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DelayActivity, State-Machine Workflow, Sharepoint

Hi there!

We've got a problem with a state machine workflow in sharepoint 2007, especially with the delay activity. It seems to me as if the event of the timeout is generated, but not executed. My workflow is quite simple. It only has three states, Start, Execute and Completed. I create a task in the Start State and step to Execute State. This one has two EventDrivenActivities. First a OnTaskChanged an second a Delay (20 sec).
If I install my workflow to a document library in sharepoint, start it an finish the task within 20 sec (debug mode VS2005) nothing surprising happens. The Code in the OnTaskChanges branch is executed as it should be. If I wait my 20sec without working on the task, the code of the Delay branch should be executed, but ist isn't. Nothing happens at all. But if i then finish my task, the code of the Delay activity is executed and after that (even if I step to Completed State in this code) the OnTaskChanges Code gets in use!!!
Seems to my I didn't understand the concept of Delays in Sharepoint. I only want to send an E-Mail if a just created task isn't worked on for couple of days.

Thanks

Thea

Thea301

This is likely due to the issues in earlier builds of the framework. In later builds, you can instruct the ManualWorkflowScheduler to use a background thread to monitor delays (check here for some detail). Since the Office Beta 2 is built on an earlier version, I don't think it has this feature. This may get fixed in a later release of the MOSS, but you might want to send any feedback to that team if it is an important feature so they hear that feedback.

Matt

See What You Can Learn -- http://www.pluralsight.com/courses/IntroducingWF.aspx

Matt Milner - Pluralsight

Have you had any further luck/success with this ??

Almost exactly the same as my experience - have a state machine with numerous states - and trying to have two event handlers, to "escalate" if nothing happens for a few days.

I was able to trigger the timer delay by editing a "different" document/workflow - makes me think that the workflow timer wakes up again - and responds accordingly.

Let me know if you have any further tips/answers.

Many Thanks,

Chris O'Connor

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chrisoc

We are also struggling with this issue (using MOSS B2TR). We are developing an application for a customer using MOSS and workflow (a brave customer!), and this issue is really hurting us. I can't see that there is any other way to handle escalations (i.e. bump task if not touched in x days), except perhaps manually via a modification form.

Except that modification forms are broken in StateMachine workflows and Sequential just is not a good fit for what we are doing!

Does anyone know if this is a reported bug (I assume it is a MOSS-only issue), or if there is a workaround in the SharePoint world?

andrewvr

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