Track the Output of SharePoint Fast Search Crawl Logs
August 7, 2012
Do you need to pull SharePoint Fast Search crawl logs? We do. We read with interest an item on Microsoft’s TechNet Web site. “Get SharePoint Search Crawl Logs” provides an almost ready-to-run script which will accept a search service name and display the associated crawl logs. If there is a crawl log with an error, the script flags that instance. To script can be edited so that it returns different information from the crawly logs. In order to make this tweak, the $crawlLogFilters can be edited.
SharePoint Fast usually does an excellent job of processing content. However, some documents can be malformed or an unexpected network issue can arise. As a result, certain content can be skipped or ignored. A visual inspection of crawl logs is not practical when SharePoint is processing large volumes of content.
If you want to view the crawl logs, TechNet provides a wealth of information. A good place to begin your investigation is in the TechNet Library. If you want to expOrt the SharePoint 2010 search crawl logs, you will find a useful Powershell script in Dave Mc’s Blog in the article “Export the SharePoint 2010 Search Crawl Log.” MSDN also provides information about exporting SharePoint 2010 search crawl logs. To access this information, navigate to the SharePoint Escalation Team’s blog.
Search Technologies’ team of experienced engineers can provide automation tools which eliminate the need to search for solutions to common problems. To learn more about our SharePoint and FFast Search implementation services, navigate to http://www.searchtechnologies.com/microsoft-search.html or contact us at info@searchtechnologies.com.
Iain Fletcher, August 7, 2012
Sponsored by Augmentext
Sign In as Difference User in SharePoint 2013
July 26, 2012
The “Sign in as a Different User” menu option has been done away with in SharePoint 2013. Microsoft has made it known that they have worked to make SharePoint 2013 a more streamlined, efficient, out-of-the-box solution, and in doing so are discouraging users from customization. However, some of the features that were removed still need to be navigated in some way. The “Sign in as a Different User” command is one example. Nick Grattan’s SharePoint Blog gives us a workaround in, “Sign in as Different User and SharePoint 2013.”
Grattan states:
This ‘Sign in as Different User’ menu item is very useful when testing applications, but it can lead to problems especially when opening documents, say in Microsoft Word. So, it may be for these reasons that the option has been removed in SharePoint 2013. You can add the menu item back in, but I would suggest only doing this on test or development SharePoint servers. To do this, repeat this edit on all servers in your SharePoint farm:
What follows is a step-by-step list of instructions to help you successfully complete the function.
For users who are concerned in general about the lack of customization options in SharePoint 2013, we would encourage the addition of a smart third-party solution. For instance, Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise can stand alone or work alongside an existing SharePoint infrastructure to increase efficiency and intuitiveness. Fabasoft Mindbreeze is a trusted industry leader based in Austria, and consistently wins recognition for by KM World.
Emily Rae Aldridge, July 26, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Considerations for an Existing Farm with SharePoint 2013 on the Horizon
July 6, 2012
In “SharePoint 2013 Upgrade or Not: 5 Strategies to Help You Decide,” Bjorn Furuknap gives some tips on preparing for the next version of SharePoint. The author first suggests fixing any of your existing problems now because they will remain largely the same from version to version.
But if you don’t have any major problems, Furuknap offers this:
SharePoint will be here next year, and the year after. And yes, there will be a SharePoint 2016, which will be so much better, and you should probably wait for that to arrive because it’s going to truly outshine SharePoint 2013. If, right now, you don’t have a problem that SharePoint can help you solve, then most likely, you won’t get those problems in November either. In other words, Microsoft releasing a new version will not give you new problems.
The author also suggests that if you have the extra money, consider upgrading now, but if you have many custom apps, consider waiting as they may not jive with SharePoint 2013. Furuknap brings some good points to the discussion by pointing out the decision should be unique to your situation. Asking the right questions will help ensure that your project resources are spent on the key aspects rather than unnecessary functionalities that will only complicate the system.
A third party solution, like Fabasoft Mindbreeze, can also help you connect the dots in your SharePoint system. The Fabasoft Folio Connector integrates all your business information from the intranet, Cloud, internet, and knowledge portals in the corporate-wide search, while maintaining your strict access rights. With Mindbreeze, users can easily search and reuse information from documents, contacts, projects, Wiki articles, conference agendas, and more.
Phillip West, July 6, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
SharePoint Projects Easily Spiral Out of Control
June 27, 2012
As any SharePoint developer knows, a project can easily get out of control. Original estimates are often overrun and decimated as glitches and problems occur. The ShareMuch blog tackles this issue in its piece, “Did You Think About: Why Do We Go Over the Estimates on SharePoint Projects?”
The author begins:
Just as everyone you and I are going over the estimates on many SharePoint projects; it doesn’t matter how much experience you have. With more experience you might be able to mitigate the outcomes of going over estimates, but avoiding going over the estimates, in a first place, is not so trivial. I’m sure you already thought about the whole “going over the estimates” problem and even have few answers why it happened; most of those answers are probably related to stakeholders on a project and other events.
He goes on to explain that instead of focusing on specific solutions, the focus should be on the reasons why this happens and better prevention.
We think that one effective prevention technique is to bring a smart third party solution on board, a solution like Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enteprise. Fabasoft Mindbreeze is a leading Austria-based company. Its products stand alone or work alongside an existing SharePoint infrastructure. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enteprise is fully scalable, with updates available at least once per quarter, avoiding the need for continuous customization and over-shot budgets. Mindbreeze backs up what they sell – read feedback from their many satisfied customers.
Emily Rae Aldridge, June 27, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Security Concerns and Account Permissions in SharePoint 2010 Explained
June 5, 2012
Robert Schifreen brings us the tenth installment of his SharePoint 2010 series in his ZDNet.co.uk post, “Security on the Farm: Accounts and Permissions.” Shifreen explains that SharePoint’s most important database is SharePoint_config but that if it breaks, you’re best bet is to rebuild from your notes and restore backed-up content databases. Why? Schifreen points out that restoring a backup of SharePoint_config isn’t actually supported by Microsoft and rarely works in practice.
The author also has this to share about the nuances of a SharePoint deployment:
When you start building and running a SharePoint farm, you will come across dozens of seemingly unsolvable problems that turn out to be merely down to permissions.
He goes on to say,
Best practice is then to use separate accounts for installing various underlying services, databases, and so on…The most tempting option, of course, is to forget best practice and just use one account for running all the SharePoint internal stuff. The upside is that things will work a little better, with fewer permission-related errors. There are two downsides. First, if a hacker manages to penetrate the account he’ll have access to the entire farm rather than just a half or a third of it. Secondly, splitting everything across multiple accounts can actually aid troubleshooting in some cases because, by glancing at the server’s security log, the account that caused the problem will give you a clue as to why things are going wrong.
Schifreen’s topic of security is a valuable one in the world of big data that is continuously growing across on-premise and cloud platforms. Consider a comprehensive out of the box solution, like Fabasoft Mindbreeze, to extend your SharePoint system with the added certified security benefits.
Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise “finds every scrap of information within a very short time, whether document, contract, note, e-mail or calendar entry, in intranet or internet, person- or text-related. The software solution finds all required information, regardless of source, for its users.” Further, Mindbreeze offers certified security and reliability with regular external audits of their relevant standards ISO 27001, ISO 20000, ISO 9001, and SAS 70 Tup II. The solution is worth a second look at www.mindbreeze.com.
Philip West, June 5, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
GSX Streamlines SharePoint Monitoring
May 1, 2012
Every SharePoint developer knows that a SharePoint infrastructure requires a lot of love and attention. Monitoring is essential to heading off major problems. GSX Solutions is now offering an automated way to monitor enterprise environments. Market Watch gives a full report in, “GSX Assures Around-the-Clock Performance for Microsoft Exchange and SharePoint.”
GSX Solutions, the global leader in proactive, consolidated monitoring and reporting of enterprise collaboration environments, including Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SharePoint, BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) and Lotus Notes, today announced its latest release of GSX Monitor & Analyzer assures around-the-clock availability and performance for Exchange 2010 and SharePoint. The new release provides pinpoint alerts that enable Exchange and SharePoint administrators to head off emerging issues before they impact the business and dramatically reduce user complaints.
Claiming that the service can alert you to your emerging enterprise issues before they impact the line of business, GSX definitely has a market. Such monitoring can save a SharePoint team a lot of costly time and energy in manual monitoring. We think an addition of a third-party enterprise solution may also help ensure that problems do not occur in the first place.
The suite of solutions offered by Fabasoft Mindbreeze lead the pack in terms of interoperability and ease of use. They function on their own or in addition to an existing SharePoint installation. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise is an intuitive, efficient enterprise alternative, that has been proven to save users time and improve user satisfaction.
Be well informed – quickly and accurately. The data often lies distributed across numerous sources. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise gains each employee two weeks per through focused finding of data (IDC Studies). An invaluable competitive advantage in business as well as providing employee satisfaction.
It is important to have a lot of tools at your disposal when overseeing a large SharePoint installation. But as hotly anticipated as SharePoint 2013 may be, we believe that the wave of the future will be smart, agile third party solutions such as the ones created by Fabasoft Mindbreeze. Be sure to check out all that they have to offer.
Emily Rae Aldridge, May 1, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
SharePoint Development Tutorial Within 85 Pages
April 21, 2012
Although the SharePoint Fast search option is under assault from many quarters, many organizations want to “run what Microsoft brung.”
No longer do you have to scour the Web for basic tutorials on how to start SharePoint development? You can waste a lot of working hours researching sources, when you can save yourself time and money by heading over to SharePoint Tutorial and reading about their book, “Learn SharePoint Development.”
Pulling from six years of experience, the author pours his knowledge into a short eighty-five guidebook. It was written with the absolute beginner in mind, it includes step-by-step instructions, focused viewpoint with pictures for explanation, concepts and practices for training with source code to start.
“This document shows you basic concepts of SharePoint regarding development and deployment of solutions as well as customizations like Web Parts. It helps you to understand the basic development and deployment process and what elements are involved since the process differs from the ASP.NET process although SharePoint is based on ASP.NET.”
You are also treated to the tools for data organization, SharePoint environmental development, deployment, and Visual Studio 2010 basics. You can either purchase the book for $24, but for an additional $10 you can get the source code as well. One of the problems I have with these SharePoint start up books is that they hardly ever address SharePoint search. If you do not understand search enterprise concepts, then it is good to rely on SurfRay Ontolica—a search enterprise platform that requires zero to little extra programming for adoption.
Whitney Grace, April 21, 2012
Sponsored by OpenSearchNews.com
Bearing with the Hassles of SharePoint
February 23, 2012
Forrester’s latest report on SharePoint 2010 remarks that the platform’s strengths outweigh its weaknesses, providing enough business value to overcome the hassles. Toby Ward comments on the Forrester report in, “If You Can Afford It, SharePoint May be Worth the Hassles.”
Ward disagrees, recommending each organization evaluate whether or not SharePoint is the right solution for their situation:
While the power and feature set of SP 2010 is undeniable, it turns out it is more expensive, more complicated and fails to live up to a number of key expectations. It is, however, a vast improvement over 2007, and is particularly more so for business users such as corporate communications, marketing and HR, who rely more heavily on enterprise content management, collaboration, and portal features.
In his pro/con list, Ward remarks that a major weak point of SharePoint 2010 is its mobile access problems on a variety of platforms. One solution that provides excellent mobile access is Fabasoft Mindbreeze.
Read more about how their Fabasoft Mindbreeze Mobile solution compliments an existing enterprise infrastructure:
Fabasoft Mindbreeze Mobile makes company data available on all mobile devices . . . You can act independently and freely – yet always securely. Irrespective of what format the data is in. Full functionality: the display of the search results is homogenous to the tried and tested web client in terms of clear design and intuitive navigation . . . Existing access rights to company-internal documents and data remain maintained in the view via the mobile client. The user only receives information for which he/she has access rights.
While some organizations may suffer through the idiosyncracies of SharePoint, there are third-party solutions that work with SharePoint to greatly improve the user experience. Fabasoft Mindbreeze is a strong contender, and a great place to start if your organization wants to improve its enterprise usability.
Emily Rae Aldridge, February 23, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Bridging the Gap of Social Business Needs with SharePoint
February 3, 2012
Social business, social media, anything social and it is written up as a weakness in SharePoint. Widely adopted as a broad solution, SharePoint is not exactly end-user friendly or intuitive. The SharePoint Social blog conquers this very topic in, “39 Solutions for Doing Social Business with SharePoint.”
The author proposes:
Doing Social Business with SharePoint is easy and hard at the same time. Easy, because SharePoint has lot’s of basic social functions build in like mysites, ratings, content tagging, blogs, wikis, noteboards, and more. Just start to use them. Hard, because the basic out of the box functions SharePoint falls short of many end-user expectations around social. Customization or the addition of third-party products is needed.
Agreeing with the author above, customization of SharePoint or a third-party solution must be implemented. However, third-party solutions are a much easier answer to the question than customization. Saving time and costly man-hours, there are many good third party solutions that seamlessly provide SharePoint end users with the added functionality so desperately needed.
One solution that is particularly smart and efficient is Fabasoft Mindbreeze. Its suite of solutions solves all the problems listed by our author, including: mobile, website customization, and connectors to other software. Mindbreeze is one solution that works alongside SharePoint but builds connections through an organization’s entire system.
Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise is the leading solution for fast and comprehensive access to corporate-wide knowledge. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise searches all structured and unstructured data (e-mails, documents, contracts, contacts, notes etc.) within seconds and provides all relevant information structured, prioritized and ready for further use. Staff resources are released to concentrate on their actual task.
Read more about the entire suite of Fabasoft Mindbreeze offerings here.
Emily Rae Aldridge, February 3, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Harsh Words for SharePoint Server 2010
December 20, 2011
Microsoft SharePoint users could hardly contain their excitement when the company announced they would be releasing SharePoint Server 2010. There were some lofty expectations for this upgrade, but it seems many users were left dissatisfied with the improvements and innovations that they found. Bjorn Furuknap, one of the disgruntled users, took to his blog to discuss where he thinks Microsoft went wrong.
Furuknap says in his post, SharePoint Server 2010 Isn’t Really Ready for Enterprise Applications – And What Microsoft Should Do About It, that SharePoint 2010 is:
“riddled with bugs that prevent it from being a great platform for building enterprise or professional applications.” He blames the “lousy” coding for many of the problems and says that the product “lacks virtually everything that makes it sellable, including the price.”
Furuknap says that Microsoft “isn’t able to move quickly enough to compete with much more agile and nimble companies” and we must add that his analogy of an elderly person wearing hip-hop clothes conjured up some funny images.
So the question is… can a start up company beat Sharepoint? It certainly seems that way. Companies like Box.net and Inforbix are offering the enhancements that users are looking for. These companies are simplifying the process, enhancing the reliability and making their product cost-efficient. Watch out because this time David just make take out Goliath.
Jennifer Wensink, December 20, 2011
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