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Virtualization For Developers [Microsoft SharePoint 2010]

Wondering why virtualization falls under developers mind well since SharePoint 2010 is released you as developer wanted to gets hands on your local machine or laptop.

Before moving forward you need to know what in hardware terms you need to have to run sharepoint 2010. There are two ways you can install Sharepoint 2010:

1. Install Sharepoint 2010 on windows 7 machine
2. Install Sharepoint 2010 as Virtual Server on your machine

The First approach is much simpler but you will not get all the features you want to test of sharepoint 2010.Refer to this msdn link [ Setting Up the Development Environment for SharePoint 2010 on Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 ] .

Here we are going to focus on virtual machine concept, Now since Sharepoint 2010 comes in 64bit version only so you need OS of 64bit along with application you use for sharepoint 2010. To install sharepoint 2010 in virtual mode you need software which does this job like Virtual PC 2007 by Microsoft and Sun Virtual box.

Now here comes the hiccup.. Microsoft VPC 2007 doesn't support 64bit guest OS.. i was more surprised when i came to know even the Windows 7 Virtual PC has the same issue. The Sun Virtual Box though is much better & more features than VPC 2007. Before going further let me explain what exactly we need to run 64bit guest OS. So if you are buying/owning  laptop/desktop for software development [Microsoft SharePoint 2010] look into following specs:

1. CPU Intel/AMD [VT-x / AMD-V]:

This technology is called

Virtualization

Q.1 Why we require Intel/AMD [VT-x / AMD-V]?
A.1 If you want to run 64-bit OS as guest OS then you need this virtualization technology. Many Processor supports 64bit OS [its for supporting 4GB of RAM & 64bit OS], but not as guest OS. You can install 64bit OS on a PC/Laptop with 64bit enabled CPU ,but can't install guest 64bit OS on it. If you do so you will get error message as shown below

Q.2 How to check if your processor supports Virtualization?
A.2 Both Intel & AMD has their own name for Virtualization. In Intel its Vt-x & in AMD its AMD-V.

In Intel you check by two ways:
a.Refer Site::
Select your Processor family from list give in site[http://ark.intel.com/VTList.aspx] & then check your CPU model name in the list. Video will shows how check Intel Core2Duo Mobile[Laptop] Processor P8700.

b.Download Virtual check tool

Intel : [http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=N&ProductID=1881&DwnldID=7838]
AMD: [n/a]

Q.3 Which software to use to run guest OS?
A.3 There are mainly three software's:

• Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 
• Microsoft Virtual for Windows 7
• Sun Virtual Box.

Out of three Sun Virtual Box Supports 64bit Guest OS..

Download Links:
1. Sun Virtual Box [http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads] and select your host OS for downloading.
2. Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 [http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=04d26402-3199-48a3-afa2-2dc0b40a73b6&displaylang=en]
3. Windows Virtual PC for Windows 7 [http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx]

Custom Add-in for Office 2007

Custom Add-in for Office 2007

1. Dynamic-Template [Word 2007]

This Add-in enable user to load the template dynamically on their Word Application/ Microsoft Office Word 2007.Process of Deployment & Implementation are as follows

Deployment Process:
a. Publish the Word Add-in from Visual Studio into shared/network drive.
b. Enable setting of Auto-Update before publishing.
c. Install the add-in on users machine after which users can browse through template.

2. EmailToMOSS [Outlook 2007]

This Add-in enables user to save the email/attachments in sharepoint document library. The meta-data can be customized as per users requirement.
Currently its in development phase :)

Sharepoint Meta-data Feature

Sharepoint Meta-data Feature.

If you have been using sharepoint as document management solutions , then you might have come across handling of documents along with meta-data. When we are talking of meta-data handling its not so great in sharepoint 2007.To overcome this i created some custom features for sharepoint 2007 which enable sharepoint 2007 work more efficiently.

Custom features for Sharepoint 2007

1. MetaDocTrans [MDT]

MDT transfer file/s from current document library to other document library having meta data columns to fill in. There are two ways of using this feature:

a. Single File Transfer [SFT]

b. Bulk File Transfer [BFT]

Single File Transfer:

User need to select the file and click on SFT link on the ECB Menu. Once clicked a page will be displayed indicating the document library name and file name along with some text box/drop down which are customizable . After filling the data user needs to click on submit which will transfer file to destination document library along with the Meta-data.

Bulk File Transfer:

User need to click on the Action Menu of document library and then select BFT. Once done page will be displayed . This page will load all the files of current document library.

The files are displayed in grid-view along with customized columns. User need to check the file which they want to transfer along with meta data. Click on submit button after entering/checking the files which will be transferred to destination document library along with meta data.

2. DocLibCreate [DLC]

DLC is a custom feature in sharepoint which creates document library depending on the data filled in the custom DocLibCreate List.

This list has custom content type which has columns:

a.Document Library Name

b.Description

c.Add Power user [User will be given Admin rights to specific document library]

d.Add Users [User will be given Contributor rights to specific document library]

Feature of DLC

a. Creates Document Library making it unique per user

b. Standardize Document Library Name

c. No need of Administrator

d. Keep track of document library created along with the users added description etc.

e. Reporting of Documents List