using sharepoint's infopath feature to generate forms creating a

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I G M SHAREPOINT PRACTICAL IT STRATEGIES FOR ENTERPRISE COLLABORATION / / / OCTOBER 2008 IMPLEMENTATION Using SharePoint’s InfoPath feature to generate forms SharePoint Server’s InfoPath can save money and time by streamlining the forms process. BY NICOLA YOUNG GOVERNANCE Creating a SharePoint governance document Learn which issues to include in your SharePoint governance document to avoid problems down the road. BY BRIEN M. POSEY MANAGEMENT Rookie mistakes to avoid during the implementation process From choosing the wrong installation to ignoring disaster recovery, beware of these SharePoint implementation blunders. BY SHAWN SHELL

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SHAREPOINTPRACTICAL IT STRATEGIES FOR ENTERPRISE COLLABORATION /// OCTOBER 2008

IMPLEMENTATION

Using SharePoint’s InfoPathfeature to generate formsSharePoint Server’s InfoPath can save money and timeby streamlining the forms process. BY NICOLA YOUNG

GOVERNANCE

Creating a SharePointgovernance documentLearn which issues to include in your SharePoint governancedocument to avoid problems down the road. BY BRIEN M. POSEY

MANAGEMENT

Rookie mistakes to avoid duringthe implementation processFrom choosing the wrong installation to ignoring disaster recovery,beware of these SharePoint implementation blunders. BY SHAWN SHELL

FOR ENTERPRISES STILL STRIVING for the “paperless office,” Microsoft OfficeInfoPath might get you one step closer.

Office InfoPath is an application of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007that allows forms to be created and filled in using a Web browser. Users canpublish these forms to a library and update them so everyone always uses thelatest version of each form.

Web-based forms can save time and money, so why is InfoPath one of themost underused SharePoint features?

If the idea of writing custom code is a turn-off for IT folks, they needn’t worry.SharePoint expert Nicola Young says that InfoPath uses a WYSIWYG formsdesigner, so no programming is required. Young walks readers through theprocess of using an InfoPath template to design an online form in this month’scover story “Using SharePoint’s InfoPath feature to generate forms.”

Is governance keeping you up at night? Then you’ve come to the right place.In “Creating a SharePoint governance document,” Microsoft MVP Brien M.Posey spells out the critical governance areas in your SharePoint installation.

Still a SharePoint rookie? Beware of some common blunders. SharePointguru Shawn Shell offers helpful advice in “Rookie mistakes to avoid during theSharePoint implementation process.”

What SharePoint conundrum is bothering you? Let us know, and we’llwrite about it. Email me at [email protected]. �

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» EDITOR’S NOTE++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In search of the ‘paperless office’BY CHRISTINE CASATELLI

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Marilyn Cohodas, Editorial Director, [email protected] Casatelli, Editor, [email protected], Copy Editor, [email protected] Koury, Art Director of Digital Content, [email protected] Brown, Publisher, [email protected] Salamone, Senior Director of Sales, [email protected]

TechTarget, 117 Kendrick Street, Needham, MA 02494; www.techtarget.com©2008 TECHTARGET.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

3 SharePoint October 2008

ONE OF THE most underused featuresof Microsoft Office SharePoint Server(MOSS) Enterprise is its ability tocreate electronic forms that can befilled out using a Web browser.

Users don’t need to have the Share-Point client installed on their comput-ers to create the forms because it’san easy enough process with MOSSusing a feature called InfoPath.

A WYSIWYG designer for electron-ic forms, SharePoint Server’s InfoPatheliminates the need to write any codeat all. Users don’t have to createforms in Microsoft Word or MicrosoftExcel and place them on a file shareor email them around. With FormsServer—which is included with theEnterprise version of SharePoint—users can publish these forms to alibrary and update them so everyoneis always using the latest version ofeach form.

The best thing about using Info-Path is the cost saving it offers forcommon business applications,like setting up new employees on

the network.Typically when a new employee

starts, the hiring manager sends anemail to the IT department asking forthe employee to be added to the sys-tem. After trading several email mes-sages with the hiring manager, the ITshop figures out what type of phoneand computer access is appropriatefor the new employee and programs

the permissions. Most of the time,this process is completed the daybefore the new employee starts.

With SharePoint Server’s InfoPath,the IT department could set up a form

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Using SharePoint’s InfoPathfeature to generate formsSharePoint Server’s InfoPath can save money and timeby streamlining the forms process. BY NICOLA YOUNG

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The best thing aboutusing InfoPath is thecost saving it offersfor common businessapplications, like settingup new employees onthe network.

for the hiring manager to fill out withthe exact programs needed to grantaccess to the appropriate type ofcomputer and phone. After the hiringmanager fills out the form, she wouldsubmit it to a library with a “new hire”notification sent to the IT staff. Totrack the status of this request, ITcould add a column to the libraryto track the status of this requestor even add a workflow to automatethe process even further.

A conservative estimate of whatis spent emailing the hiring managerand tracking down the appropriateequipment is an hour of IT time pernew hire. If an organization hires 100

people per year and a member of theIT staff is paid $30 an hour for man-aging this process, using the electron-ic forms feature in SharePoint couldsave $3,000 per year for just thatone application.

For the following example, usethe Travel Request sample templateincluded with Microsoft InfoPath2007. Open InfoPath on your desktop.In the Getting Started dialog box,select Customize a Sample, as inFIGURE 1. Select Sample-TravelRequest by double-clicking on it.

To allow users to fill out this formusing the browser, the form needsto be browser-enabled. Click

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FIGURE 1

Use a template in the Getting Started dialog box.

Tools → Form Options (FIGURE 2).Under Category, select Compati-

bility. Make sure the box is checkednext to Design a form templatethat can be opened in a browseror InfoPath. Click OK.

On the Design Tasks pane, selectPublish Form Template. A warningbox will appear stating the form mustbe saved first. Click OK. Give thetemplate a name and click Save.The Publish Wizard will now open.

Select To a SharePoint server withor without InfoPath Forms Services.

Click Next. Enter the URL to theSharePoint site you would like to cre-ate the form library on to store theseforms. You will want to enter the URLin http://sharepointsite.com/. Be sureto remove the default.aspx from theURL. Click Next. See that the box nextto Enable this form to be filled out byusing a Browser is checked (FIGURE 3).

NOTE: If this box is grayed out, youwill want to check to different items.Be sure this form is browser-enabledby following the previous steps above,

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FIGURE 2

Browser-enable the form so users can fill it out.

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and be sure the site you are attempt-ing to publish this form to has theOffice SharePoint Server EnterpriseSite features activated.

For this example, use the Docu-ment Library in FIGURE 3. It is impor-tant to note, however, that you cancreate a Site Content Type that couldbe used in multiple documentlibraries and managed in one centralspot. Or you could create an adminis-trator-approved form template, whichis needed if you have any code in theform. Click Next.

Select Create a new documentlibrary. Even though it says “Createa new document library,” you are

actually creating a new form librarythat has added functionality, such asenabling the browser view, mergingforms and relinking documents totheir template. Click Next. Give thelibrary a name—“Travel Requests”is fitting for this demo. At this point,you can also give a description. ClickNext.

The column option is allowing youto select the fields on the form thatwill become columns on the formlibrary. To select another column,click Add. From the Travel Requestsgroup select email. Notice you cangive the column a different namethan the field and you can determineif it is just going to be a column on

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FIGURE 3

Create a new document library.

this list or a site column. Click OK.Promoting the fields in the form to

columns allows users to see informa-tion quickly from the form withoutneeding to open the entire form. Itwill also allow you to use other Share-Point functionality, such as using thecolumn to create a view or using theinformation in a workflow. Click Next.Click Publish. ClickOpen this form inthe Browser to view how the form

will look for your users.Fill in the form. Click Save. Give

the form a name and click Save.Close the form and navigate to

the new library by entering the URLto the site. On the Quick Launch Baryou should see a link to the newlibrary. When you click on it, yourform has been saved as well as theextra columns created from fieldsthat were promoted (FIGURE 4). �

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FIGURE 4

After publishing the form template, open it to see how it will look to users.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nicola Young is SharePoint planning and design consultant for SharePoint911, a consultancyspecializing in SharePoint services and administration. Young focuses on information usabilityand organization as well as SharePoint business applications. She is the lead author of theTed Pattison Group’s course SBU201: Business Users Guide to SharePoint Server 2007 andco-author of SAB301: Building Enterprise Solutions with SharePoint Server 2007 and SPG301:

SharePoint Planning and Governance.

WHAT IS A SharePoint governancedocument? Do you really need one?

A SharePoint governance docu-ment outlines policies and proceduresregarding the way SharePoint is to beused and maintained within an organ-ization. This document often address-es things like backup procedures andsecurity settings and typically pro-vides an acceptable use policy forthe end users.

Why is it important to have aSharePoint governance document?One of my clients went through asituation a few days ago that under-scores the need for such a document.This client’s primary SharePoint sitecontained a discussion board whereusers collaborate with each other.Most of the discussion areas are busi-ness related, but some are intendedto be fun.

One of the discussion areas on thesite was titled “Anything Goes.” Oneof the employees posted a redneckjoke in this area. Although the jokewas intended to be harmless, another

employee got angry and claimed thatit was an insult to his Southern her-itage. What started out as an inno-cent joke escalated into a discrimina-tion case and resulted in severalemployees leaving the company.Had this client created a SharePointgovernance policy, this may neverhave happened.

Incidentally, the company has a

SharePoint governance policy in placenow. It still has its “Anything Goes”area, but it’s open only to employeeswho sign away their right to be offend-ed by anything posted in that area.

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Creating a SharePointgovernance documentLearn which issues to include in your SharePoint governancedocument to avoid problems down the road. BY BRIEN M. POSEY

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A SharePoint governancedocument outlinespolicies and proceduresregarding the waySharePoint is to be usedand maintained withinan organization.

ANATOMY OF A SHAREPOINTGOVERNANCE DOCUMENTUnfortunately, there is no universaltemplate for creating a SharePointgovernance document. Every compa-ny’s SharePoint deployment is differ-ent, so every company requires a dif-ferent type of SharePoint governancedocument.

The list below contains someimportant governance issues, butdepending on the size and complexityof an organization, other issues mayneed to be addressed. Microsoft hascreated a much more comprehensiveSharePoint governance checklist thatyou can access for help in developingyour document.

First, form a committee whose jobit will be to determine the needs ofthe SharePoint governance document,and then create the document. Hereare some of the more importantissues for the committee to includein the governance document:qCreate a site map for your

SharePoint structure.qCreate a policy outlining the

criteria for creating additional Share-Point sites or for making substantialchanges to the sites that are alreadyin use.qDocument which people are

responsible for supporting andmaintaining the site, and create acontact list.qClearly define which roles mem-

bers of the IT staff will take in sup-

porting the SharePoint environment.qDecide who is allowed to request

new SharePoint sites or changes toexisting sites and under what circum-stances.qDevelop a change management

process for SharePoint sites.qDesign a policy for archiving

older versions of the site, and stipu-

late how long those archives shouldbe maintained.qDetermine whether or not your

company is going to charge individualdepartments for their use of theSharePoint site.qProvide training to your help desk

staff, and create a policy for how thehelp desk staff should help usersresolve problems.qCreate a backup policy.qDetermine upfront which tools

will be allowed for developing andmaintaining SharePoint sites.qCreate a template from which all

future pages of the site will be based.qDecide which parts of the

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Every company’sSharePoint deploymentis different, so everycompany requiresa different type ofSharePoint governancedocument.

template site owners are allowedto modify.qDetermine which types of

content are acceptable on yourSharePoint site.q Specify the types of documents

that should be stored in documentlibraries.q Establish document library work-

flow settings.qCreate a document archival and

retention policy.qDevelop an acceptable use policy

for the end users.

WHAT TO DO WITH YOURSHAREPOINT GOVERNANCEDOCUMENT?Once a SharePoint governance docu-ment has been written, the first thingis to apply specifications from thedocument to your SharePoint sitewherever possible. For example, if thegovernance document outlines work-flow procedures, then you shouldbuild those workflow procedures intoSharePoint rather than assuming that

users will follow the procedures justbecause it is part of the companypolicy.

One last thing: Schedule an annualreview to make sure that the Share-Point site still complies with thegovernance document and to see ifthe document needs to be updated.

Over the 15 or so years that I haveworked in IT, I have seen a lot of well-intentioned companies take on vari-ous network- or security-related doc-umentation projects, vowing thatthose documents will always be keptup to date. It has only been in therarest of circumstances, though, thatI have seen the company keep thesetypes of documents up to date overthe long term.

Creating a SharePoint governancedocument is a lot of work. All of thiswork will be in vain if you simplydraft a document and then take nofurther action. So make sure you keepyour governance document up todate. I guarantee it'll help you avoidmore than a few problems down theroad. �

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brien M. Posey has received Microsoft's Most Valuable Professional award five times forhis work withWindows Server, IIS, file systems/storage, and Exchange Server. He has servedas CIO for a nationwide chain of hospitals and healthcare facilities and was once a networkadministrator for Fort Knox.

What Happens When SharePoint Goes Down?You rely on MOSS to communicate, to actionimmediate service and to collaborate across the organization.

Without MOSS everything stops. Productivity dies,employees are isolated and information flow ends.

Keep Lines of Communication OpenThe ability to collaborate within teams across geographic dispersion is vital. There is no acceptable downtime window for SharePoint, it must be available 24x7.

Planned maintenance, storage failures, power outages and user errors are all reasons for downtime. Factor these into service continuity plans.Service continuity plans should have protection of MOSS as a high priority. Projects and information sharing may depend on it.

Keeping SharePoint AvailableNeverfail is an award winning solution to keepusers connected to MOSS. Disaster recovery, highavailability and data protection comes as standard.Out-of-the box your entire SharePoint farm is protected. Predictive monitoring ensures best practice. Replication ensures data is always protected. Automated failover keeps SharePoint available when things go wrong.

Can you afford to be without email for a day?Visit www.neverfailgroup.com/resources/whitepapers.aspx for your copy of the Neverfail for SharePoint White Paper.

Or, better still, email us at [email protected] or call 512.327.5777 to join organizationsacross the World who’ve chosen Neverfail for themost effective disaster recovery, data protectionand high availability solutions in the industry.

EXCHANGE • SQL SERVER • FILE SERVER • IIS • SHAREPOINT • BLACKBERRY • LOTUS DOMINO • RIGHTFAX

13 SharePoint October 2008

DESPITE WHAT MAY seem like a virtualexplosion of SharePoint in the enter-prise, it has been around since 2001.However, because of the variousarchitectural changes in the recentversion, SharePoint’s popularity hastaken off. The challenge now is toensure that it is implemented proper-ly in your environment.

Almost to a fault, SharePoint iseasy to install and configure. Using itis pretty easy too. However, becauseit’s so easy, many organizations make“rookie mistakes” when implement-ing SharePoint. Here is a list of the topmistakes and ways to avoid them.

PICKING BASICVS. ADVANCEDINSTALLATION

When installing SharePoint, manyorganizations mistakenly take thebasic install option because it soundslogical. And it’s quite easy—you caninstall it with a few mouse clicks. Formore enterprises, however, the

advanced option is better.Always choose the advanced

option if:

q You don’t want to install every-thing on the same server. In mostcases, the enterprise should haveat least a separate SQL Server—thebasic installation doesn’t allow youto specify the database server.Further, you must also choose theadvanced option if you want a load-balanced set of Web Front End(WFE) servers.

q You want to use full SQLServer—either new or existing.SharePoint is heavily dependent onSQL Server to store content and con-figuration. The basic install will installSQL Express, which works for devel-opment or very small installations—like a workgroup—but it’s not suitedfor departmental or enterprisedeployments.

q Fault tolerance is required. Many

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Rookie mistakes to avoid duringthe implementation processFrom choosing the wrong installation to ignoring disaster recovery,beware of these SharePoint implementation blunders. BY SHAWN SHELL

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enterprises wrongly assume thatload balancing or highly availableenvironments are for performance.In fact, most often fault tolerance isa higher priority and the real reasonto leverage load balancing, RAID orother high-availability solutions. Thebasic installation does not allow youto configure a highly available envi-ronment.

IMPROPER USEOF SERVICE ACCOUNTSAND PERMISSIONS

SharePoint, like many server-basedtools, needs to interact both withthe server it’s installed on and withservices that surround it. As such,it requires “service accounts.” Theseare special identities used by Share-Point to communicate with SQL Serv-er, crawl content, add index informa-tion on the file system and createworker processes, among otherfunctions.

When installing SharePoint, manyorganizations incorrectly use genericserver accounts like NETWORKSERVICE or SYSTEM. Alternatively,they may use an administrator orequivalent. Neither approach is rec-ommended. Instead, consider usinga separate domain account for eachprimary SharePoint service. Eachaccount should be configured withthe fewest privileges possible.

Here’s a quick list of the accounts,

at minimum, that should be created:

q Primary SharePoint serviceaccount. This is used for CentralAdministration and “talking” to SQLServer.

q Search account. There are a fewplaces where search needs a serviceaccount. It’s acceptable to use oneaccount for all three, but because thesearch account needs administrativeprivileges on the Index and WFEservers, you may want to use sepa-rate accounts for the different searchservices. Be aware that the crawlingaccount is also used to access themembership directory, in addition toyour content. So you’ll want to makesure it has the rights to access thatcontent.

qApplication accounts. For eachWeb application—think website—inyour environment, you should createa separate identity. This helps createsecurity boundaries between applica-tions and has the added benefit ofhelping identify which worker processis servicing a given application. Forexample, in Task Manager, the identityof a process is listed next to theprocess.

q Shared services account. Ifinstalling Microsoft Office SharePointServer (MOSS), shared services iswhat controls enterprise search, My

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Sites and the BDC. It is a separateapplication like your other SharePointsites.

INCORRECTDRIVE SPACEALLOCATION

The SharePoint installation processputs everything—software, indexes,location of custom solutions, logs—on the primary system drive, and it’soften the C drive. In many organiza-tions, however, the C drive is parti-tioned smaller for just the OS files.As a result, space can run out quickly.

Depending on the role the Share-Point server is playing—either WebFront End (WFE), search, index ordatabase—it will have different spacerequirements. If the server is a searchor index server, you’ll need at least25% of your total content storageavailable for the indexes. On a smallC partition, space runs out quickly ifyou crawl a lot of content. And, keepin mind: If a machine is running SQLServer, everything goes into the data-base. Every bit of content will bestored as a binary, and the database

files and transaction logs will growrapidly. If versioning is enabled, thisexpansion will be rapid. In short, besure to place data files, indexes andother assets related to your Share-Point site on a drive with plenty ofspace.

IGNORINGDISASTER RECOVERYSITUATIONS

Many organizations disregard or dis-miss the special nature of SharePointwhen developing disaster recoverybusiness continuity plans. SharePointis more complicated than your aver-age database-driven portal. As such,you need to understand its architec-ture and make plans for reconstitut-ing your environment.

Although a rookie mistake list couldbe much longer, this checklist high-lights the ones that are made mostoften. Using this checklist can helpWindows managers avoid thesecommon SharePoint implementationerrors, which will save time and futureheadaches. Your situation and needswill vary. Just plan accordingly. �

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shawn Shell is the founder of Consejo Inc., a consultancy based in Chicago that specializes inWeb-based applications, employees and partner portals, as well as enterprise content manage-ment. He has spent more than 19 years in IT, with the last 10 focused on content technologies.Shell is a co-author ofMicrosoft Content Management Server 2002: A Complete Guide, publishedby Addison-Wesley, and the lead analyst/author on the CMSWatch SharePoint Report 2008.

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16 SharePoint October 2008

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