Microsoft Flow : introduction and advanced scenarios

Serge Luca – Isabelle Van Campenhoudt

Serge Luca10 x SharePoint MVP

SharePoint since 2002

Architect (Admin, Dev, gouvernance)

Managing partner of www.shareql.com

Worked for the MS workflow team

Blog: http://sergeluca.wordpress.com/

sergeluca@shareql.com

@sergeluca

SQL Server MVP, Brussels

Consultant, speaker, trainer, GUSS Board Member, PASS V-Chapter Leader

Managing partner de www.ShareQL.com

SQL Server since 1999

Blog: http://thesqlgrrrl.wordpress.com/

ivc@ShareQL.com

@thesqlgrrrl

Isabelle Van Campenhoudt

Agenda

Flows and on premises

Environment + Data Loss prevention

Extensibility : communication with the outside world

Logic Apps

Prices & Roadmap

Creating Flows

Introduction : the context

Conclusions

AgendaIntroduction : the context

Empower power users

Connect data across apps

More efficient developersApp Services

Service Fabric

Azure Functions

…

Logic Apps

API Management

BizTalk

…

SQL Server BI

Data analytics

Internet of Things (IoT)

…

The context : business Apps

Build modern business app fast

Agenda

Creating Flows

Introduction : the context

Creating and managing Flows

Microsoft Account (free) or Office 365 or Dynamics 365 or Flow (paid)

Flow.microsoft.com

Powerapps.microsoft.com

A modern SharePoint Online list

Mobile app (iOS and Android, Windows Mobile is coming)

Designing a Flow

template or

from scratch

Choose a

trigger

Add

« actions »Save the flow

demoEXPENSE REPORT

demoCOMMON DATA MODEL

Agenda

Flows and on data premises

Creating Flows

Introduction : the context

Flow and data on Premises

• Install the « on Premises data gateway »(shared between PowerBI, PowerApps and Azure Logic

Apps)

demoFLOW AND DATA ON PREMISES

Agenda

Flows and data on premises

Environments + Data Loss prevention

Creating Flows

Introduction : the context

Why« environments » ?• Isolated spaces where Flows/Data are

running/stored– Ex HR, Marketing, Production, Legal, DEV, TEST,

UAT, PROD…

• Different rules (DLP)– Ex marketing can use twitter, Legal and Production

cannot

• Different regions if needed

• Max 2 !

Flow Administration Center

demoENVIRONMENTS & DLP

Limitations

• Gateways are created in the default

environnement

• Resources like Custom API must be in

the same flow environment

• The Microsoft Common Data Service is

linked to only 1 environnement

Agenda

Flows and on premises

Environnement + Data Loss prevention

Extensibility : communication with the outside world

Creating Flows

Introduction : the context

Extensibility : communication with the outside world

Action Request

Custom API (REST API described in a Swagger ) Action Http

PowerApps calls Flow

A custom app calls Flow

PowerBI calls Flow (Data Alerts)

Flow calls the outside world

demoPOWERAPPS CALLS FLOW

demoA CUSTOM APPLICATION CALLS FLOW

demoFLOW CALLS THE OUTSIDE WORLD

FLOW & POWER BI

FLOW

DATA ALERTS

DATA SOURCES

POWER BISCHEDULED REFRESH

STREAMING DATA

LIVE

demoFLOW & POWERBI

demoPOWERBI CALLS FLOW (data alerts)

)

Agenda

Flows and on premises

Environnement + Data Loss prevention

Extensibility : communication with the outside world

Logic Apps

Creating Flows

Introduction : the context

Logic Apps

More dev oriented(Json, Rest api, Visual Studio …)

Logic Apps connectors can be used in Flow

Exceptions : B2B connectors B2B (Very good integration with Biztalk Server)

The workflow engine behind Flow is Logic Apps

demoLogic Apps

)

Flows and on premises

Environnement + Data Loss prevention

Extensibility : communication with the outside world

Logic Apps

Prices & Roadmap

Creating Flows

Introduction : the context

Tarifs: Comparison

Tarifs: Comparaison

Q3 Calendar 2016

Q4 Calendar 2016

oAndroid Mobile App

oOn-premise data Gateway

o In-context in SharePoint

Online

oFlow SDK for Embedding

oAdvanced control-flow logic

oMicrosoft Common Data

Model support

oGeneral availability, 42 languages,

7 geographies

oAppSource integration

o In-context in Dynamics 365

oLeverage device signals (e.g.

Location)

oData Loss Protection Policies /

Admin management

oCo-Authoring

H1 Calendar 2017

oSovereign cloud availability

(Government Cloud,

Germany, French Cloud)

oSeamless grow-up from

Microsoft Flow to Azure

Logic Apps

oALM: Move solutions

across environments

oAzure functions integration

Flows and Data on premises

Environment + Data Loss prevention

Extensibility : communication with the outside world

Logic Apps

Prices & Roadmap

Creating Flows

Introduction : the context

Conclusions

Positive

• Simple

• Not just SharePoint

• Connection to hundreds of services

• Including on prem!

• SharePoint Integration

• PowerApps, PowerBI integration

• Flow team very dynamic

Negative

• Young, unknown reliability

• Designer needs to be improved

• Cannot copy flow across environments

• No state machines

• No custom variables

• Approval logic weak

• Collect feedback weak

• SharePoint integration weak (no lookup,…)

Merci Beaucoup! Thank you!

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