SharePoint Overview

The current versions of Microsoft SharePoint are SharePoint Services 3.0 and Microsoft Office
SharePoint Server (MOSS) sometimes referred to as SharePoint 2007. SharePoint Services 4.0 and
SharePoint 2010 are due out in the first quarter of 2010.

SharePoint Services 3.0

This is the free version of SharePoint. This version includes the following features:

 Team sites
 Libraries
 Lists
 Workflow

Together these features comprise the collaboration component of SharePoint.

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS)

This is a licensed version of SharePoint that offers other features that extend SharePoint for
enterprise search, web content management, electronic forms, business intelligence and many more
features.

SharePoint Tutorial - Team Sites

Team sites are small web sites that are created to store everything about a particular thing. For
example a site can be created for a department in an organization like human resources. I site can
be created for a particular project. A site can even be created for a meeting. Everything about the
thing (department, project, and meeting) like documents, lists, calendars, etc. is stored in that site.

This is how a new team site looks like.

A site can also have sub-sites. For example, the information technology department may have a site
and then have sub-sites for each team in the department, one for application development, network
and communications.

Creating a Site

To create a site, click the 'Site Actions' box at the top-right side of the page and click the 'Create'
option.

Select the 'Sites and Workspaces' link on the following page.

On the following page you'll enter information for the site such as the title, description and the type
of site.

You can choose from a variety of site templates. Each template has its own configuration of pages,
libraries and lists. The 'Blank Site' is empty and you have to add components after creating a site
from it.

Click the 'Create' button and you'll create your new site based on the selected template.

A SharePoint site, like any web site, is comprised of pages.

This is the default page of a team site.

Creating a Page

To create a new page, click the 'Site Actions' box at the top-right side of the page and click the
'Create' option.

Select either the 'Basic Page' or the 'Web Part Page' link.
If you selected 'Web Part Page', you'll be presented with a variety of layout templates.

Enter a name, select a template and click the 'Create' button and you'll create a new page.

Edit a Page

To edit a page, click the 'Site Actions' box at the top-right side of the page and click the 'Edit Page'
option.
Page Zones

A page can include one or more zones. A zone is an area within the page you can add web parts.
More about web parts in the next lesson. The page below has one zone called 'Full Page'.

Adding Web Parts

To add a web part to a zone, click the 'Add a Web Part' bar and select the web part in the pop-up
form. Select it and click the 'Add' button, the web part will be added to the zone on the page.

SharePoint Tutorial - Web Parts

A page in SharePoint is comprised of web parts that exist within zones. Web parts are available for
just about everything. For example in the page below there are four web part highlighted by
different colors. The purple web part displays a short list of the new announcements stored in the
announcements library. The pink web part displays events from a calendar within the site. The
green web part displays an image from a location the user specifies. The gray web part displays a
list of links from the links list on the site.
Configuring a Web Part

To configure a web part click the down arrow next to it and select 'Modify Shared Web Part'.

This will bring up a section on the right side of the form with the web part's settings. Click the 'OK'
button when complete.

SharePoint Tutorial - Libraries

A library is a feature in SharePoint that stores files (documents). Think of a library as a folder on
your file system. For example, a library can be created to store resumes in the human resources
team site. A library is usually created for a specific type of file. Libraries can contain metadata to
describe the particular file in more detail and to make it easier to find.

Metadata

Metadata are fields or columns you can add to a library that are attached to every file stored in it.
For example, you may want to add a city metadata field to the resumes library. Everytime a new
resume is uploaded to the library a city can be associated with the file. This would make it easier to
search for resumes from a particular city.

Creating a Library

Click the 'Site Actions' box at the top-right side of the page and click 'Create'
Click on the 'Document Library' link on the following page.

Enter a name for the library and select the type of documents to be stored. Click the 'Create' button
and the library will be created in the site.

Adding Metadata
Click the 'Settings' menu in the library and click on 'Create Column'.

Enter the column name and the type of information to be stored and click the 'OK' button.

Uploading a Document

To upload a document or file to the library, click the 'Upload' menu in the library and click 'Upload
Document'.
Browse on your file system or network for the document and click 'OK'.

Enter the rest of the metadata fields for the document and click the 'OK' button. Notice the City
metadata field.
The document is now stored in the library. In this case, a resume has been uploaded to the resumes
library.
Library Web Parts

Everytime a library is created a web part is created for it that can be placed anywhere within the
site. The web part will display a default view of the most recent documents added to the library.

SharePoint Tutorial - Lists

A list is a feature in SharePoint that stores a lists of information. For example, a list can be created
to store web links in the human resources team site. A list is usually created for a specific type of
information. Lists can contain metadata to describe the particular information in more detail and to
make it easier to find.

Metadata

Metadata are fields or columns you can add to a library that are attached to every file stored in it.
For example, you may want to add a site type metadata field to the web links list. Everytime a new
web link is added to the list a site type can be associated with the link. This would make it easier to
search for web links for a particular type.

Creating a List

Click the 'Site Actions' box at the top-right side of the page and click 'Create'
Click on the 'Custom List' link on the following page.

Enter a name for the list, click the 'Create' button and the list will be created in the site.
Adding Metadata

Click the 'Settings' menu in the list and click on 'Create Column'.

Enter the column name and the type of information to be stored and click the 'OK' button. In this
case the 'Choice' type is selected and the choices 'Job Site' and 'Career Development' are entered
for a new 'Site Type' metadata field.
Adding a New Link

To add a new link to the list, click the 'New' menu in the list and click 'New Item'.

Enter the information for the new link. In this case, this is a new web link. Notice the 'Job Site'
metadata choice field. Click the 'OK' button to add the new item.

The new item is added to the list.

List Web Parts

Everytime a list is created a web part is created for it that can be placed anywhere within the site.
The web part will display a default view of the most recent items added to the list.

SharePoint Tutorial - Security

Users, Groups and Roles

Security Structure and Flow

Security in SharePoint is comprised of users, groups and roles.

Users, Groups and Roles

Users
A user account comes from the authentication system. For example, if Active Directory is used to
authenticate then the user accounts will come from it.

Groups
There are two types of groups SharePoint uses: domain groups and SharePoint groups.

Domain groups can come from Active Directory much like user accounts and are created and
maintained there. An Active Directory group may contain Active Directory users and other Active
Directory Groups.

SharePoint groups are created and maintained in SharePoint. A SharePoint group can contain user
accounts and domain groups. A SharePoint group can not contain other SharePoint groups.

Roles
Access is granted or restricted through permissions grouped to form a role. The following roles are
included in SharePoint out-of-the-box:

 Full Control - Has full control.

 Design - Can view, add, update, delete, approve, and customize.
 Manage Hierarchy - Can create sites and edit pages, list items, and documents.
 Approve - Can edit and approve pages, list items, and documents.
 Contribute - Can view, add, update, and delete.
 Read - Can view only.
 Restricted Read - Can view pages and documents, but cannot view historical versions or
review user rights information.
 Limited Access - Can view specific lists, document libraries, list items, folders, or documents
when given permissions.
 View Only - Members of this group can view pages, list items, and documents. If the
document has a server-side file handler available, they can only view the document using
the server-side file handler.

Security Structure and Flow

In SharePoint all objects inherit their security settings from its parent by default. For example, when
a library is created in a site the library will inherit the security settings of the site unless otherwise
specified. The same would go for documents within the library.

If you modify the security of the object in any way then the inheritence is broken but not before
SharePoint imports all the parent settings to the child. Afterwards any updates made to the parent
will not be passed down to the child.

SharePoint Tutorial - SharePoint Services Search

SharePoint Services 3.0 search uses the same searching technology as SharePoint Server 2007
(MOSS). Previous versions of SharePoint services relied on SQL fulltext search.

SharePoint Services search indexes one site collection at a time and confines the search to the same
site collection.

For example let’s say you have two site collections, site collection 1 and site collection 2. If you
perform a search within site collection 1 you will only get results from data and documents stored in
site collection 1.

Microsoft now provides Microsoft Search Server 2008 Express which can index multiple SharePoint
site collections, web sites and other systems providing an enterprise search solution for free.

SharePoint Tutorial - SharePoint Site Security

Users and groups (domain or SharePoint) can be assigned permissions to a site.

The "Site Permissions" link is where you go to view and manage permissions for the site. If you
simply want to add a user to a group that you know has access to the site you can click on the
group link in the "Groups" section in the left-hand navigation. If you don't see the groups, just click
the "Groups" link in the left-hand navigation and a list of groups will appear to the right.

figure 1

When a site is created the default option is to inherit the security settings from the parent site
unless otherwise specified. Notice in figure 1 under the title "Permissions: Human Resources" the
description, "This Web site inherits permissions from its parent Web site". If you need to modify the
site's permissions click the "Action" menu item and click "Edit Permissions". This will copy the
permissions from the parent and the site will stop inheriting. At that point you can edit, add or
delete permissions.

Add a User
To add a user click the "New" menu item and click the "Add Users" link. You may also create a new
group for the site.

Delete a User
To delete a user or group, select the checkbox next to the user or group. Then click "Actions" and
click "Remove User Permissions". This option only becomes available after the site stops inheriting
permissions from its parent.
Edit User Permissions
To edit a user or group's permissions simply click the user or group link or select the checkbox next
to the user or group, click "Actions" and "Edit User Permissions"

Inherit Permissions
To inherit permissions from the parent site click "Actions" and "Inherit Permissions". Be careful,
doing so will remove all the custom permissions on the site.

SharePoint Tutorial - SharePoint Logical Architecture

The SharePoint logical architecure consists of nested and isolated levels. These levels provide
benefits for security, navigation, search, branding and ect. depending on the level

SharePoint Farm

The base level for any SharePoint implementation is the SharePoint farm. Physically a farm can
consist of one server or many servers. An organization may implement one or more farms. This
usually depends on security and performance needs.

From a performance perspective it may make sense for an organization with locations across the
globe to maintain multiple farms with those locations accessing content closest to them for speed.
In these cases, content between the farms need to be synchronized.

From a security perspective an organization may have a SharePoint intranet for internal content and
a SharePoint extranet for third party access. All or components of the extranet farm might have to
be located in the DMZ whereas security policies or concerns may prohibit any portion of the intranet
farm outside of the organization's physical network.
Web Applications

The next level contained within a farm is the web application. A farm will contain multiple web
applications. A web application is always created for Central Administration and at least one web
application will be created for the SharePoint intranet, extranet or internet site.

Instead of having multiple farms, an organization can implement an intranet on one web application
and an extranet on another. Security is maintained separately for each web application restricting
access.

A web application is where you implement and maintain authentication. Users of the intranet may
authenticate against a directory service like Active Directory and users of the extranet may
authenticate against a SQL server database using forms based login. Also a web application can be
extended to another web application to allow multiple ways to authenticate. For example, let's take
the extranet, external users will authenticate against a SQL server database in a web application
and internal users will authenticate against Active Directory in another extended web application.
Two web applications pointing to the same site but with different ways to authenticate.

Lastly, a web application has its own website and application pool in IIS.

Site Collections

The third logical level is the site collection. A site collection is where the design, security, navigation,
content types, web parts, workflows and etc. are maintained for all the sites within the collection.

An organization might create a site collection for the IT department and one for the HR department
each with its own branding design, security policy and navigation requirements.
Sites

The last level is the SharePoint site, although it can be argued that libraries and lists are logical
levels themselves.

Instead of a site collection for each department, an organization may simply decide to create a site
for each department when branding, security policies and navigation should be the same across
departments.
SharePoint Tutorial - Content Types

SharePoint content types provide users with a way to manage and organize content in a more
meaningful way. It's a reusable of settings you want to apply to a particular type of document in a
library or item in a list.

Let's say you have a library called 'shared documents' in the human resources site. Resumes and
vacation requisitions forms are to be stored there. Documents of resume type will have their own
set of properties or columns particular to it as well as vacation requisition forms. They may also
have a specific workflows attached to each. Resumes may have fields like city, school and skills
while the vacation requisition form may have fields such as manager, date request and status. In
previous versions of SharePoint you would have to create a separate library for each document type
or have one library and add all the possible properties for each type of document. Content types
allow you to define a set of properties, workflows and custom new, edit and display forms at the
document level so that the resumes and vacation requisition forms can be stored in the same
'shared documents' library.

When a site content type is added to a list it becomes a list content type. Any changes you make to
the list do not affect the site content type or any list type that inherited from it.

Content types can be created at the site level which can then be inherited by child sites.
SharePoint Tutorial -SharePoint Physical Architecture

The SharePoint physical architecture consists of services running on one or more servers.

Services

There are three types of services that together run the SharePoint farm: web, application and
database services. ‘Web services’ through Internet Information Server is what processes the
ASP.Net and sends back the html to a user's browser. ‘Application services’ is where the "brains" of
SharePoint are located. All of the SharePoint specific logic and services are processed there.
‘Database services’ are run by SQL Server and it is where all the data/content for SharePoint is
stored.
Servers

All the services to run a SharePoint farm can be run on one server or on multiple servers. For
scalability (performance) and redundancy (fail-safe) purposes a distributed (multi-server)
architecture is highly recommended.

Single Server Farm

Multi-Server Farm