Error on Open document from Office 365 in local Office 2010 client

We are preparing for a transition to Office 365. Current we’re conducting analysis steps to identify steps and potential issues. We use a trial Office 365 tenant subscription. Today I encountered an issue that when trying to open in native Office 2010 client (current still the Office standard in our company, installed on all client machines) a document administrated in SharePoint Online, the Office application structural aborts. E.g. in Word 2010:

In EventViewer, the following information is logged

Google (your friend, certainly that of myself...) referred to me a potential related information source: Set up Office 2010 desktop programs to work with Office 365 for business. However, the installation of that Office 365 Desktop setup itself fails on my laptop. So for now I'm stuck with this. Checked with some colleagues, they also experience the issue. Will contact Microsoft to inquire whether this is a known-issue / problem.

GWPAM Rapid Deployment Service on SAP-Microsoft Unite site

Earlier I reported about our involvement in the new SAP product for direct availability of SAP data into Microsoft Office clients: SAP NetWeaver Gateway Productivity Accelerator for Microsoft, short GWPAM.

Based on the knowledge and experience that we have gained early on in applying GWPAM, we have worked out a Rapid Deployment Service for GWPAM. This RDS solution is recognized by the SAP Gateway product team, and published on the SAP-Microsoft Unite Partner Connection site.

In the Rapid Deployment Service, we combine our proven approach for successful implementation of SAP-Microsoft integration scenarios with GWPAM product knowledge. Central concepts in our approach are user-centric focus, UI-design via (preferable) clickable prototypes, integration architecture, and technical expertise with the Microsoft and SAP application platforms. Check out in case you're interested in easily bring SAP data into Microsoft based front-ends.

Augment GWPAM AddIn project to consume JSON dataformat

GWPAM consumption of efficient JSON format only possible when Gateway service supports OData V3

Standard the GWPAM generated AddIns consume the Gateway REST OData service via the AtomPub dataformat, and not via the more data-efficient JSON format. The reason is that the used .Net WCF Data Services Client library is not capable of consuming JSON dataformat. Because I prefer to consume REST services via the mobile-friendly JSON dataformat, I set out to augment a default generated GWPAM Outlook AddIn project to consume via OData JSON. As the service consumption is within .Net code, this is mostly a Microsoft.Net tail. However, as it turns out that to be even able to consume JSON in the Microsoft WCF client library, an important prerequisite is imposed on the consumed REST service; it also extends to there.

JSON consumption via WCF Data Services Client Library

Initially, WCF Data Services Client library only supported consumption of REST services via AtomPub dataformat. As of release 5.1 it is also possible to consume JSON, but with the limitation that the JSON format must be OData V3. Prerequisite for the consumed service is thus that it must be able to provide its data in OData JSON V3 dataformat. For the older OData versions (V1, V2), it is not [yet] possible to consume JSON in WCF Data Services Client library.

Steps to augment to GWPAM project to consume JSON dataformat

First prepare your project to be able to handle the JSON consumption:

1. Install the latest WCF Data Services Client Library, at present this is 5.6.0. Installation is done via NuGet Package Manager, and must be applied to each GWPAM project in which you want to consume via JSON dataformat. The effect per project is that reference ‘Microsoft.Data.Services.Client’, version 5.6.0 is added; and that the (via GWPAM project template) already existing references ‘Microsoft.Data.EDM’, ‘Microsoft.Data.OData’, ‘System.Spatial’ are also upgraded to version 5.6.0.
2. If present, remove the reference ‘System.Data.Services.Client’ from the GWPAM project(s). Note: Visual Studio 2010 default installs with that older WCF Data Services Client library.
3. Install WCF Data Services 5.3.0 RTM Tools Installer in Visual Studio; also via NuGet.

Next setup the consuming code to consume the REST service via OData. That is, if the service supports it

4. Validate that the consumed service is able to return data in the required JSON dataformat, OData V3. Query for this the $metadata of the service, and validate that it contains “m:MaxDataServiceVersion='3.0'”
5. Generate an EDMModel for the service, via ‘Add Service Reference’ (iso ‘Add SAP Service Reference’). Open the generated service proxy, and change the accessibility of ‘GeneratedEdmModel’ to public
6. Edit the earlier generated SAP data services client code to consume the service via JSON dataformat
1. In the constructor, set to initialize for ‘System.Data.Services.Common.DataServiceProtocolVersion.V3’
2. Set the Format to link to the generated EDM Model: this.Format.LoadServiceModel = GeneratedEdmModel.GetInstance;
3. Set the Format to useJson: serviceContext.Format.UseJson()
4. Copy the implementation + usage of methods ‘ResolveTypeFromName’ and ‘ResolveNameFromType’ from the generated service proxy in step 5. Modify the code to correspond to the full name of the SAP service proxy.

5. Query the consumed REST service for JSON format; either via querystring param ‘$format=JSON’, or via Http Request Header ‘accept
   = application/json’

That's it

And that’s it. Now the GWPAM based Office AddIn is able to consume the REST Service via the more efficient JSON dataformat. Note that for the consumption itself it does not even has to a Gateway REST Service; it is also possible to consume REST services from other webservice platforms. But the GWPAM project templates and code generated are focussed on standard SAP NetWeaver Gateway services + data models; WFService as one evident example.

GWPAM - SAP data direct in Microsoft Office client-applications

Flagship of the Duet Enterprise / Gateway product team is Duet Enterprise for Microsoft SharePoint and SAP. Customers are very satisfied with the functionality and capabilities provided by this integration product, and the demonstrated product stability. A frequently asked question is to provide this level of exposing SAP data + processes also for use in Microsoft applications beyond SharePoint. The product team has responded to this market demand. Last week at SAP TechEd 2013 in Las Vegas, SAP NetWeaver Gateway Productivity Accelerator for Microsoft has been launched, shortly referred to as GWPAM.

As participant in the Duet Enterprise Customer Engagement Initiative (CEI) program, I was involved from the early development stage of GWPAM (under the internal codename BoxX). On request of the Duet Enterprise product team I performed so-called Takt-Testing, and reported my technical and functional thoughts + findings. Good to see that aspects of my feedback - predominantly influenced by my own technical background as an .Net architect/developer - have actually made it within the final product.

Like it’s big brother, GWPAM is in essence an end-product for the IT organization. It is an integration framework that internal IT departments and SAP + Microsoft partners (the ecosystem) can utilize, to build their own scenarios in which SAP / Microsoft integration is an important architectural element. GWPAM provides a Microsoft Visual Studio AddIn that .Net developers can use to directly in their familiair integrated development environment, lookup SAP Gateway OData services. And generate proxies to the Gateway OData services with standard .Net code.
The first foreseen scenarios are Microsoft Office Add-In’s, to expose and integrate the SAP business data in the everyday used Microsoft Office clients. For example, SAP CRM customer data in the form of Outlook contacts, invoice approval requests as Outlook tasks, functional data management of SAP masterdata through Excel, BW report data rendered in PowerPoint, and submit SAP CATS timetracking directly from your Outlook Calendar ...

Source: Introducing... SAP NetWeaver Gateway Productivity Accelerator for Microsoft [Holger Bruchelt]

Like Duet Enterprise for SharePoint, GWPAM provides support for the typical and recurring plumping aspects of SAP/Microsoft integration: Connectivity, Single Sign-on, End-2-End monitoring, .Net development tooling, integration with SAP Solution Manager. GWPAM offers a complete SAP / Microsoft integration package.
As with Duet Enterprise, the two suppliers have their collective strength and market presence behind this new product offering. This is also a major distinction compared to the various proprietary connectors of smaller parties.

As SAP / Microsoft interoperability expert, I am enthousiast about the addition of GWPAM to the SAP / Microsoft integration spectrum. GWPAM enables to build a new category of functional scenarios for end-customers. Now also for organizations that do not have SharePoint in their application landscape, but do have Microsoft Office installed on the desktops. And want to utilize that familiar employee environment for user intuitive operation of SAP data and business processes.

Related information:

• Introducing... SAP NetWeaver Gateway Productivity Accelerator for Microsoft
• SAP GWPAM Demo: Appointment Project Template - YouTube
• SAP GWPAM Demo: Add a Custom Value Help - YouTube

Exposing business information of SAP workflow via Duet Enterprise

Often a SAP workflow includes specific business data. This data is needed at the decision moments within the workflow to make an informed decision. And thus also needed within the SharePoint context if the workflow decision step is exposed there via Duet Enterprise workflow handling.

As the default Duet Enterprise workflow handling is a generic set-up, it is evident that it cannot provide direct support for all imaginable and variant occurences of specific business data. Instead there are hooks in the workflow pipeline in which you can plug-in custom extensions for exchanging workflow specific/contextual data from SAP backend to SharePoint frontend. You need to build a custom workflow outbound handler to transfer the contextual SAP business data from SAP workflow to SharePoint via Duet Enterprise workflow feature. Herein you have 2 options.

Expose business data in the format of static HTML or XML content

In this approach the additional workflow information is added to the SAP workitem-details (SOSP_TT_WF_RUNTIME_INFO). The Duet Enterprise system dataflow is as follows:

SAP ERP	Outbound handler	Extend or replace the workitem details that are propagated via Duet Enterprise workflow capability, with pre-formatted business content (XML or HTML)
SCL	No action
SharePoint	Taskform	IF HTML: simple display IF XML: Xslt-transformation, preceeding display

Expose business data in the format of XML payload

In this approach the additional workflow information is passed via the XPROP key-value structure delivered with Duet Enterprise workflow handling at the SAP side. The Duet Enterprise system dataflow is as follows:

SAP ERP	Outbound handler	Populate the Duet Enterprise key-value XPROP structure with the required business properties (name => value; eg ‘CustomerId’ => ‘02345’) The business property values are retrieved from the SAP workflow container.
SCL	Configuration	Register EACH individual XPROP business property at the associated workflow template
SharePoint	Config	Register EACH individual XPROP business property as external/extended business property at the task definition in the Duet Enterprise workflow subsite
SharePoint	Workflow	Extend the ‘Approval task screen’ to render the additional business data properties [extend standard taskform via SharePoint Designer or via InfoPath]

Decide between the 2 approaches

Both options are viable to expose specific SAP business data to Microsoft SharePoint and Outlook context. Which is most appropriate depends on the characteristics of both the data, and what will be done with it within the Microsoft front-end. If it will only be displayed, it may be best to use the approach to expose it as single set of XML or HTML content; and then directly or via Xslt render within the UI. If the data is also needed within the front-end for additional processing, it is properly better to expose the data properties individual.

White paper discussing the promise of Duet® Enterprise

CITO Research has published The Business Value of Duet Enterprise, a research white paper sponsored by Microsoft. Such sponsorship always contains the risk of the result being more of an advertorial instead of an independent and thorough analysis + evaluation. This paper at locations certainly qualifies as unconditional product promotion, but it also presents several useful insights and details on the mission and capabilities of Duet Enterprise.

The paper discussions the mission and values of Duet® Enterprise from different viewpoints and angles:

• [as it should be] Starts with the business vision; the why
• the architecture and interoperability approach; the how at high level
• examples of what can be achieved; use cases
• the components of the Duet Enterprise foundation; it's building blocks for composing applications that surface SAP line-of-business content and processes in user interface formats tailored to the needs of the nowadays Information Workers
• the personality of composites that are best realized via either Duet Enterprise, Business Connectivity Services, or rather BizTalk; choosing the right interop tool for the task/scenario at hand

Some of the most noticable points to take from the paper are:

1. The statement that although Duet® Enterprise relies on SAP NetWeaver 7.02; it can handle scenario's where a company's SAP environment consists of many generations of SAP applications. From SAP R3 4.6C to SAP ERP 6.0 and beyond.
2. Duet® Enterprise is SAP / MS interoperability foundation; for rapid development and construction of custom applications
3. Duet® Enterprise enables the rapid development approach by providing the needed interop plumping
4. Duet® Enterprise builds on existing investments in SAP [business applications + architecture] and Microsoft [Information Worker] software.
5. Duet® Enterprise fits in with existing modern IT management, development processes and environment/technologies.
6. Duet® Enterprise is one way for realizing the vision of Office Business Applications when it concerns connecting with SAP line-of-business.

Missing in the paper is a thorough consideration of the strengths versus weaknesses; of the product and of the proposition itself. With respect to that, Duet® Enterprise could be seen as a threat to some of the SAP business. Although it's promise is to extend the reach of SAP business capabilities beyond its traditional usage and departments, it does so via Microsoft instead of SAP software. It will be interesting to watch hows this develops, and what it will mean for the business of both SAP as Microsoft. Ideally, both will prospher from it. Only then, the combined effort will truly deliver, and have a future.

Embrace the New Way of Work

This morning I had an appointment at the headquarters of Microsoft Netherlands, at a location nearby Amsterdam. According to the route planner it ought to take me about an hour and a quart. However, due to a capital traffic jam it took me almost 3 hours (!!) to finally get there. Even despite my build-in marge I thus arrived late for the meeting, and could only attend the last 45 minutes. What a waste of time... Therefore next time we'll value our precious time, and organise via Microsoft Office Live Meeting a virtual and location-independent meeting. Cheers for that...