SharePoint-US: 2009

Friday, April 17, 2009

Service pack 2 release

Time to rejoice as the date for release of service pack 2 is announced as 28th APril 2009.

some more news from the Microsoft sharepoint team blog

The next version of Sharepoint will be named as ''Sharepoint Server 2010", the word office will be dropped to avoid the misconception of sharepoint being an office product and so the synconym MOSS will not be used as well only for the new 2010 version but the intergration only gets better working on various issues identified

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Basic Theory Knowledge for SharePoint

SharePoint Portal Server 2003 Disaster Recovery Preparation

This is NOT about what to do after your SharePoint Portal Server 2003 crashedThis is about What to backup on SharePoint Portal Server 2003 to be able to do Disaster Recovery in future.

1. Full farm backup using SharePoint Portal Server Backup and Restore tool

2. Full backup of SharePoint databases using SQL Server Enterprise Manager/SQL Server Management Studio For each farm Configuration database
STS_Config

For each Portal site Content databases
_SITE
_SERV
_PROF

For WSS2.0 sites Content databases
STS_Content

Incremental backups can be scheduled every night and Full backups can be scheduled every weekend.

3. C:\Inetpub\wwwroot folder

4. C:\Windows\Assembly folder

5. “C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\60” folder

6. From registry export following folder “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Web Server Extensions\6.0”

7. Back Up IIS Metabase (IIS 6.0) using following steps:
To create a non-portable backup (password not required)1. In IIS Manager, right-click the local computer, click All Tasks, and click Backup/Restore Configuration. 2. Click Create Backup. 3. In the Configuration backup name box, type a name for the backup file. 4. Click OK, and then click Close.
The IIS metabase is created in the systemroot\system32\inetsrv\MetaBack folder.
Back Up and Restore the IIS Metabase (IIS 6.0)http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/WindowsServer2003/Library/IIS/131b609d-ff3a-488f-a8dd-13044fa623a1.mspx?mfr=true

In case we are not using Default locations please backup the custom locations.

Some useful articles:

SharePoint Portal Server 2003 Backing Up Data
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepointportaladmin/HA011603461033.aspx

SharePoint Portal Server 2003 Sample: Back Up and Restore
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F59D4BEA-2A51-4D7B-B9D6-3B8639554992&displaylang=en

How to move the databases that are used by SharePoint Portal Server 2003 to a computer that is running SQL Server
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/894164

Supported scenario to restore a backup of data from the original release version of SharePoint Portal Server 2003 to SharePoint Portal Server 2003 Service Pack 1
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/891983

Supported scenarios for using the Stsadm.exe command-line tool to back up and to restore Windows SharePoint Services Web sites and personal sites in SharePoint Portal Server 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/889236

How to Write a Back Up and Restore Application for SharePoint Portal Server 2003
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms916824.aspx

Backing up SharePoint Portal Server 2003 databases hosted on remote SQL server causes the Backup Exec Remote Agent to crash
http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/288594.htm

Deploy InfoPath Form Templates to a SharePoint Library

Creating a browser-compatible form template

The compatibility setting of a form template can be InfoPath, in which case it will only work in the InfoPath client, or InfoPath and InfoPath Forms Services. This compatiblity setting is made when designing the form template, but can be changed at any point during form template design. To check the compatiblity settings of a form template, use the following steps:

Open Infopath 2007

On right hand side we can add controls to the form

Drag & Drop controls to the form

We added a Text box

1. On the Tools menu, click Form Options.

2. Select the Compatibility category.

3. To make a form template browser-compatible, select the appropriate setting in the Browser compatibility section of the dialog box.

4. Click OK.

You can click Change compatibility settings on the Design Checker task pane to go directly to this category in the Form Options dialog box. The Design Checker task pane and the status bar indicate the form template's current compatiblity setting. For more information about using this task pane, click Help with Design Checker at the bottom of the task pane.

In Tools Menu click on Submit Options

Check checkbox "Allow users to submit this form"

Select radio button "Send form data to a single destination"

Select "SharePoint document library" from drop down list

Choose a data connection for submit>Click on Add button

Provide Custom List URL [copy from IE address bar]

We created a custom list called "Infopath Form Results" on http://app

Filename format can be selected as shown below. verify it using fx button on right.

If you want to overwrite file with same name check checkbox "Allow overwrite if file exists"

Click Next

We can change the name of data connection

Click Finish

Click Ok on submit options

Publishing a browser-compatible form template

Publishing a browser-compatible form template that does not contain code creates a browser-enabled form template. The form template compatibility setting must be InfoPath and InfoPath Forms Services before it can be published. To publish a browser-compatible form template to a SharePoint library, follow these steps:

1. On the File menu, click Publish.

2. Select To a SharePoint server with or without InfoPath Forms Services and click Next.

3. Type the URL location of a server running Office SharePoint Server or InfoPath Forms Services and click Next.

4. Select Document Library and click Next.

5. Select Create a new document library and click Next.

6. Enter a name and optional description for the new document library and click Next.

7. Select fields from the form template that you wish to display as columns in the document library and click Next.

Click on Add

Select a field to display as column name We selected field1 which is the textbox we added to form

Check Allow users to edit data in this field by using a datasheet or properties page

On warning prompt click OK

After adding all columns Click Next

8. Click Publish.

9. Once the form template is published, you can choose to e-mail the location of the form template or open the library in the default Web browser by checking the appropriate boxes.

10. We checked following option> Open this document library

Click Close.

By default, when you create a new form in a SharePoint library containing a form template, the form will open in InfoPath if Office InfoPath 2007 is installed on the computer. To see what the browser-enabled form template looks like in the Web browser, follows these steps:

1. In the newly-created document library, choose Form Library Settings from the Settings menu.

2. In the General Settings section, click Advanced settings.

3. Click Display as a Web page in the Browser-enabled Documents section of the Form Library Advanced Settings page.

4. Click OK.

5. Click the link near the top of the page to return to the document library.

6. Click New to open the form in the Web browser.

7. Form opens in Browser

Change data in Text box and click on Submit

We will get following message "The form was submitted succesfully"

We can check the data submitted in the document library "Infopath1" on SharePoint site.

Note

Change this setting back to Open in the client application if you prefer users to fill out the form in InfoPath when it is available on the client computer. If Office InfoPath 2007 is not available, users will be able to fill out the browser-enabled version of the form template in a Web browser.

If Form prompts with following message Click on Replace Form Template on your computer

Form opens in Infopath

Fill the form and click on Submit

Reference : http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb250997.aspx

===THANK YOU===

SharePoint Service Account Requirements

For SINGLESERVER installation which uses SQL Desktop Engine (\MICROSOFT##SSEE for WSS3.0 & \OFFICESERVERS for MOSS 2007)Network Service can be used as Service Account

For WFE or APPLICATION (Not available in WSS3.0) installation which uses SQL Server Full version SQL 2000+SP4 OR SQL 2005+SP2 We need a Domain Account

SharePoint can also be installed in a Workgroup where the Service Account is a Local Administrator account

SharePoint Service Account Requirements are as follows:

1. Domain Admin OR Domain User + Local Admin on SharePoint Server

2. In User Properties, Check Passoword never expires

To Change the password:
A. Change password from AD
B. Run Script in KB 934838 How to change service accounts and service account passwords in SharePoint Server 2007 and in Windows SharePoint Services
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/934838

3.Member of Local Groups all _WPG groups on SharePoint Server (For WSS3.0 & MOSS 2007: IIS_WPG, WSS_WPG, WSS_ADMIN_WPG & WSS_RESTRICTED_WPG)

4. Add Service Account on SQL Server Management Studio>SQL Instance>Security>Logins

5. Minimum Server Roles required :DBCREATOR & SECURITY ADMIN

6. DBOWNER for all SharePoint databases

We can use multiple accounts for multiple roles but they need to be configured with care
Detailed Information is available at following link:

Plan for administrative and service accounts (Office SharePoint Server)http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc263445.aspx

Installing Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 for the first time

1. Install Windows 2003 Server, member of a Domain

2. Install IIS 6.0 (If Upgraded from IIS5.0 Run WWW service in IIS 5.0 isolation mode check box must be unchecked)

3. Download Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 Redistributable Package
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=10CC340B-F857-4A14-83F5-25634C3BF043&displaylang=en

OR

Download Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 Service Pack 1
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=EC2CA85D-B255-4425-9E65-1E88A0BDB72A&displaylang=en

4. Install Microsoft .NET Framework version 3.0

5. Enable ASP.NET 2.0
In the IIS Manager tree, click the plus sign (+) next to the server name, and then click the Web Service Extensions folder.In the details pane, click ASP.NET v2.0.50727, and then click Allow.

6. Download Windows SharePoint Services 3.0http://technet.microsoft.com/hi-in/windowsserver/sharepoint/bb400747(en-us).aspx

OR
Download Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 with Service Pack 1 (SP1) [Must for Windows 2008 Server]http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=ef93e453-75f1-45df-8c6f-4565e8549c2a&displaylang=en

(Note - For Simplicity we are doing SINGLESERVER Installation which means we are using SQL Desktop engine & do not need SQL Server Full version)

7. Run Setup
1. On the Read the Microsoft Software License Terms page, review the terms, select the I accept the terms of this agreement check box, and then click Continue.
2. On the Choose the installation you want page, click Basic to install to the default location. To install to a different location, click Advanced, and then on the Data Location tab, specify the location you want to install to and finish the installation.
3. When Setup finishes, a dialog box prompts you to complete the configuration of your server. Be sure that the Run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard now check box is selected.
4. Click Close to start the configuration wizard.

8.Run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard
A. On the Welcome to SharePoint Products and Technologies page, click Next.
B. In the dialog box that notifies you that some services might need to be restarted or reset during configuration, click Yes.
C. On the Configuration Successful page, click Finish. Your new SharePoint site opens :-)

For Details & Advanced Installation Options Please Refer:
Installation Guide for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=107358

Monday, April 13, 2009

Configure SQL Reporting Services with WSS3.0 / MOSS 2007

Install SQL Server 2005 with Reporting Services
Install MOSS 2007
Install Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services Add-in for Microsoft SharePoint Technologies from
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=1E53F882-0C16-4847-B331-132274AE8C84&displaylang=en

Report Server databases in SQL Server 2005