Large Scale SharePoint SQL Deployments

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Large Scale SharePoint SQL Deployments

View more presentations from Joel Oleson.

SSP Admin Site Strangeness!

I recently came across a weird issue, a customer had built a farm using MOSS 2007 Standard Edition but for some reason their SSP Administration Site included links for both Excel Services and the Business Data Catalog. These shouldn’t be present with the Standard Edition as they are features of the Enterprise Edition of MOSS 2007.

The next step was to check each server within the farm to verify which version of MOSS 2007 had been installed.

The easiest way to do this is to look within the registry – HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office Server\12.0\

The registry key OfficeServerPremium indicates the version of MOSS 2007 installed, a 0 indicates Standard Edition and a 1 indicates Enterprise Edition.

I managed to find a server within the farm where this key was a 1; this was the culprit of the problem. The server had been mistakenly built with an Enterprise Edition key L

The next step I would recommend would be to tear down the farm and rebuild from scratch just to make sure that each and every server is Standard Edition and there are no references to the Enterprise Edition anywhere, simply removing the server(s) that have the Enterprise Edition installed doesn’t remove the links to Excel and BDC from the SSP admin site.

Now in this case we were working with a development farm that is to be rebuilt in the short term anyway so we had the ability to have a play around, we removed the Enterprise server from the farm, rebuilt as Standard and then re-added to the farm.

What I did find is that the following features are responsible for adding the BDC and Excel links to the SSP admin site(s)

· BDCAdminUILinks

· ExcelServer

By simply deactivating these features the links are removed from the SSP admin site(s). NOTE – THIS SHOULD NOT BE DONE IN A PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENT

The following commands can be used to achieve this

· stsadm -o deactivatefeature -filename bdcadminuilinks\feature.xml

· stsadm -o deactivatefeature -filename excelserver\feature.xml

In a production environment I would recommend a rebuild of the farm rather than manually removing the links by deactivating the features.

Detailing SharePoint 2010

One of the most significant changes coming in SharePoint 2010 is the addition of the icon-based ribbon user interface found in the rest of the Office suite of products. For example, ribbon icons will now allow users to check in and check out documents as they are viewing document libraries. Companies will be able to customize the ribbon and even remove it in favor of the older user interface found in SharePoint 2007.

Microsoft has made it much easier for users to customize their own sites in SharePoint 2010. A new feature called Web edit allows site owners to edit their sites almost as if they were typical Office documents, making it easier for them to carry out common Web editing tasks like uploading and changing images or editing text. Other user-focused upgrades include the ability to use Office themes in SharePoint, for example by customizing a team site with the color palette of a SharePoint slide deck.

The Business Data Catalog, introduced in SharePoint 2007, gets a makeover and a new name in SharePoint 2010. Business Connectivity Services now gives users the ability to read and write to business databases. Users can create, read, update, delete, and query that data, even publishing it to Office, so that data published to SharePoint via Business Connectivity Services can do things like show up as a selectable list of data in a form document in Word.

Other user-focused features include the addition of the ability to read Visio documents in SharePoint, and an upgraded version of Microsoft Groove, now renamed SharePoint Workspace and given improved data synchronization capabilities.

IT managers will get their own share of new features in SharePoint 2010, including improved administrative capabilities with a dashboard that uses the ribbon interface; a set of tools to monitor server farm health and data performance and fix common problems; and usage reporting and logging. Developers also get a new set of tools and capabilities like a developer dashboard for easier debugging and a new programming interface, as well as built-in support for Silverlight elements.

SharePoint 2010 will support Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari. However, it will not come in a 32-bit version, and will require Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2005 or 2008 (64-bit only). It will also no longer support Internet Explorer 6.0, which could initially be a limiting factor for upgrades for the many companies that still have yet to move to Internet Explorer 7.0 or later.

While Microsoft detailed some of SharePoint's forthcoming features this week, the company said it would more fully detail SharePoint 2010 at its annual SharePoint Conference in October.

June Cumulative Update Packages Ready for Download

The server-packages of June Cumulative Update for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 are ready for download. KB articles are also available.

Download Information

Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 June cumulative update package
http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=971538

Office SharePoint Server 2007 June cumulative update package
http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=971537

Detail Description

Description of the Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 June cumulative update package
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971538

Description of the Office SharePoint Server 2007 June cumulative update package
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971537

Installation Recommendation for a fresh SharePoint Server

To keep all files in a SharePoint installation up-to-date, the following sequence is recommended.

1. Service Pack 2 for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and language packs
2. Service Pack 2 for Office SharePoint Server 2007 and language packs
3. Bugfix 971620 (which fix the trial issue, this fix will be included in the next round of cumulative update)
4. June Cumulative Update package for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0
5. June Cumulative Update package for Office SharePoint Server 2007

Please note: Start from April Cumulative Update, the packages will no longer install on a farm without a service pack installed. You must have installed either Service Pack 1 (SP1) or SP2 prior to the installation of the cumulative updates.

After applying the preceding updates, run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard or “psconfig –cmd upgrade –inplace b2b -wait” in command line. This needs to be done on every server in the farm with SharePoint installed.

The version of content databases should be 12.0.6510.5000 after successfully applying these updates.

You can also refer to April Cumulative Update post for deployment guides, slipstream how-to links and FAQs

SharePoint 2010 has following new features

 

SharePoint 2010 has following new features

• Better support for Internet facing sites
• More security features & flexibility in managing permissions
• Email management for users
• Faster search
• More storage options such as SAN, NAS, RAID etc. (currently only SQL)
• Improved taxonomy management
• Better Dashboards and reports
• Records and archiving policies
• Easy to use templates
• More commands
• Microsoft Groove is renamed as ‘SharePoint Workspace Manager’
• Integration with other CMS products
• Improved InfoPath form capabilities
• More workflow types
• Native support for Mozilla Firefox 3.0 and Opera
• Better support for Mobile devices
• Easy migration from SPS2003 and MOSS 2007
• Snapshot backup and recovery
• Granular recovery at item level

SharePoint 2010 Technical Preview Released Today

Waking up this Monday morning, there is tons of information on SharePoint 2010 Technical Preview from Microsoft.  More then its' typical for pre-beta.  With the initial information that is coming out of the technical preview of SharePoint 2010, I have a strong belief that this version of SharePoint, will be its finest.  Sure there are huge improvements coming but I'm taking about getting them right. 

Web-Based Office

The biggest news to come out of Redmond, most certainly a direct challenge to Google Apps, Microsoft is rolling out lightweight FREE Web browser versions of Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote.  What's even bigger news is that Microsoft says that its browser versions have been tested on all major browsers aside from Internet Explorer, including Firefox and Safari. 

SharePoint 2010 Changes

What changes are coming to the sneap peak of SharePoint 2010?  Here is a complete list that will be updated:

• New User Interface including new Ribbon
• Web Edit
• Silverlight Web Part
• Rich Theming
• Multiple Browser Support
• Visio Services
• SharePoint Designer
• Business Connectivity Services (the evolution of the Business Data Catalog)
• SharePoint Workspace
• Rich Meda Support
• Streamlined Central Administration
• SharePoint Best Practices Analyzer
• Usage Reporting and Logging
• Large List Resource Throttling
• Unattached Content Database Recovery
• Visual Upgrade
• Visual Studio 2010 SharePoint Tools
• Language Integrated (LINQ) for SharePoint
• Developer Dashboard
• Business Connectivity Services
• Client Object Model (OM)

If you would like to see how the improved the interface, experience and approach has been with SharePoint 2010, then check out the first link below.

Additional Reading

• http://www.microsoft.com/office/2010/
• The Complete Guide To Microsoft’s Office 2010
• First Take: Microsoft Office 2010 Technical Preview
• Office 2010 revealed in great detail via Microsoft videos
• Microsoft unveils Office Web Applications 2010, Mobile 2010

Microsoft unveils Office Web Applications 2010, Mobile 2010

Microsoft has officially revealed its Office Web Applications offerings ahead of the announcements at this years Worldwide Partner Conference today.
Company officials have posted several "what's new" videos onto the Microsoft Showcase site. The what's new videos range from Word through to Outlook and some highlight the Web Applications and "Microsoft Mobile 2010". Blogger Long Zheng noticed the videos on Microsoft's site today.
Office Web Applications 2010
In the what's new video for Office Web Applications 2010, Word, Powerpoint and Excel are demonstrated. Microsoft also confirms these work on PC or Mac and in Firefox as can be seen below.
Office Web Applications are part of Microsoft's "software plus services" initiative where the company plans to deliver all its technology in this way. As part of the next release of Office, Microsoft are planning Office Web applications - lightweight versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote - through a browser. Running these new applications will allow individuals to use a browser to create, edit, and share Office documents wherever they are. Microsoft wants to provide a consistent Office experience, regardless of whether users are accessing their Office documents through the PC, phone, or browser.

Microsoft Mobile 2010
In the what's new video for Mobile 2010, Microsoft demonstrates Mobile document viewers. Viewers allow company's to render Office documents server side, allowing "just about" every smart phone on the market to view the documents without needing to download them. This includes iPhones and Blackberry's.

Video overview of SharePoint 2010

Welcome to SharePoint 2010. Take a sneak peek!

http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/2010/Sneak_Peek/Pages/default.aspx

Test

MOSS and WSS June CU

The June CU is available for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services V3.

June CU’s and the KB articles which are available that time I posted this:

MOSS:

972569 Global
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;972569

970948 Global
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;970948

970947 Language specific
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;970947

972562 Language specific
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;972562

972564 Forms Server Global
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;972564

WSS:

971538 uber package
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;971538

970946 Global
KB article not yet available

This update contains hotfixes after April CU and we still recommend:

• Install SP2 for WSS and MOSS SP2 and Language Packs
• Install the MOSS Trial hotfix http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971620/en-us
• Install the uber package for WSS http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=971538&kbln=en-us
• Install MOSS fixes on demand or wait for the uber package for MOSS because that is not yet available due to Microsoft Project 2007 dependencies. We expect that the MOSS uber package also contain the trial fix.

SharePoint 2007 – LDAP User Filters for Limiting User Profile Import

If you’ve ever tried to setup SharePoint 2007 to import user profiles via LDAP you’ll like this post.  The setup of the SSP to import profiles is a fairly simple task, but what is not that easy is applying the right LDAP user filter to import only the accounts that you desire from Active Directory.  I’d like to share with you my experience with applying user filters and some of the excellent user filter examples I have found.

Instructions for creating a new connection and applying an LDAP user filter to limit the profiles imported by your Shared Service Provider:

1. Log in to your SharePoint Central Administration site.
2. Select your Shared Service Provider and click on “User profiles and properties” under the “User Profiles and My Sites” column.
3. Click on the link, “Manage Connections”.
4. Click on “Create New Connection”.
5. Give the connection a meaningful name.
6. In the Directory service server name text box, enter the server name or IP address of your LDAP server.
7. Enter the LDAP user filter of your choice (see below for examples) .

Now you are ready to import your LDAP users into the profile database. Go back a screen and start a full import. Once the import starts enumerating you should see user profiles being imported into SharePoint. When the import is complete, click “View Profiles” to see what profiles were imported.

I’ve compiled a fairly good set of user filters below, feel free to submit a comment if you have others to add to the list.

Example LDAP User Filters

Default user filter:
(&(objectCategory=Person)(objectClass=User))

Exclude accounts with no email address:
(&(objectCategory=Person)(objectClass=User)(!(userAccountControl:1.2.840.113556.1.4.803:=2))(mail=*))

Exclude disabled accounts:
(&(objectCategory=person)(objectClass=user)(!userAccountControl:1.2.840.113556.1.4.803:=2))

Exclude accounts with passwords set to expire:
(&(objectCategory=person)(objectClass=user)(!userAccountControl=65536))

Include only the accounts with valid email addresses
(&(objectCategory=Person)(objectClass=User)(mail=*com)

Include only the accounts that are part of the Branch1 organizational unit
(&(objectCategory=Person)(objectClass=User)(memberof:1.2.840.113556.1.4.1941:=(CN=Authenticated Users,OU=Branch1,DC=domain,DC=local)))

Exclude accounts that don’t have a first name
(&(objectCategory=Person)(objectClass=User)(!(userAccountControl:1.2.840.113556.1.4.803:=2))(!(!givenName=*)))