Microsoft Office SharePoint and related

Overwriting SPWebProvisioningProvider.Provision

Joerg_Sinemus — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:48:15 GMT

Imaging you are using own code to overwrite the Provision method.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/microsoft.sharepoint.spwebprovisioningprovider.provision.aspx

To prevent possible problems later you should use the following example in your own code.

Example Code Fragment:

public override void Provision(SPWebProvisioningProperties properties)
{

string template = properties.Data; //data passed in from WEBTEMP...xml file
// at this point SharePoint has already created a basic site

SPWeb web = properties.Web;

//string WebURL = web.Url; // the FULL Url
string RelUrl = web.ServerRelativeUrl; // ServerRelativeUrl "/Sites/SubSite-xy"

    // if we fail to do the following
    // the user will be asked to choose a specific template from the standard interface
    web.ApplyWebTemplate(template);

    // web.update() and close plus dispose to prevent further issues
    web.Update();
    web.Close();
    web.Dispose();

// now you may open web again as e.g. web2

In case you are still working with “web” you should know that on SQL level the site has been provisioned with ApplyWebTemplate but not the in-memory instance “web”. Check web.Provisioned and you will get False back. To fix possible problems upcoming later please close “web” and “reopen” it again. When using “web2” you can check that web2.Provisioned tells you True.

References:

Blogs on MSDN: http://www.bing.com/search?cp=1252&FORM=FREESS&q=SPWebProvisioningProvider&q1=site:blogs.msdn.com

Blogs on TechNet: http://www.bing.com/search?cp=1252&FORM=FREESS&q=SPWebProvisioningProvider&q1=site:blogs.technet.com

Method ApplyWebTemplate http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/microsoft.sharepoint.spweb.applywebtemplate.aspx

WebTemp.xml http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms447717.aspx

How to: Create a Custom Site Definition and Configuration http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms454677.aspx

FBA und SharePoint

Joerg_Sinemus — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:37:42 GMT

We are seeing a lot of customers going the way and implementing in Extranet/Intranet/Internet scenarios Forms Based Authentication also called FBA. What does this mean when we talk about FBA and MOSS 2007/WSS V3?

Only one answer: Since ASP.NET 2.0 and MOSS 2007/WSSV3 based on that we can offer the ASP.NET feature FBA. Next part is to talk about Client Integration when using FBA and the answer is; yes it works. Believe me that it is still possible that this combination does not work because of other circumstances (firewalls, proxies, routers, NLB’s).

Other ways to use FBA (non-ASP.NET) with ISA Server and all the possible ways to offer a page to enter the credentials might work and should be checked deeper. We cannot explain those ways by just write some lines here.

My colleague Steven Chen wrote a good summary about ASP.NET FBA.
http://blogs.technet.com/steve_chen/archive/2009/11/01/office-2003-2007-integration-and-forms-based-authentication-fba-with-sharepoint-moss.aspx

If you want to talk about all the other FBA (non-ASP.NET) solutions please contact the support team who offers that specific FBA.

WSS and MOSS October CU

Joerg_Sinemus — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:49:02 GMT

Windows SharePoint Services V3 and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 are now be able to get updated to the latest available bits with October CU.

KB articles:

WSS:

974989 The full server package for WSS
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;974989

MOSS:

974988 The full server package for MOSS
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;974988

Download and installation information:

Install SP2 for WSS and MOSS SP2 and Language Packs if not yet happened
Install the full server package for WSS http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=974989&kbln=en-us
Install the full server package for MOSS http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=974988&kbln=en-us

After applying the preceding updates, run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard or “psconfig –cmd upgrade –inplace b2b -wait” in command line. This needs to be done on every server in the farm with SharePoint installed.

New build available for August CU

Joerg_Sinemus — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:14:01 GMT

We removed the WSS August CU from the server and today I am happy that we can offer this update again. The new build number is 12.0000.6514.5004. Changed KB articles (973400) are on the way and available soon.

Product group highly recommend to install and test it first in a test environment before you update the production environment.

Needed information you will find in SharePoint August CU is complete

Q&A
Q: How is the build number for MOSS August CU?
A: This has not been changed since it was available.

Q: That means new build for WSS is available but no changes for MOSS?
A: Yes, WSS August CU we have updated but not the MOSS August CU.

Q: I have installed the first WSS August CU build and should I now update with the new build?
A: If you are not facing crucial issues and your system runs it makes not really sense to update WSS again.

WSS August CU and re-attached content databases

Joerg_Sinemus — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:02:08 GMT

I updated my blog post:

Wednesday, August 26, 2009 10:33 AM

WSS August CU and where is MOSS CU?

on 01/Sep/2009 and we know now more about that issue.

Issue:

You may detached your content databases before upgrade SharePoint to WSS August CU. After the successfully installation of WSS August CU you are trying to re-attach the content databases. That fails.

Current idea for a solution:

Attach your databases on a June CU SharePoint Installation. My recommended environment would be Hyper-V and using snapshots.
Upgrade to August CU. Remember that you can run PSCONFIG from command-line more than one time if timeout or others happened.
Detach the databases.
The databases are now on August CU level and a re-attach to an already patched SharePoint installation with August CU should work.

MOSS 2007 and WSS V3 are affected applications with WSS August CU. This procedure is currently the best known way.

More information should be shortly available on my colleagues blog http://blogs.msdn.com/gyorgyh/

References:

926961 Error message when you use SharePoint 3.0 Central Administration to try to re-add a content database in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;926961

SharePoint August CU is complete

Joerg_Sinemus — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:21:19 GMT

Good things takes time someone told us in the past. Here we have now both packages containing all language depending files after SP2.

WSS:

973400 The full server package for WSS
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;973400

MOSS:

973399 The full server package for MOSS
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;973399
Should be available soon

This update contains new hotfixes after June CU and the update for this month looks as follows:

Install SP2 for WSS and MOSS SP2 and Language Packs
Install the full server package for WSS http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=973400&kbln=en-us
Install the full server package for MOSS http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=973399&kbln=en-us

At the end as usual run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard or “psconfig –cmd upgrade –inplace b2b -wait” in command line. This needs to be done on every server in the farm with SharePoint installed.

MOSS August CU not yet available

Joerg_Sinemus — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:37:34 GMT

Credits goes to an EMEA customer who told us that the kb article is online with the link to download but the hotfix is not available.

We are talking about KB 973409.

With my post:

Wednesday, August 26, 2009 10:33 AM
WSS August CU and where is MOSS CU?

I told to the community that MOSS August CU is not yet available and when it is available I will post it out.

Now I can hear: When it will be available?

The status today is that the machines are still building the packages and an ETA is unfortunately not possible to know in advance.

What I can say? I apologize on behalf of the whole hotfix team that the MOSS August CU hotfix packages are not available on the scheduled date. It means also that the content in the KB Article 973409 should be updated with the right build numbers when we know the right ones.

Stay tuned the next days.

WSS August CU and where is MOSS CU?

Joerg_Sinemus — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:33:00 GMT

Our August CU for WSS is available. The MOSS CU has a lot of dependencies and some of them failed with the build run.

Updated 01/Sep/2009

~~You can install August WSS CU and later the August MOSS CU.~~

Today we found an issue with ReAttaching content database by stsadm –addcontentdb …..

Result: Recommended way is use WSS August CU on WSS-Only Environments and test it before doing this in Production.

WSS:

973400 The full server package for WSS
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;973400

This update contains new hotfixes after June CU and the update for this month looks as follows:

Install SP2 for WSS and MOSS SP2 and Language Packs
You need to install the TRAIL issue hotfix separately because it is not included in June CU but it should be delivered with the next August CU MOSS SP2 and trial issue
Install the full server package for WSS http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=973400&kbln=en-us

Stay tuned because I will post when MOSS August CU will be available.

MOSS and WSS June CU

Joerg_Sinemus — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:56:00 GMT

Update #6 22/July/2009

Our SharePoint product group also posted the information about June CU:
http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepoint/archive/2009/07/20/june-cumulative-update-packages-ready-for-download.aspx

The June CU is available for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services V3.

June CU’s and the KB articles you need to know:

MOSS:

971537 uber package or Server-Package
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;971537

WSS:

971538 uber package or Server-Package
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;971538

This update contains hotfixes after April CU and we still recommend:

Install SP2 for WSS and MOSS SP2 and Language Packs
You need to install the TRAIL issue hotfix separately because it is not included in June CU but it should be delivered with the next August CU MOSS SP2 and trial issue
Install the uber package for WSS http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=971538&kbln=en-us
Install the uber package for MOSS http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=971537&kbln=en-us

You may find newer hotfix releases (minor updates) but those are created after the uber packages for WSS and MOSS. The next cumulative update will be at the end of August 2009.

Regarding your comments: uber package contains global (language independent) and the localized (language dependant) hotfixes.

We changed the term “uber package” into “Server-Package” so from now I will also call it in that way.

Thanks for comments; you are right that the order is WSS and then MOSS, I changed that with update #6

MOSS SP2 and trial issue

Joerg_Sinemus — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:04:00 GMT

My colleague Stefan Gossner was a bit faster so I just Link his post with more information.

Fixed: MOSS 2007 will be a Trial version after SP2; look for more at http://blogs.technet.com/stefan_gossner/archive/2009/06/25/hotfix-for-sp2-issue-that-reverts-sharepoint-products-to-trial-version-has-been-released.aspx

Update 26/Jun/2009:

Our product group also posted new information about the solved SP2 Trial problem:
http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepoint/archive/2009/06/25/service-pack-2-update.aspx

Datasheet view with Lists and content types

Joerg_Sinemus — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:06:13 GMT

MOSS and Windows SharePoint Services V3. In short; the DataSheet view is not content type aware.

What does it mean?

Have two content types with some columns set Required = Yes
Assign these CT’s to a list and remove the standard one called (on English systems) “Item”
Add an item with the Standard View
Add an item with the DataSheet View

Differences?

The datasheet is not aware that columns (based on a CT) with Required = Yes must contain data.

And Why?

Compare:

Content Type is a kind of Schema definition
List is using an own Schema

That means the standard view knows how to check the CT schema to ensure that the new entry based on that schema definition.

Our DataSheet is comparable with a small application because it communicates with the SharePoint Lists WebService over the network. You can also compare the behavior if you develop an own application which communicates to SharePoint by using the Lists WebService.

The following ScreenShots I took with the SharePoint Manager we offer on Codeplex. http://www.codeplex.com/spm This tool is perfect to understand in a visual way how the Schema of a List and CT’s are working together.

Expand ContentTypes and you will find all linked content types you are using with the List called SPM-Test.
Check out Fields and there you will see all fields used by this List.

With SPM you can also see the differences when added a CT called MyCT with a field called AMyOwnTown (text and required) to that List. Expand the ContentTypes and Fields.

You will find

And the Schema of the Fields?
You will find

Why I cannot rely on the Lists Webservice and the Schema of the Fields?

The content type is the “Master” and all consumers of a CT should be aware but it is still possible with the minimum of information to use only the Schema of the List-Fields. Also think about columns (fields) with the same name…

What to do now?

With only one CT added to a List it is easy because you are able to edit the Column AMyOwnTown.

With more than one CT?

By using SPM; in my test environment it worked today and I changed Required for AMyOwnTown to True.
Create your own small application to change the Required explicit to “your value”.

// C#
SPSite oSiteCollection = new SPSite("http://ServerName/");
SPList oList = oSiteCollection.AllWebs["/SiteDirectory/office/"].Lists["SPM-Test"];
SPFieldCollection collFields = oList.Fields;
SPField oField = collFields.GetField("AMyOwnTown");

// At the end change the required field and with UPDATE() it works....
// 08/Jun/2009

oField.Required = true;
oField.Update();

Additional ideas:

Double-Check the fields on a list with a possible used content type.
Create an event receiver to check used Lists and all the fields and content types.

I am talking here about the Required field because it was a support case where a customer complained the behavior of the DataSheet view. The provided DataSheet View (STSLIST.DLL) based on a control made by the Access team. With that knowledge I could assume that there is already an enhanced Sheet-View available made by one of our Vendors.

References:

Lists.GetListItems Method (Lists)
Returns information about items in the list based on the specified query.
Web Service: ListsWeb Reference: http://<Site>/_vti_bin/Lists.asmx

Lists.GetListContentType Method (Lists) http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/lists.lists.getlistcontenttype.aspx

Lists.GetListContentTypes Method (Lists) http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/lists.lists.getlistcontenttypes.aspx

Everything you need to know about Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) Event Handlers.
http://blogs.msdn.com/brianwilson/archive/2007/03/05/part-1-event-handlers-everything-you-need-to-know-about-microsoft-office-sharepoint-portal-server-moss-event-handlers.aspx

How to: Create an Event Handler Feature http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms453149.aspx

Building List Definitions with Event Receiver in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb736146.aspx

Suggestions?

My personal one would be to develop an event receiver to double-check new, changed and also deleted entries. Please have in your mind that there are also some other ways to add entries to that List; ie. OM, SOAP, restoring from Recycle Bin.

Questions?

Before you develop an amount of questions please check your requirements and also Test what you want to do. A developer must be able to debug own code and with other projects you also need to test your own ideas.

If you want to discuss the content of this blog post please go to one of our forums http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/category/sharepoint and refer to this blog post.

Important to know in May 2009

Joerg_Sinemus — Fri, 22 May 2009 15:35:12 GMT

I think there are enough information outside regarding two important issue you should know about but RSS feed readers not having all possible feeds subscribed. So for my faithful friends two links where you can find the latest information.

Does SharePoint has a problem because of the IIS6 WebDAV security issue?
Answer is here: http://blogs.technet.com/srd/archive/2009/05/20/answers-to-the-iis-webdav-authentication-bypass-questions.aspx

If you think about SP2 for MOSS 2007 please read this blog post first or to prevent problems in the future read it also.
http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepoint/archive/2009/05/21/attention-important-information-on-service-pack-2.aspx

MOSS and WSS April CU now complete

Joerg_Sinemus — Wed, 13 May 2009 11:22:00 GMT

With this cumulative update it took a bit more time to release also the MOSS 2007 uber package. Now we have what you need to easier update the whole MOSS farm with less steps.

The Checklist looks now:

Preqs are WSS and MOSS Global RTM/SP1 and all language specific RTM/SP1
Install SP2. SP2 and Language Packs
Install WSS April CU uber KB 968850
Install MOSS April CU uber KB 968851
Run psconfig –cmd upgrade –inplace b2b -wait

Available KB articles:

968850 Description of the Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 cumulative update package: April 30, 2009
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;968850

April CU downloads:

WSS the uber package
http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=968850&kbln=en-us

MOSS the uber package
http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=968851&kbln=en-us

FAQ about SP2 and April CU
http://blogs.technet.com/office_sustained_engineering/archive/2009/05/01/faq-concerning-cumulative-updates-for-april-2009-and-the-service-pack-2-for-the-2007-microsoft-office-system-and-microsoft-office-servers.aspx

Updated 12:02 UTC+2; new blog post from the SharePoint Product Group
April Cumulative Update Packages Ready for Download

Should I install SP2 and or April CU

Joerg_Sinemus — Fri, 01 May 2009 09:49:00 GMT

In short words SP2 based on the Feb CU but not contains April CU fixes.

We highly recommend to install SP2. In case you need April CU please also install SP2 first.

Suggested steps to upgrade:

Have a test environment similar to your productive.
Create a complete backup for all SharePoint data and a system backup of all WFE’s.
Install SP2.
Test briefly the functionality.
Install April CU.
Test the functionality as deep as possible.
With that experience do same steps in the production environment.

April CU KB articles

For WSS we can offer an uber package with the KB number 968850. This package contains the two KB 968857 (Global) and KB 969421 (Language specific) hotfix packages.

The KB articles are not yet finished and I will post the URL’s when these are available.

For MOSS we cannot offer the uber package yet because of a similar problem we had with Feb CU.

April CU downloads

WSS the uber package
http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=968850&kbln=en-us

MOSS the current available packages
http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=968859&kbln=en-us
http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=969414&kbln=en-us
http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=969959&kbln=en-us Only Greek
http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=969420&kbln=en-us Only Hungarian
http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=968862&kbln=en-us

What to install now?
- SP2 in any case
- WSS April CU uber package on WSS only environments

- You had a hotfix request with us and needs a MOSS fix? The escalation engineer will update you which package is the right one.

Later when the uber package for MOSS will be available we also recommend to install WSS and MOSS uber after SP2 on all SharePoint environments.

SP2 and Language Packs

Joerg_Sinemus — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:57:00 GMT

Our Service Pack 2 we released in the same way we did for SP1 and that means for you:

In addition to the SharePoint Product Group team blog
Announcing Service Pack 2 for Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0

One example with English MOSS 2007 installation and Language Packs in German, Italian and French.

Service Pack 2 for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 English

Service Pack 2 for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Language Pack German

Service Pack 2 for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Language Pack Italian

Service Pack 2 for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Language Pack French

Service Pack 2 for Office SharePoint Server 2007 English

Service Pack 2 for Office SharePoint Server 2007 Language Pack German

Service Pack 2 for Office SharePoint Server 2007 Language Pack Italian

Service Pack 2 for Office SharePoint Server 2007 Language Pack French

Please follow the information on the SharePoint Product Group team blog.

We know that is a lot of work for you but UBER packages are not available for SP2 LP’s.

If you try to install also the LP for the installed language you will get these error messages:

Remark:
If you have a NINTEX workflow running please check the following page.
http://connect.nintex.com/forums/thread/3640.aspx