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The Access Workflow Designer tools lend themselves just as easily to other types of client applications, such as Visual Basic forms applications, Active Server Pages Web sites, and other functions that support database access. The tools don't even need to support ActiveX controls, as long as they support buttons or other components necessary to program the equivalent of the Workflow Designer Toolbar.

But remember: This is version 1.0, and as such, it still has a number of rough spots. The biggest problem by far is the nightmare of installing the various parts of the product. Access Workflow Designer truly earns its Grizzly code name in this area. I cannot remember a program installation that was as finicky or even, in places, as downright nasty as this one.

For starters, the system requirements are extremely rigid. Windows NT 4.0 Server (with Service Pack 4 or later) or Windows 2000 Server in per-seat licensing mode are required. But the main problem is the mandated SQL Server 7.0 (with Service Pack 1) in per-seat licensing mode. This caused me no end of trouble, because I could not use the version of SQL Server that is part of my Microsoft Data Engine Universal subscription, which can be installed only in per-server mode. To get the job done, I had to find a nonproduction SQL Server box and a full copy of SQL Server 7.0--not an easy task despite all the servers we run in my office. So much for this being a developer tool.

I tried installing the server and client portions of Workflow Designer on a standalone Windows 2000 (Release Candidate 2) machine, which Microsoft says can be done. But I was never successful, even with last-ditch, special help from Microsoft.

Another hassle is that the prerequisites, including portions of Office 2000 Developer, need to be installed in just the right order. In other words, don't try installing the product on an existing box, because if the applications and server software were installed in the wrong order, it won't work.

The requirements for developer machines are a bit looser, but not much. For these machines, you'll need to install SQL Server 7.0 or Microsoft Data Engine, plus a minimum of Access 2000, the Office 2000 Web components, and Internet Explorer 5.0. But don't install the redistributable version of Microsoft Data Engine that comes with Office 2000 Developer: Workflow Designer requires the version in Office 2000 Premium Edition or SQL Server 7.0.

The documentation includes a long installation script that demands precision, even with details that seem irrelevant. And even then, you have only about a 50% chance of success. My advice: Stop all SQL Server NT services before you begin the installation, even though you'll probably still get hung up when the setup program asks if it can stop SQL Services. The installation routine seems unable to handle dependent services, such as SQL Server Agent.

After everything was finally up and running, the only other problem I encountered was when I was creating workflow solutions from templates. The New Team Solution wizard automates the creation of a new workflow from a template. But this often took 10 to 15 minutes, even for simple solutions; more than once I left it running overnight without finishing. The wizard gives no status information other than an animated graphic, and since Task Manager said it was running, I never knew whether it had died, and if so, why.

Nevertheless, once it is operating properly, Access Workflow Designer will prove to be a valuable tool for companies that need to automate a large number of sophisticated workflow processes. By contrast, for occasional, simple workflow designs, the significant system requirements and other hassles that accompany this 1.0 release will not be worth the trouble.

Don Kiely is director of software technology at Third Sector Technologies in Fairbanks, Alaska. He also trains Visual Basic and SQL Server developers for Application Developers Training Co. He can be reached at donkiely@computer.org.

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