Microsoft Changes Its Tune on SharePoint Server Update
March 30, 2015
In February, Microsoft announced an unpopular decision to push future SharePoint server product updates through Windows Update. The concern was that the service would automatically install “important” updates, which could pose a threat if no prior testing had been done. However, it appears that Microsoft has heard the frustration and repealed that decision. Redmond Magazine covers the latest in their article, “Microsoft Rescinds Windows Update Policy for SharePoint Server.”
The article quotes Microsoft’s Stefan Gossner:
“In response to a question in his post, Gossner clarified that ‘now the decision was made to only release security fixes through Windows Update.’ In other words, the new policy is now the same as the old one. Microsoft won’t push down product updates through its Windows Update service. The rollback decision may give IT pros some peace of mind as they regain a modicum of control over their production environments.”
Without forced pushed updates, IT pros have the time to test updates before launching them. For organizations that are affected by Microsoft’s policies and decisions, stay tuned to ArnoldIT.com. Stephen E. Arnold a lifelong leader in all things search. His Web site features a devoted SharePoint feed, where the latest tips, tricks, and news is shared. It is a simple way to keep an eye out for the good, bad, and the ugly of SharePoint.
Emily Rae Aldridge, March 30, 2015
Stephen E Arnold, Publisher of CyberOSINT at www.xenky.com
SharePoint Pushing Updates Through Windows Update Service
February 24, 2015
Cumulative updates were announced for SharePoint Server 2010 and SharePoint Server 2013 this week. Along with them came the announcement that future CU updates will be more or less automatic. This sends up some red flags in the IT community. Read all the details in the Redmond article, “Microsoft Now Pushing SharePoint Server Updates via the Windows Update Service.”
The article begins:
“The policy change is that starting with these February CU releases, Microsoft intends to push its future SharePoint Server updates, including the nonsecurity ones, through its Windows Update service, according to a blog post by Stefan Gossner, a senior escalation engineer for SharePoint at Microsoft . . . Windows Update delivery implies automatic installations. That could be a scary prospect for IT pros lacking controls preventing automatic installations.”
Windows updates can be set to “download only” on each server for managers who are wary of the automatic changes. To keep up with the latest SharePoint server news, as well as all things SharePoint, stay tuned to ArnoldIT.com. Stephen E. Arnold is a longtime leader in search, and he maintains ArnoldIT.com as a Web service helpful to all levels of users. The dedicated SharePoint feed features the latest tips, tricks, and news.
Emily Rae Aldridge, February 24, 2015
Enterprise Search: Security Remains a Challenge
February 11, 2015
Download an open source enterprise search system or license a proprietary system. Once the system has been installed, the content crawled, the index built, the interfaces set up, and the system optimized the job is complete, right?
Not quite. Retrofitting a keyword search system to meet today’s security requirements is a complex, time consuming, and expensive task. That’s why “experts” who write about search facets, search as a Big Data system, and search as a business intelligence solution ignore security or reassure their customers that it is no big deal. Security is a big deal, and it is becoming a bigger deal with each passing day.
There are a number of security issues to address. The easiest of these is figuring out how to piggyback on access controls provided by a system like Microsoft SharePoint. Other organizations use different enterprise software. As I said, using access controls already in place and diligently monitored by a skilled security administrator is the easy part.
A number of sticky wickets remain; for example:
- Some units of the organization may do work for law enforcement or intelligence entities. There may be different requirements. Some are explicit and promulgated by government agencies. Others may be implicit, acknowledged as standard operating procedure by those with the appropriate clearance and the need to know.
- Specific administrative content must be sequestered. Examples range from information assembled for employee health or compliance requirements for pharma products or controlled substances.
- Legal units may require that content be contained in a managed system and administrative controls put in place to ensure that no changes are introduced into a content set, access is provided to those with specific credential, or kept “off the radar” as the in house legal team tries to figure out how to respond to a discovery activity.
- Some research units may be “black”; that is, no one in the company, including most information technology and security professionals are supposed to know where an activity is taking place, what the information of interest to the research team is, and specialized security steps be enforced. These can include dongles, air gaps, and unknown locations and staff.
An enterprise search system without NGIA security functions is like a 1960s Chevrolet project car. Buy it ready to rebuild for $4,500 and invest $100,000 or more to make it conform to 2015’s standards. Source: http://car.mitula.us/impala-project
How do enterprise search systems deal with these access issues? Are not most modern systems positioned to index “all” content? Is the procedures for each of these four examples part of the enterprise search systems’ administrative tool kit?
Based on the research I conducted for CyberOSINT: Next Generation Information Access and my other studies of enterprise search, the answer is, “No.”
SharePoint Simplifies Cloud Use with Better Updates
September 16, 2014
The next major update to SharePoint functionality will not occur until sometime in 2015, but for now users can get the most function out of their current implementation by taking advantage of Service Pack 1. Especially important for customers who intend to integrate Cloud components, SP1 focuses on reliability, security, and performance. Read more in the Enterprise Apps Today article, “SharePoint Updates Ease Move to Cloud.”
The article begins:
“Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013 has been out for quite some time and received a Service Pack update earlier in the year. While SP1 included the usual mix of performance, reliability and security fixes, it also provided a number of new and updated features with an eye toward the cloud. Another update makes it easier to use Yammer as the social network of choice over the outdated Newsfeed.”
For more tips and tricks regarding getting the most out of your SharePoint installation, head on over to ArnoldIT.com. Stephen E. Arnold has made a career out of all things search, and gives a good bit of attention to the enterprise. His SharePoint feed helps users and administrators navigate the often complicated and potentially frustrating ins and outs of SharePoint.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 16, 2014
SharePoint Facing Inevitable Changes
May 13, 2014
SharePoint is so ubiquitous, that major changes to the platform can really touch almost every organization, in some way. Fierce Content Management is projecting huge changes in the way that SharePoint is deployed in the future. Read more in their story, “SharePoint Might Not be Dying, But It’s Changing and You Need to be Ready.”
“Gartner analyst Jeffrey Mann had a message about the venerable SharePoint for folks at the Gartner Portals, Content and Collaboration Summit this week in LA: It might not be going away anytime soon, but Microsoft was changing the way it delivered SharePoint and customers need to prepare for this.”
The story goes on to project that 2015 might be the last SharePoint version to offer an on-premise installation. While the cloud is gaining popularity, it still has its detractors, concerned primarily about security. Stephen E. Arnold has devoted his life’s work to all things search, and SharePoint is a popular feature on his Web site, ArnoldIT.com. His SharePoint feed features the latest news and tips, and would be a good place to turn for organizations that are in flux.
Emily Rae Aldridge, May 13, 2014
SharePoint Information Governance Concerns
April 23, 2014
Most users of SharePoint know about the struggles and concerns of governance. CMS Wire covers the issue in their article, “The SharePoint Information Governance Problem.”
Speaking to those experienced with using SharePoint as a document management platform, the article begins:
“You’re also likely familiar with the negative impacts that typically result from using SharePoint ineffectively: a proliferation of sites, often on a proliferation of SharePoint versions, with no clear standards on what documents should (and shouldn’t) be stored there or how, no clear guidelines for users on how to classify their documents, little to no capabilities for promoting effective information lifecycle management, little to no end user governance or oversight for things like site and document library structures, security and access settings, or document hygiene, and dozens, hundreds or even thousands of orphaned sites that, taken together, represent a digital landfill of staggering proportions.”
The article then goes on to assert that most of these issues are due to SharePoint’s lack of ease of use. This is a topic that Stephen E. Arnold often covers on his information site, ArnoldIT.com. Specializing in all forms of search, Arnold has a lifetime of experience. Tune in to his SharePoint feed for tips and tricks on increasing ease of use.
Emily Rae Aldridge, April 23, 2014
Figuring out SharePoint Licensing Models
February 28, 2014
SharePoint used to be an on-site installation, but as the cloud emerges in all areas of software, it is also becoming a big factor in SharePoint installations. However, it is not always easy for an organization to determine the best installation for their particular situation. Search Content Management addresses the issue in their article, “Making Sense of SharePoint Licensing Models.”
The article begins:
“Just as the seasons change, the Microsoft licensing landscape has undergone shifts. This is especially true as the company transitions to offer ‘services and devices.’ After years of working primarily as a vendor of software that is installed and run on-premises, Microsoft is moving away from, though not yet abandoning, its traditional model. The new model increasingly emphasizes annuity payments for Software as a Service and services.”
Customers can choose from traditional on-site SharePoint, SharePoint in the cloud and Office 365, and Hosted SharePoint. Stephen E. Arnold is a longtime leader in search and follower of the latest SharePoint news. On ArnoldIT.com, he has found that while users are eager to utilize the cloud, security and user experience issues are still holding some organizations back.
Emily Rae Aldridge, February 28, 2014
Secure Mobile SharePoint Connectivity
February 17, 2014
SharePoint is definitely moving in the mobile direction, but security remains a concern. MobilityShield is hoping to resolve some of those concerns with their newest product release. Read more in the PR Newswire article, “MobilityShield Reveals New Solution for Secure Mobile SharePoint Connectivity.”
The article begins:
“MobilityShield, an innovative solution that guarantees secure mobile connectivity, today launched SharePointShield, a new product that guarantees secure mobile connectivity for users of Microsoft SharePoint. The innovative SharePointShield was developed following the successful launch of LyncShield which enables users to safely use approved mobile devices outside the corporate network to connect through Microsoft Lync. The new solution protects organizations that use SharePoint against Active Directory credentials theft, block DoS, DDoS and brute-force attacks, and enforces connection to registered devices.”
Stephen E. Arnold is a longtime leader in all things search, including SharePoint. And while SharePoint has its ups and downs, it’s not going anywhere. That’s why the increasing availability of add-ons improves the usability of satisfaction of SharePoint implementations. More SharePoint news, tips, and tricks can be located on Arnold’s Web site, ArnoldIT.com.
Emily Rae Aldridge, February 17, 2014
Hybrid Cloud Options for SharePoint
February 13, 2014
Hybrid clouds involve a combination of a public cloud-based service along with usage of a private cloud system. CMS Wire says that this is a trend that will continue to grow in 2014 and the cover the latest in their article, “Hybrid Clouds for SharePoint: Great, but Not for Everyone.”
The article says:
“The focus has not only been the public cloud, but also the hybrid cloud, which combines public cloud services (like Office 365) and applications / storage located in a private cloud. According to Gartner, it’s this hybrid cloud model that will really find its wings in 2014. Gartner actually predicts that by 2017 over half of the mainstream organizations will have a hybrid cloud.”
Stephen E. Arnold is a longtime leader in search and often covers SharePoint on his information service, ArnoldIT.com. SharePoint and the cloud is a common topic on ArnoldIT.com, as users are intrigued by the Office 365 release. And while the jury is still out on concerns like security and ease of use, the cloud is a trend that is here to stay. The cost of storage continues to drop and users are more and more interested in supported services to streamline workflow.
Emily Rae Aldridge, February 13, 2014
Migration SharePoint Issues to Consider
February 3, 2014
There is a lot to consider when organizations weigh their options regarding enterprise content management. If an organization is just coming up, and has no current solution, SharePoint is definitely going to be a consideration. It is the largest player in the market. But other considerations take center stage when an organization has a SharePoint implementation, and needs to know what to do with it. All of these factors are considered in the Search Content Management story, “Migrating to SharePoint On-premises vs. SharePoint Online.”
The article says:
“Organizations that are considering deploying SharePoint must decide whether it makes sense to opt for SharePoint on-premises vs. SharePoint online, a cloud-based service in Microsoft Office 365. At first blush, this might seem like a relatively simple decision, especially given many companies’ skepticism about moving to the cloud, but there are some serious benefits to farming out the management of SharePoint, as well as several potential issues to consider.”
Stephen E. Arnold has made a career out of covering search. His current Web service, ArnoldIT.com, devotes a good deal of attention to SharePoint. As the most popular platform on the market, SharePoint is not waning anytime soon, but users have concerns with customization and implementation. And now that Office 365 has complicated things, users are excited about the potential of the cloud, while still skeptical about security and functionality.
Emily Rae Aldridge, February 3, 2014
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