SharePoint 2010: Tip of the Day - Finding what level of SharePoint 2010 is installed?

This is a quick tip bought to by SharePoint Six!

Tip 1: To quickly find out the build level of SharePoint 2010 using Powershell, use the following commands:

$farm = Get-SPFarm
$farm.BuildVersion

Tip 2: For a list of build numbers, go to Joe's blog: http://blogs.technet.com/b/sharepointjoe/archive/2011/02/01/sp2010-sharepoint-2010-build-level-and-version-numbers.aspx

Tip 3: For the latest patches, go to this site: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/ff800847.aspx

SharePoint: I'm presenting at SharePoint Saturday Sydney 2011

I'm so excited! I'm presenting at SharePoint Saturday Sydney 2011!

I'll be discussing about "Applying Content Type Hubs and Managed Metadata To Improve Document Management in the real world". Hope to see you all there on the day for a fruitful session!

The abstract for the session is below:

"SharePoint 2010 offers a suite of new and enhanced capabilities, which if utilised effectively in select business scenarios can bring enormous value to organisations. Document Management is one area where SharePoint 2010 offers many new features and benefits. This session covers two new document management capabilities: The Content Type Hub and Managed Metadata. Douglas will walk through the anatomy of Content Type Hubs and Managed Metadata, recommended approaches, constraints and how to best work around these constraints. A number of typical document management scenarios will be used throughout the session to demonstrate the concepts and keep it real. If time permits, he will also share some C# code snippets which support the scenarios described."

For more information:
http://www.sharepointsaturday.org/sydney/Pages/meetings.aspx

SharePoint 2010: PSConfiguration issues with GetUserPropertyFromAD call

Problem
As I was installing SharePoint 2010 at client site, I came across an error I've never seen previously. During the SharePoint 2010 "Configuration Wizard Step 3 - creating configuration database",  the operation failed.


Symptoms
The error in the Configuration Wizard was:

Failed to create the configuration database.
An exception of type System.Collections.Generic.KeyNotFoundException was thrown. Additional exception information: The given key was not present in the dictionary.
System.Collections.Generic.KeyNotFoundException: The given key was not present in the dictionary.
at System.ThrowHelper.ThrowKeyNotFoundException()
at System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2.get_Item(TKey key)

Matching Error in the installation logs was:

04/14/2011 10:51:06  9  ERR                    Task configdb has failed with an unknown exception
04/14/2011 10:51:06  9  ERR                    Exception: System.Collections.Generic.KeyNotFoundException: The given key was not present in the dictionary.   at System.ThrowHelper.ThrowKeyNotFoundException()   at System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2.get_Item(TKey key)   at Microsoft.SharePoint.Utilities.SPUtility.GetUserPropertyFromAD(SPWebApplication webApplicaiton, String loginName, String propertyName)
   at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPManagedAccount.GetUserAccountControl(String username)   at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPManagedAccount.Update()   at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPProcessIdentity.Update()   at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPApplicationPool.Update()   at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPWebApplication.CreateDefaultInstance(SPWebService service, Guid id, String applicationPoolId, SPProcessAccount processAccount, String iisServerComment, Boolean secureSocketsLayer, String iisHostHeader, Int32 iisPort, Boolean iisAllowAnonymous, DirectoryInfo iisRootDirectory, Uri defaultZoneUri, Boolean iisEnsureNTLM, Boolean createDatabase, String databaseServer, String databaseName, String databaseUsername, String databasePassword, SPSearchServiceInstance searchServiceInstance, Boolean autoActivateFeatures)   at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPWebApplication.CreateDefaultInstance(SPWebService service, Guid id, String applicationPoolId, IdentityType identityType, String applicationPoolUsername, SecureString applicationPoolPassword, String iisServerComment, Boolean secureSocketsLayer, String iisHostHeader, Int32 iisPort, Boolean iisAllowAnonymous, DirectoryInfo iisRootDirectory, Uri defaultZoneUri, Boolean iisEnsureNTLM, Boolean createDatabase, String databaseServer, String databaseName, String databaseUsername, String databasePassword, SPSearchServiceInstance searchServiceInstance, Boolean autoActivateFeatures)   at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPAdministrationWebApplication.CreateDefaultInstance(SqlConnectionStringBuilder administrationContentDatabase, SPWebService adminService, IdentityType identityType, String farmUser, SecureString farmPassword)   at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPFarm.CreateAdministrationWebService(SqlConnectionStringBuilder administrationContentDatabase, IdentityType identityType, String farmUser, SecureString farmPassword)   at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPFarm.CreateBasicServices(SqlConnectionStringBuilder administrationContentDatabase, IdentityType identityType, String farmUser, SecureString farmPassword)   at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPFarm.Create(SqlConnectionStringBuilder configurationDatabase, SqlConnectionStringBuilder administrationContentDatabase, IdentityType identityType, String farmUser, SecureString farmPassword, SecureString masterPassphrase)   at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPFarm.Create(SqlConnectionStringBuilder configurationDatabase, SqlConnectionStringBuilder administrationContentDatabase, String farmUser, SecureString farmPassword, SecureString masterPassphrase)   at Microsoft.SharePoint.PostSetupConfiguration.ConfigurationDatabaseTask.CreateOrConnectConfigDb()   at Microsoft.SharePoint.PostSetupConfiguration.ConfigurationDatabaseTask.Run()   at Microsoft.SharePoint.PostSetupConfiguration.TaskThread.ExecuteTask()

The cure 
I checked the permissions for the SharePoint installation account on the MS SQL Database - it seemed to already have the correct security roles assigned (dbcreator and securityadmin).


I then noticed this line in the error logs: "Microsoft.SharePoint.Utilities.SPUtility.GetUserPropertyFromAD"


It's now apparent that psconfig is failing when trying to read a User Property from Active Directory. It turned out the domain had been setup so that domain accounts do not have access to read AD Properties. I simply gave the "Setup Administrator" and "Farm Account" accounts read permissions.

SharePoint 2010 - SharePoint 2010 just got quicker. The latest patch is doing it’s job!

I’m running Windows 7 on a Dell Latitude E4300 4GB RAM with SharePoint Server 2010 installed for development and demo purposes. In the beginning SharePoint was running with an acceptable performance, but sometimes there would be a little wait here and there.

A few days ago Microsoft released an update for SharePoint Foundations 2010, which it claimed would improve stability and performance.

Guess what? After it was installed, I browsed my SharePoint sites using Chrome – man, it was lightning fast! Was it Chrome? Don’t think so. Same quick response in Internet Explorer 8! The performance is noticeably MUCH quicker. Great job guys!

This is the patch I installed:
Update for Office SharePoint Foundations 2010 (KB2032588)

“Microsoft has released an update for Office SharePoint Foundation 2010, 64-bit Edition. This update provides the latest fixes to Microsoft WSS 2010, 64-bit Edition. Additionally, this update contains stability and performance improvements.”

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=f6f1d567-a21f-4770-80ba-f7d6e05f11aa

SQL Versions – Tip of the day

I was installing SharePoint 2010 – wait, what about the pre-requisites?
- SQL 2005 SP3 with Cumulative update package 3
- OR SQL 2008 SP1 with Cumulative update package 2

So what version have we got? Here’s the tip of the day (for me and to you to share), run this SQL Query to find out:

SELECT serverproperty('productversion'),
       serverproperty('productlevel'),
       serverproperty('edition') 

This should give you information to determine the version number, the release level (RTM or Service Pack), and the edition (Express, Standard or Enterprise).

For convenience, I’ve added the version numbers required for SharePoint 2010:
- SQL 2005 SP3  - 2005.90.4035
- SQL 2008 SP1 – 2007.100.2531.0


For more version numbers go to http://support.microsoft.com/kb/321185.

Referenced from this Microsoft KB http://support.microsoft.com/kb/321185

From Developer to Architect?

For a few years now, I’ve been coding on .NET, SharePoint, and the like. I went to University and learnt about Object Orientation. I hardly noticed nor appreciated the many OOP concepts that I’ve unconsciously applied to my coding/solution design. Dare I say it, I think this may describe many developers with around 2-4 years of coding experience up their belts.

I recently started reading a few articles online and came to realisation of the extent to the level of OOP concepts that have actually been applied. It made more sense why some of solutions worked better than others (of which include both .NET and SharePoint solutions).

Like many others, I’ve just had the time to understand and learn how to use API’s and/or how to ‘structure’ code to get the job done in the least amount of time with the best quality (least amount of bugs), but never to understand some software architecture concepts. Take my tip, re-learn the concepts that reflect what you already know – a design pattern.

Here are the links I have referred to:

• Introduction to Object Oriented Programming Concepts (OOP) and More
• Design Principles and Design Patterns
• Object Oriented Design Principles and Patterns

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 – Certifications?

I just read an official note that there will be new four SharePoint 2010 certifications – and they are not specific to either SharePoint Foundation 4 or SharePoint Server 2010.

These exams are:

• 70-667: TS: Microsoft SharePoint 2010, Configuring
• 70-668: PRO: Microsoft SharePoint 2010, Administrator
• 70-573: TS: Microsoft SharePoint 2010, Application Development
• 70-576: PRO: Designing and Developing Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Applications

According to this blog post, the exams are expected to be available in June/July timeframe. More details here.

Microsoft SharePoint 2007 – ItemAdded/ItemAdding List Event Receivers and SPFieldUserValue.User not returning SPUser

 

The Problem
I recently had to develop an Event Receiver that would require reading off the SPUser object of the item. What I found is that, at times when the exact name of the user is entered (and you click OK on the NewForm.aspx page without clicking the check name   button), the SPFieldUserValue will return

–1;#domain\username

rather than

23;#domain\username.
 

This is a problem when you try to access the SPFieldUserValue.User (SPUser type) property and it returns null.

The Solution
The solution was to get the SPFieldUserValue as a string, and then use the username to then try and resolve for the SPUser object. My rough cut out code is attached – quickly modified for this example. (*Use at your own risk. Is also why I don’t usually post code on my blog!)

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 Beta 2 – How to recover data from an unattached content and restore it to a (or another) site

A new feature in SharePoint 2010 is the ability to recover content from an unattached database (also tested to work for attached databases). The following are steps to do this (in case I forget in the future).
Note of warning: Screen shots and directions in this entry are based on SharePoint 2010 Beta (v. 14.0.4536.1000) and may change without notice.
I. Export from Database
1. Within Central Administration v4, browse to “Backup and Restore” section in the Quick Launch

2. Click “Recover data from an unattached content database”:

3. On the “Unattached Content Database Data Recovery” Page, enter the database server and database name of the source database to restore from, select “Browse content”, and click Next:

4. Select the Site Collection from the Database, the site from the database and the List as required, select “Export site or list”, and click Next (Note – this screen shot is based on a Beta version, and it appears that even though you have the correct site collection selected, the URL shows the central administration url. Only the relative URL is correct here):

5. Type in a file share location (ensure the SharePoint Farm account has owner access to this folder in Windows), and click Start Export:

6. Wait for the job to complete:


7. Files will be created in the share directory (Note: Contents of the .cmp file can be opened as a cab file – just like most other wsp packages):

II. Import to new Site
1. Open up the SharePoint 2010 Management Shell


2. Let’s assume we have already created a blank site to be restored to @ dougleung.com. We will now restore to that SharePoint Site:
Run this command in the Management Shell:
Import-SPWeb –Identity [url] –path [path]
eg. Import-SPWeb –Identity http://dougleung.com –path \\servername\folder\exportfile.cmp

3. Your contents from your export file (in this case the exported Announcements list) will be imported to the dougleung.com site.

Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Beta – Developer Resources

I was browsing around to dig more on SharePoint 2010 developer resources trying to get my head around more SharePoint 2010 knowledge. Some very useful resources for starters:

Get Started Developing on SharePoint 2010
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-au/sharepoint/ee513147.aspx
This page includes 10 series of video tutorials on SharePoint 2010 development with topics including Building SP 2010 Web Parts, SharePoint 2010 concepts, Accessing SP 2010 data with server/client side APIs, Access external data with BCS, SP 2010 Workflows, Creating Silverlight UIs for SP 2010 solutions, Sandboxed solutions and Dialogs and Ribbon controls for SP 2010.

SharePoint Foundation 2010 and SharePoint Server 2010 SDK:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd776256.aspx
This SDK has been publicly online since the SharePoint 2010 Sneak Peak web site was available.

The main important links I want to put up for myself are:
What’s New in SharePoint Foundation 2010:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee539826%28office.14%29.aspx

What’s New in SharePoint Server 2010:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee557323%28office.14%29.aspx

Looks like I am on a steep learning curve… yet exciting and worth while!