Navigating SharePoint Integration: From Seamless Configuration to Workflow Automation

Integrating SharePoint with FME can open up a world of possibilities, from automating repetitive tasks to managing your data workflows. But navigating the integration process might seem daunting—until now. In this webinar, we’ll break down how to seamlessly connect SharePoint with FME, covering everything from basic to more advanced workflows.

You'll learn how to leverage SharePoint Online as a file system, integrate web services using OAuth, and troubleshoot common issues like authorization errors and SSL certificate problems. Plus, we’ll dive into real-world examples and live demos, showing you different methods to bring your SharePoint data into your workflows, detect changes in SharePoint that trigger downstream processes, and more.

By the end of this webinar, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to transform your SharePoint processes into efficient, automated workflows, saving you time and reducing manual effort.

1. Navigating SharePoint
Integration: From
Seamless Configuration
to Workflow Automation

2. Natalie
Clouthier

Technical Support Specialist,
FME Form
Safe Software
Matt
Meeboer

Technical Support Specialist,
FME Flow
Safe Software
Meet our Team

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5. Agenda
1Introduction to SharePoint in FME
2Web Services, Connections, and the OAuth flow
3Real World Examples
4Troubleshooting
5Summary
6Additional Resources
Agenda

6. Poll:
What is your experience
level with SharePoint?

7. 1
Introduction

8. How do you integrate data
from SharePoint into your
workflows?

9. ●Seamlessly access data
●Automate repetitive tasks
●Resolve integration issues quickly

SharePoint Data
Integration Needs

10. SharePoint Challenges
Common frustrations people face with this topic are:
●How do I connect to SharePoint?
●How do I access my data?
●Manual processes for synchronizing data
●Errors (Permissions, SSL, others)

11. FME can help
Get connected and start integrating with
SharePoint (and a whole lot more!)

12. One platform, two technologies
FME Form FME Flow
Data Movement and transformations
(“ETL”) workflows are built here.
Brings life to FME Form workflows
FME Flow Hosted
Safe Software managed FME Flow
fme.safe.com/platform
FME Enterprise Integration Platform
Safe & FME

13. List Reader/Writer
Online Connector
Read SharePoint Lists as
Feature Types (tables)
Upload, Download, List, and
Delete documents in SharePoint
Online

14. Flash
Demo

15. 2
Key Terms and
Integration
Methods

16. FME Web Services & SharePoint
●Tools → FME Options → Web
Connections → Manage Services
●
●Authorization with Microsoft Entra
○OAuth 2.0 grant flows
●
●Acquire / store access tokens
●
●First step in building web connections

Ref: Web Connections and FME

17. On-demand Webinar: Web Connections & Services in FME
FME Web Connections & SharePoint
●Tools → FME Options → Web
Connections
●
●Presents token to web service
provider for resource access
●
●Applied to FME canvas objects

18. OAuth 2.0
●Open Authorization standard
○NOT authentication, but authentication is needed
●
●Many methods (grant flows)
○Authorization code (+ refresh token)
○Client Credentials (*new in 2024.1*)
○
●Allows third-party client (FME) to access
hosted resources
○Sometimes on behalf of user
○
●Access tokens instead of passwords





Ref: Creating an OAuth 2.0 Web Service and Connection in FME

19. SharePoint in FME
●SharePoint List format
●
●SharePointOnlineConnector
●
●As a Web File System
●
●HTTPCaller



Ref: Getting Started with Microsoft SharePoint

20. SharePoint
List Format

21. The SharePoint List Reader / Writer
●Targets list resources held in SharePoint Server
2013+ or Microsoft SharePoint Online
○list = data in tabular format (rows and columns)
●
●Calls against the SharePoint API
○Ref: Get to know the SharePoint REST service
●
●Requires configuration of the SharePoint Online
(Template) web service
○OAuth 2.0 Authorization Code flow only
○Azure registered app with Delegated SharePoint API
permissions


Ref: Reading and Writing SharePoint Lists with FME
Ref: Microsoft SharePoint List Reader/Writer

22. SharePoint List Format - Web Service
●Supports the authorization code grant
flow only
○User credentials are is required
●
●Requires specific configuration
○See Getting Started with Microsoft
SharePoint

23. SharePoint
Online
Connector

24. The SharePointOnlineConnector
●Available as an FME Package on FME Hub
○Add-on to your FME Platform
○
●Transformer targeting Document Library resources
held in a SharePoint Online environment
●
●Calls against the Microsoft Graph API
○Ref: Microsoft Graph REST API v1.0 endpoint reference
●
●Requires configuration of at least one of:
○the SharePoint Online (safe.microsoft-sharepoint) web service;
■OAuth 2.0 Authorization code flow
■Azure app with Delegated Graph API permissions
○
○the new Microsoft Graph (App Only) web service
■OAuth 2.0 Client Credentials flow
■Azure app with Application Graph API permissions
FME Ref: Reading and Writing SharePoint Libraries

25. SharePointOnlineConnector - Web Services
Authorization Code Grant Flow - User
Client Credentials Grant Flow - No user
No additional configuration needed
Specific configuration needed - see Getting Started with Microsoft SharePoint

26. SharePoint
as a Web File
System

27. SharePoint Online as a Web File System
●Targets a specific file type
○take advantage of the functionality of some FME formats
●
●Calls against the Microsoft Graph API
○uses the SharePointOnlineConnector’s web connection
○
●Generally available if:
○The target file type can be hosted in SharePoint Online; and
○FME has a format for the file type
■Eg. Excel reader

28. 3
Real World
Examples

29. Joining
SharePoint
Data and
Detecting
Change

30. Slide Title
Provide
up-to-date
construction
project
information on a
web map

Goal Block Key
Construction Progress Reports - SharePoint to AGOL
Result
Data is in
SharePoint Lists
and Libraries.
Data is
changing.
Manual
processes.

FME Workspace
run on schedule
to detect
changes in
SharePoint and
update the web
map

More accurate
and timely data
for consumers.
Manual process
removed.

31. Demo

32. Key Points
●Data within SharePoint Lists and Libraries
can be joined together
●A snapshot of a list or library can be
stored to evaluate what has changed
●Let the ChangeDetector do the work
●FME Flow Automations can poll
SharePoint on schedule

33. File Move and
Rename

34. Slide Title
Ensure files are
stored and named
in accordance with
your organization’s
standards
Goal Block Key
File Move and Rename (File Migration)
Result
Multiple users with
access to multiple
document libraries,
and uploading
multiple documents
Chain SharePoint
connectors together
to move and rename
SharePoint-hosted
items as needed
SharePoint hosted
resources stored
and named as per
organization
standards

35. Demo

36. Key Points
●Chain SharePointOnlineConnectors
together in one workflow
●Hold deletion until upload and rename is
complete
○the Junction transformer; consider a
FeatureHolder as well
●Readily automate on schedule in FME
Flow

37. SharePoint
Offroading
with the
HTTPCaller

38. Slide Title
Discover an initial
point-of-contact for
each SharePoint site
under my management

Goal Block Key
SharePoint Site Owner Discovery
Result
SharePointOnline
Connector does not
make API calls which
return the needed site
metadata

HTTPCallers with
Microsoft Graph API
requests
+
SharePointOnline
Connector web connection

A CSV of site
owners

39. Demo

40. Key Points
●HTTPCaller readily accepts access tokens
provided by SharePoint web connections!
○enable Use Authorization
○Authorization: Bearer {token} header
○
●Use the HTTPCaller to make requests not
covered by the SharePoint List format or the
SharePointOnlineConnector
●
●Ensure minimum permissions needed for
target API call are in place

41. 4
Troubleshooting
Tips

42. OAuth 2.0 Connection Errors
●OAuth Failed, Bad Request, Invalid Redirect URI
●Check your FME web service definition
○Client ID, Tenant ID*, Client Secret* and Redirect URl* must all
match those values from the app registration in Azure
○Create a new web service from the template provided
●Try monitoring HTTP traffic as you test FME web
services
○Wireshark, Fiddler Everywhere, etc
●401 Unauthorized - try reauthenticating the web
connection
Testing and Troubleshooting Your Web Service
* where applicable, depending on the type of web service

43. Managed User Consent -
Administrator Approval Required
●User consent has been disabled in MS Entra
●Must request Admin consent for the Azure
registered app
●Once admin consent is granted, may need to
change the FME web service Authorization URL
“&prompt=” parameter to:
○&prompt=select_account
○&prompt=login
○&prompt=none
Testing and Troubleshooting Your Web Service

44. MS Entra Conditional Access Policies
●If-then statements which amplify control over how entities
(including users, groups, devices) access hosted resources
●Device compliance policies are common
○Clients must present device information which meets required device
criteria
○Error often presents during web service / connection testing
●Adaptive session lifetime policies are out there, too!
○Periodic reauthentication is required
○Web connection stops working every X number of days


Testing and Troubleshooting Your Web Service

45. Connection Authorized, But Resource Access
Denied
●Web service and connection authorize successfully, but still can’t
access target resources - 403 error
●Usually has to do with permissions
○User, group, site, item, registered app permissions….
●Check if you can readily access the target resource in a web
browser
●Check if you can readily access the resource with HTTPCaller
●Check if the SharePoint / Graph API supports the type of
resource you want to access
Testing and Troubleshooting Your Web Service

46. Connection Stops Working on FME Flow
●Works for a while, then you start receiving invalid token errors
●The Auth token is published with the web service, but expires
●Confirm your web service is configured correctly on FME Flow
○Authorize the web connection
○This allows FME Flow to get new access tokens when needed

Testing and Troubleshooting Your Web Service

47. Testing and Troubleshooting Your Web Service Testing and Troubleshooting Your Web Service
FME Flow
Redirect URI

48. More Errors
●HTTP Errors (i.e., 401, 403, 404)
●Timeouts
○FME can’t reach the web application URL
●HTTPS or SSL Certificate Errors
○May need to import SSL certificates to establish trust
○May need to disable / delete expired certificates from
OS certificate store(s)
Testing and Troubleshooting Your Web Service
Troubleshooting
SharePoint Web
Connections
Getting Started with
Microsoft SharePoint
(See ‘Creating a Web
Connection’)

49. 5
Conclusion

50. Summary
●FME offers several ways to integrate with
SharePoint
●Automate SharePoint integrations with
FME Flow
●Web service configuration is crucial
●Lots of info in the Knowledge Base!
○Getting Started with Microsoft
Sharepoint

51. 6
Resources

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54. 7
Next Steps

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