Microsoft SharePoint Foundation

SharePoint Foundation until 2007 Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services, refers to a product of Microsoft, which is free to download for owners of a Windows Server license from version Windows Server 2003. The aim of the SharePoint Foundation is the virtual collaboration of users under a web interface to a common data and information storage. The basic structure of the SharePoint Foundation provides an integrative and themed form of cooperation between the people involved.

SharePoint Foundation is not to be confused with the Microsoft SharePoint Server, another product from Microsoft, which is based on SharePoint Foundation.

  • 2.1 Version 1 and 2
  • 2.2 Version 3
  • 2.3 Version 4
  • 6.1 General Information
  • 6.2 Application Examples

Overview

SharePoint Foundation provide functionality for collaboration (collaboration) between several people ready. This is done by individually adjustable shelf, representation and processing of stored and other connected information.

Core of these functions under the SharePoint Foundation are changeable and customizable lists. Lists are, for example -do lists in the team, calendars, document libraries ( file storage with advanced features ), address lists, etc. Other lists can freely (so-called custom lists ) can be integrated from external systems created a list or.

Demarcation

In the sense of the virtual collaboration that SharePoint Foundation is a digital platform that information flows either simplex, duplex and support. SharePoint Foundation is an asynchronous communication medium. There are additional Microsoft applications that interact directly with SharePoint Foundation for synchronous communication.

In terms of knowledge management, SharePoint Foundation is a knowledge base and a platform for expert systems.

Contrary to common opinion SharePoint Foundation is not a web portal, but a Web application.

Properties

Functions of SharePoint Foundation from the user perspective can be described with the following characteristics summarize:

  • Central data storage: Information is stored centrally and individually according to given structures in lists.
  • Timeliness of information: changes generally take place in real time and are immediately available to authorized users.
  • Notification: users can be instantly notified of changes once daily or weekly e -mail.
  • Search: You can search for all stored in SharePoint information.
  • Integration: lists are available directly in the corresponding Microsoft Office applications. Example: all lists can be edited in Excel and Access, address lists are available as contact lists in Outlook and document libraries ( Documents List ) can be used as a place to open and save files from all Microsoft Office applications.
  • Integration: lists and document libraries have versioning and content sharing
  • Workflow: About the product Microsoft SharePoint Designer ( freely available) can be created your own workflows

Features

Main features of SharePoint Foundation in the application are:

  • Web-based access via a web browser, especially Internet Explorer. Other browsers such as Mozilla Firefox allow access with restrictions.
  • Structuring: Information can be saved to each other hierarchically dependent.
  • Presentation: information may in whole or in part according to predefined criteria (filtering, grouping) and if necessary, be represented in mutual dependence.
  • Degree of freedom: Users can create, customize, or delete lists. Users can be administrators and individually assigned permissions and groups.
  • Integration with Microsoft Office: Microsoft Office SharePoint Server and expand its capabilities against each other. Examples are team calendar and team task lists in Outlook or enhancements to the Windows SharePoint Services by Microsoft FrontPage. The integration options in Office from version 2003 with newer and more extensive.
  • Integration with other Microsoft products: Exchange, BizTalk, SQL Server and Project Server.
  • Integration in general: There may be other digital data sources are connected.
  • Extensibility and adaptability ( see below).

Versions and Extensions

Version 1 and 2

The Windows SharePoint Services list-based support in version 1 and version 2, ie sequential workflows. An example of a sequential workflow is the publication process of a document or the single-stage approval of vacation requests. More complex workflows with conditional branches can be in both of these versions without the extension only limited or even not be mapped (see version 3).

Enhancements to the functionality are usually as WebPart. Common extensions are the trash for version 2, the missing in version 2 workflow environment and data connectivity with third-party systems. Further adjustments to make to SharePoint Foundation provides expert systems.

Version 3

Since version 3.0, Microsoft provides support for Firefox, Opera and Apple Safari. This only includes basic functions.

For the processing of shared Microsoft Office documents Microsoft Office 2003 with Service Pack 1 is required. In previous versions of the functionality is severely limited. In conjunction with Microsoft Office 2007 from SharePoint Foundation provides additional functions such as offline files via Outlook, Outlook Advanced functions for writing to SharePoint Foundation from Outlook etc.

Version 4

With version 4 of the current Product Name Microsoft SharePoint Foundation was introduced.

The differences between version 3 (WSS ) and SharePoint Foundation are described here. Differences WSS, SharePoint Foundation

Architecture and protocols

Generally speaking, four systems are involved in a SharePoint Foundation environment. These are:

Web front -end and back -end database are part of the actual SharePoint Foundation implementation. In contrast, the end-user client is usually a computer through which the user accesses to the Web front -end. Web front -end and back -end database can be provided in the simplest case on a computer (server). Alternatively, several instances of both systems on multiple computers for the purpose of higher data throughput and / or can be installed for redundancy. The latter is referred to as scale-out.

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