Information about SharePoint, Microsoft 365, Azure, Mobility and Productivity from the Computer Information Agency
If you want a quick summary of what I’ve found so far about Companyweb on SBS 2008 then download this PDF. I’ll try and keep adding updates to it once I find out more.
Also don’t forget another PDF document I did about installing SharePoint v3 on SBS 2003.
I have been pondering why Microsoft have a manual migration process for Companyweb from SBS 2003 to SBS 2008. My conclusion is that in SBS 2008 there are at least two special items – Fax Center and Archived E-Mails, that would be lost if you did a straight old to new migration. So, the safest option is simply migrate to a backup site (oldcomapnyweb) on SBS 2008 and let the user copy data from there.
That is all well and good but what I can’t understand is why Microsoft simply doesn’t save these “special locations” as templates and then have the user add them in manually later if required. I have been testing that exact concept and it seems to work pretty well so far.
From what I see it is going to be far easier to migrate Companyweb directly from SBS 2003 to SBS 2008 and then add in the “special locations”.
So I have spent a little time fiddling with Sharepoint (a la Companyweb) on SBS 2008 and have the following observations:
1. During the default installation it appears that Sharepoint data and programs get installed onto the C: partition. This seems to be the case with all the applications. You need a minimum partition size of around 65GB to complete the install. You maybe able to change this if you use the answer file method of installation. If you have a lot of existing Comapnyweb data or plan to then it is probably a good idea to relocate the Sharepoint data before you get too much further along the implementation.
2. It appears Companyweb is installed using the Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Embedded Edition. This means that there is no database size limit but it also means that the Sharepoint farm can’t be expanded and the Embedded Edition of SQL can’t be upgraded. It also means by default that the Sharepoint data is on the C: drive under the Windows directory.
3. The move Sharepoint data wizard works really well. Running this wizard will allow you to move your Sharepoint data to another drive on your system. When you do move the data it simply replicates the same directory structure on the new drive. By default this means you will end up with a Windows directory on the drive under which will be the Sharepoint data (maybe confusing later on?). Interestingly, the wizard is smart enough to actually move the current content database rather than just the file. In my case because I had done a migration to a new content database I was afraid that it wouldn’t relocate it because it was a different name. But nope, it moved it. The wizards appears to move the data file, config file and search files by detaching the SQL databases, relocating them and reattaching. Pretty neat I’ll admit.
4. The default Companyweb installation has an item ‘Fax Center’ clearly the intended destination for faxes. Under this it has a number of sub-folders for incoming, outgoing faxes etc. Since my Companyweb migration was going to cream this I saved it as a template and then added it back to Companyweb after the migration, with exactly the same name and the fax configuration wizard picked it up. So it appears that if you delete ‘Fax Center’ in Sharepoint you can recreate it provided you use the name ‘Fax Center’ and the Fax configuration wizard will pick it up as a destination to route faxes. I’d like to know a bit more about how this actually works and how I could direct faxes to different document libraries I admit.
5. I noticed that Companyweb has a item ‘Archive emails’. I wonder what that is for? I wonder whether Exchange 2007 can archive old emails into this? That would be pretty cool if it could. Something worth further investigation when I get a chance. Anyone out there know?
6. Companyweb is obviously now 64 bit (since SBS 2008 is 64 bit) combined with the addition of more memory and better disk speeds the performance is much quicker than it was before. Admittedly, this was only a test machine but I get the impression that Companyweb will perform pretty well in new SBS 2008 installation. This will hopefully mean that more people will use it!
7. I am not sure whether Companyweb will forgo inbound emails because it is on the same box as an Exchange server. This was the case previously in SBS 2003 but maybe different in SBS 2008, I’ll need to look into that. If you go for SBS 2008 Premium you can always install Sharepoint on the second server and configure inbound emails there I suppose. I have the feeling that Companyweb still won’t support inbound emails but I can’t say definitely until I do some more research.
8. The migration of Companyweb from SBS 2003 appears to migrate the data to a new site called Oldcompanyweb on the SBS 2008 server. As I have said previously, I haven’t fully tested this but it is going to mean a bit of work for people who have invested a lot of information in the old Companyweb. Don’t forget all those people who have implemented Sharepoint v3 on SBS 2003 as well, there doesn’t appear to be anything in the migration notes about that. I think there are probably easier ways to migrate the old Companyweb data but I need to understand what Microsoft recommends before I make any assumptions. So another thing to the ‘to do’ list.
So there you have it. A few quick impressions of what I see of Companyweb on SBS 2008. There is still plenty of testing to do but from what I see so far I think Sharepoint v3 on SBS 2008 will work pretty well.
Here’s good old http://companyweb on SBS 2003 running under Sharepoint v2
Now here’s the same http://companyweb running on SBS 2008 after I had migrated all the content across:
There’s no trick photography, sleigh of hand or digital retouching here I have successfully been able to migrate Sharepoint v2 data from SBS 2003 to Sharepoint v3 in SBS 2008.
Having been able to migrate successfully before from Sharepoint v2 to Sharepoint v3 I knew that it would be possible but wanted to make sure on SBS 2008. I will admit that there is trick or two unique to SBS 2008 I had to overcome before I could get it working but nothing major. Now that I know it can be done I will go back and work on improving the process further.
Subscribers to my Windows Sharepoint Operations Guide (WSSOPS) will soon be see a new chapter dedicated to the full migration process of companyweb on SBS 2003 to SBS 2008. If you aren’t a subscriber then you are going to face some hurdles but nothing that isn’t insurmountable given the information current out there on the Internet. I will save you a bit of time and say that you can’t simply backup Sharepoint v2 and restore it to Sharepoint v3. The rest you’ll just have to work out for yourself, sorry.
I need to have a closer look at migration options that Microsoft now has with SBS 2008 but I have a feeling that they don’t have anything for Companyweb, which I think will concern quite a few people. I may be wrong but I’m sure there are plenty or people who will want to migrate SBS 2003 companyweb to SBS 2008 companyweb but maybe I’m wrong?
So after studying what Microsoft has to offer about migrating Companyweb on SBS you’ll find:
Steps performed on source server
Steps performed on destination server
Interesting, it seems that the Microsoft procedure actually creates a second Sharepoint v3 site on the new SBS 2008 server. Quoting from the final results of the document:
You now have a working Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Web site that is named OldCompanyWeb and that contains the structure and documents of your old Windows SBS 2003 CompanyWeb Web site. This is a good time to review the contents of your Windows SBS 2003 CompanyWeb Web site and to reorganize or archive items, if appropriate. You can open the new Windows SBS 2008 internal Web site and the Windows SBS 2003 OldCompanyWeb site side-by-side.
If you open document libraries and use the Explorer view, you can copy and paste documents and folders from one site to the other.
I must admit that if I had a really big Companyweb site I wouldn’t want to be recreating it. It is fine to say “just copy the documents” but what about all the other information like lists, calendars, tasks and so on? I can see this being a pain even for a small site.
Now, I will admit I haven’t verified that my method doesn’t break anything and it may well do that (I think it may have issues with inbound faxes and maybe the database relocation wizard) but I will check those out as well as the suggest migration method from Microsoft.
On the other hand I can understand why Microsoft recommends doing it this way because who knows what customizations have been done to people’s companyweb? Who knows if these will even migrate correctly? At least with a second Sharepoint v3 site if something “breaks” then you still have an original SBS2008 companyweb to fall back on.
So I can understand Microsoft’s logic but if you have a big/complex SBS 2003 companyweb site and you want to take the Microsoft option then basically be prepared to recreate the site on SBS 2008 from what I see.
There’s a whole heap of information now coming out about SBS 2008 (since it has gone RC0). There is also information about migrating to SBS 2008 (see here). Now call me bias but what about Sharepoint migration?
SBS 2003 comes with Sharepoint v2 by default and I suspect that most customers using Sharepoint are using this version. Now you can also install Sharepoint V3 on a SBS 2003 server but when you migrate to SBS 2008 how is this data going to be migrated? A migration from an installation in Sharepoint v3 on SBS 2003 is going to be easier since SBS 2008 comes with Sharepoint V3 but what about from the good ol’ Sharepoint V2? You can’t simply back Sharepoint V2 data up and restore it to Sharepoint V3!
I don’t think people have stopped to consider that Sharepoint migration from SBS 2003 may be a little more difficult that they think. If people are using Sharepoint V2 on SBS 2003 big time then they are going to want their data migrated, no question. Now, I’ll admit I haven’t run up SBS 2008 yet (soon, real soon) so I can’t fully comment on how Sharepoint V3 works on SBS 2008 but I’ll bet a few bucks that any migration from Sharepoint V2 hasn’t been given a lot of thought.
Luckily I know somewhere that is already giving in depth consideration to the problem and will soon have something available to assist with Sharepoint migrations. Look up in the sky. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s the Saturn Alliance Windows Sharepoint Operations Guide to the rescue:
http://wssops.saturnalliance.com.au
So stay tuned to this blog ladies and gentlemen for further updates on Sharepoint migration in SBS 2008.
If you are a Microsoft partner and have a Windows Live Id then you can login and view the following online Sharepoint videos:
Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Series 1: Foundations – Session 1: Introducing Windows SharePoint Services https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/details.aspx?systemid=1786628&page=/plc/search.aspx
Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Series 1: Foundations – Session 2: What’s New — Document Management and Collaboration https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/details.aspx?systemid=1786629&page=/plc/search.aspx
Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Series 1 Foundations – Session 3: What’s New — Business Process and Workflow https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/details.aspx?systemid=1786627&page=/plc/search.aspx
Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Series 2 Session 4: Site and Site Collection Administration
https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/details.aspx?systemid=1786631&page=/plc/search.aspx
Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Series 2 Session 5: Farm Administration: Maintenance, Optimization and Best Practices DONE https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/details.aspx?systemid=1786632&page=/plc/search.aspx
Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Series 2 Session 6: Authentication, Permissions and Security https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/details.aspx?systemid=1786633&page=/plc/search.aspx
Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Series 3: Customization and Development with Windows SharePoint Services 3 Session 7 https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/details.aspx?systemid=1786636&page=/plc/search.aspx
Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Series 3: Customization and Development Session 8: Customizing Sites and Applications with SharePoint Designer 2007 https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/details.aspx?systemid=1786635&page=/plc/search.aspx
Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Series 3: Customization and Development Session 9: Developing Custom Applications using Visual Studio https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/details.aspx?systemid=1786634&page=/plc/search.aspx
Windows SharePoint Services Exam 70-631 Prep, Part 1 https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/details.aspx?systemid=1775029&page=/plc/search.aspx
Windows SharePoint Services Exam 70-631 Prep, Part 2 https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/details.aspx?systemid=1775030&page=/plc/search.aspx
Windows SharePoint Services Exam 70-631 Prep Session 1 (a second series with a different instructor) https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/details.aspx?systemid=1798707&page=/plc/search.aspx
Windows SharePoint Services Exam 70-631 Prep Session 2 https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/details.aspx?systemid=1798743&page=/plc/search.aspx
Windows SharePoint Services Exam 70-631 Prep Session 3 https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/details.aspx?systemid=1798744&page=/plc/search.aspx
Overall they are pretty good and run for about 90 minutes each. Some of the earlier ones I found to be a little disjointed and rather rushed but I suppose they needed to get all the content covered. I think however this illustrates the problem with communicating the value of Sharepoint. far too often people try and show you everything it does rather than just what the viewer want to do.
CIAOPS 