SharePoint for all – Chapter I (Introduction to the basics of SharePoint)

SharePoint for all – Chapter I (Introduction to the basics of SharePoint)
This will be a series of articles on SharePoint, which explains from the basics to advanced usage of SharePoint and its group of products. This article is the first of them which gives an introduction to SharePoint. In the coming chapters, we will see the features of SharePoint in depth.

SharePoint is said to be one of the fastest growing technologies from Microsoft.

Definition:
It is a browser-based Content Management System with collaboration features from Microsoft.
It can be configured to run intranet, extranet and internet sites.

Microsoft’s Definition:
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 is an integrated suite of server capabilities that can help improve organizational effectiveness by providing comprehensive content management and enterprise search, accelerating shared business processes, and facilitating information-sharing across boundaries for better business insight. Additionally, this collaboration and content management server provides IT professionals and developers with the platform and tools they need for server administration, application extensibility, and interoperability.

SharePoint Products:

Microsoft lists the following as the SharePoint Products and Technology family:
1. WSS (Windows SharePoint Services)
2. MSS (Microsoft Search Server)
3. Forms Server
4. MOSS (Microsoft Office SharePoint Server)

IDE’s for developing SharePoint Products:

1. Visual studio
2. Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer

1. WSS

Windows SharePoint Services is foundation for all SharePoint based products. It is an object model for creating web pages which does document management and collaboration and centralized document repository.

The latest version of WSS is 3.0. You can download WSS 3.0 from the following link,

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/default.aspx

2. MSS

Microsoft Search Server is an enterprise search platform from Microsoft, based on the search capabilities of Microsoft Office SharePoint server. –Wiki.
You can download MSS from the following link,

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb931107.aspx

3. Forms Server

It is a server which allows InfoPath forms to be used on a browser. It allows even database operations.

4. MOSS

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) 2007 is a portal-based platform built over Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) 3.0. It organizes and aggregates an organization's information in one central, web-based application. MOSS enables users to create portals, has enterprise-level services, such as business intelligence and business process integration, etc.

Used for:
It is primarily used for Content Management, Collaboration, organizing and aggregating an enterprise's data into web-based portal. For e.g. Knowledge Management Portal.

Advantages:
Many built-in features, Rich Security, Content Management, Integration with Office products, business process can be integrated with workflows, less effort to create basic sites with standard functionalities such as search etc.

Hierarchy:
Web Application -> Site Collection -> Sites->database (Content db, Config db, SSO db). An interesting point to note here is that the equivalent of .Net website here is Web Application and not the sites under site collection. Also the databases are encrypted hence developers can't view data.

Study Material from Microsoft:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepointserver/FX100492001033.aspx

http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/Pages/Default.aspx

Study Material from Others:

http://www.fpweb.net/sharepoint-hosting/free-sharepoint-tutorials.asp

http://blog.sharepointhosting.com/Downloads/SharePoint-Tutorials.aspx

http://www.cudenver.edu/RESOURCES/WEBDEVELOPMENT/CMSRESOURCES/TUTORIALS/CREATESPSITE/Pages/CreateaSharePointsite.aspx

http://www.softwaretrainingtutorials.com/ms-sharepoint.php

System Requirements:

Hardware Requirements suggested by Microsoft:

Component Minimum Recommended
Processor 2.5 gigahertz (GHz) Dual processors that are each 3 GHz or faster
RAM 1 gigabyte (GB) 2 GB
Disk NTFS file system–formatted partition with a minimum of 3 GB of free space NTFS file system–formatted partition with 3 GB of free space plus adequate free space for your Web sites
Drive DVD drive DVD drive or the source copied to a local or network-accessible drive

Display 1024 × 768 1024 × 768 or higher resolution monitor
Network 56 kilobits per second (Kbps) connection between client computers and server 56 Kbps or faster connection between client computers and server


For detailed information on the System requirements for SharePoint, see the following link,

http://technet.microsoft.com/hi-in/library/cc288751(en-us).aspx