Virto SharePoint Blog

How to terminate all faulting SharePoint workflows

Oleg [Virtosoftware] — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:02:00 GMT

Business Challenge

This topic shows how to terminate all faulting workflows in the current list.
If an error occurs or a workflow stops responding, you should open the workflow status page and select “Terminate this workflow now” link. This solution will not work if you have hundreds or thousands of list items.

We will describe the instructions on how to create a new SharePoint Designer workflow that terminates all faulting workflows in the current list, but first, let’s address some important points:

1.    What does “Terminate this workflow now” link do?
2.    How can you retrieve the collection of the workflow objects that represent the item's workflows?
3.    How to execute a code from SharePoint Designer?

What does “Terminate this workflow now” link do?

It’s recommended to use brilliant .NET Reflector to get .NET source code. When a user clicks on “Terminate this workflow now” link, SharePoint calls the “WrkStatePage .OnClick_HtmlAnchorEnd” method (see the source code below).

You can see that the code checks for the workflow status, calls SPWorkflowManager.CancelWorkflow method and returns status to Web UI.

We can get workflow status from SPWorkflow.InternalState property and cancel workflow with SPWorkflowManager.CancelWorkflow method.

How can you retrieve the collection of the workflow objects that represent the item's workflows?

SPListItem.Workflows property will allow you to retrieve the collection of the workflow objects that represent the item's workflows.

How to execute a code from SharePoint Designer?

Use “Execute custom code” activity from VirtoSoftware Workflow Actitivies Kit for SharePoint. The activity allows you to execute custom C# or VB.NET code from SharePoint Designer.

Instructions to create a new SharePoint Designer workflow that terminates all faulting workflows in the current list:

1. Create a new SPD workflow, titled "Terminate all workflows".

2. Add "Execute custom code" activity.

3. Set code (bold) - the code enumerates all list items and cancels all running and faulting workflows.

using Microsoft.SharePoint;
using Microsoft.SharePoint.Workflow;

Context.WorkflowContext.Web.AllowUnsafeUpdates = true;
try
{

    foreach (SPListItem listItem in Context.CurrentList.Items)
    {
        foreach (SPWorkflow itemWorkflow in listItem.Workflows)
        {
            // Terminate all Running & Faulting workflow
            if ((itemWorkflow.InternalState & (SPWorkflowState.Running|SPWorkflowState.Faulting)) == (SPWorkflowState.Running|SPWorkflowState.Faulting))
            {
                // Terminating the workflow will set its status to Canceled and will delete all tasks created by the workflow.
                SPWorkflowManager.CancelWorkflow(itemWorkflow);
            }
        }
    }

}
finally
{
    Context.WorkflowContext.Web.AllowUnsafeUpdates = false;
}

Note: If you want to Cancel all running workflows, replace “if” condition with the line below:
if ((itemWorkflow.InternalState & (SPWorkflowState.Running)) == (SPWorkflowState.Running))

4. Add a string output variable.

5. Save workflow.

Now you can run "Terminate all workflows" workflow and all faulting workflows will be terminated.

E-mail Routing in SharePoint with VirtoSoftware (HelpDesk with e-mail submissions)

Oleg [Virtosoftware] — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:51:00 GMT

Introduction

Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 is a Windows Server technology that provides integrated services for work sharing and messaging, and represents a platform for Internet business applications design. The platform is highly flexible and easy to adjust, however the flexibility is often limited by poor realization of standard components. Luckily there are a lot of external components that provides the user with more features for business tasks resolving.
This article describes a sample of automatic e-mail routing organization in SharePoint and redirecting e-mail messages on behalf of internal e-mail box. The e-mail messages will be collected from several external e-mail boxes on different e-mail servers, for instance, Gmail or Hotmail. Incoming messages will be registered in a SharePoint list and redirected automatically on behalf of a single internal e-mail box to several recipients.

This scenario suits the task of HelpDesk systems when it’s required to process incoming e-mails, create (register) Issues based on these e-mails and redirect original e-mails to a responsible user.

If a specific ticket is added to an e-mail message subject before it is redirected to a responsible user, it will be possible to process the responsible user’s reply and relate it automatically to the Issue. In such a case, working with Issues will be more efficient by e-mailing clients and SharePoint will have the e-mails router’s role.

Two VirtoSoftware components will be used for realization:
1. Incoming E-mail Feature
2. Workflow Activities Kit for SharePoint

Incoming E-mail Feature Review

SharePoint has a built-in mechanism for e-mail routing. However, it requires installation and adjustment of local SMTP service. Detailed instructions can be found at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc287879.aspx. But what do you do when your e-mail works on an external e-mail server such as Gmail or Hotmail, or you have more than one e-mail addresses? Your issue can be resolved with Incoming E-mail Feature by VirtoSoftware.
When the component is installed, you have the opportunity to adjust the rule for collecting e-mails from unlimited amount of e-mail servers and select a place to store the e-mail messages. POP3 protocol is used for connection to the e-mail box. E-mails can be saved to a list, a file library, or a folder on the disc.

As well as standard services, Incoming E-mail Feature adds special fields to a list for saving detailed information about an e-mail (EmailTo, EmailCc, EmailFrom, EmailSubject). The component also adds one more field EmailHtmlBody that allows getting text view of the message. Original e-mail (in the EML format) and all attachments are saved as attachments in a current item. Saving e-mails to a document library is also supported. Please see more detailed information on the component site http://www.virtosoftware.com/incoming-email-pop3-for-sharepoint.aspx.

Workflow Activities Kit for SharePoint Review

VirtoSoftware expands the range of SharePoint activities, allowing the ability to create custom activity sets, and thus, more flexible customization of business processes. Virto SharePoint Workflow Activities Kit is a set of no-code blocks that you can easily add to SharePoint Designer and build your own custom workflow within minutes. Virto Workflow Activities Kit can be used as an add-on for MS SharePoint and includes extended activities for sending e-mails and SMS as well as messaging to Twitter, Jabber and Miranda.
One activity is used as an example for our case — “Forward Email”. This activity allows forwarding of the attached email file in EML format (EML file is a plain text file in MIME format, containing the e-mail header as well as the message contents and attachments) from the selected list item. The activity finds an email (file with .eml extension) in either list item attachments or in the file library. The activity modifies only the recipients, sender and subject headers. The email body and attachments are to remain in its original form; the activity does not add any modifications.

Installation

Before you start working, you need to install:
1. Virto POP3 Incoming E-mail Feature
2. VirtoSoftware Workflow Activities Kit for SharePoint
See the following for instructions to install the components:
http://www.virtosoftware.com/wikis/sharepoint-incoming-email/installing-virto-incoming-e-mail-feature-for-sharepoint.aspx
http://www.virtosoftware.com/wikis/sharepoint-workflow-designer/installation-procedure.aspx

Email Routing Organization

First of all, let’s create a list where all incoming e-mail messages will be placed in. Go to Site Actions -> Create and select creating a list based on Virto Incoming E-Mail List template.

Enter “Incoming Email” in the “Name” field and click “Create”.

The list created from Virto Incoming E-Mail List template automatically has all Email fields. However, if you use your own template or existing list, all required fields will be added to the list only after you select it as the list for collecting e-mail.

Now we need to create a new e-mail box. Go to Site Actions -> Site Settings and select Virto Incoming E-Mail Settings in Site Administration.

The list of e-mail boxes is empty by default. Use “Click here to add a new POP3 box”. We’re going to use Gmail e-mail box as an example. Enter your connection parameters and select “Incoming Email” list to store e-mails. You can instantly check the connection settings. If you make this e-mail box active, it will start collecting e-mails and saving them in the list. Inactive e-mail boxes can be run with “Receive Email” button.

The adjustment is finished; click “Save” to save the settings. This way you can adjust the process of collecting e-mail messages from any amount of e-mail boxes.

The example of saving e-mail messages is below.

To organize e-mail routing with SharePoint Designer, let’s create a new business process that will start automatically when an e-mail message is added to “Incoming Email” list.
Run SharePoint Designer and find File -> New -> Workflow. Select “Incoming Email” as a list, select the boxes for the business process to be run both manually and automatically when a new item is added to this list.

Click “Next”. Add “Forward Email” activity to Workflow Actions.

This activity automatically finds EML files and sends it to the new recipients without any modifications. The activity enables the message to be left the same or change both the sender and the e-mail subject. This can be useful for HelpDesk systems when it’s required to replace the sender with an email box and to insert a ticket that will relate the message in the system to the e-mail subject. We will use a fake ticket instead of a subject and add an original subject. Sender will be changed as well.
Note: the text and attachments are not modified while routing. Sender, recipient and subject are changed.

Note: activity “Forward Email” uses SharePoint SMTP settings by default. However, it supports email sending throughout any e-mail server with SMTP protocol. You just need to add "Set SMTP server settings" activity before this activity.

The activity with a full list of parameters looks as follows:

After this, we should save this business process.
Now, when new e-mails are received, it will be saved to “Incoming Email” and automatically resent to external recipients on behalf of internal e-mail box with a ticket in the subject. Here is a sample of a processed e-mail message.

You can change the business process and add a new Issue based on the e-mail message before this e-mail message gets redirected.

Conclusion

This article has fully described how e-mail retrieval and routing can be organized in SharePoint with VirtoSoftware components: Virto POP3 Incoming E-mail Feature & VirtoSoftware Workflow Activities Kit for SharePoint. This opportunity can be used in Help Desk systems, since it allows you to organize registration of all incoming e-mail messages in the system. Using the ticket number in a message subject enables tracking of which Issue the e-mail message belongs to.

Using and converting date, time and timezone in Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0

Oleg [Virtosoftware] — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:50:00 GMT

This topic includes many of the "how-to" and walk-through topics for time using and time zone functions in Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0.

Change the regional settings for a site
Get current time in SharePoint Designer workflow
Get the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) in SharePoint Designer workflow
Get the custom predefined time in SharePoint Designer workflow
Convert Local Time to the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) in SharePoint Designer workflow
Convert the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to Local Time in SharePoint Designer workflow
Get Current Time in Different Time Zones
Get string from DateTime with Time Zone information.
Get date time string with time zone information
Daylight savings not working right for SPGridView
Getting the type DateTime from SPListItemVersion
Set correct time zone
How to manually update the DST period for a time zone definition

Change the regional settings for a site

Do the following on each SharePoint site on which you want to change the default regional settings:
1.   Open the site on which you want to change the default regional settings.
2.   Click Site Settings in the Site Actions menu
Note   On a site for which the Site Actions menu is customized, point to Site Settings, and then click the settings that you want to view.
3.   On the Site Settings page, under Site Administration, click Regional settings.
4.   On the Regional Settings page, select the settings that you want for this site, and then click OK.
Links:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepointtechnology/HA101038101033.aspx

Get current time in SharePoint Designer workflow

You will have trouble getting the current time in a SharePoint Designer workflow when testing against a date/time field of the current item, because SharePoint returns 12:00 AM as the time.

To get the current time, you can use “Set DateTime constant” activity from Virto SharePoint Workflow Activities Kit.

This activity allows setting DateTime constant Now to variable and you can use correct time in other workflow actions.

Get the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) in SharePoint Designer workflow

SharePoint Designer workflow doesn’t allow getting the current date and time on this computer, expressed as the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
To get the current time, you can use “Set DateTime constant” activity from Virto SharePoint Workflow Activities Kit.

This activity allows setting DateTime constant UtcNow to variable and you can use correct time in other workflow actions.

Get custom predefined time in SharePoint Designer workflow

SharePoint Designer workflow doesn’t allow getting the custom predefined time and time on this computer, expressed as the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
To get the custom predefined time, you can use “Set DateTime constant” activity from Virto SharePoint Workflow Activities Kit.

This activity allows setting Date Time constant: Now, Utc Now, Today, Yesterday, Tomorrow, Begin of this Week, End of this Week and etc. to variable.

The activity stores time constant to variable and you can use correct time in other workflow actions. The tables below shows all constant, description and sample result if current time is 12 February 2010 16:20 (UTC+2:00).

.style1 { border: 1px solid #666666; }

Name	Description	Example
Now	The current date and time on this computer, expressed as the local time.	12 February 2010 16:20
UtcNow	The current date and time on this computer, expressed as the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).	12 February 2010 15:20
Today	Current date.	12 February 2010 00:00
Yesterday	Yesterday date.	11 February 2010 00:00
Tomorrow	Tomorrow date	13 February 2010 00:00
Begin of this week	Begin of this Week Note: Sunday is the first day of the week.	7 February 2010 00:00
End of this week	End of this Week Note: Saturday is the last day of the week	13 February 2010 23:59
Begin on this month	Begin on the month	1 February 2010 00:00
End on this month	End on this month.	28 February 2010 23:59
Begin of this year	Begin of this year	1 January 2010 00:00
End of this year	End of this year	31 December 2010 23:59

SharePoint Workflow Designer Phrase
Set DateTime constant Now to variable.

Parameter - Now

Description

One of date time constant:
•    Now
•    UtcNow
•    Today
•    Yesterday
•    Tomorrow
•    Begin of this Week
•    End of this Week
•    Begin of this Month
•    End of this Month
•    Begin of this Year
•    End of this Year

Convert Local Time to the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) in SharePoint Designer workflow

To convert local time to the UTC, you can use “Converts Date from Local Time to UTC” activity from Virto SharePoint Workflow Activities Kit.
This activity allows converting the value of the current DateTime variable from local time in specified Time Zone to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

You can specify custom time zone or use time zone from current site.

SharePoint Workflow Designer Phrase
Converts local time from Local Time in [Current Site] time zone to UTC and store result in utc_time.

Parameter	Description
local_time	Date Time variable.
[Current Site]	Optional. Time zone. Default value is current site time zone, but you can select you custom time zone.

Convert the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to Local Time in SharePoint Designer workflow

To convert UTC time to the Local Time, you can use “Converts Date from UTC to Local Time” activity from Virto SharePoint Workflow Activities Kit.
This activity allows converting the value of the current DateTime variable from to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to local time in specified Time Zone.

You can specify custom time zone or use time zone from current site.

SharePoint Workflow Designer Phrase
Converts utc time from UTC to time zone in [Current Site] time zone and store result in utc_time.
Parameters

Parameter	Description
local_time	Date Time variable.
[Current Site]	Optional. Time zone. Default value is current site time zone, but you can select you custom time zone.

Get Current Time in Different Time Zones

To convert UTC time to the Local Time, you can use “Set Date constant” and “Converts DateTime from UTC to Local Time” activities from Virto SharePoint Workflow Activities Kit.
You should call “Set DateTime constant” activity and store UTC time to variable, then call “Converts DateTime from UTC to Local Time” activity to convert UTC time to local time. See screenshot below.

Get string from DateTime with Time Zone information.

To get string from Date Time with Time Zone information you can use “Convert DateTime to Text” activity from Virto SharePoint Workflow Activities Kit.
If pass “MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss (zzz)” as format, activity will store “02.16.2010 02:33:34 (-05:00)” to text variable.

Useful links for describing time format strings:

Standard Date and Time Format Strings - http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/az4se3k1.aspx
Custom Date and Time Format Strings - http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/8kb3ddd4.aspx

Get date time string with time zone information

http://www.endusersharepoint.com/2010/01/15/sharepoint-workflow-time-zones/

Daylight savings not working right for SPGridView

http://wiki.bittercoder.com/%28S%28rmsmgt55gw13n4ixnd32kznj%29%29/Default.aspx?Page=DatesNotWorkingWithDSTInSPGridView&Code=1&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Getting the type DateTime from SPListItemVersion

If you are using the Versions property of the SPListItem class to return the collection of versions for a list item, you should know that all time SPListItemVersion properties would be returned in UTC format. You should correctly convert them to the current time zone. To do this use SPTimeZone .UTCToLocalTime method to retrieve the current local date and time. The code shows how to compare two dates:
/ / First get the current SPTimeZone of SPWeb:
SPTimeZone timeZone = web.RegionalSettings.TimeZone;
/ / Convert date and time in local:
DateTime localDT = timeZone.UTCToLocalTime (previousDate);
if (newDate! = localDT)
(
...
)
Links:
http://moss.blog.ru/52286211.html

Set correct time zone

The link below shows solution for requirement to staple a feature to site templates so that despite the server living in Perth, east coast users would have their time-zone set correctly for the site they were creating.
http://www.sharepointdevwiki.com/display/public/TimeZones

How to update manually the DST period for a time zone definition

This link below describes how to update manually the daylight saving time (DST) period for a time zone definition in Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and in Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 by modifying the Timezone.xml file. Windows SharePoint Services uses the Timezone.xml file to store time zone information. The Timezone.xml file includes the start date and time for daylight saving time and for standard time for a specific time zone.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/888253

Creating HTML Reports with Virto Workflow Activities Kit for SharePoint

Oleg [Virtosoftware] — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 08:11:00 GMT

Introduction

The necessity of data receiving from a certain list and generating a report often appears when sending e-mail alerts or creating a document. For instance, a user needs to display the list of his active tasks, administrator needs information about new users in the system, a client wants to see his active issues, etc. In other words, it’s highly important and effective to create a report based on data list.

Activities of business process automation are often implemented with Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer, which is easy to use and suitable for quick implementation. But unfortunately, generating reports is not available with Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer.

This article describes how to create a report with VirtoSoftware Workflow Activities Kit for SharePoint and prepare it for sending/processing.

Installation

Install and activate VirtoSoftware Workflow Activities Kit for SharePoint on your site. Detailed instructions can be found at http://www.virtosoftware.com/wikis/sharepoint-workflow-designer/installation-procedure.aspx.

Case Example

Then add fields.

ame	Type	Description
IssueOwnerEmail	Single line of text
Responsible	Person or Group
Description	Multiple lines of text	Enhanced rich text (Rich text with pictures, tables, and hyperlinks)
Priority	Choice (menu to choose from)	Choice: Low Normal High
IssueStatus	Choice (menu to choose from)	Choice: Active Closed
Resolution	Multiple lines of text	Enhanced rich text (Rich text with pictures, tables, and hyperlinks)

After completing that, add several issues to this list where Issues with different responsible users are contained and whether they are active or closed Issues.

Creating a Report

Let’s run Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007, connect to the site and select File/New/Workflow in the menu. Then enter name “Create report for Responsible“ in the displayed window, and select list ”Company Issues” that was created before. Since we need to generate a report, both while creation and modification of a list, we should check all the boxes in “Select workflow start options for items in …” block.

After checking all the boxes, click Next to create activities.

To create a report, you only need to create one activity - “Generate report”. “Generate report” activity produces the report template parameters and parameters of collecting items from a list. The generated report is stored to a string variable. You can even describe the data source, filters and data sorting on the activity level. You should also describe the view structure of your report with the help of header, footer and list item templates.

Scheme of the report:
[Header]
[Row for List Item 1]
[Row for List Item 2]
…
[Row for List Item N]
[Footer]

Since “Generate report” activities work with rows, we can generate the report in any text format: simple text, XML, HTML, etc.

To add new activity, click Actions and select More Actions in the drop down. In the displayed window select Virto Actions category and select “Generate report” action. Then click “Add”.

You will see the new activity in the list as a result.

“Generate report” activity contains the following parameters:

Parameter	Description
this header	Optional. The template for the heading section of the report.
this row template	Optional. The template for the report rows. Use string [%FieldName%] construction to resolve field value from current list item. FieldName can be field display name, field id (GUID) or field index (int).
this footer	Optional. The template for the footer section of the report
all	Optional. List item filter. The filter string supports View Name, View ID and CAML string (<Where>...</Where>). Empty filter returns all items. Use <OrderBy>…</OrderBy> element to sort list items.
current list	Optional. Source list. Default value is current list.

We will leave Current list field without any modifications since we are going to select data from the current list. In your projects you can select any available list as a data source.

We should point CAML request instead of all. CAML request will select open Issues for a current responsible user and sort them by priority.

CAML request which selects all Issues sorted by priority for user ID #123 looks as follows.

We should insert the text highlighted with bold instead of “all” value. This means that we will not insert Query tags and replace user ID with Responsible value from the current row. Unfortunately, if we add direct link to the value of Responsible field, Workflow will replace it to the row of DOMAIN\user type while implementation. To receive user’s ID we need to use one more activity from Virto Activities Kit – “Lookup site user property”. This activity stores the value of select user profile in the variable. Let’s add this activity before report generating.

Insert responsible variable to CAML request.

Instead of CAML request description, you can use Web interface to create new view, filter and sort required rows, and enter name or its ID in the activity.

For simplifying reasons, the report will not contain too much HTML. Use the following values instead of this header, this footer and this row template values.

this header	<b>Active issues:</b><br/> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" border="1" width="100%" style="background-color: white;"> <tr> <th>Title</th> <th>Priority</th> <th>Created</th> <th>Description<th> </tr>
this row	<tr> <td>[%Title%]</td> <td>[%Priority%]</td> <td>[%Created%]</td> <td> [%Description%]</td> </tr>
this footer	</table>

If we leave at least one of these values without any modifications, empty row will be used while report generating. The most significant in these rows is the fact that you can use both Workflow Lookup and links to field values in row template description. To do this you should use [%Field name%] constructions. They will be replaced with real values while report generating.

The description of “Generate report” activity parameters is completed. Now, while creating or modifying of a current Responsible in the Issue, the report will be generated.

So after completing all that, send this report by e-mail. In order to do this, let’s add Send Email activity after report creating. We can use standard activity or one of the Virto Activities Kit. In this case you will have an opportunity to attach files, add sender, or adjust SMTP server which you want to use for e-mail sending.

The full scheme of the business process looks as follows:

Save this business process. Then go to your site, add a new Issue or close (edit) the existing one. The responsible user will receive an e-mail notification to his e-mail address with the list of active Issues.

Conclusion

With the help of Virto Software Workflow Activities Kit for SharePoint, we have found the solution for business tasks regarding HTML report generating based on SharePoint list data. Further versions may include table display improvement and adding HTML links on objects. This is helpful to navigate to objects from the e-mail message directly.

You can find more detailed information about Virto Software Workflow Activities Kit usage and the full list of activities on the component site http://www.virtosoftware.com/extended-workflow-activities-for-sharepoint-designer.aspx

Use Case: Resetting and Recovering Forgotten AD Password Passwords in SharePoint

Edwin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:04:00 GMT

Use Case: Resetting and Recovering Forgotten AD Passwords in SharePoint

For any organization with more than 10 employees and security policies that require users to have complex passwords that are subject to regular change, there is a common problem when users forget their passwords. Usually, only contact administrator can restore or reset a forgotten password.

Virtosoftware offers an alternative solution for SharePoint users with its web part Virto Passowrd Reset and Virto Active Directory User Service. These two applications, being integrated, allow users to reset their passwords by themselves after correctly answering to a pre-defined security question.

What Is Virto Password Reset and Virto AD Service?

Virto AD Service is a web part for Microsoft SharePoint that allows authorized SharePoint users to easily manage their AD profiles. With Virto Active Directory User Service a user could easily change information on his mobile phone number, date of birth or any other parameter of his profile without contacting system administrator.
Virto Password Reset is a powerful and extremely simple tool for helping SharePoint users who forget their passwords or let them expire due to a password security policy. The web part allows such users to easily reset the password via SharePoint interface without contacting system administrator. With the special code, that is available with Virto Password Reset, the web part can be integrated to any web site or intranet, not just SharePoint.

How Does This Work?

Generally, the integrated web parts allow a user to define an answer to a security question, filling a special field in his profile. When user tries to reset his password, an answer to the question is required, verified, and if it is correct, the password is reset.

How to Implement This?

To implement the solution one needs to do four simple steps:
1.    Install Virto Active Directory Self User Service
2.    Add a field to AD user profile for an answer to a security question
3.    Install Virto Password Reset Web Part
4.    Select the added field in the Password Reset Web Part settings as an answer for security question

What Administrator Shoud Do?

Install Virto Active Directory User Service. Then go to “Site Actions – Site Settings”

Follow the link “Virto Active Directory Service Settings”.

Click “Manage Fields” and use “Add Field” to add a new field to the list.

Enter required data and pay attention to the field “AD Name” (corresponding field from Active Directory). Then click “OK”.

The field will appear in the Active Directory Self User Service Web Part.

Go to the site where Virto Password Reset Web Part is installed. Use “Modify Shared Web Part”.

Adjust web part for security question (see User Guide). Define the field (created with the Active Directory User Service) as a field with an answer to security question

What a User Shoud Do Before His Password Is Forgotten?

Go to SharePoint site where the Active Directory User Service is installed. Fill out the field “Secure Answer (Pet’s Name)”. Click “Save”

What a User Shoud Do When Has His Password Forgotten?

Go to the site with anonymous access.

Enter answer to the security question. Click “Submit”. If the answer is incorrect, a message will appear.

When the answer is correct, password will be displayed and sent by e-mail

Sending SMS Alerts in SharePoint 2010 over Office Mobile Service Protocol (OMS)

Oleg [Virtosoftware] — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:30:00 GMT

SMS Alerts in SharePoint 2010 over Office Mobile Service Protocol (OMS)

The Service Overview

In this post, I want to share the exciting news of SharePoint's 2010 new feature. Finally it's possible to send SMS directly from SharePoint to mobile phones. This feature was only available in some add-on components before (e.g. we applied this feature in Virto Extended Workflow Activity Kit and going to add it to our Virto Alerts Web Part ). The advantages of sending SMS instead of Email messages are obvious: SMS alerts or reminders that are received on mobile phones are more preferred than Email messages that can be lost in the mass of spam.

Here's what SharePoint 2010 offers

The interface is standard as it's very similar to previous versions of the product. Adjustments are easy to do, simply enter the address of the Office Mobile Service (OMS) web-service which you want to use for sending messages, then specify the connection parameters. Further details on Office Mobile Service is available below. The Test Service button checks if OMS web-service is accessible using provided URL (user name and password are not verified). This check is needed because OMS web-service URL depends on the mobile operator and country.

It's now possible to select the method of sending alerts in alerts settings. Email option is selected by default.

Alerts delivery method is displayed in the list of existing alerts.

Office Mobile Service (OMS)

SharePoint 2010 uses exterior servers similar to SMTP servers for sending SMS alerts. However, Microsoft started development and promotion of their own protocol instead of using existing ones. That is how Office Mobile Service (OMS) appeared.

This open protocol enables clients to send text and multimedia messages (mobile messages) remotely to the server which processes these messages and delivers them to mobile phones.

Typical scenario of utilizing this protocol is data transfer between computer application and mobile phone. The recipient can answer messages and the server in return will deliver the answer by SMTP protocol, i.e. by email.

Key quality of this protocol is that it's built on base of HTPP(S) and SOAP protocols.

This means that in fact SMS gateway must support typified web-service. What do you get from web-service? What you get is the ability to send SMS from any platform you want.

The protocol is being developed at the moment and version 0.2 from 08/28/2009 was available when the article was published. For promotion of their protocol and simplifying server search, Microsoft represented web-service http://messaging.office.microsoft.com/HostingProviders.aspx that helps to receive the list of providers, which supports OMS protocol and message delivery to your operator.

All you need to do is decide which provider to use, complete the agreement, then adjust the SharePoint connection parameters and start working.

Some providers advertise themselves not only for clients but for mobile operators as well. They offer automatic adding to the list of the Office Mobile Service Providers.

To view the full specifications of OMS, please go to: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd774103.aspx