Chris Johnson has announced Windows Powershell scripts that will install and configure all of the pre-requisites and products to begin development in a SharePoint 2010 environment. You can customize which products to install via a configuration file. Out of the box, it installs:

 

• SharePoint Server 2010 + pre-requisites (Standalone)
• Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate Edition
• Silverlight 4 Tools for Visual Studio
• Expression Studio 4 Ultimate
• Open XML SDK
• Visual Studio SDK
• Visual Studio SharePoint Power Tools
• Office 2010 Professional Plus
• SharePoint Designer 2010
• Visio 2010

 

The link also includes a walk-thru guide.

Restore a production sharepoint web farm to a new web farm

If you have a production WSS 3.0 sharepoint environment and need to copy the production data into a test environment web farm (different web farm), it can be done using SQL backups and restore.

I am more comfortable using this method than using stsadm tool. This could also be helpful when your production system crashes and you need to quickly get a backup sharepoint farm up and running with the latest production data.

Note: Make sure that you have a database maintenance plan, that backs up your production content databases nightly.

Production sharepoint farm steps

 In SQL Server Enterprise Manager, back up all Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 databases.

Target farm steps ( if you are setting up a brand new WSS 3.0 farm)

1.  Install Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 on the target farm computer. Do not create a web application.

2.  In SQL Server Enterprise Manager, restore to the target farm computer, all Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 databases except the configuration database and the central administrator content database. Use the Restore Databases menu option.

3.  In the Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 central administrator console, create a web application for the portal site. If you have more web applications in the source farm, create the corresponding web applications in the target farm.

4.  In the Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 central administrator console, detach the content database from the newly created web application by doing the following:

5.  From the Application Management page click the Content Databases link under the SharePoint Web Application Management section.

6.  Change the web application from the drop down list.

7.  Select the content database.

8.  Select Offline for Database Status and check the remove content database

9.  Click OK.

10.  Attach the restored site Content database for the newly created web application.

11. On the Application Management page click Content Databases under SharePoint Web Application Management.

12.  Change the web application from the drop down list

13.  Click Add a content database.

14.  Enter the SQL Server name and the name of the restored database.

15.  Click OK.

16.  Start the search crawl from the Search Setting page.

17.  Click OK on the pop up dialog to resume the crawl.

You have now created a brand new web farm that is a copy of the production web farm.

Target farm steps (if WSS 3.0 farm is already Installed  and has web applications)

1. Make sure that you have same number of web application on this target server as the production server. You will need to use this web application for the restore of the production web application.

2.  Go to  Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 central administrator console, select the web application from the web application list.

3.  Select the content database.

4.  Select Offline for Database Status and check the remove content database

5.  Click OK.

6. Go to the SQL Server and delete the content database

7. Create an empty database on the SQL server and name it the same as the content database that you want to restore from the production web farm

8. Restore the backup taken from the production on this empty database.

9. Go back to Central Administration site
10 On the Application Management page click Content Databases under SharePoint Web Application Management.
11.  Change the web application from the drop down list
12.  Click Add a content database.
13.  Enter the SQL Server name and the name of the restored database.
14.  Click OK.
15.  Start the search crawl from the Search Setting page.
16.  Click OK on the pop up dialog to resume the crawl.

You should now have a copy of the production web farm in a test environment.

While there is an easy way to get the size of a Site Collection in SharePoint 2007:

STSADM.exe -o enumsites -url http:// YOURSITENAMEHERE > c:SiteList.txt

there seems to be no easy way to get that info for a specific site.

One thing you can do is to open your site in Windows Explorer (e.g. \YOURSITENAMEHERE) and navigate to the folder of the site you want to know the size of. Then simply right-click and choose “Properties” and that'll give you the size of everything within that folder plus any subsites that may exist. It's not a quick way to do things but it works.

Here's a handy reference to those SharePoint GUID's that can be used when your error log uses it:

=====================

WSS Features

=====================

 

SPWebApplication Feature Status
—————————————-

SPSearchFeature
GUID: 2ac1da39-c101-475c-8601-122bc36e3d67
Hidden: True
Scope: WebApplication

 

SPSite Feature Status
—————————————-

CTypes
GUID: 695b6570-a48b-4a8e-8ea5-26ea7fc1d162
Hidden: True
Scope: Site

Fields
GUID: ca7bd552-10b1-4563-85b9-5ed1d39c962a
Hidden: True
Scope: Site

IssueTrackingWorkflow
GUID: fde5d850-671e-4143-950a-87b473922dc7
Hidden: False
Scope: Site

BasicWebParts
GUID: 00bfea71-1c5e-4a24-b310-ba51c3eb7a57
Hidden: True
Scope: Site

 

 

 

SPWeb Feature Status
—————————————-

WebPageLibrary
GUID: 00bfea71-c796-4402-9f2f-0eb9a6e71b18
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

IssuesList
GUID: 00bfea71-5932-4f9c-ad71-1557e5751100
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

WorkflowHistoryList
GUID: 00bfea71-4ea5-48d4-a4ad-305cf7030140
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

NoCodeWorkflowLibrary
GUID: 00bfea71-f600-43f6-a895-40c0de7b0117
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

SurveysList
GUID: 00bfea71-eb8a-40b1-80c7-506be7590102
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

GridList
GUID: 00bfea71-3a1d-41d3-a0ee-651d11570120
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

GanttTasksList
GUID: 00bfea71-513d-4ca0-96c2-6a47775c0119
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

LinksList
GUID: 00bfea71-2062-426c-90bf-714c59600103
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

MobilityRedirect
GUID: f41cc668-37e5-4743-b4a8-74d1db3fd8a4
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

workflowProcessList
GUID: 00bfea71-2d77-4a75-9fca-76516689e21a
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

TasksList
GUID: 00bfea71-a83e-497e-9ba0-7a5c597d0107
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

TeamCollab
GUID: 00bfea71-4ea5-48d4-a4ad-7ea5c011abe5
Hidden: False
Scope: Web

AnnouncementsList
GUID: 00bfea71-d1ce-42de-9c63-a44004ce0104
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

PictureLibrary
GUID: 00bfea71-52d4-45b3-b544-b1c71b620109
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

ContactsList
GUID: 00bfea71-7e6d-4186-9ba8-c047ac750105
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

CustomList
GUID: 00bfea71-de22-43b2-a848-c05709900100
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

DocumentLibrary
GUID: 00bfea71-e717-4e80-aa17-d0c71b360101
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

DiscussionsList
GUID: 00bfea71-6a49-43fa-b535-d15c05500108
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

DataSourceLibrary
GUID: 00bfea71-f381-423d-b9d1-da7a54c50110
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

EventsList
GUID: 00bfea71-ec85-4903-972d-ebe475780106
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

XmlFormLibrary
GUID: 00bfea71-1e1d-4562-b56a-f05371bb0115
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

 

=========================

*Additional* Standard Features

=========================

 

SPWebApplication Feature Status

—————————————-

PageConverters
GUID: 14173c38-5e2d-4887-8134-60f9df889bad
Hidden: True
Scope: WebApplication

SearchAndProcess
GUID: 1dbf6063-d809-45ea-9203-d3ba4a64f86d
Hidden: True
Scope: WebApplication

BaseWebApplication
GUID: 4f56f9fa-51a0-420c-b707-63ecbb494db1
Hidden: False
Scope: WebApplication

OSearchBasicFeature
GUID: bc29e863-ae07-4674-bd83-2c6d0aa5623f
Hidden: False
Scope: WebApplication

BulkWorkflowTimerJob
GUID: d992aeca-3802-483a-ab40-6c9376300b61
Hidden: True
Scope: WebApplication

 

 

SPSite Feature Status

—————————————-

PublishingPrerequisites
GUID: a392da98-270b-4e85-9769-04c0fde267aa
Hidden: True
Scope: Site

PublishingSite
GUID: f6924d36-2fa8-4f0b-b16d-06b7250180fa
Hidden: False
Scope: Site

LocalSiteDirectorySettingsLink
GUID: e978b1a6-8de7-49d0-8600-09a250354e14
Hidden: True
Scope: Site

WebPartAdderGroups
GUID: 2ed1c45e-a73b-4779-ae81-1524e4de467a
Hidden: True
Scope: Site

Navigation
GUID: 89e0306d-453b-4ec5-8d68-42067cdbf98e
Hidden: True
Scope: Site

ExpirationWorkflow
GUID: c85e5759-f323-4efb-b548-443d2216efb5
Hidden: False
Scope: Site
RegisterForms: Forms*.xsn
GloballyAvailable: true

SignaturesWorkflow
GUID: 6c09612b-46af-4b2f-8dfc-59185c962a29
Hidden: False
Scope: Site
RegisterForms: Forms*.xsn
GloballyAvailable: true

OffWFCommon
GUID: c9c9515d-e4e2-4001-9050-74f980f93160
Hidden: True
Scope: Site

BaseSite
GUID: b21b090c-c796-4b0f-ac0f-7ef1659c20ae
Hidden: False
Scope: Site

PortalLayouts
GUID: 5f3b0127-2f1d-4cfd-8dd2-85ad1fb00bfc
Hidden: True
Scope: Site

PublishingLayouts
GUID: d3f51be2-38a8-4e44-ba84-940d35be1566
Hidden: True
Scope: Site

PublishingResources
GUID: aebc918d-b20f-4a11-a1db-9ed84d79c87e
Hidden: True
Scope: Site

SearchWebParts
GUID: eaf6a128-0482-4f71-9a2f-b1c650680e77
Hidden: False
Scope: Site

IPFSSiteFeatures
GUID: c88c4ff1-dbf5-4649-ad9f-c6c426ebcbf5
Hidden: True
Scope: Site

LocalSiteDirectoryControl
GUID: 14aafd3a-fcb9-4bb7-9ad7-d8e36b663bbd
Hidden: True
Scope: Site

ExcelServerSite
GUID: 3cb475e7-4e87-45eb-a1f3-db96ad7cf313
Hidden: True
Scope: Site

ReviewWorkflows
GUID: 02464c6a-9d07-4f30-ba04-e9035cf54392
Hidden: False
Scope: Site
RegisterForms: Forms*.xsn
GloballyAvailable: true

TranslationWorkflow
GUID: c6561405-ea03-40a9-a57f-f25472942a22
Hidden: False
Scope: Site
RegisterForms: Forms*.xsn
GloballyAvailable: true

Reporting
GUID: 7094bd89-2cfe-490a-8c7e-fbace37b4a34
Hidden: False
Scope: Site

 

 

SPWeb Feature Status
—————————————-

TransMgmtLib
GUID: 29d85c25-170c-4df9-a641-12db0b9d4130
Hidden: False
Scope: Web

PublishingWeb
GUID: 94c94ca6-b32f-4da9-a9e3-1f3d343d7ecb
Hidden: False
Scope: Web

RelatedLinksScopeSettingsLink
GUID: e8734bb6-be8e-48a1-b036-5a40ff0b8a81
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

AnalyticsLinks
GUID: 56dd7fe7-a155-4283-b5e6-6147560601ee
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

Publishing
GUID: 22a9ef51-737b-4ff2-9346-694633fe4416
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

SlideLibrary
GUID: 0be49fe9-9bc9-409d-abf9-702753bd878d
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

BaseWeb
GUID: 99fe402e-89a0-45aa-9163-85342e865dc8
Hidden: False
Scope: Web

DataConnectionLibrary
GUID: 00bfea71-dbd7-4f72-b8cb-da7ac0440130
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

IPFSWebFeatures
GUID: a0e5a010-1329-49d4-9e09-f280cdbed37d
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

 

 

=======================

*Additional* Enterprise Features

=======================

 

SPWebApplication Feature Status
—————————————-

PremiumWebApplication
GUID: 0ea1c3b6-6ac0-44aa-9f3f-05e8dbe6d70b
Hidden: False
Scope: WebApplication

OSearchEnhancedFeature
GUID: 4750c984-7721-4feb-be61-c660c6190d43
Hidden: False
Scope: WebApplication

ExcelServerWebApplication
GUID: e15ed6d2-4af1-4361-89d3-2acf8cd485de
Hidden: True
Scope: WebApplication

 

 

SPSite Feature Status
—————————————-

PremiumSite
GUID: 8581a8a7-cf16-4770-ac54-260265ddb0b2
Hidden: False
Scope: Site

BizAppsSiteTemplates
GUID: 4248e21f-a816-4c88-8cab-79d82201da7b
Hidden: True
Scope: Site

BizAppsCTypes
GUID: 43f41342-1a37-4372-8ca0-b44d881e4434
Hidden: True
Scope: Site

BizAppsFields
GUID: 5a979115-6b71-45a5-9881-cdc872051a69
Hidden: True
Scope: Site

 

 

SPWeb Feature Status
—————————————-

BizAppsListTemplates
GUID: 065c78be-5231-477e-a972-14177cc5b3c7
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

PremiumWeb
GUID: 0806d127-06e6-447a-980e-2e90b03101b8
Hidden: False
Scope: Web

ReportListTemplate
GUID: 2510d73f-7109-4ccc-8a1c-314894deeb3a
Hidden: True
Scope: Web

An annoying problem happens when using IE8 and you edit a Content Editor Web Part (CEWP) in SharePoint 2007 — it'll come up with an error saying it can not retrieve the properties. If you click OK, it lets you edit the CEWP, but when you go to Save, it'll fail. If you change your browser to use the Compatibility View for that site, you'll be able to save, but then it'll hang and timeout for that save. Very annoying.

The fix is to uncheck “Enable native XMLHTTP support” in Tools > Internet Options > Advanced tab.

A post with wonderful pictures on this issue is here.

 

Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010 (aka Windows SharePoint Services 4.0) is out and available here. Please note the requirements:

Minimum Software requirements

Optional software

Today, the General Manager of SharePoint Marketing announced that Microsoft will be shipping a Content Management Interoperability Services (CMIS) connector for SharePoint 2010. This will allow for easier communication between large Enterprise Content Management (ECM) systems that a company might have. Working with IBM, EMC, Alfresco, OpenText, SAP, and Oracle, this is a long time coming since it was announced back in 2008. Inclusion of this connector may accelerate the adoption of SP2010 which looks like a good improvement over 2007.

Today I was attempting to create a new list on the Public side of a SharePoint 2007 install. For some reason, I kept getting prompted for credentials even though everything was set to anonymous. Turns out my solution was here. The solution goes likes this:

To resolve this issue, use the Stadm.exe command-line tool to disable the lockdown feature. To do this, follow these steps:

1. 1) Click Start, click Run, type cmd in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. 2) Type the following lines at the command prompt. Press ENTER after each line.
3. cd /d %commonprogramfiles%Microsoft SharedWeb Server Extensions12Bin
4. stsadm -o deactivatefeature -url http://ServerName -filename ViewFormPagesLockDownfeature.xml
5. 3) Type exit to exit the command prompt.

Note After you run this command-line tool against your site, you must toggle the Site Settings advanced permissions to turn off Anonymous access. Then, turn on Anonymous access again. You must do this for the command to take effect on content that exists in the site.

I had to do this twice to actually get it to work but it did, finally. More information about anonymous, forms pages, and the lockdown feature can be found here.

Just some notes of things regarding SharePoint and SQL Server:

 

To see that 4gb SQL Express db, install MS SQL Server Management Studio Express and use this as the “Server Name”:

\.pipeMSSQL$MICROSOFT##SSEEsqlquery

——————

To get all users from AD written to a text file, run this on a cmd line:

ldifde -f usersindomain.txt -r “(&(objectCategory=Person)(objectClass=User))

To sync the User Information List:
C:Program FilesCommon FilesMicrosoft Sharedweb server extensions12BIN>
stsadm -o sync

Get all users from “a directory” in AD and put into a text file
L:>ldifde -f usersindomain.txt -r “(&(&(|(&(objectCategory=person)(objectSid=*)(!samAccountType:1.2.840.113556.1.4.804:=3))(&(objectCategory=person)(!objectSid=*))(&(objectCategory=group)(groupType:1.2.840.113556.1.4.804:=14)))(objectCategory=user)(displayName=*)))”

See what databases are out of sync greater than 5 days
c:…12>stsadm -o sync -listolddatabases 5

This is how I set up SSO in MOSS 2007:
1) Create a new domain service account for running SSO service.
2) Change SSO service's Identity to the new service account form Services
console.
3) Add SSO service account as a farm administrator by using “Update farm
administrator's group” link from share point central admin.
4) Right click internet explorer shortcut select “Run As” provide the
credentials for the service account to run it. (This is a very important step
– because of some bug in MOSS i guess). open share point central admin using
this IE window.
5) Setup SSO using this IE window.
6) Remove SSO service account from farm administrator group.

The gacutil lives in C:WINDOWSMicrosoft.NETFrameworkv1.1.4322

———————————————

SQL Version:
SELECT  SERVERPROPERTY('productversion'), SERVERPROPERTY ('productlevel'), SERVERPROPERTY ('edition');

Verify pecentage of SQL Transaction Log Space Used:
DBCC SQLPERF(LOGSPACE);

Truncating the Transaction Logs (make sure you're in the db context with the dropdown):
backup log SharedServices1_DB with truncate_only;
dbcc shrinkfile (SharedServices1_DB_log, 0);

DBCC SHRINKDATABASE;

AvePoint now has a free version of their DocAve SQL Restore Controller. It's not the full version, of course, but it will do item, site, and site collection level restores from active SQL and DPM databases and backups. Not bad when it's free!