Monday, October 31, 2005
SharePoint Newsletter Generator
Build a SharePoint Newsletter Generator That Alerts Users to Changes ... this article demonstrates how you can leverage the SharePoint SDK classes to build a tool that collects all the changes to a site. The tool is called a Newsletter Generator because it presents the collected changes in a Newsletter format.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
MCMS Web Based Site Manager
From Ken C Len ...
This sample shows you how to write a web based site manager using C# and ASP.Net. This web based site management tool can manage your channels, posting, resources, templates, via your posting status and custom properties.
More
This sample shows you how to write a web based site manager using C# and ASP.Net. This web based site management tool can manage your channels, posting, resources, templates, via your posting status and custom properties.
More
Friday, October 21, 2005
Deployment and Customization Best Practices for Windows SharePoint Services
Deployment and Customization Best Practices for Windows SharePoint Services ... this document provides answers to some of the most frequently asked questions that IT professionals have about Windows SharePoint Services. The questions and answers will be of specific interest to system architects, implementers and operations staff who have deployed, are deploying or are evaluating the deployment of Windows SharePoint Services in a medium or large size organization.
Microsoft Web Content Management Blog
The Microsoft Web Content Management guys now have a team blog:
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Business travel stops here
Microsoft becomes Wembley Stadium's first Founding Partner
Microsoft UK and Wembley National Stadium Ltd have today announced that Microsoft has become Wembley Stadium's first Founding Partner.
More : Wembley Stadium (powered by MCMS)
More : Wembley Stadium (powered by MCMS)
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Business Scorecard Manager 2005 - MSDN Download
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
SPS 2003 Service Pack 2
SharePoint Portal Server 2003 Service Pack 2 is now available ... it contains significant security enhancements, in addition to stability and performance improvements. Some of the fixes included with SP2 have been previously released as separate updates. This service pack combines them into one update.
WSS / SPS 2003 Architecture Essentials
Article by Razi Bin Rais ...
Monday, October 17, 2005
Windows Vista CTP Build 5231
Windows Vista "Community Technology Preview" Build 5231 is available for MSDN Subscribers to download.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Microsoft Expression "Acrylic Graphic Designer" - October 2005 CTP
Another update to Microsoft Expression "Acrylic Graphic Designer"- the October 2005 Community Technology Preview has been released.
Microsoft Expression "Acrylic Graphic Designer" (code name) is a professional illustration, painting, and graphic design product. Visit the Acrylic Graphic Designer Features page for an overview of the main features. For more detailed information please view the videos which are also available on the Acrylic Graphic Designer site.
The XAML exporter in Acrylic Graphic Designer October 2005 CTP has been updated and now has its own installer. This will allow the XAML exporter to be updated independently as new versions of Windows Presentation Foundation (formerly code named "Avalon") become available.
Microsoft Expression "Acrylic Graphic Designer" (code name) is a professional illustration, painting, and graphic design product. Visit the Acrylic Graphic Designer Features page for an overview of the main features. For more detailed information please view the videos which are also available on the Acrylic Graphic Designer site.
The XAML exporter in Acrylic Graphic Designer October 2005 CTP has been updated and now has its own installer. This will allow the XAML exporter to be updated independently as new versions of Windows Presentation Foundation (formerly code named "Avalon") become available.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Get Better Metrics With New Reporting Tools For SharePoint Portal Server
Technet Magazine Article: Get Better Metrics With New Reporting Tools For SharePoint Portal Server
- Introduction to the Report Pack for SPS
- Getting the Report Pack for SPS installed
- Using the Data Extraction Program (DEP)
- A tour of the reports
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
NSurvey - free web based survey
From Steve Bargelt ...
This may be old news but just stumbled across NSurvey - very cool stuff.
NSurvey is a free web based survey and form engine software toolkit for Microsoft's .net. Written in pure managed C#, NSurvey aims anyone who needs to collect quickly valuable information from customers, visitors or employees.
NetPolls is a free, open source web based poll engine web control for Microsoft's .net. Written in pure managed C#, NetPoll let you create and manage polls in just a few minutes for your ASP.NET web pages. It will take you less than 5 minutes to install NetPolls on your .NET server.
This may be old news but just stumbled across NSurvey - very cool stuff.
NSurvey is a free web based survey and form engine software toolkit for Microsoft's .net. Written in pure managed C#, NSurvey aims anyone who needs to collect quickly valuable information from customers, visitors or employees.
NetPolls is a free, open source web based poll engine web control for Microsoft's .net. Written in pure managed C#, NetPoll let you create and manage polls in just a few minutes for your ASP.NET web pages. It will take you less than 5 minutes to install NetPolls on your .NET server.
MCMS FAQ update
From Stefan ...
Today I have uploaded the latest version of the MCMS 2002 FAQ to the Microsoft Website.
Here are the links to access the FAQ:
Today I have uploaded the latest version of the MCMS 2002 FAQ to the Microsoft Website.
Here are the links to access the FAQ:
- Html Version
- CHM Version (perfect as offline version)
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
UK Launch Tour - SQL Server 2005, Visual Studio 2005 and BizTalk Server 2006
The people behind Microsoft SQL Server 2005, Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 and Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 are bringing this exciting worldwide launch tour to the UK. Across a series of UK launch tour events, you will be able to take part in solution specific seminars, Q&As with the Development Teams, Community Lounges and Hands on Labs. You will also hear about innovative products, solutions and services from key Microsoft partners.
- Birmingham ICC - November 8th 2005
- London Novotel West, Hotel - November 15th 2005
- Harrogate International Centre - November 22nd 2005
- Edinburgh Corn Exchange - December 7th 2005
Monday, October 10, 2005
New Windows Server System Licensing for Virtualization Scenarios
Microsoft have announced new licensing policies that applies to Windows Server System products installed in virtual machine environments (Microsoft or rival virtualization technology). Per processor licences will be on the virtualized processors used rather than the number of physical processors on the machine.
Press Release
Press Release
Compliance Server - slides
Further to my blog entry on Compliance Server - the free EDRM solution for SharePoint - a set of slides is now available to download.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Virtual PC - demo quick start
Great thing about doing demonstrations with Virtual PC is the ability to delete any changes and revert back to the VPCs demo starting state, so that the demo can be repeated later from the same known position.
With Office 12, I am now using two VPCs - one with O12 Server/Client and another with AD/Exchange/Live Communications Server. Starting both of these from scratch can take many minutes.
In order to quick start my VPCs I have created two batch files:
1. This is used to save the state of the VPC at the start of the demo ... it assumes that there is a folder called 'Reset' located in the directory of the VPC image. Start the VPC and allow all the services to start and hit various web pages to get the various databases opened and caches loaded - get to the start of the demo then close the VPC but ensure you elect to Save State (optionally commit changes to the virtual hard disk). Then invoke the following:
save.bat
2. The following is used restore the state of the VPC to the start of the demo - as soon as this has executed, invoke the .VMC file ... the VPC will quickly load at the demo start.
restore.bat
The .VUD file stores changes to enable the UNDO facility. If when you turn of the VPC you commit any changes back to the virtual hard disk then this file will not exist.
The .VSV file stores the state.
With Office 12, I am now using two VPCs - one with O12 Server/Client and another with AD/Exchange/Live Communications Server. Starting both of these from scratch can take many minutes.
In order to quick start my VPCs I have created two batch files:
1. This is used to save the state of the VPC at the start of the demo ... it assumes that there is a folder called 'Reset' located in the directory of the VPC image. Start the VPC and allow all the services to start and hit various web pages to get the various databases opened and caches loaded - get to the start of the demo then close the VPC but ensure you elect to Save State (optionally commit changes to the virtual hard disk). Then invoke the following:
save.bat
del reset\*.vud
del reset\*.vmc
del reset\*.vsv
copy *.vud reset
copy *.vmc reset
copy *.vsv reset
pause
2. The following is used restore the state of the VPC to the start of the demo - as soon as this has executed, invoke the .VMC file ... the VPC will quickly load at the demo start.
restore.bat
del *.vud
del *.vsv
copy reset\*.vud .
copy reset\*.vmc .
copy reset\*.vsv .
pause
The .VUD file stores changes to enable the UNDO facility. If when you turn of the VPC you commit any changes back to the virtual hard disk then this file will not exist.
The .VSV file stores the state.
Saturday, October 08, 2005
WSS Administrator's Guide
The Windows SharePoint Services Administrator's Guide has been updated to cater for Service Pack 2.
Friday, October 07, 2005
Deleted Items Document Library Custom List Template
Another solution to support restoring deleted items.
From Todd Bleeker ...
The goal was to achieve this without any changes to the Web Servers (like altering Site Definitions or deploying Event Handlers), without any changes to the SharePoint databases (like triggers), without any dependencies on the resulting document libraries (like a mirror document libraries), and without post-provisioning configuration of the resulting document libraries (like pointing to an Event Handler).
Mindsharp's FREE Deleted Items Document Library Custom List Template.
From Todd Bleeker ...
The goal was to achieve this without any changes to the Web Servers (like altering Site Definitions or deploying Event Handlers), without any changes to the SharePoint databases (like triggers), without any dependencies on the resulting document libraries (like a mirror document libraries), and without post-provisioning configuration of the resulting document libraries (like pointing to an Event Handler).
Mindsharp's FREE Deleted Items Document Library Custom List Template.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Business Scorecard Manager 2005 Documentation
Microsoft Office Business Scorecard Manager 2005 enables users to optimize business performance through strategic decision-making.The product has RTMed and the documentation that was available has been updated:
- Business Scorecard Manager Server Planning and Administration Guide ... The Planning and Administration Guide contains information that system administrators use to install, configure and manage a Business Scorecard Manager server deployment.
- Business Scorecard Builder Help Documentation (Builder_Help.exe) ... The Business Scorecard Builder Help includes conceptual and procedural information for users who create scorecards in the Business Scorecard Builder application.
- White Paper: "Use Scorecards and Dashboards to Measure, Monitor, and Drive Agile and Responsive Sales Performance" (Business_Scorecard_Manager_Sales_WP.doc) ... This white paper examines how an advanced scorecarding solution can help overcome the common challenges faced by many sales organizations.
- White Paper: "Achieving Compliance and Strategy Execution Using Microsoft Office Business Scorecard Manager 2005" ... Intended for CFOs, this white paper explains how Business Scorecard Manager can enhance visibility and compliance while helping companies align tactics with strategy to achieve substantial business performance improvements.
- Business Scorecard Manager API Reference ... The Application Programming Interface (API) reference is a complete reference to the Business Scorecard Manager 2005 API for developers.
- SharePoint Web Part Help ... The SharePoint Web Part Help is written for end users who use Business Scorecard Manager scorecards and reports on a SharePoint site.
Note: Instructions for installing SQL 2005 and BSM aren't in the Admin Guide, they're in the readme.txt (side effect from Yukon moving its ship date and BSM keeping on schedule).
SharePoint Recycle Bin 1.0
From Chris Johnson ...
Joel Oleson (Microsoft IT) has released SharePoint Recycle Bin 1.0.
This solution uses an ISAPI filter that sits in front of the WSS ISAPI filter. It watches for requests from users to delete documents. When it sees one, it grabs the document and copies it down to a file share first, then allows WSS to delete the document. This means that when someone rings the helpdesk with a deleted document issue the helpdesk can grab the document from the file share, and either send it to them or put it back in the WSS site for them!
Update: Joel's blog entry on this and other tools.
Joel Oleson (Microsoft IT) has released SharePoint Recycle Bin 1.0.
This solution uses an ISAPI filter that sits in front of the WSS ISAPI filter. It watches for requests from users to delete documents. When it sees one, it grabs the document and copies it down to a file share first, then allows WSS to delete the document. This means that when someone rings the helpdesk with a deleted document issue the helpdesk can grab the document from the file share, and either send it to them or put it back in the WSS site for them!
Update: Joel's blog entry on this and other tools.
SharePoint Site Definition Editor
Bil Simser has announced SharePoint Builder ... an editor for the SharePoint Site Definition XML files.
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Sharepoint User Group UK
Nick Swan informs me he has just started a UK Sharepoint Users Group .
Peter Jackson for 'Halo' the movie
The Oscar-winning creative team behind the "The Lord of the Rings" films, including director Peter Jackson, has been named to run the production of the upcoming film based on Microsofts blockbuster "Halo" video game.
Reuters : Bungie
Reuters : Bungie
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Solution Showcase for the Microsoft Office System
A useful pointer from Patrick ...
The Office Solution Accelerators have evolved into the "Solution Showcase for the Microsoft Office System" ...
MANUFACTURING
And more scenarios are on the way ... you can make a business solution suggestion here .
The Office Solution Accelerators have evolved into the "Solution Showcase for the Microsoft Office System" ...
MANUFACTURING
- Collaborative Product Development
- PLM - Engineering Change Process
- Integrating Small Manufacturing Suppliers
- Lean Manufacturing
- Supply Chain Collaboration
HEALTHCARE AND LIFE SCIENCES
GOVERNMENT
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
RETAIL
FINANCIAL SERVICES
EDUCATION
FINANCE
HUMAN RESOURCES
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
OPERATIONS
SALES
And more scenarios are on the way ... you can make a business solution suggestion here .
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Native PDF support in Office 12
Office 12 - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Publisher, OneNote, Visio, and InfoPath - will provide native support for PDF. Why ?? Because the 30,000 searches per week for PDF support on OfficeOnline highlights the huge demand for this alternative format to share documents across multiple platforms.
Brian Jones: Office XML Formats
Steven Sinofsky Discusses
Brian Jones: Office XML Formats
Steven Sinofsky Discusses