Action Http (generic) Action Send an http Request to SharePoint Custom Connector (REST API described in a Swagger/Open API ) PowerApps calls Flow & return info to PowerApps A custom app calls Flow (« Flow as a service ») PowerBI calls Flow (Data Alerts) Flow calls the outside world
- 30. Power BI & Flow FLOW DATA ALERTS DATA SOURCES POWER B I SCHEDULED REFRESH STREAMING DATA LIVE
- 34. Advices • Keep your forms as simple as possible • Manage the business logic in the workflow • Use environments • For Enterprise workflows define system accounts for your connections • For personal workflows use personal accounts • Limitations • Create state machines if several levels of approval • Manage errors (see pattern) • Manage very long calls (see pattern ) • Learn the Logic Apps Workflow Definition Language (WDL)
- 35. Conclusions
- 36. Room for improvement Workflow engine very reliable, but test the connectors No state machines (but we have loops and switch) Approval forms cannot be customized JSON knowledge could be required (but less and less…) Flow duration : 30 days, Approval : 30 days • Weak for long business processes ! Expressions : powerful, but steep learning curve
- 37. Positive •Easy tool Not just SharePoint (it replaces SPD) Connections to hundreds of services Including on prem! SharePoint Integration is getting better PowerApps, PowerBI integration The Team Flow is very proactive & delivers
- 38. Thank you for attending!
- 39. 42Let’s get in touch Send your message, advices, and suggestions at [email protected] Come visit us at We speak all around the world, come and meet us!! https://www.shareql.com/events Read our Blogs https://sergeluca.wordpress.com/ http://jonlevesque.com/blog Follow and like us @sergeluca @jonjlevesque https://www.shareql.com/masterclassflow https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClBCcDTylJUzvP8sycg6p EA
- 40. 43Calling a long Service (callback)
- 41. 44Error Handling
- 42. Appendix SharePoint Designer Flow Multiple connections to >150 data sources SQL, SP, ODBC & WSDL only ALWAYS Out of box templates <5 100s Workflow & approval history <365 days Perpetual Approvals over mobile + mobile notifications NEVER iOS, Android, Windows Phone + in Outlook. History coming imminently. Loops, Do Until, Switch-case, parallels, variables Yes Yes On-premises support Native Gateway support Extended field types (people, choice, MMS, lookup) Yes People, choice, lookup – Yes new, MMS – coming soon Send email as user or system System only Yes Attachments Yes Yes new
- 43. Appendix SharePoint Designer Flow Out-of-box send for review Limited Q4CY2017 Reassignment of approvals Yes Q4CY2017 Approval reminders Yes Q4CY2017 Custom input forms for approvers Yes Q4CY2017 Document library CI-CO, approve Yes Future Approver impersonation Via permission elevation Future Site level actions Yes Future Set permissions on an item Yes Future
Editor's Notes
- #8: Quickly create (0 code) Business Processes apps
- #15: 5 minutes until this demo 5 minutes for the demo
- #16: Until here : 10 minutes 7 minutes for the demo = 17 minutes
- #19: 250 flow/ environmt
- #20: 16’
- #23: 13’+hotdog
- #26: Jusqu’ici: 7 min Duréee 8-10 min Demo scan Ondrive If doesn’t work set filepath is the content parameter (send mail) https://shareql.sharepoint.com/demosharepoint/nintext/ Show how to login App launcher ? SharePoint list online Show services https://flow.microsoft.com/en-us/services/ ( > 60 services) Show templates Type « SharePoint » to see sharepoint actions and « Office 365 » Triggers ( show triggers) Triggers in SharePoint Show flow « ShareQL expense » When a new item is created in expenses, ask my manager approve it if it is > 500 euros
- #31: Jusqu’ici: 7 min Duréee 8-10 min Demo scan Ondrive If doesn’t work set filepath is the content parameter (send mail) https://shareql.sharepoint.com/demosharepoint/nintext/ Show how to login App launcher ? SharePoint list online Show services https://flow.microsoft.com/en-us/services/ ( > 60 services) Show templates Type « SharePoint » to see sharepoint actions and « Office 365 » Triggers ( show triggers) Triggers in SharePoint Show flow « ShareQL expense » When a new item is created in expenses, ask my manager approve it if it is > 500 euros
- #38: Error handling pattern: https://sergeluca.wordpress.com/2018/03/12/pattern-for-microsoft-flow-error-handling/ Long calls : https://sergeluca.wordpress.com/2018/02/04/pattern-implementation-for-making-long-async-http-calls-in-microsoft-flow-part-2-http-webhook/
- #45: https://sergeluca.wordpress.com/2018/03/12/pattern-for-microsoft-flow-error-handling/