PS The tests described in the posting - a 51% performance gain for a medium farm setup - is actually done on 64-bit machines. I'm wondering if anyone has some numbers for 32-bit.
SharePoint
Monday, April 24, 2006
SharePoint Portal Server 2003 and SQL Server 2005
I noticed a posting about the SharePoint Portal Server 2003 performance gains when using SQL Server 2005 as backend database - How do you fancy a 51% performance increase in SPS 2003? " and I decided to try it out - here is what I did:
Created a backup with SharePoint Portal Server backup and restore
Installed a named instance of SQL Server 2005 next to my existing SQL Server 2000
Disconnected the SQL databases from my current portal
Reconfigured my SharePoint Portal Server to use SQL 2005 Server
Performed a restore with SharePoint Portal Server 2003
PS The tests described in the posting - a 51% performance gain for a medium farm setup - is actually done on 64-bit machines. I'm wondering if anyone has some numbers for 32-bit.
SharePoint
PS The tests described in the posting - a 51% performance gain for a medium farm setup - is actually done on 64-bit machines. I'm wondering if anyone has some numbers for 32-bit.
SharePoint
Thursday, April 20, 2006
BIWUG - april 2006 meeting - Tour of the conferences, WebObs and Business Intelligence/ ECM in 2007 Office System
We kicked of the meeting with a Tour of the Conferences - Patrick talked about SharePoint Advisor and SharePoint DevConnections ( mainly a lot of laying in the sun in Orlando and playing games in Vegas ;-)) and gave a nice demo about how to create an event handler in WSS v3. You can now implement event handlers on both lists and document libraries. Another new feature with the respect of event handlers is that you can now use them both synchronously and assynchronously. Afterwards I talked about the 2007 Office System sessions at Dev&IT Pro Days Belux - for people interested, you can download the presentations here:
Office System: Introduction to the Programmable Customization Model for the 2007 Office System User Experience
Office System: How SharePoint Services 2.0 developers today can take advantage of the new capabilities in Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0
Office System: What'>s New for Developers in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007?
2007 Office System Overview
Office SharePoint Futures
In the second part we saw a demo of WebObs - WebObs is an usage analysis tool for SharePoint Portal Server 2003 - it is based on a tagging system and does not have to use the IIS logs - this also means that all data is available in real time. You will need to add a webpart to the pages you want to track - this can be done manually, directly into the SharePoint template pages or with a configuration tool. The reports are generated using SQL Reporting Services - so you can use the features available with Reporting services - such as export to excel. You get some custom webparts to track the usage information - WebObs report wizard webpart, fixed report webpart, my last search results webpart, top documents webpart, search suggestions webpart. There is also a site template available with the WebObs usage reporting dashboard of all types of content - search queries, documents, lists, sites, for specific users (or groups of users). Reports are shown in a user-friendly way - showing title instead of the url. Pricing for WebObs for SharePoint: 5000 for Server License + Client Access License - between 4 and 5 euro / users depending on number of users.
The last part was a demo of the new Business Intelligence functionality and ECM capability in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 (or short MOSS ;-)) - here are some things we saw:
Excel services and Excel Web Access
Publish to Excel Services from within Excel 2007
The new Report Center site
A basic KPI list template
New policies framework (ECM)
... and lots more...
For people interested in attending one of the next sessions - check out the BIWUG site - www.biwug.be
sharepoint2007Office2007
In the second part we saw a demo of WebObs - WebObs is an usage analysis tool for SharePoint Portal Server 2003 - it is based on a tagging system and does not have to use the IIS logs - this also means that all data is available in real time. You will need to add a webpart to the pages you want to track - this can be done manually, directly into the SharePoint template pages or with a configuration tool. The reports are generated using SQL Reporting Services - so you can use the features available with Reporting services - such as export to excel. You get some custom webparts to track the usage information - WebObs report wizard webpart, fixed report webpart, my last search results webpart, top documents webpart, search suggestions webpart. There is also a site template available with the WebObs usage reporting dashboard of all types of content - search queries, documents, lists, sites, for specific users (or groups of users). Reports are shown in a user-friendly way - showing title instead of the url. Pricing for WebObs for SharePoint: 5000 for Server License + Client Access License - between 4 and 5 euro / users depending on number of users.
The last part was a demo of the new Business Intelligence functionality and ECM capability in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 (or short MOSS ;-)) - here are some things we saw:
For people interested in attending one of the next sessions - check out the BIWUG site - www.biwug.be
sharepoint2007Office2007
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Dump your stress with OneNote
Nice tip from Darren Strange (Office Rocker! Strange thinking about Office):
open a OneNote page
force yourself to sit there for 15 minutes while you dump everything in your mental todo list onto the page
keep going
don't stop and don't worry about duplicates
don't let yourself get distracted into doing some of them
5 minutes to go
OK finished? well done - everything is on the page, you can exhale now
Drag text around and start grouping them on the page
tip: hold down the Alt key as you drag and drop to join sections up on the page
Now your worry list is organised into groups
turn each line into an action if appropriate, flag it for follow up (I just click the button for today every time)
switch to Outlook (all your tasks will be synched there) and in the to-do bar make sure you've not got any duplicates
set the correct follow up time (today, tomorrow, next week etc) for each one
switch to calendar week view and drag items off the to-do bar onto the calendar to block out sufficient time to do each task
now you can relax knowing its all in hand and you can go off and have a nice weekend/evening
Try it - I bet you will be less stressed out if you do..
Another top tip - in a meeting, click the "notes about this item" from calendar and add all your notes and flag actions as you go along. At the end of a meeting where you've whiteboarded some stuff, take a photo with your smartphone and later paste it onto the page. You can share it with others easily too either via email or shared notebooks. And with OneNote mobile this will get even easier.
Happy Easter everyone!
open a OneNote page
force yourself to sit there for 15 minutes while you dump everything in your mental todo list onto the page
keep going
don't stop and don't worry about duplicates
don't let yourself get distracted into doing some of them
5 minutes to go
OK finished? well done - everything is on the page, you can exhale now
Drag text around and start grouping them on the page
tip: hold down the Alt key as you drag and drop to join sections up on the page
Now your worry list is organised into groups
turn each line into an action if appropriate, flag it for follow up (I just click the button for today every time)
switch to Outlook (all your tasks will be synched there) and in the to-do bar make sure you've not got any duplicates
set the correct follow up time (today, tomorrow, next week etc) for each one
switch to calendar week view and drag items off the to-do bar onto the calendar to block out sufficient time to do each task
now you can relax knowing its all in hand and you can go off and have a nice weekend/evening
Try it - I bet you will be less stressed out if you do..
Another top tip - in a meeting, click the "notes about this item" from calendar and add all your notes and flag actions as you go along. At the end of a meeting where you've whiteboarded some stuff, take a photo with your smartphone and later paste it onto the page. You can share it with others easily too either via email or shared notebooks. And with OneNote mobile this will get even easier.
Happy Easter everyone!
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Live Communication Server, Avaya & Cisco
In partnership with Avaya, customers with both Avaya MultiVantage Communications Applications and Microsoft Office Communicator will be able to:
Use the Microsoft Office Communicator client to dial Avaya telephony endpoints
Use Microsoft Office Communicator to view the Avaya phone status and presence availability of others
Use Microsoft Office Communicator to initiate or answer phone calls, and then use the PC or an Avaya desk phone to conduct the call
Microsoft and Avaya plan to deliver the first of their joint offerings in 4Q2006.
In partnership with Cisco Systems, customers with both the Cisco Unified Communications system and Microsoft LCS and Office Communicator will be able to accomplish similar tasks as with the Avaya integration. In addition, users will be able to transparently escalate from an Office Communicator IM session to a Cisco-powered voice session. The joint offering is expected in August 2006.
Microsoft and Avaya plan to deliver the first of their joint offerings in 4Q2006.
In partnership with Cisco Systems, customers with both the Cisco Unified Communications system and Microsoft LCS and Office Communicator will be able to accomplish similar tasks as with the Avaya integration. In addition, users will be able to transparently escalate from an Office Communicator IM session to a Cisco-powered voice session. The joint offering is expected in August 2006.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Office 2007, SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services V3 Link Galore
Now that the Office 12 NDA is lifted you get to to see the first round of postings about 2007 Office System which includes not only the Office 2007 clients but also SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services V3:
Update: this list has been updated, check out SharePoint 2007 links v2
The Beauty of SharePoint 2007 - Publishing / Copying Documents
Security highlights in SharePoint 2007
SharePoint 2007: Business Data Catalog
The Beauty of SharePoint 2007 - Scan for Broken Links
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 ROI
MSDN TV: Introduction to Upcoming SharePoint Products and Technologies
The Beauty of SharePoint 2007 - Sign In As Different User
What is new with Columns?
The Published Links Web service in SharePoint 2007
SharePoint 2007: Mobility Shortcut URL
SharePoint 2007: Multi-valued lookup columns
Recycle Bin functionality in SharePoint 2007
The Evolution of Web Content Management in the 2007 Version of Microsoft Office (Webcast -April 18, 2006)
MSDN WebCasts: InfoPath 2007
SharePoint 2007 Product Guide
[SharePoint 2007] What are Content Types?
Outlook 2007
Tudor's blogLots of InfoPath 2007 resources
[SharePoint 2007 Tip] Versioning in document libraries
Microsoft 2007 Office System preview site - Lots of info and also the place to register for the Office 2007 beta2
What are Content Types?
SharePoint 2007-- Get Ready
[DevCon 2006] Business Data Catalog
Naming guides for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007
Office DevCon 2006: Day 3
[DevCon 2006] Visual Studio Extensions for SharePoint Services
[DevCon 2006] Bill's keynote: "It's more then you think"
2007 Office system - and the new Office Services
WebCast: Preparing for Web Content Management with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007
Page anatomy in Office SharePoint Server 2007
Performance, performance, performance - caching in SharePoint 2007
Rolling up information in SharePoint Sites
Office Developer conference 2006 keynote continued
Office Developer conference 2006 continued
Office2007sharepoint2007Office12
Update: this list has been updated, check out SharePoint 2007 links v2
Office2007sharepoint2007Office12
Monday, April 10, 2006
Dolmen Job event 26 april 2006
Following posting only in Dutch - sorry guys, only Dutch speaking developers, analysts and architects should apply:
Want to join our team?Ben jij een ervaren IT-er op zoek naar een nieuwe uitdaging?Dan is er een toekomst voor jou weggelegd bij Dolmen. Een job vol afwisseling, een stabiele werkomgeving, een'no nonsense' bedrijfscultuur, state-of-the-art ICT-oplossingen en dynamische medewerkers.Ontdek alles over Dolmens bedrijfscultuur, jobinhoud, doorgroeimogelijkheden, competentiemanagement,... op Dolmens jobevent op 26 april 2006. Meer info -
Dolmen Jobevent.
Want to join our team?Ben jij een ervaren IT-er op zoek naar een nieuwe uitdaging?Dan is er een toekomst voor jou weggelegd bij Dolmen. Een job vol afwisseling, een stabiele werkomgeving, een'no nonsense' bedrijfscultuur, state-of-the-art ICT-oplossingen en dynamische medewerkers.Ontdek alles over Dolmens bedrijfscultuur, jobinhoud, doorgroeimogelijkheden, competentiemanagement,... op Dolmens jobevent op 26 april 2006. Meer info -
Dolmen Jobevent.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Top 10 IT Projects in 2006 and Microsoft Technologies
I just stumbled upon this interesting posting about the Top 10 IT projects in 2006 and Microsoft Technologies - if you read the posting, you will see that on number 5, you will find Collaboration - here's a small excerpt about it:
Collaboration
Collaboration is one of Microsofts biggest messages in 2006. Windows Vista will provide numerous enhancements for collaboration like Meeting Spaces a peer-to-peer application for document collaboration. Office Groove 2007 will provide a disconnected peer-to-peer collaboration solution for small teams that then integrates back into SharePoint. Exchange Server E12 will connect directly into SharePoint and will provide major enhancements for calendaring and messaging. Live Communications Server and Live Meeting Server (competitor to WebEx) will merge into a unified product allowing enterprises to host presentations, video conferencing, application sharing, and more with a single interface. Office SharePoint Server 2007 will be released at the end of the year with significant changes to the previous SharePoint architecture and will become a collaboration hub for teams, document management, compliance and retention, integration with E12, tighter integration with ISA 2006, project management, project portfolio management, Excel services, and online-based InfoPath forms. In addition to these changes in SharePoint, Office 2007 will have significant changes including direct integration into document management and SharePoint servers, integration with Meeting Spaces, and more.
SharePoint
Collaboration
Collaboration is one of Microsofts biggest messages in 2006. Windows Vista will provide numerous enhancements for collaboration like Meeting Spaces a peer-to-peer application for document collaboration. Office Groove 2007 will provide a disconnected peer-to-peer collaboration solution for small teams that then integrates back into SharePoint. Exchange Server E12 will connect directly into SharePoint and will provide major enhancements for calendaring and messaging. Live Communications Server and Live Meeting Server (competitor to WebEx) will merge into a unified product allowing enterprises to host presentations, video conferencing, application sharing, and more with a single interface. Office SharePoint Server 2007 will be released at the end of the year with significant changes to the previous SharePoint architecture and will become a collaboration hub for teams, document management, compliance and retention, integration with E12, tighter integration with ISA 2006, project management, project portfolio management, Excel services, and online-based InfoPath forms. In addition to these changes in SharePoint, Office 2007 will have significant changes including direct integration into document management and SharePoint servers, integration with Meeting Spaces, and more.
SharePoint
Using forms based authentication for SharePoint Portal Server 2003 extranet access
Bart just wrote an excellent posting about how to use FlexAuth and ISA Server to enable SharePoint Portal Server 2003 for extranet access - I know this thing actually does the trick, since we implemented it at Dolmen.
SharePoint
SharePoint