SharePoint 2013 training for IT pros

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/fp123606

Sharepoint 2013 BI , Performance Point and SSAS

SharePoint Workflow - Video and Text

Workflow actions in SharePoint Designer 2010: A quick reference guide

Create a Site Workflow and modify its form using InfoPath

Creating a Workflow on a List using SharePoint Designer 2010

Customize “Start Custom Task Process” in SharePoint Designer 2010

SPD Workflow Packaging and Deployment

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/sharepointdesigner/archive/2012/08/30/packaging-list-site-and-reusable-workflow-and-how-to-deploy-the-package.aspx

Advanced Workflow 2013
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/chhopkin/archive/2011/11/17/create-your-own-visualizations-for-sharepoint-workflows-built-with-visual-studio-and-visio.aspx

http://plexhosted.com/billing/knowledgebase/300/How-to-enable-workflow-visualization-at-the-SharePoint-site-SharePoint-2010.html

SharePoint 2013 Visual Studio workflows for escalations (StateMachine type with code)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl_vo6JFBlE


SharePoint 2013 VS Workflow Declarative type (NO code) Sandbox deployment 

http://www.codeproject.com/Tips/620173/Step-by-Step-Approach-to-Create-a-Visual-Studio-Sh

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/officeapps/archive/2013/03/27/sharepoint-workflow-development-with-office-developer-tools-for-visual-studio-2012.aspx

SPD 2013


SharePoint 2013 Workflow ( using Workflow Manager )

Calling an External Web Service using Workflow Manager 1.0 in SharePoint 2013

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/dn518136(v=office.15).aspx

Workflow Association and Initiation form - Visual studio

Topics on Sharepoint 2013 workflow

1: SharePoint 2013 and Workflow Manager 1.0 In-Depth
This module explains in detail the architecture that makes up the SharePoint 2013 workflow story including SharePoint 2013, Workflow Manager 1.0 and Service Bus 1.0.

2: SharePoint 2013 and Workflow Manager 1.0 Debugging
This module covers the different options developers have in their toolbox to debug workflows they are building for SharePoint 2013 and Workflow Manager 1.0.

3: The New Workflow Services Manager Client API
This module covers the different client APIs, both for managed and unmanaged code, that have been added to control the workflow surface in SharePoint 2013 and Workflow Manager 1.0.

4: Creating Custom Forms for SharePoint 2013 Workflows
This module covers the background story for creating custom forms in SharePoint and guidance on how to create custom forms for SharePoint 2013 workflows.

5: Creating Custom Reusable Activities and Actions for Workflows
This module covers creating custom activities for use in other SharePoint 2013 Visual Studio authored workflows as well as action files for using the activities within SharePoint Designer 2013 authored workflows.

Videos at http://www.pluralsight.com/training/Courses/TableOfContents/sharepoint2013-workflow-advanced-topics

Install and configure Workflow in SharePoint Server 2013 http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn201724(v=office.15) Step 1

Configuring Incoming & Outgoing Email on a SharePoint 2013 Document Library

SharePoint Registration ID, List Template ID

The list template ID is required for a hardcore SharePoint developer and frequently I used to refer this. Hope some one will see this page and useful for them.

100 Generic list
101 Document library
102 Survey
103 Links list
104 Announcements list
105 Contacts list
106 Events list
107 Tasks list
108 Discussion board
109 Picture library
110 Data sources
111 Site template gallery
112 User Information list
113 Web Part gallery
114 List template gallery
115 XML Form library
116 Master pages gallery
117 No-Code Workflows
118 Custom Workflow Process
119 Wiki Page library
120 Custom grid for a list
130 Data Connection library
140 Workflow History
150 Gantt Tasks list
200 Meeting Series list
201 Meeting Agenda list
202 Meeting Attendees list
204 Meeting Decisions list
207 Meeting Objectives list
210 Meeting text box
211 Meeting Things To Bring list
212 Meeting Workspace Pages list
301 Blog Posts list
302 Blog Comments list
303 Blog Categories list
1100 Issue tracking
1200 Administrator tasks list

SQL Server 2012 SP1 SSRS Integration with SharePoint 2013

There are a few documents in Internet for SQL Server 2008 R2 SSRS Integration with SharePoint. But for SQL Server 2012 SP1, I couldn't find a good one. The aim is to help someone is Installing SQL Server 2012 SP2 with SSRS Integration mode and Integrate in SharePoint 2013 Server.

The below are the Important points

1. Install SQL Server 2012 featured installation with SharePoint Integrated mode (Install only)

If App server and WFE server is in a single box, then follow the steps 2 and 3
2. Install SQL Server 2012 SP1 featured installation option in "App server"
3. Choose the shared features "Reporting Services - SharePoint" and "Reporting Services Add-in for SharePoint products"

If App server and WFE server are in different box 4 to 6
4. Install SQL Server 2013 SP1 featured installation option in "App server"
5. Choose the shared features "Reporting Services - SharePoint" in "App server"
6. Choose the shared features "Reporting Services Add-in for SharePoint Products" in WFE server.

7. In app server (where we installed SSRS) you have to run the below power shell scripts

Install-SPRSService
Install-SPRSServiceProxy
get-spserviceinstance -all |where {$_.TypeName -like “SQL Server Reporting*”} | Start-SPServiceInstance

Note : SSRS in integrated mode (now as a service application) needs to be installed on the SharePoint server, not the SQL
Server.Also, with 2012, you should be installing the SP1 update in order to integrate with SharePoint 2013.

SQL Server 2012 data-driven alerts SQL Server Reporting

Team Foundation Server (TFS)

TFS Programming

http://geekswithblogs.net/TarunArora/archive/2011/06/18/tfs-2010-sdk-connecting-to-tfs-2010-programmaticallyndashpart-1.aspx

SharePoint 2013 HTML Master page - Branding tutorials

SharePoint Secure Store Application - How to use

The main use of Secure store application is

-To store the secured credentials in encrypted format in database
-To allow a group of users to use the credentials to use applications such as Excel services, Performance point services etc.
-To Impersonate the  users to run with elevated privileges.
- The below screen shot is the example to use Secure Store Application in BCS

The below two videos demonstrates how to configure secure store application in Central admin and usage in BCS to access SQL Server.

Visio Graphic Service Application Creation in SharePoint

When to use and not to use SharePoint

Introduction

SharePoint technology is adopted in many organizations and supported by IT due to it’s Out of the box features and its Integration with other systems. Although we can do everything in SharePoint because of its rich features and support, we need to analyze and take a decision whether to use SharePoint or ASP.NET (Forms or MVC).

When to use SharePoint

If the new application requires more collaboration, less database intensive operations, BI, Publishing, Content & document management and adopts most of the SharePoint OOTB features (with less custom development), then SharePoint is the best choice.

Key features of SharePoint technology

1.    Collaboration

2.    Single Sign on

3.    BI Insight

a.    Reporting Service Integration

b.    PerformancePoint

c.    Excel services ( Power view, Power pivot, Power Map)

4.    Project Server Integration

5.    Office

a.    Web based access to the office applications

b.    Drag and drop from desktop to the platform

c.    Exchange Integration

d.    Improved notification

6.    Social Networking

7.    CMS Integration

8.    Advanced Search

9.    User profiles

10.  Business Process workflows with Workflow manager

11.  Business connectivity services (BCS)

12.  Security

13.  Mobile support (contemporary HTML5 view, Device channels, Office Web Apps Ux with touch support)

14.  OOBT Site columns, Content types, Page layouts, Master pages, Themes, Web parts and Workflows etc.

15.  OOBT Site templates (example Team site, publishing site etc.)

16.  OOBT Objects such as lists and document libraries (example Task list, Issue list, contacts list, picture library etc.)

17.  Document and Records Management. (Versioning, co-authoring, Retention policy, Barcode, Label, Audit etc.)

18.  WCM

a.    Cross site publishing

b.    Video and Embedding

c.    Image Rendition

d.    Clean URLs

e.    Variations and Content translation

f.     Metadata navigation

g.    Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

19.  SharePoint Store

20.  Cross browser functionality

21.  e-Discovery feature with e- Discovery center site templates.

22.  Publishing to Multiple formats (Intranet, Extranet, Internet, Mobile, Tablet)

23.  OData

24.  And much more.

When not to use SharePoint / When to consider ASP.NET

However there are certain circumstances we may not choose SharePoint and the better alternative is ASP.NET custom application development.

1.    Complex database: If the application uses RDBMS with many tables with relations and Indexes, It is better to go with traditional ASP.Net application. Although we can achieve the same database table structure in Sharepoint List and document library using lookup columns and Taxonomy, it is flexible and easy in SQL and traditional ASP.NET applications. In addition, creating OLAP cubes using Database tables, Creating BI reports and creating Indexes to fine-tune the BI report performances are easy. In simple words, SharePoint lists and libraries are not the correct substitute for Relational database.

2.    Database vs. SharePoint list: If your business logic requires transactions, storing data in a database is preferable to using lists. Also, SharePoint lists are meant to store simple data structures. If you require a complex data model with intricate relationships, a database is more appropriate.

Benefits	Database	SharePoint list
Handles complex data relationships	Yes	No
Handles large numbers of items	Yes	No
Handles transactions	Yes	No
Is easy to use	No	Yes
Accommodates workflows	No	Yes
Includes a standard interface	No	Yes
Can easily add binary data	No	Yes

3.    Administrator / IT Configurable UI Components: SharePoint webparts such as Announcements, Weather Information, Sales dashboard web parts are reusable in multiple pages across the multiple websites and required to create new pages and include the reusable web parts by Sharepoint administrators or site collection administrators. If such requirement is not required, we need to consider choosing traditional way.

4.    Branding: Sharepoint branding Implementation is comparatively time consuming than ASP.net and the end results not great especially in admin interfaces which have ribbon and breadcrumb. Ribbon and Breadcrumb design requires some styles customization, if we are using our custom branding (custom master page)

5.    Performance: SharePoint have an extra layer which translates CAML query to T-SQL and then it executes it. The SharePoint lists and document libraries have some extra overhead in accessing Data and have items boundary and over the limit SharePoint won’t support and have performance Issues. However Database table item storage boundaries are high and optimized according to our data volume.

6.    “Untouchable” Database: Microsoft strongly recommended not to touch the SharePoint content database and its objects, as the structures of the Sharepoint tables are not like normal application table structure.

7.    Time and Dev server hardware and software requirements: Developers normally use visual studio to build & deploy many times during the day, moreover the time spent for building & deploying a SharePoint solution is normally double or triple the time for a normal ASP.NET application. This will increase much more if the Developer machines have less than the Microsoft recommended hardware such as RAM, Processor and Free hard disk space.

8.    Complex knowledge platform: It requires a very advanced understanding of the complex concepts of ASP.NET, database & windows server like Active directory, PowerShell, Memory management, caching, hardware capabilities & networking.

9.    Deployment: Complex compared to ASP.NET, which require to copy DLLs (GAC or Bin directory) and a files in to a specific folders. A few SQL commands to add Tables, add Meta data etc. In SharePoint it is complex, and we need to prepare the solution and write PowerShell commands to add, upgrade, Activate solutions. In addition we need to activate the features in Farm, Site collection, Web levels. The deployment process also includes Metadata Import scripts, some manual and automated process.

10.  Estimation: Estimation is difficult and sometimes we can get a solution from codeplex for free and sometimes we need to develop from scratch. In addition, there are multiple ways in Sharepoint to get a required solution such add a list of contacts from a csv file to SharePoint list. This task can be achieved using Server object model (c#), CSOM, PowerShell script, SharePoint UI data entry (if the contact list is small).

11.  Administration: Backup and restore of ASP.Net application is simple and the administrator needs to take the backup Database related the application only, whereas in SharePoint we need to take the snapshot of the server and All the databases related to Site, Central admin, IIS configuration, Service applications etc.

12.  Full Control: Since SharePoint is a framework we can’t change certain features and needs a few workarounds to attain the solution. In case of ASP.Net application we have a full control over all the UI, Libraries, controls which we have created and we can modify and fix issues very easily and quickly.

Advice from Jeff Teper, Corporate Vice President SharePoint

• Use SharePoint as an out-of-box application whenever possible - We designed the new SharePoint UI to be clean, simple and fast and work great out-of-box. We encourage you not to modify it which could add complexity, performance and upgradeability and to focus your energy on working with users and groups to understand how to use SharePoint to improve productivity and collaboration and identifying and promoting best practices in your organization.

• Be thorough in custom web design, development and testing – We know many SharePoint sites are published portals or custom web apps and are excited about the new features we designed for these scenarios. We encourage you to review the new features and guidance to reduce the amount of custom work you need to do. But even there, code is code and we encourage you to validate your design early in your development cycle and with particular focus on peak usage performance testing for how your customizations impact HTTP and SQL Server roundtrips. We have guidance and page and object caching techniques that can help here.

Reference:

http://blogs.office.com/2012/07/17/the-new-sharepoint/

Other references:

http://jamilhaddadin.com/2013/09/12/full-sharepoint-project-implementation-real-case-example-part-1-sharepoint-vs-asp-net/

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/sanjaynarang/archive/2009/06/19/should-i-build-my-application-in-sharepoint-vs-asp-net.aspx

http://betanews.com/2012/09/05/3-things-not-to-do-with-sharepoint/

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff647105.aspx

SharePoint Performance and boundaries

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262787(v=office.15).aspx#ListLibrary

https://andreasgrabner.sys-con.com/node/1348618/mobile

http://www.superedge.net/2010/04/increase-sharepoint-performance-retail.html

Run PowerShell In Windows Task Scheduler

PowerShell Shortcuts

Key	Description
Up / Down arrow	Scan forward or backward through your command history
Tab	Access the tab expansion function
Page Up / Page Down	Access the first or last command in the command history.
Home / End	Move to the beginning or end of the line.
Esc	To clean the current line
Delete / Backspace	Press Delete to delete the character under the cursor, or press the Backspace key to delete the character to the left of the cursor
Ctrl+S	pause or resume the display of output.
Ctrl+Left arrow / Ctrl+Right arrow	move left or right one word at a time
Ctrl + End	Delete all the characters in the line after the cursor
Ctrl + C	Break out of the subprompt or terminate execution
Alt + F7	Clears the command history
Alt + Space + E	Displays an editing shortcut menu with Mark, Copy, Paste, Select All, Scroll, and Find options
|	Break a line at the pipe character
F1	Moves the cursor one character to the right on the command line. At the end of the line, inserts one character from the text of your last command
F2	Creates a new command line by copying your last command line up to the character you type.
F3	Completes the command line with the content from your last command line, starting from the current cursor position to the end of the line
F4	Deletes characters from your current command line, starting from the current cursor position up to the character you type.
F5	Scans backward through your command history
F7	Displays a pop-up window with your command history and allows you to select a command. Use the arrow keys to scroll through the list. Press Enter to select a command to run, or press the Right arrow key to place the text on the command line.
F8	Uses text you've entered to scan backward through your command history for commands that match the text you've typed so far on the command line
F9	Runs a specific numbered command from your command history.