Remember the days when you used to get three books in the box with the CD of your favorite Microsoft product? In those days, it seemed that the scope of a technology could easily be contained within those manuals. Sure, you might buy an extra book, but the expectation was that the majority of required knowledge accompanied the product. Not anymore.
The disappearance of product manuals has been driven by the high cost of printing, demand for shorter product life cycles, and an ever-increasing level of product complexity. It is now commonplace for major Microsoft products to ship with almost no documentation initially. Instead, knowledge is distributed through industry conferences, blogs, wikis, and third-party books. Over time, of course, the online Software Development Kit (SDK) does get revised with better examples, but we are just as likely to read a blog as we are to visit the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN). In short, product documentation has been replaced by a community of technologists working together, innovating, and reviewing content. Though this model can often be frustrating when you are first learning a product or technology, it is incredibly valuable after you understand the fundamentals and are ready to innovate.
Microsoft recognizes key individuals who contribute significantly to the community of technologists through the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award. These individuals are active authors, speakers, bloggers, and innovators. They are also skilled network engineers, developers, trainers, designers, and architects. In the SharePoint community, these MVPs are recognized for their expertise in either Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS).
This book represents the efforts of MVPs in the SharePoint community to present core areas of SharePoint 2007 products and technologies seasoned with significant field experience. The idea behind the book is to lower the learning curve for the reader, while providing the insight necessary to avoid common missteps. This book is an extension of the work the authors have done in their own blogs, books, and presentations.
This book is for the community of SharePoint professionals. That means that architects, designers, developers, administrators, and engineers all will find something useful in its pages. As a reader, you will want to focus on chapters that appeal to your areas of expertise directly. Some of the chapters, for example, assume a strong programming background, whereas others are centered on administration or maintenance. All readers should have some prior experience with SharePoint 2007 products and technologies to get the most out of this book, although the book does include an introductory chapter for those who are just getting started. The authors generally assume a working knowledge of SharePoint in an effort to focus the discussion on implementation and best practices.
This book covers SharePoint 2007 products and technologies. Specifically, you will find topics relating to both WSS and MOSS. The topics were selected based on the authors' capabilities to represent a cross-section of the most important areas within SharePoint. Although the chapters have been arranged in a logical order, they are intended to stand alone as independent articles.
Following is a brief description of each chapter:
Chapter 1: "Introduction to SharePoint"—This chapter provides an introduction to SharePoint using WSS. This chapter is included in the book for those who want an overview of SharePoint, or those who want to install SharePoint for use with the remainder of the book. Readers with significant SharePoint experience may choose to skip this chapter.
Chapter 2: "Configuring Forms Based Authentication"—This chapter provides a review of the steps necessary to implement Forms Based Authentication (FBA) within SharePoint. This chapter examines the different approaches to FBA, along with their strengths and weaknesses. Included in this chapter are some custom solutions to problems such as user and role management.
Chapter 3: "Understanding SharePoint Administration"—This chapter covers all of the basic administration tasks necessary to keep a SharePoint farm healthy. This chapter covers the basics (such as backup and recovery), but also examines more advanced topics (such as command-line utilities and tips). This chapter also presents techniques for managing site templates.
Chapter 4: "Developing Publishing Sites the Smart and Structured Way"—This chapter presents an alternative technique for developing Publishing sites within MOSS. The chapter discusses development with the SharePoint Designer (SPD), but then challenges the conventional thinking with a new structured approach. Readers will learn new ways to ease the management and maintenance of Publishing sites.
Chapter 5: "Using SharePoint Designer 2007"—This chapter covers everything the SharePoint professional should know about SPD. This often-maligned tool can be a powerful part of your SharePoint toolkit, and this chapter shows why. The reader will learn new techniques for using the SPD with WSS and MOSS.
Chapter 6: "Customizing and Branding the SharePoint 2007 Interface"—One of the first tasks in any SharePoint project is branding the use interface. In this chapter, the reader will learn all of the different ways to customize the look and feel of SharePoint using master pages, style sheets, and graphics. This chapter is a must read for all architects and designers.
Chapter 7: "Understanding Web Parts"—This chapter covers all of the information any developer needs to know about creating Web Parts in SharePoint. This chapter walks the reader through the creation and deployment of Web Parts. Readers of this chapter should have a strong C# programming background.
Chapter 8: "Creating Workflows in WSS"—This chapter covers the creation and deployment of workflow solutions in WSS. Readers will learn how to create custom workflows and forms for deployment in WSS. This chapter includes many tips and tricks from actual field experience. Readers of this chapter should have a strong C# programming background.
Chapter 9: "Creating Workflow in SharePoint Server 2007"—This chapter covers creation and deployment of workflow solutions in MOSS. The big difference between WSS and MOSS workflows is the ability to use InfoPath forms. This chapter has extensive coverage of InfoPath forms and how to use them with MOSS workflows.
Chapter 10: "Using the Business Data Catalog"—The Business Data Catalog (BDC) is used to allow MOSS to access line-of-business databases. This chapter covers everything you'll need to set up and use the BDC. Included in this chapter are tips to make the development process easier. Readers of this chapter should be familiar with XML.
Chapter 11: "Using Excel Services"—Excel Services is used to allow MOSS to present spreadsheet data to end users through a browser. This technology is a foundational element in the development of dashboards in the SharePoint Report Center. This chapter is appropriate for any reader who wants to display report data in SharePoint.
Chapter 12: "Securing SharePoint Communication"—This chapter provides full coverage of the various options for securing SharePoint. Readers of this chapter will learn to implement Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), Kerberos security, and other configurations. This chapter also includes coverage of how to use the Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server.
Chapter 13: "Using Information Rights Management"—Information Rights Management (IRM) allows document functionality (such as printing and attaching) to be restricted so that sensitive information does not leave an organization. This chapter covers the basics of setting up IRM and using it with SharePoint libraries. Readers of this chapter will learn to secure libraries individually with IRM.
Chapter 14: "Upgrading from SPS 2003 to MOSS 2007 Using the Gradual Method"—One of the biggest trends in the SharePoint community is upgrading from SharePoint Portal Server 2003 (SPS 2003) to MOSS. This chapter examines all of the different upgrade approaches, and then walks the reader through the gradual method for upgrading. This chapter contains a wealth of field experience learned from performing many upgrades.
To use this book successfully, readers should have a development or test SharePoint environment where they can work through the chapters. Most of the chapters in the book provide step-by-step examples that require administrator rights to perform. Whereas some chapters only require a WSS installation, others require MOSS.
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