Topology Configuration for SharePoint 2013
July 16, 2013
We’ve found an interesting how-to on topology configuration. The Team Blog of MCS @ Middle East and Africa posts, “Configuring SharePoint 2013 Search Topology.” Blogger and Microsoft employee Issa Ayyash begins:
“When creating the Search Service application, a default topology will be built automatically where all Search components are assigned to the server which is running the Central Administration, in multi servers farm scenario you need to change this topology, the only available way currently is through PowerShell which will provide more flexibility in configuring the topology, (you can NOT modify the topology through UI like you used to do with SharePoint 2010)”
Yes, that change could be frustrating if one didn’t get the memo. For a rundown of the differences between SharePoint 2010 and SharePoint 2013, click here.
Ayyash goes on to guide us through an example five-server setup, complete with a helpful diagram, a screenshot, and snippets of code. The model dedicates three servers to query processing and two as application servers. This post is a concise and informative resource for anyone who may be called upon to configure a SharePoint 2013 search topology.
Cynthia Murrell, July 16, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
SharePoint 2013 Offers Improvements in Search
January 10, 2013
An overall architecture for SharePoint 2013 Search can be found on the Search Technologies’ Web site.
As new releases tend to do, SharePoint 2013 has made some tweaks that users would do well to explore, we learn in “Search Engine Changes in SharePoint 2013” from iT Pro. SharePoint consultant Veena Sarda details the search-related changes and presents them in a handy chart.
The first thing to note is that FAST Search has now been worked into the SharePoint code base. That means that FAST capabilities like metadata extraction, visual search, and advanced linguistics are now part of the package. Content and analytics processors have been added to the logical architecture, and a specialized Search Administrator now manages these and other search-related components. Also new is a dedicated analysis engine, which performs both search and usage analytics.
Crawling has been improved; it is now possible to crawl http sites anonymously, and the time for the index to merge and present those results has been dramatically shortened. Results rendering has been moved from the server to the client side. Document parsing is now much more refined, relying on a set of new parsing features, rather than on file extensions to do the job.
Other welcome improvements affect the user experience. The UI has been revamped to accommodate the new features, with a re-design based on nested layout templates defined in JavaScript and HTML. This change allows for easier extensibility. Furthermore, end users now have an easier time of it; the write-up notes that the platform now provides:
“Direct access to the most granular information inside of sites and documents, and then enables users to act on the results without having to leave the results page. Every search box in every team site offers full access to enterprise-wide search, people search, and other specialized search experiences in addition to the traditional scoped site search.”
Part of this simplified workflow is the new Hover feature, which presents a visual preview of sites, documents, and conversations at the pause of a mouse.
A few more search-related improvements: Authors are identified as experts based on document content, where before they were identified by My Site profiles. People Search (which used to be independent of document search) has been integrated with the core results and can be targeted by name, location, phone number, and other properties.
Perhaps one of the most noteworthy shifts is the new Query Rules feature. SharePoint 2010 only allows for simple queries—one query, one set of results. Sarda writes:
“Query Rules are a new feature in SharePoint 13 that help act upon the ‘intent’ of a query – Query Rules are composed of three top level elements: Query Conditions (i.e. matching rules), Query Actions (i.e. what do you do when you find a match), Publishing Options (i.e. when should this rule be active). Query Rules allows to have search requests from a user trigger multiple queries and multiple result sets.”
A welcome addition. For more information on SharePoint 2013, see the “brief functional walk-through” posted at Search Technologies. It contains, among other things, an easy-to-understand flow chart. The SharePoint experts there also promise to post future updates at that link.
Search Technologies leverages search engines to provide business advantages to their clients. With over twenty years of experience in the field, the company asserts that it is the largest IT services company dedicated to search engine implementation, consulting, and managed services. For information on the firm’s SharePoint 2013 Search Services, visit www.searchtechnologies.com. Search Technologies is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia.
Cynthia Murrell, January 10, 2013
Metalogix Announces Migration Tool for SharePoint 2013 Upgrade
November 20, 2012
Metalogix recently launched Content Matrix 6.0, a new take on the former Migration Manager product. Details of the tool can be read in, “Speeding, Easing SharePoint Migration.” Content Matrix aims to provide power, speed, and flexibility to upgrade to SharePoint 2013 from any previous version. The product is explained:
Content Matrix 6.0 is designed to simplify an organization’s content experience, including moving to the cloud. In addition to SharePoint migration, architects and administrators can migrate file shares and documents from legacy enterprise content management (ECM) systems and keep SharePoint content organized in a high fidelity and ongoing basis. Further, content owners have more control over content directly from the SharePoint user interface.
The company is also introducing SharePoint 4.0, which offers the ability to automatic and continuously back up unstructured SharePoint content. The tool may be worth looking into for a migration option. You may also want to consider a more comprehensive solution, especially for reducing content storage sprawl and adding structure to your vast unstructured data. Fabasoft Mindbreeze integrates knowledge from all sections of a company into a uniform, linked whole hub of business information. With the added benefit of a SharePoint connector, Mindbreeze snaps seamlessly into existing systems to extend capabilities and efficiently create relevant business knowledge.
Philip West, November 20, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
SharePoint 2013 Walk Through from Search Technologies
November 16, 2012
With the recent release of SharePoint 2013 to manufacturing clients as well as volume licensing customers, people are struggling to find information about the product to prepare for the transition.
New information is available about SharePoint 2013’s search capabilities in a recent blog post from Search Technologies. The post, “Search for SharePoint 2013,” provides a high-level summary and a functional walk-through of the capabilities, including crawling, content and analytics processing, and query processing.
The article also breaks down the main headlines about the release:
“The FAST search technology, acquired by Microsoft in 2008, is at the heart of SharePoint 2013
Technologies and ideas from Bing and elsewhere have been added to the mix to provide a comprehensive set of enterprise search capabilities, with plenty of room for customization
It includes a rules-based query parsing framework
Pricing has not yet been formally announced, but it is generally assumed that this search functionality will be a standard part of SharePoint 2013.”
We found the information on SharePoint which is available at this site to be informative and easy to digest. Browsing the blog brought up numerous other points of specialties in the IT services and search engine field of expertise. Other articles can be found at http://www.searchtechnologies.com/blog.html. We recommend adding this blog to your must-read list.
Andrea Hayden, November 16, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com
SharePoint 2013 Goes Social with Community Templates
October 29, 2012
As users continue to drive demand for social networking features and companies look to increase collaboration among employees, technology is aiming to deliver solutions to fit the need. SharePoint 2013 is no exception as they add social features as well as other smaller configuration improvements to give users more power with a friendlier interface. Jennifer Mason summarizes some of the changes in the coming SharePoint release in her CMSWire.com article, “SharePoint 2013: Intranets with a Side of Social.”
Mason discusses new features including the ability to reuse content across multiple sites, new navigation features, improved search Web part, and changes to design tools. She has this to say about SharePoint’s goal to bring people together with the data they need in a social business context:
The community template provides a way for this type of capability within SharePoint 2013. Community templates have been designed in a way that allows anyone within the organization to join a community and to begin discussions on things relevant to the community. These communities are a great way to share information in a collaborative way, at the same time making intellectual property with the organization available to a larger audience.
Community templates may help bring people together and allow for a new kind of collaboration that previous SharePoint versions simply did not support. While new features are exciting, we also know that out-of-the-box SharePoint tends to have gaps. A complete social business experience also relies on a powerful search feature accessible to all users. One third party application worth looking into is Fabasoft Mindbreeze and their Enterprise Search solution. Mindbreeze connects all company data, including documents, notes, e-mails, calendar entries, contracts, intranet or internet, person- or text-related, and more. In addition, their SharePoint connector allows for a seamless install to complement your existing content management investments.
Philip West, October 29, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Familiar Architecture and Improvements in SharePoint 2013
October 11, 2012
J. Peter Bruzzese, a writer for InfoWorld’s Enterprise Windows blog, takes a look at what he terms welcome enhancements for SharePoint 2013 in his InfoWorld post, “SharePoint 2013: A Low-Key Update You’ll Love.” Bruzzese first points out that architecturally, the upcoming SharePoint release is similar to its predecessor, but with added benefit of increased support for touch based devices. He has this to say about the overall improvements:
SharePoint 2013’s social networking enhancements provide more interaction options for people in a company, such as via community sites and portals that offer a forum-style experience within SharePoint. The My Sites user interface…has been streamlined. New microblog and newsfeed features allow for shorter conversations and quick updates, similar to what Yammer provides.
He adds that overall SharePoint 2013 is an improvement, but also has this to say:
I only wish that SharePoint was released more frequently, not tied to the three-year cycles of the Office and server lines, so it could better keep up with the rapid changes in social networking, mobile, and other user technology spaces.
Bruzzese points out that greater scalability and integration of FAST Search, rather than being a stand-alone program, are also two improvements. But when it comes to taking advantage of social capabilities and search, we know that FAST has its gaps and users need efficient and easy access to information. Fabasoft Mindbreeze offers Enterprise Search with SharePoint Connectors so to easily snap into your existing farm. In addition to all-inclusive search, Mindbreeze creates relevant knowledge by storing data according to type and relevance while processing data in a comprehensible form.
Philip West, October 11, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Search Service Application for SharePoint 2013
October 9, 2012
When it comes to SharePoint, the search application has always been a tricky feature. For smaller companies, if programmed directly, it does the job perfectly, but for larger organizations a more robust solution for search was found in third-party software. Rather than turn to ISVs, these days many IT professionals are developing solutions in house to save on costs and to make a piece of software that does exactly what it needs. SharePoint Tutorial took the “do it yourself” approach for “SharePoint 2013 Create Search Service Application with PowerShell.”
The article teaches you the following:
“This guide shows you how to create a SharePoint 2013 Search Service Application using PowerShell and how this process differs from creating a SharePoint 2010 Search Service Application using PowerShell.”
PowerShell is the task automation framework from Microsoft. It uses command-line shell and other scripting languages for Windows. Its main function is to primarily allow IT professionals have greater access over the administrative function of Windows; mostly it uses cmdlets, which can be combined into scripts or executables.
The article walks the reader through steps on how to create a search service application by going through each step individually and explaining them with the use of screenshots. The coding examples are the real winner as they provide the real basis for understanding how to create the search application. Sometimes in the coding process it is easy to get lost and confused, but when a ready reference is available for help it makes the process all the easier to get through. If the coding examples, screenshots, and explanations are not enough to get you started, the article links to the SharePoint 2013 Resource Page. It is SharePoint Tutorial’s Web resource page that points to all their gathered knowledge on the new SharePoint 2013 deployment.
As SharePoint 2013 is still a new and its sea legs are still being tested and it is still being determined whether a homebuilt application to augment its out-of-the-box search capabilities. If we can follow the same pattern from other SharePoint versions, then a homebuilt, customizable solution is the way to go. The article starts IT professionals and SharePoint developers with a good starting point. The real test will come with longtime exposure to 2013, long enough to get all the bugs figured out.
Search Technologies can provide organizations worldwide with engineering and support services for SharePoint Search as well as other enterprise systems. The firm’s engineers can create PowerShell and other components to improve the performance and user satisfaction of any search and retrieval system. More information about Search Technologies is available at http://www.searchtechnologies.com/.
Iain Fletcher, Search Technologies, October 9, 2012
PS. Search Technologies is holding our first search meet up. Details are available at http://www.meetup.com/DC-Metro-Enterprise-Search-Network/ and http://goo.gl/P5oKY.
Moving to SharePoint 2013: Planning Necessary
September 25, 2012
Many organizations will want to take advantage of the new features, services, and functions of SharePoint 2013 and SharePoint Search 2013. “Planning the Infrastructure Required for the new App Model in SharePoint 2013” makes clear that a shift to Microsoft’s 2013 enterprise systems requires planning and preparation.
Because the name of the solution is the same, many SharePoint administrators may feel that SharePoint 2013 is a routine upgrade. The article points out: “SharePoint 2013 brings with it a brand new application model, which we euphemistically refer to as the ‘app model’ or ‘cloud app model’. “
The scope of the planning required, according to Steve Peschka, includes, the development model, the security model, and the infrastructure. The article jumps from broad themes into quite specific information about modifications to url formation. For an administrator with this specific concern, the information is useful. The recommendation focuses on creating additional Web applications.
Comperio, one of the world’s leading specialists in search and content processing, approaches SharePoint planning by considering the context of the client’s needs, the existing SharePoint implementation, and the requirements the client has which can benefit from the 2013 solution. Comperio’s search engineers can handle the technical details of an implementation, but these are integrated into the roll out of a SharePoint system which considers budget, timetable, and existing resources.
According to Jørn Ellefsen , CEO and founder of Comperio:
Search matters. Our approach is to gather information, analyze the data, and develop a migration plan which focuses on meeting client requirements. Our engineers specialize in the search element of SharePoint for SharePoint migrations. However, our capabilities embrace the preparation and post-migration work that are important to SharePoint licensees.
Comperio’s approach to SharePoint Search reduces the time and cost of a shift from an existing SharePoint installation to the latest version of SharePoint. For more information about Comperio Search’s SharePoint 2013 planning and implementation services, visit www.comperiosearch.com.
Stephen E Arnold, September 25, 2012
Sponsored by Augmentext
The Community Weighs in on SharePoint 2013 Sans Design View
September 25, 2012
The SharePoint community has no doubt noticed the absence of design view in SharePoint 2013 with many MVPs wondering about support for existing applications, as well as what the future of building full-scale applications will look like. Caroline Marwitz continues the conversation in the WindowsITPro.com post, “Will You Miss SharePoint Designer Design View in SharePoint 2013?” Marwitz shares a fellow MVPs perspective on the change:
Ironically, one of the most realistic responses came from a SharePoint MVP who has built his recent professional life around SharePoint Designer. Asif Rehmani wrote, ‘Design View is not coming back and that’s a fact. Now the question becomes: What do we do with all of the solutions that we have made using the Design View? How do you support it going forward? That’s the Million dollar question on everyone’s mind who is close to this functionality change.’
Marwitz explains she leans toward those who want Design View back, but mainly because she can sympathize with those who are losing a tool they’ve come to count on. But some in the community have also voiced their belief that SharePoint Designer is part of what’s wrong with SharePoint.
As the community adjusts to the changes, it highlights that for some users there will be gaps in the SharePoint system. Adding a third party application is one way to extend SharePoint capabilities, such as with the Information Pairing feature from Fabasoft Mindbreeze. Here you can read about increased SharePoint efficiency with Mindbreeze, “A survey by German market analysts has shown that practically every second company uses SharePoint. However, in SharePoint only one facet of a company’s knowledge can be presented. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise 2012 puts an end to this shortcoming.”
Philip West, September 25, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Coming Article Series to Focus on SharePoint 2013 Features from the Executive Perspective
September 24, 2012
Descriptions and highlights of the coming SharePoint 2013 features have been a hot topic in the community. Symon Garfield takes another look at how these features might be used in the organization in his upcoming series of articles on the topic at CMSWire.com. The series starts off with, “The Executive’s Guide to SharePoint 2013: Understanding Communities.”
Community Sites provide a forum experience in the SharePoint environment which enables members to contribute information and ask for help from fellow members, according to the Microsoft TechNet Web site. Garfield explains that communities of purpose share a common objective while networks share loose associations with the main goal to just stay in touch. And with a community of purpose, members can make contributions and develop ideas and solutions for the purpose. Garfield explains how it relates to SharePoint 2013:
SharePoint 2013 includes a template to use as the basis for creating community web sites. At the heart of a community site is a discussion board which members can use to begin conversations on a specific topic, or to post questions to the rest of the community. Site moderators can create categories to organize the discussion threads. This supports the contribution element of the community process. Members can post replies to topics, or to other replies, and they can rate topics and replies…This facilitates the feedback element of the community process.
Collaboration capabilities are imperative as businesses develop rich community cultures. To tap into the new possibilities, consider a third party solution to complete your enterprise search system. Fabasoft Mindbreeze provides comprehensive access to business knowledge for everyone on the team and is backed by a customer focused support team that shares your purpose.
Philip West, September 24, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
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