Information Worker User Group welcomes in 2010 with its first awesome instalment session on 13 January. We'll have a jam packed session on SharePoint 2010 and Visual Studio 2010 betas. Some really cool stuff on the horizon!

Check the agenda and register yourself online at:

http://www.informationworker.co.za/pages/jhbeventregistration.aspx

I'll be there hosting the Custom Workflow Dev and Visual Web Part sessions.

Catch you there.

The SharePoint 2010 Technical Preview SDK and Developer documentation is ready for download. Neat!

I must commend the release of SP2010 Beta. Even though we had to endure painful NDAs all the way to the official beta release the current documentation and overall quality release of this beta far outweighs the release of SharePoint 2007. Back then TechNet and MSDN articles and documents were released weeks post the product release. This release is much better!

So download the SDK from Microsoft's site. Here's some brief on what to expect from the SDK:

The wait is over! SharePoint 2010 Beta download is available along with Office 2010, Project 2010, Visio 2010 Betas.

Check out the Info:

http://sharepoint2010.microsoft.com/try-it/Pages/Trial.aspx

Read it officially at:

http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepoint/archive/2009/11/18/sharepoint-2010-public-beta-is-now-available-for-download.aspx

Get it at:

http://sharepoint2010.microsoft.com/try-it/Pages/Trial.aspx

Lots more info coming from SharePoint 2010:

Microsoft SQL Server PowerPivot

Very cool - “Microsoft SQL Server PowerPivot” or “PowerPivot” for short is the new official name for project code named Gemini. PowerPivot consists of two components – PowerPivot for Excel 2010 and PowerPivot for SharePoint 2010.

PowerPivot for Excel is a data analysis. Leveraging familiar Excel features, users can transform enormous quantities of data from virtually any source with incredible speed into meaningful information to get the answers they need in seconds.

PowerPivot for SharePoint enables end users to effortlessly and securely share their PowerPivot applications with others and work seamlessly in the browser using Excel Services.

•         Official PowerPivot site: http://www.powerpivot.com
•         Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/powerpivot
•         Twitter: http://twitter.com/powerpivot

 http://blogs.msdn.com/gemini/archive/2009/10/20/introducing-powerpivot.aspx

Business Connectivity Services

The BCS Team (Business Connectivity Services – the replacement for the current BDC) have started up their blog. Whats worth noting is composite applications can be created simply using SharePoint Designer 2010 and Visual Studio 2010 with little or no code – impressive. Whats more impressive is the ability to use InfoPath to add business logic. Good idea to RSS because I think this may be a hot number.

http://blogs.msdn.com/bcs/

Access Services

Microsoft Access hits us with Services... called... wait for it.... Access Services. Access Services is a new SharePoint 2010 feature that allows users to create web databases in Access, host them on SharePoint and use the Reports and Forms, and available through a browser.

Check their blog at: http://blogs.msdn.com/access/ (Another RSS) J

Check the Channel 9 video: http://channel9.msdn.com/shows/Access/Microsoft-Access-2010-Demo/

SharePoint Workspaces

The new Desktop Client application for SharePoint Server and provides automatic synchronization. It’s the new Groove – Check the team blog at : http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepoint_workspace_development_team/  

Getting Started SharePoint 2010 Developer Resources

Now here’s a fantastic set of online training for developers to ramp up and start learning how much “easier” it is to develop applications for SharePoint:

Software developers can use the SharePoint 2010 business collaboration platform to build enterprise-class solutions for intranet portals and the web. Use these ten modules to get started with development for SharePoint 2010 using Visual Studio 2010. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/ee513147.aspx

Modules:

·        Module 1: Getting Started: Building Web Parts in SharePoint 2010

·        Module 2: What Developers Need to Know About SharePoint 2010

·        Module 3: Building Blocks for Web Part Development in SharePoint 2010

·        Module 4: Accessing SharePoint 2010 Data and Objects with Server-Side APIs

·        Module 5: Accessing SharePoint 2010 Data and Objects with Client-Side APIs

·        Module 6: Accessing External Data with Business Connectivity Services in SharePoint 2010

·        Module 7: Developing Business Processes with SharePoint 2010 Workflows

·        Module 8: Creating Silverlight User Interfaces for SharePoint 2010 Solutions

·        Module 9: Sandboxed Solutions for Web Parts in SharePoint 2010

·        Module 10: Creating Dialog Boxes and Ribbon Controls for SharePoint 2010

There’s also the upgrade resource center at  http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/ee514557.aspx

Join the SharePoint 2010 Community

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/ee633451.aspx

Videos

Tom Rizzio on unveiling of SharePoint

Yesterday I wrote about the Keynote opening, well Tom Rizzo’s SharePoint’s Director shares some exciting news: http://media.nuveminc.net:8080/spc09/tom_rizzo.wmv

SPC 2009 Press Pass

More videos and interviews at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/sharepoint/Default.aspx

Building Solutions on SharePoint – Microsoft Showcase

Check the video online at

This is an absolutely brilliant site for knowledge sharing! And if not for this video, there are stacks more like http://www.microsoft.com/video/en/us/details/82b36ee0-af73-4901-ab23-92e6f7761544

Are you Ready for SP 2010? Can you upgrade?

SharePoint Joel has the info at http://www.sharepointjoel.com/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=255

Mike Ferrara posted an article on CMS Wire that has a close look at what’s need for the upgrade http://www.cmswire.com/cms/enterprise-cms/spc09-fundamentals-of-upgrading-to-sharepoint-2010-005826.php - I like the sounds of database attached upgrades

Mixed:

A very awesome summary roll up of sessions around BCS, Development and the new Services Application Architecture at  http://community.zevenseas.com/Blogs/Daniel/default.aspx

Some SharePoint example sites shown at the opening of the SPC: http://weblogs.asp.net/bsimser/archive/2009/10/20/sharepoint-site-roundup-spc09.aspx

ECM for the Masses: How SharePoint 2010 Delivers On The Promise http://www.cmswire.com/cms/enterprise-cms/spc09-ecm-for-the-masses-how-sharepoint-2010-delivers-on-the-promise-005823.php

Search

SharePoint 2010 Search Deep Dive http://blogs.inetium.com/blogs/spc/archive/2009/10/20/sharepoint-conference-2009-sharepoint-2010-search-deep-dive.aspx

Enterprise Search

http://blog.sharepointproducts.com/archive/2009/10/21/spc09-day-2-–-an-intense-day-on-enterprise-search.aspx

New Search Functionality http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2009/oct09/10-19MSSharePointConf09PR.mspx

Document Management Improvements

http://edinkapic.blogspot.com/2009/10/spc09-document-management-improvements.html

 ------

Till tomorrow...

MarcL

I've been trying to keep up to date with the latest coming from Vegas. Twitter has been on fire, newsgroups spreading the word, blogs heating up and just a lot of knowledge hitting the web. I realised I cant keep up :-)

So I've decided to keep a record of some of the most interesting and important pieces of information I've managed to read or get my hands on thats coming out of SP Conference 2009 - some are Microsoft and some from other sources.

So, whats the News coming out from Vegas? Well for starters, if you missed the official website, check it out SPC. Theres Steve Ballmer's keynote on-demand. Check that video out! Very cool!

The product is massive and each segment is its own world. Support for larger lists (lists can scale to tens of millions and archive hundreds of millions items). Document sets to closely model your related documents. Digital Asset Management  under the WCM (Web Content Management) is new. Metadata based navigation is now available. SQL 2008 R2 + SharePoint 2010 will allow for storing of docs in remote blobs (RBS's) that could be recommended for deployments over 5 TB. Users can use Visio Services to visually create Workflows. SP 2010 Content Organizer can automatically move document storage location based on assigned metadata.

Records Management and Governance - Compliance across everything is supported. What a relief and it has multi-stage disposal and e-discovery.

Sites have the Office UI Ribbon, Office Client on the Web, SharePoint Workspace for offline content and Mobile enhancements.

The next version of Office for Mac will support SharePoint Integration - neat if you're a Mac!

Couple of websites resources:

• http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/Pages/Default.aspx
• Blog post on SP 2010 on the the Microsoft SharePoint Blog (A must read - check out the new services like BCS (Business Connectivity Services (2007 known as BDC), Access (Yes - MS-Access) Services, Folksonomy, Dev APIs and VS 2010, Easier ways of creating workflows, Insights include all the new BI Excel Services, Gemini and SQL Server, Viso and PerformancePoint Services. Some clever Fast Search and more connectors!!)
• More on the WCM aspects and details of Whats New in Web Content Management
• SharePoint 2010 Beta Developer Center
• Official Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Beta Site in Action
• SharePoint Designer 2010 Blog - Its all New
• Videos on SharePoint 2010 - Building Solutions on SharePoint
• New Service Application Architecture in SP 2010 - Wheres the SSP?
• TechNet - SharePoint 2010 Beta (Great read before you install the Beta - Coming in November 2009)
•  

Joel Oleson's YouTube video of Tom Rizzo

The "SharePoint Wheel" has evolved:

I came across a website, www.bink.nu that has links to Microsoft Download and provides some decent content for planning ahead for SP 2010 - Check tem out:

Enterprise Search Planning for SharePoint Server 2010

This model describes primary architecture design decisions for search environments. 

Design Search for SharePoint Server 2010

This model describes the steps to determine a basic design for a SharePoint Server 2010 search architecture.

SharePoint Server 2010 Search Architecture

This model describes the physical and logical architecture components of the search system. 

Getting started with BI in SharePoint Server 2010

Discusses the business intelligence tools available in SharePoint Server 2010

SharePoint Server 2010 Evaluation Guide

Introduction and overview of SharePoint Server 2010 for IT pros. 

SharePoint Enterprise Search

Compares and contrasts search technologies in SharePoint 2010 Products

Topologies for SharePoint Server 2010

Describes common ways to build and scale farm topologies, including planning which servers to start services on. 

Hosting Environments for SharePoint 2010 Products

Summarizes the support for hosting environments and illustrates common hosting architectures.

Services in SharePoint Products 2010

Describes and illustrates the services architecture, including and common ways to deploy services in your overall solution design. 

Cross-farm Services in SharePoint 2010 Products

Illustrates how to deploy services across farms to provide centralized administration of services.

Upgrade planning poster

Describes requirements and considerations for planning to upgrade to SharePoint Server 2010

Upgrading services poster

You need to give special consideration to the issues involved when you upgrade services from the previous version of SharePoint Server. 

Upgrade testing poster

To help ensure a smooth transition to SharePoint Server 2010, perform a trial upgrade to find issues likely to surface during the actual process.

Upgrade approaches poster

This model describes the three basic approaches to upgrading to SharePoint Server 2010: in-place, database attach, or a hybrid of the two.

---

So until the next instalment... lots to read.

-- MarcL

Recently came across a pretty interesting analysis published on Microsoft Press by Forrester Research Inc. The report is focused towards to Information and Knowledge Management Professionals and provides an insight into Collaboration Platforms for Q3 2009.

What I found worth talking about was that many of the products that were reviewed had much later version release date to that of SharePoint 2007 (Nov 2006) and still SharePoint exceeds their market share in content offering and strategy.

Also worth noting was that many vendors are entering the market of Collaborative Platforms from different avenues. Some traditional collaboration, while others from social networking (the new breed) and others content generators. So could be a pretty decent business offering if you can combine them into your fully fledged collaborative solution roadmap.

With IBM and Microsoft in the lead - it really boils down to Microsoft being the leader on strategy and very close to IBM leading on Content Offering for Q3 2009 - thats according to Forrester. So at this stage and less than a few months away from SharePoint 2010 hitting RTM - this only paints a picture of what we should expect this report to provide this time next year.

Cant wait! :-)

Click here and get the PDF

Some great news out from Microsoft if you're keen to get ready for SharePoint 2010 (and your a current SharePoint 2007 Microsoft Partner)!

SharePoint Ignite is an instructor led 5 day training session across a few countries (South Africa excluded).

There are both Dev and IT Pro tracks catered for - which seem quite cool. A web enabled "Virtual Ignite" should come soon they say - I cant wait for that one! :-) So put your nomination through - even if its for the Virtual event!!

http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/topics/Pages/IgniteProgram4.aspx

Good luck on the nominations!

--- Marc

Today I ran into a simple but time consuming problem where a basic list approval workflow created in SharePoint Designer enters a "Stopped" status when a non administrative user starts the workflow. No error message appeared in the Workflow History either - it just stopped.

What happens is that the workflow is initiated when a new item is created in the list. Very simply the workflow creates a task for a team and emails the users that are stored in a SharePoint Group. The creation of the workflow task and email sending to a SharePoint Group causes the workflow to enter a Stopped state.

After hitting my head on the table and checking the workflow a couple of times, it is important to note that due to the fact I'm sending emails to a SharePoint Group, I need to activate the have a Group Setting  to allow Everyone to view membershiop of this group.

Fixing this is simple, go to your Site Settings | People and Groups, select the group you're using. On the Settings menu option for the Group click the Group Settings option and toggle the membership button to Everyone.

You're good to go!

---Marc

Awesome drive at TechEd Africa has got our local SharePoint community www.informationworker.co.za site up to the 1000 member mark.

This is an awesome achievement - way to go IW team!!

--Marc