How to enable Audit Log Trimming (how to monitor SharePoint document downloads) - SharePoint 2010

• Synopsis

  This guide will show you how to enable Audit Log Trimming (how to monitor SharePoint document downloads).

• Applicable to

  All PlexHosted SharePoint 2010 Standard and Enterprise accounts

• Prerequisite

  • a PlexHosted SharePoint 2010 account
  • a PlexHosted SharePoint 2010 Standard or Enterprise site

• How to

1. Log in to the top-level site of the site collection as an administrator.
2. Go to Site Actions – Site Settings.

3. Under Site Collection Administration header click on Site collection audit settings.

4. Configure audit settings for your site collection:
   • In the Audit Log Trimming section set Automatically trim the audit log for this site? to Yes. Note that you can optionally specify the number of days of audit log data to retain (if not specified it will use the Farm setting, which is the end of the month by default) and the location to store audit reports before trimming the audit log.
   • Specify the events to audit in the Documents and Items section.
   • Specify the events to audit in the Lists, Libraries, and Sites section.
   
5. Click OK.

If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the PlexHosted support staff.

Reference:

http://plexhosted.com/billing/knowledgebase/250/How-to-enable-Audit-Log-Trimming-how-to-monitor-SharePoint-document-downloads---SharePoint-2010.html

How to create a reusable workflow in SharePoint Designer (SharePoint 2010)

• Synopsis

  This guide will show you how to create a reusable workflow in SharePoint Designer.

• Applicable to

  All PlexHosted SharePoint 2010 accounts.

• Prerequisite

  • a PlexHosted SharePoint 2010 account
  • a PlexHosted SharePoint 2010 sit
  • SharePoint Designer
Introduction: SharePoint 2010 gives you an ability to create a reusable workflow and associate it to a content type. Then you can easily associate this workflow to a library or list that uses this content type. What is more, you can make this workflow globally reusable and you will be able to use this workflow at any site or sub site within your site collection.



• How to

1. First of all you need to create a new content type for reusable workflow (you can associate a reusable workflow to the existing content type as well). Create a content type like shown at the screen below (note that we`ve created a new Experience Level column of Choice type with values – blank, Beginner, Intermediate and Specialist and added it to this new content type):

2. The next step is to create a list that uses this newly created content type. Let`s create the Employee Experience list and add the Experience Level Content type as default to this list.
   • Create new list.
   • Click on List settings – Advanced settings.
   • Under the Allow management of content types? choose Yes and click OK.
   • Return to List Settings page and click on Add from existing site content types hyperlink.
   • Add the Experience Level Content type to the list.
   • Click on Change new button order and default content type hyperlink and set this content type as default for the Employee Experience list.
   • Modify the view of the list so that it contains all required fields.

3. Now open your SharePoint site in the SharePoint Designer.
4. Click on Reusable Workflow button to create new workflow.

5. Enter the name and description of new workflow, choose your newly created content type in the Content type field and click OK.

6. Define the steps of your new workflow. In our example, we created a simple workflow which will set the employee experience level according to the years of experience of employee.

7. Click on Publish.

8. Then click on Workflow Settings.

9. At the Workflow Settings click on Associate to List. You will see all the lists that use Experience Level Content type in the drop-down menu. Choose the newly created Employee Experience list.

10. A new Add a workflow tab should open in your browser. Choose Experience Level Content type in the Content type section. Select the Experience RW reusable workflow template in the Workflow section. Give a unique name for this workflow.

11. Choose the start options for your workflow and click OK.

12. You will see that the Experience reusable workflow has been created.

13. To check how this workflow works add the new item to the Employee Experience list. Click on Add new item or click at the New Item drop-down menu in Items tab and choose Experience Level Content type.

14. Fill in the form with the necessary data. You can leave the experience level field blank or choose the incorrect value in it in order to check how the workflow will update this field.

15. Refresh the page and you will see that the status of our workflow is Completed and the Experience level is set to Beginner.
If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the PlexHosted support staff.

Reference:

http://plexhosted.com/billing/knowledgebase/255/How-to-create-a-reusable-workflow-in-SharePoint-Designer-SharePoint-2010.html

How to create a simple List workflow in SharePoint Designer (SharePoint 2010)

• Synopsis

  This guide will show you how to create a simple List workflow in SharePoint Designer

• Applicable to

  All PlexHosted SharePoint 2010 accounts.

• Prerequisite

  • a PlexHosted SharePoint 2010 account
  • a PlexHosted SharePoint 2010 site
  • Microsoft SharePoint Designer program

• How to

1. Open the Microsoft SharePoint Designer.
2. Click on File tab and Open your SharePoint site. 
3.  

1. At the New Item tab choose List workflow. 

1. Specify the name of your new workflow and the list to associate with it. The list you can choose from the drop-down menu.

1. You will see 1 step of your workflow. To begin, you need to add a condition to it. Choose the needed condition by clicking on the Condition button. For example - if any value equals value. (You can use any number of steps for your workflow and set them to run parallel or in sequence.) 
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3.  

1. Specify the values for your condition (For example, Created by equals name/names):
   • Define the First value (click on value hyperlink and choose the necessary settings from the drop-down menus) 
   
   
   • 
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   • And the second value. (Choose the name of a person)
   •  
   
   
   

1. Choose the Action for the condition created. (For example, Send an Email).

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2.  
3. Specify the values for your action (choose the receiver of the action - for our example).

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2.  
3. After all the necessary conditions and actions are configured, click on the Check for Errors button. If there are any mistakes in the steps you will see and correct them.

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3. Click on the Workflow Settings button and choose the necessary start options for your workflow. You can set the workflow to start manually or automatically.

1. Click Save, and then Publish

If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the PlexHosted support staff.

Reference:

http://plexhosted.com/billing/knowledgebase/227/How-to-create-a-simple-List-workflow-in-SharePoint-Designer-SharePoint-2010.html

How to create a simple approval workflow in SharePoint Designer

Nice Article http://plexhosted.com/ explained step by step

• Synopsis

  This guide will show you how to create a simple approval workflow in SharePoint Designer.

• Applicable to

  All PlexHosted SharePoint 2010 accounts.

• Prerequisite

  • a PlexHosted SharePoint 2010 account
  • a PlexHosted SharePoint 2010 site
  • Microsoft SharePoint Designer program
Introduction: SharePoint Designer is a perfect tool to customize your sites and create the necessary workflows to make the working process more simple and efficient. It contains several workflow templates using which creating the approval one is easy and quick. But if you need to create your own, you may do this using the steps of this guide.



• How to

1. Open the Microsoft SharePoint Designer.
2. Click on File tab and Open your SharePoint site.

3. Go to your Task list (or to the list you need to run an approval workflow) and check the box Require content approval for submitted items.

4. Return to the File tab and click New Item, choose List workflow. Specify the name and the list for your new approval workflow.

5. Click on to the Workflow settings button and check the necessary boxes in Start Options section. You can set the workflow to be manually started or automatically.

6. Return to editing your approval workflow. You will see Step 1, click on Action and choose Set Workflow variable.

7. Click on workflow variable hyperlink and choose create new variable. Type the name of this variable; choose its type from the drop-down menu.

8. Then click on value and define the workflow look up (for example Task type).

9. Add the Condition to this action. (If any value equals value for our example)

10. Define the value of the first hyperlink. For this choose the "Data Source" and "Field from source" from the drop-down menus and click OK (Current Item and Data for the example).

11. Define the value of the second hyperlink and click OK (This in the example - the Data source, Field and Data).

12. Add required action to this condition. (We`ve added Send an Email. If you `ve chosen it – you need to define the message and receivers for this approval email.)

13. Then add Set Content Approval Status action to this current condition. Define the approval status clicking on the status hyperlink and add some comments. The last one is optional.

14. Push the Check for Errors button and if there are no mistakes, you may Save and then Publish your approval workflow.

If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the PlexHosted support staff.

Reference:

http://plexhosted.com/billing/knowledgebase.php?action=displayarticle&id=226&useful=vote