Logical Architecture SharePoint 2007

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SharePoint technology has reached a true technological maturity in its 2007 version. 3rd version after SPS 2001 and SPS 2003, it became one of the essential pillars of the Office System and provides the backbone technology of the new Office Servers such as Excel Services, InfoPath Forms Server and Performance Point. It can be quickly summarized as a "Site Factory" based on the notion of model. SharePoint 2007 can also easily manage an institutional site, a few blogs / Wiki, a hierarchy of GAD to an infinite space or project team. And all based on a single infrastructure. But before we talk about design, development, or even infrastructure, it is imperative to understand the ins and outs of SharePoint 2007 technology.

When we talk about logical architecture, the notion of physical machine is clearly missing. In the case of SharePoint technology, it is even more a reality. Whether a server "standalone" or even a connected infrastructure of 5 machines, the ensemble will always reduce the concept of SharePoint Farm. There is thus no difference between all possible physical configurations, it is only server role and volume management. Obviously, a farm consisting of multiple servers SharePoint manages many more sites, portals and concurrent users a single server. However, there is no impact on the design and organization of the contents of a SharePoint Web site: This will be the same.

So what are the basic elements of any architecture of SharePoint?

Simple, it's actually a very hierarchical and interdependent architecture. The farm hosts SharePoint so different Web Applications (WA). These are instances of IIS Web sites that have been "extended" by SharePoint. Understand IIS sites on which the application SharePoint manages the processing of their information through ASP.Net 2.0. The web applications also manage the storage of information by combining various databases contained in SQL Server.

• The Web applications are, in fact, the logical support of SharePoint 2007

It then comes the concept of Site Collection (SPSite or SC). They represent the main container of SharePoint. They contain and manage the lifecycle of website content (WAS or SPWeb). Either the SharePoint Web site that everyone can see everything through a browser.

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To better understand, know that the Website is the first content type in SharePoint 2007 and it exists only through a Site Collection. A bit like a container and its container. Take the example of a chain hotel. Hotel rooms still belong to a hotel and some hotels may exist in the same region as in the case of Formula 1, Ibis, parking or other.

Thus, if the content is related to SPWeb, management, volume and various galleries for permission, rights or SPSite WebParts are related but pooled for all SPWeb. This is a classic tree structure and know that the site or site root level is always the first site obtained the creation of the collection site. The site collection SPSite or are they connected to the Web application through the concept of path management. By default, a collection can be created either by root "/" (explicit path) or sub site address "/ sites / *" (generic way). Other paths can be added to diversify a little more addresses like:

• Blogs (by then a SPSite Company Blog)
• Teams (for collaboration)
• Projects (for the creation of project sites generated by Project Server instance)
• HR (HR Portal independent intranet)
• Subsidiary (Name of Subsidiary)
• Always keep the root for the Web Site is usual

Regarding the content or the SPWeb or websites, they are composed of two main elements:

1. Web pages: either simple ASPX page or better yet to WebParts Pages in ASP.Net 2.0 style
2. Lists of contents: SPList. These are the information managers of SPWeb. They are of various types such as libraries documentary, image, or even management tasks with Gantt view

These two components form the core of generating models in XML "Site Definition", which is used when creating these sites. A final point to never overlook. Each can contain sub SPWeb web sites and so on. What is commonly called a hierarchy of content. The great secret of the design depends not only SharePoint site templates, content and Web parts but over the arrangement of various "Site Collection" associated with the depth and distribution of various tree "Website".

MOSS 2007, emphasis will be on the concept of community portal, corporate website, publication or site BI Dashboard. Whatever the chosen License and model used, it is still getting the trinomial:

• Web Site
• Collection site
• Web Application

And of course, we do not forget the concept of website template, template and lists the various components of each site. Whatever you're working on SharePoint 2007, chances are it is a SPWeb web site or if you prefer. Without betraying the secrets of some buffoon, know that even the central administration of SharePoint 2007 is based on a single site collection with its website root pages and 3 application: Home, Application and Operation.

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In a simple analysis of a content portal, many similarities can be quickly identified as:

• Management profile
• A search engine
• SSO
• Integration with external systems such as ERP Management

Often, these high-level services used directly via the intranet portal or other system information. SharePoint 2007 respects this design in its new design using the concept of "Shared Services Provider (SSP)" or "Shared Services Provider". Most high-level services and / or consumers and resources are grouped around the concept of PHC to be better exploited through various content sites. Their management has become independent even though the website and operated. So look no further hearings module in a MOSS portal but rather in its associated SSP. This outsourcing allows in addition to associate an external management site accessible from the central government. Substantial bonus, management can easily be delegated to third-party administrators. No more overlapping of roles between:

• Content Manager
• Network Administrator
• Coordinator SharePoint

One last point, the SSP is only available for a configuration MOSS and not WSS. However Sites Collection WSS Team Site can be easily reconnected to an SSP if one day the search was deployed backbone.

SharePoint 2007 gives this completely changes and unifies all in accordance with the second principle :

MOSS site so either community portal or publishing site is actually a classic WSS v3 Site Collection using a portal model all associated with an SSP for its high level services. Now, collaborative sites (WSS), portals (MOSS Portal) or publishing system (MOSS WCM) really share the same:

• Application layer
• Architecture
• Infrastructure.

Regarding the portal model, there are no more worries. It's actually a simple XML model describing the hierarchy directly create SPWeb and final site describes as the principle 1. Caution: Do not be mistaken for much, really transcends the MOSS platform facing SharePoint WSS allowing much more than simple project site / collaboration. The concept of PHC, the search engine unifying models of publishing and business-oriented components provide an even richer platform-oriented concepts of Enterprise Content Management (ECM). For example, the Document Management (EDM) is only one of these scenarios the easiest to use. In effect, Partner in the Record Management, policy management and retention, the result is much richer. That may be one of the most innovative points of SharePoint 2007: The disappearance altogether of concept of topology when deploying the infrastructure. There are now 3 types of roles for a SharePoint server:

• Front End Web Server
• Application server
• Server Database

You can call any SharePoint server farm with all types of servers running one or more of these roles.

• The role of "database" is nothing specific in SharePoint, it is purely a configuration SQL Server 2000, 2005 or Express. If the needs of scalability and high availability, clustered 64-bit configurations are widely recommended.
• The role of "Web Front End (WFE) is certainly the lightest role because it is only to the transformation of data into a SharePoint Web site through IIS and ASP.Net. These servers are often used as a battery to use the concept of load balancing (NLB), altogether traditional, technology Windows Servers.

Brief comment on the notion of NLB, if a set of two servers provide a good level of functioning of the web tier, it is not perfect and therefore not recommended. Indeed, in case of loss of one of two servers, service continuity is assured, however, the last server is thus on demand during this period. You have clearly a situation where the performance and risk, because your last front-end finds himself at full load. We must therefore pay attention to your selection criteria and calculation of your servers. Choose an architecture can be more than three servers Front End Dual Processor duplicate of a quad.