Migrating Globally Reusable Workflows In Sharepoint And Keeping Associated Infopath Forms

Why Migrate Workflows?

Migrating reusable workflows from one SharePoint farm to another allows organizations to improve performance, enhance capabilities, and maintain version compatibility.

Improved Performance

By migrating workflows to a new SharePoint farm, performance can be improved in several ways:

• Newer SharePoint versions incorporate faster workflow engines and infrastructure optimizations that speed up workflow processing times.
• Migrating to new server hardware provides an opportunity to boost CPU, memory, and disk resources allocated to workflow processing.
• Consolidating workflows onto fewer servers through migration can reduce resource contention and administrators can optimize new servers specifically for workflow management.

Enhanced Capabilities

Newer versions of SharePoint offer enhanced workflow capabilities including:

• Additional out-of-box workflow templates for common business processes.
• New workflow actions and conditions for more flexible workflow logic.
• Better integration with reporting, business intelligence, and office productivity tools.
• Built-in support for apps and add-ins to extend workflow functionality.

Version Compatibility

Over time, as organizations upgrade to newer SharePoint versions, compatibility issues can arise such as:

• Custom code changes may be required for workflows to function properly in new versions.
• Some existing workflows may use deprecated features no longer supported in upgraded SharePoint versions.
• Workflow solutions need to be validated against new SharePoint releases to identify any regressions.

Migrating workflows to an upgraded SharePoint farm provides an opportunity to address version compatibility risks proactively.

Prerequisites for Migration

Certain prerequisites should be completed before migrating SharePoint workflows to ensure a smooth transition:

Source and Destination Farms

The source SharePoint farm contains the original workflows to be migrated while the destination farm will host the new workflow implementations:

• Create a new, separate SharePoint farm with the desired version for workflow migration.
• Ensure both farms have enough resources for workflow volume during and after migration.
• Implement connectivity between the source and destination farms for migration tools.

Account Permissions

Proper account permissions must be configured on both farms:

• Administrator access to export and import workflows.
• Access to workflow content databases to map source IDs to target entities.
• Permissions to republish associated InfoPath forms.

InfoPath Form Considerations

InfoPath forms attached to workflows should be identified:

• Take inventory of all forms associated with workflows slated for migration.
• Plan to republish associated forms on the destination farm.
• Form template (.xsn) files will be required for republishing.

Exporting Workflows

Built-in SharePoint tools can export reusable workflows for migration including associated metadata:

Using SharePoint Foundation Workflow Migration Tool

The SharePoint Foundation Workflow Migration tool can export site or list workflows:

• Specify scope of export based on desired workflows to migrate.
• Tool exports workflows along with key metadata to re-establish associations.
• Exports are packaged into .WSP files for portability.

Identifying Associated InfoPath Forms

Exported workflow packages should be inspected to identify referenced InfoPath forms:

• Unpack .WSP files and inspect workflow XOML definitions.
• Check form associations using correlation ID values.
• Record GUID values for feature IDs related to forms.

Importing Workflows

The exported workflow packages can then be imported onto the destination SharePoint farm:

Modifying Feature ID References in Workflow XOML

To retain form associations, feature IDs may need modifications:

• Replace source farm feature IDs with new target farm IDs.
• Update IDs directly in workflow XOML before import.
• Use PowerShell to perform find-replace operations on exported packages.

Re-publishing InfoPath Forms

Any InfoPath forms associated withworkflows should be re-published:

• Upload form template (.xsn) files to destination farm.
• Publish forms to generate new feature IDs.
• Update workflow XOML with new form feature IDs based on previous correlation ID values.

Retaining Form Associations

Specific techniques can help retain couplings between imported workflows and re-published InfoPath forms:

Techniques to Link Imported Workflows with Re-Published Forms

To reconnect workflows with updated InfoPath forms:

• Map old source farm form IDs to new destination farm IDs.
• Update feature IDs referenced in imported workflow XOML.
• Re-publish forms using same form URN values to maintain couplings.

Verify Form Associations

After migration, associations should be tested:

• Trigger imported workflows and confirm form opens properly.
• Check entries in site content types and columns for forms.
• Verify form metadata syncs properly across farm content databases.

Troubleshooting Issues

Despite best efforts, issues may arise with migrated workflows:

Debugging Workflow Activation Failures

If migrated workflows failconsistently:

• Check ULS logs for correlation with failure instances.
• Confirm proper feature ID references still in workflow XOML.
• Validate required form templates exist and published properly.

Recovering from Missing Form Associations

If forms are not opening for user tasks:

• Check if form feature ID still tied correctly in workflow content types.
• Compare metadata across source and destination content databases.
• Republish form with original URN value to restore coupling.