SharePoint 2007 Best Practice Analyzer

A very useful tool that analyzer your WSS.

"The SharePoint 2007 Best Practices Analyzer will collect all the data from your database, registry, etc�and apply a set of comprehensive �best practice� rules against the data set.� A detailed report listing is provided after the completion so you can make your SharePoint 2007 Portal faster and more flexible"

To download it, go to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=cb944b27-9d6b-4a1f-b3e1-778efda07df8&displaylang=en

To run it, go to a command prompt and type:

sharepointbpa.exe -cmd analyze

If you have any problems, let me know.

Fadi

70-631 Configuring Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services

I finally decided to stop being lazy and go sit an Exam. I sat exam 70-631 Configuring Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and passed it. Not too hard, but there's some questions there that I don't think should be in a SharePoint exam.

eg, What does ISA config got to do with SharePoint config? As a SharePoint administrator, I don't think you need to know the exact steps to setting up rules in ISA, or MOM, or SQL. Now, Im not saying that you shouldn't know it, but for a SharePoint exam, it should only ask you questions about SharePoint.

Anyway, if anyone needs a hand with it, just ask me.

Fadi

Optimize Blob Cache by including most used file extensions and increasing the cacheabilty value

To do this, it's very simple.

Please ensure that the “Office Sharepoint Server Publishing” feature is activated on all Publishing sites. Also, you should update the location to the best performing drive, add in extra paths, and add in the max-age to expire based on your situation. For example:

Current setting: <BlobCache location="C:\blobcache" path="\.(gif|jpg|png|css|js)$ " maxSize="10" enabled="false"/>

Example Setting: <BlobCache location="E:\blobcache" path="\.(gif|jpg|png|css|js|htc)$ " maxSize="10" max-age="86400" enabled="true"/>

If you have any problems, let me know.

Fadi

Good Tool

Just a quick one, if your after real time diagnostics of multiple servers in a SharePoint farm, go to http://www.codeplex.com/sharepointloggingspy and download the app. I found it very useful.

Fadi

Switching off Versioning for Content Deployment

I don't know if any of you are using content deployment, but for those who are, you would have realised that the destination db is usually the same size as the source (if not bigger). The main reason for this is every time you deploy, it creates a new version of the document. The best way to get round this is to switch off versioning. Here's a little script i've written where you pass in the URL and it will switch off versioning for every list in every site.

class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
string strurl = args[0];
try
{
using (SPSite spsite = new SPSite(strurl))
{
SPWebCollection web = spsite.AllWebs;
for (int i = 0; i < web.Count; i++)
{
foreach (SPList list in web[i].Lists)
{
if (list.EnableVersioning)
{
list.EnableVersioning = false;
list.Update();
}
}
}
spsite.Dispose();
Console.WriteLine("Application run successfully!");
}
}
catch (Exception e) {
Console.WriteLine(e.Message);
}
}
}

Let me know if you have any problems running it. Sorry about the formating of the code, this blog editor doesn't import in properly from VS2005.

Fadi

Vista Bluescreen

A guy work with (thanks Phil), has experienced a problem with Vista. To get it to crash and report this error

To replicated the problem, simply follow the steps after Vista loads:

• AVG antivirus was began its usual scan.
• MSN loaded up as usual.
• Open up Windows Media Center and selected "Live TV".
• Open up Virtual PC and began to run WS2003 to do some site definition testing.
• I Opened IE7 to go to Gmail.

Could anyone that's able to replicate this problem let me know. We're trying to figure out if it's hardware related or a Vista bug.

Fadi

Partial Keyword Search/Wildcard Search Webpart part # 2

I have the web part working now! I will upload the code onces I've cleaned it up a bit, but it works. I still want to performance test it and modify the results. I'll modify it to work with the current search web parts in the future, but for now it writes to a data view and I am modifying it so you can specify the XSL through the web part task pane. If anyone knows how to add the "XSL Editor" to that pane, please let me know that way I don't have to spend time researching it.

Fadi

Partial Keyword Search/Wildcard Search Webpart

Im in the process of writting a webpart that does partial keyword search (or wildcard search). I have it working and Im prettying it up at the moment. I will post the code up there once i've completed the web part, so if anyone want it, shoot me an email and Ill forward it to them once it's complete.

Fadi

Excluding and AD Group from a site.

I was asked what's the best way to exclude specific users from a SharePoint site that all authenticated users had access too.

It's very simple. Simply create a AD group and add those users to the group, then through Central Admin, create a policy to deny them access. To do this:

• Go to Central Admin,
• Click Application Management
• Click Policy for Web Application
• Click Add Users
• Select the Web Application you want to deny users access to
• Click next
• In the users box, put the AD group (or if you didn't create the AD group, simply put the Usernames in there)
• Click the Deny All or Deny write check box (or if you want to only give a specific user access, grant all)
• Click Finished

Now the users in that group can't access the site, even though Authenticated Users have permission on the site level.

If you need any help doing this, please ask.

Fadi