This might give some indication as to why it has been a while since the last post. I am trying my best to help my sales team, customers, and even myself become more educated on the many different editions of the Microsoft products.

It was bad enough before Vista, but now with the way too many numbers of Vista editions and the 32/64 bit differences, it is just getting to be too much to keep in one persons brain. So, I am at least going to dump some of the major points here. So you know, this is as much for my benefit as for anyone who actually reads my junk here.

Windows Server 2003 R2 Major point here - it moves to "extended support" 7/13/2010
32 bit Standard: 4GB RAM max, up to 4 procs, 2 node cluster
64 bit Standard: 32GB Ram max, up to 4 procs, 2 node cluster
32 bit Enterprise: 64GB Ram max, up to 8 procs, multi-node clusters
64 bit Enterprise: 2TB Ram max, up to 8 procs, multi-node clusters

SQL Server 2005 http://www.microsoft.com/sql/prodinfo/features/compare-features.mspx
32 bit Standard: 4 procs, OS max for memory, 2 node cluster support
64 bit Standard: um, yeah, it's the same for SQL - at least something is easy
32/64 bit Enterprise: unlimited procs, OS Max on Memory, multi-node clusters

With SQL there are a few additional features you get with Enterprise: Indexed views, database partioning, parallel index operations, and some good integration tools. Check the link above for the full set of feature diffs.

Office SharePoint Server
This one is kind of like SQL Server; it's pretty easy. There is actually no difference in Enterprise/Standard as far as the server goes. Also no difference in price tags. That the server though. The CALs (client access licenses) are where the differences come in.

The Standard CAL gives you all the workspaces, doc libs, lists, enterprise search, Records management, workflow, publishing features, profiles/my sites, and a bunch of the other well known SharePoint features.

The additive Enterprise CAL brings along Excel Calc Services, Froms Server, Report Center and the Business Data Catalog (BDC - not to be confused with the depricated backup domain controller).

Other Product CALs
Here is another cool link to see what features the CALs for the different products include: http://www.microsoft.com/calsuites/enterprise_product.mspx

I will try to add OCS and Exchange edition information a little later. I'm not too sure I will EVER add the Vista editions.

One of the things I absolutely love about my job these days is the ability to meet with new customers to talk about what SharePoint does and what it is. I had the pleasure last year of putting on a "Deminar" as part of my company's (Optimus Solutions) quarterly online educational events. This was my first live online demonstration, so it was a completely new experience for me. I have to say, it was fun, but I prefer the face to face interaction. Give me a room full of people any day over little green dots.

Anyway, I thought I would share it with you. It really just talks about the document management features and the benefits they offer an organization.

http://www.optimussolutions.com/Deminar/Media/collaboration_11-16-2007.wmv

I promise; this one is short.

You know how tough it can be to customize/brand a SharePoint site to your corporate marketing schemes I am sure. Well, I just wanted to share a couple of things with you to make it a little easier next time.

First, if you want to move that Wiki page menu bar (the one with the Edit and History buttons) around on the page, you need to deal with that MiniConsole component on your master page. Really, that's it for the first thing.

Second, READ! Specifically, read everything you can find time to read on Heather Solomon's site. Then read all the CSS books and blogs you can. I assure you it will save you tons of time when you start the next SharePoint branding project.

On a side note, if you aren't using Wikies in SharePoint, you really should give them a shot. They are about the easiest and best way to get your organization's tacit knowledge saved for future employees. This makes turnover of key people much less of an issue. It also helps with the adoption of SharePoint sites in the company. And trust me, the younger generation of workers you are hiring now, they KNOW about Wikies and they will be looking for yours. Make sure they can find it.

The SharePoint Team announced a while back that there had been important changes to the MOSS for Internet Sites. This is definitely good news that makes licensing a little easier for some organizations. However, I think that a lot of people might be too excited about this possibility. There are a couple of reasons why I see this as a bad thing, both of which have nothing to do with this specific change in licensing. I do think the change was needed.

Reason #1 the change is bad: This change makes small to mid size companies think that they can just install a SharePoint server with the two licenses (normal/For Internet) and *poof* there is our extranet/public facing site. If only it were that simple. As with everything SharePoint, this scenario is much more complicated than that. As an example, how will authentication be handled for the external site? Where will the server be placed in the network? DMZ, outside the Firewall, inside the firewall? Of course each of those options presents its own little situation of issues too (outside scope of this post). My recommendation has always been that when you want an external/public SharePoint site, that you setup a separate farm anyway. This is primarily for security concerns. So, I think this licensing change just makes it more difficult for me to explain that the customer doesn't want to do a single server with both internal and external content. I mean "after all", the customer can say, "Microsoft obviously thinks this is a good model."

Reason #2 this is bad: The Microsoft community still cannot come to an agreement on how the Standard and Enterprise CALs should be licensed. Can the customer have some users with Standard only and others with Standard+Enterprise? The answer to that depends completely at this point on who at Microsoft you ask. In fact, I am still waiting on responses from a few different people HOPING for a definitive answer that isn't open to interpretation. Oh, let me tie in this current MOSS for Internet Sites issue. The MOSS for Internet Sites is ONLY sold with fully implemented enterprise features. So guess what, you install a server with it, but you only have licenses for standard for your internal users and suddenly you are now out of compliance with your CALs. Um, yeah, not bad enough that you had to fork out big bucks for that Internet Sites thing, but now you have to (well maybe anyway – depending on who you asked) go and buy Enterprise CALs for everybody even though you weren't really planning on using the BDC, Report Center, or Forms Server. Doesn't quite seem fair to me.

So, with those two biggie reasons why I don't like the change, I still think it is a good thing. Why? Well, it is nice to know I have the option at least to reduce the number of SharePoint servers I need in my deployments. So, instead of having an entirely separate farm, I could just do another server that gets placed out in the DMZ. This seems to be a better solution to me at first glance. Who knows, I might change my mind later. I am finicky that way .

Part 3 of (hmm, still don't know yet) | Part 1 | Part 2

It's easy to get lost if you don't know where you're going

I have to apologize for those of you younger than me (and I am not that old, so stop your laughing) and have never seen this version of Zelda. But still, you should jump on an emulator and give it a shot. It was tons of fun!

Actually, it was extremely frustrating, but it was still fun. In fact the first time you enter the lost woods, or the lost hills – oops! You're stuck. You can walk little Link in any direction you like, and there you are back at the same place. Trapped. And, I refuse to believe that any regular person actually figured out how to get out of those places the first time they entered unless they had a little cheat sheet. There had to be insider help. Once you knew where you were going though (West, North, West, South, West, I think). Actually, it was easier than that to get out, but not getting where you wanted to go (either the graveyard or level 5).

So, again with the SharePoint tie in. Can you draw the connection? This one actually isn't too tough. See there are a thousand and one ways you can go when you start a SharePoint deployment. Some of them leave you stuck right where you started: a mish-mash of documents/pages that no one really uses. Other paths get you down the road, but still not really where you want to be. For instance, you might have a few users/groups that get great value from the new systems, but the majority still rely on their file shares and email routing of documents (maxing out their inbox of course).

And for the lucky ones who have all the information at the beginning, they get out of the woods and into that next level. This is where your entire organization (or most of it at least) adopts the new culture of collaboration. They are using quality searching that you configured for them; they have site aggregations from the data view webparts you configured; they have line of business application access to all their data from a central point. And best of all, they have their team sites and project sites for sharing information. Then, that last westward turn out of the woods: their tacit knowledge suddenly gets published for everybody to see in Wikis and Blogs.

As if you haven't heard this from me already, plan your SharePoint projects with great detail. Really focus on governance (I will cover this topic soon) and Information Architecture (Taxonomy for those who don't know me well enough yet). Those are the most critical aspects of a successful SharePoint deployment. If you get those wrong, you will spend months trying to find your way through the woods/hills of SharePoint.

Part 2 of (not really sure yet) - Read part 1

I remember the first time I inserted that Nintendo game cartridge (that thing was huge). Excitement and wonder, anticipation of the rocking graphics (and you know they were). After a brief setup screen you start your adventure. There is Link, staring at you, waiting for you to send him exploring. His only tool is the little sword and his only security the tiny shield. Then there is that black hole/door. The mystery begins.

You know you didn't read any of the game instructions. Even if you did, there really weren't too many clues as to where to go or what to do. It was totally up to you to figure it out.

Well, as a SharePoint consultant, that scenario is just all too familiar. I guess that is why I spent so many of my teenage days playing Zelda; to prepare me for working so many days with SharePoint. When you first get your hands on the media the excitement of seeing all the new features (document management, version control, workflow, content management) almost overcomes you. The idea of getting the entire organization using a central system for all enterprise information is a prize worth any amount of investment of man hours. And, like Zelda, you can get going with SharePoint with only little configuration.

But then the other side of things hits you: where do I go once it is up and running? With Zelda, it was all part of the fun to figure it out as you go. It wasn't a big deal if you accidently entered a world with a boss you didn't have the tools to beat yet; you could always just revert to the last time you saved the game. Yeah, no such luck in the SharePoint world. That boss will fire your butt, and there are no save points (unless you happen to be in a virtual world).

OK, enough already right. What's the point here? Well, #1, with SharePoint you better be prepared the first time you come up against the boss. Plan your deployments and arm yourself with as much knowledge of this broad product prior to beginning. Otherwise, you will find yourself with your little shield and sword and no way out except to start over.

Then, #2, you are fortunate if you are a late adopter of MOSS 2007. Like Zelda, if you were the first to start playing it, you really were on your own. There were no hints, cheats, game books to help you for several months (unless maybe you subscribed to the Nintendo magazine). SharePoint has been about the same. Unless you were in the beta program, a MS partner, or MS Certified you didn't have much access to good documentation. Things have changes though. TechNet is now FULL of awesome information for planning, deploying, customizing SharePoint. There are also tons of bloggers out there offering great hints and ideas as well as best practice advice from the real world.

It is fun to play around and explore all the features of SharePoint, but as organizations roll out production portals, this is no place to spend hours and hours guessing what next. Get the training; do the reading; talk to experts. Trust me, it isn't fun when you see that first boss unprepared.

Believe me; this IS about SharePoint, so just keep reading.

I awoke from a rather strange dream last night that suddenly had me thinking about one of my favorite games from my early teenage years. This wasn't one of those fun dream where you wake up saying "cool, wish I hadn't awakened." This was probably as close to a nightmare as I have had in a LONG time.

The really crazy and strange thing about it all wasn't that my favorite Nintendo game suddenly scared me 17 years later (yes, I refer to the only REAL Zelda, the original). No, the really odd thing was that I think the dream was really about SharePoint. As I laid there thinking about how this was some manifestation of my SharePoint experience I realized that SharePoint and Zelda have way too many similarities. THAT IS SCARY!!!

So, over the next couple of days (weeks/months – whatever I can muster), I think I will share some of those hidden clues, special sequences, and wonderful prizes that await the adventurer. Join me as I seek the quest that is The Legend of MOSS.

Yep, I took the 70-630 exam today and didn't miss a single question on it. Now understand, I have taken quite a few (this was my 11^th) MS certification exams, and this was the first time I ever aced one. So, I am feeling pretty good about it . Funny thing is though, I really think that anybody (yes anybody) who has actually been intimately involved with a real-world MOSS implementation using at least a small/medium farm topology better be able to at least pass this test with NO preparation. Seriously, most of the questions are common sense. In other cases the only correct option happens to be the only one that actually represents something real in SharePoint. Basically, I think folks with real-world experience with MOSS will pass, missing maybe 4 or 5 questions. If you take a little time to understand what "quiesce" means, then make that only missing 2 or 3 questions (yes, two questions deal with quiescence issues – seriously, just know that term and you get two questions right).

If you are considering taking the exam and feel like you need to take a couple of days or weeks studying up, DON'T. Unless you are a newbie to SharePoint, you will pass this thing first try. Still, if you are one of those anal types, take a look at this. Lots of good stuff on there.

Happy testing!

These are really just some notes I took during a recent training event. Most of this is probably common knowledge or on Technet somewhere, but this is a quick, conslidated list of some top system architecture concerns I have found important in desiging SharePoint deployments.

The databases used in SharePoint:

• Config (CA)
• Content DBs
• Central Admin content DB
• Search DBs

Stoarge
Fullt text index data = 5%-10% of Total searchable content
Search DB = 10%-20% of Total searchable content

General Capacity Planning Issues
Spec out each of the following as separate systems

• Search
• Collaboration
• Excel Services
• Internet/Intranet Solutions

While in training this week I spent some time catching up on the kickin public facing SharePoint sites that are out there in production. Of course one that always grabs the eye is Hawaiian Airlines. The funny thing about it was that their site happened to be down when I tried to show it off to the guy next to me in the class. Even better was the excellent display of the exact ASP.NET error dump. It appears that the cause of their troubles that day was their URL Rewriter (at least that is the error that was on the page).

I have yet to hear from anyone what the exact problem was with their use of the rewriter, but I have it on good authority that the one they were using is a good one. Several of the other MS Partners in the training raved about their own use of it on their customer projects.

The customer says "we used to be able to overwrite attachments", but it would appear that is no longer the case after an upgrade to MOSS 2007 and WSS 3. Well, come to find out that indeed attachments are opened in Word or Excel as Read-only no matter what you do (unless maybe you are the site collection owner).