A Small earthquake

I don't about you , but the site was down with "Service Unavailable" for more then 10 min !
which for me was too much - I NEED TO DO A BACKUP OF MY BLOG !!!

OfficeLabs.com - Another Step for S+S {Live}

OfficeLabs.com - Another Step for S+S {Live}

The Sharepoint Team Blog announced about the Announcing the launch of OfficeLabs.com - powered by MOSS 2007. Well point is that some of us were in the Live Bloging - David Chappell on S+S ,and there David mentioned that the "Live" concept where you have a client application that connects to the Web/Server over the cloud makes Microsoft to be better in the global implementation of the S+S concept ( as opposed to Google ).

Well , where's the point in here ? simple, the green "Download Now" which is not labeled as a "Live" application , but if you'd look at the bottom of the page you'd see Powered by Microsoft^® SoapBox (!) is just that - or in other words , use this "Live" like recording application to upload your own screen captures to the "Live" like Video server - and that's S+S for you ;)

Oh , BTW , the application ran a few times , and when I tried to record my "Hebrew Outlook" it crashed =| , so like a good programmer , I've sent the "Error Message Report" , in hope for a fix =)

David Chappell's WebBlog
Ref.: http://www.davidchappell.com/blog/

Software + Services in the Microsoft World
Ref.: http://www.davidchappell.com/S_S_in_the_Microsoft_World--Chappell.pdf

Fast Microsoft {Search Engine}

Microsoft Completes Tender Offer for FAST Search & Transfer

"REDMOND, Wash. — April 25, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that it has completed settlement of its tender offer for Fast Search & Transfer ASA, a leading provider of enterprise search solutions. Microsoft’s plans to acquire FAST were originally announced Jan. 8, 2008. FAST will operate as a Microsoft subsidiary, with a dedicated enterprise search research and development center in Oslo, Norway, and offices throughout the world. .... "

Read more from Microsoft Completes Tender Offer for FAST Search & Transfer

Office Binary Translator to Open XML Beta CTP

Office Binary Translator to Open XML Beta CTP

Doug Mahugh has publish a post about the first M1 Beta CTP of binary translator project which in short would help you translate old style Office files to new format based on OpenXML

Here's a picture from the Article

Enterprise Search Training Videos

Enterprise Search Training Videos

14 Training Videos on Enterprise Search:

Enable width fix option for Scrolls in the Wss/Moss Calendar

Enable width fix option for Scrolls in the Wss/Moss Calendar

Don't you just love the look & feel of the Wss / Moss calendar ?

Well , it seems that there's a fix for all those times that we want to have both worlds - Month Display AND No Scroll bars !!

The WebPart is from PlanetWilson SharePoint Blog in his post New release of colour (color) calendar v2.3 which can be downloaded from PlanetWilson SharePoint

The install is mainly OOB ( out of the box ) - unzip and run "redeploy.bat"

Now, you have to enable the Colour Calendar

Goto Server WebParts and put the WebPart JUST BELLOW The relevant Calendar / Events WebPart

Check the check box in the Custom Props of the Colour Calendar

and walla =)

BTW: it doesn't work well on a "Week" display !

"גלגל"צ מוסר שיש עומס בין היציאות של "רוקח" ל"מצריים

BizTalk Server 2006 R3 Announced

BizTalk Server 2006 R3 Announced

Today, Steve Martin announced in his post BizTalk Server Platform Updates a few details about the next version of BizTalk2006 (that will be available in early 2009) Called BizTalk Server 2006 R3.
It seems that once SQL Server 2008 becomes generally available, an updated version of BizTalk Server 2006 is expected to be released.  BizTalk Server 2006 R3 is designed for Windows Server 2008, the .NET Framework 3.5, Visual Studio 2008, and SQL Server 2008.

new investments in the release include:

• New web service registry capabilities with support for UDDI (Universal Description Discovery and Integration) version 3.0
• Enhanced service enablement of applications (through new and enhanced adapters for LOB applications, databases, and legacy/host systems)
• Enhanced service enablement of "edge" devices through BizTalk RFID Mobile
• Enhanced interoperability and connectivity support for B2B protocols (like SWIFT, EDI, etc)
• SOA patterns and best practices guidance to assist our customer’s implementations

To ensure existing BizTalk Server 2006 applications continue to run without changes,  an incremental approach by limiting the changes to the items listed above was taken.
Because this release is built on existing bits, the name of this release will be BizTalk Server 2006 R3.

Hardware virtualization support for SharePoint

Hardware virtualization support for SharePoint

Gayan Peiris is redirecting us in his post Hardware virtualization support for SharePoint products and technologies to an article http://support.microsoft.com/kb/909840/en-us

Moss2007 Whitepapers

Moss2007 Whitepapers

RSS subscription hasn't reach all parts of the TechNet site - these two important links are just a sample:

• Newly published content for Office SharePoint Server 2007
• Newly published content for Office Project Server 2007

So, here in Israel not only it's a weekend , but a holiday vacation ( Passover ) as well - so PLENTY OF TIME to read new stuff ;)

• White paper: Office SharePoint Server farm architecture   This white paper describes how to plan server farms for reliability and scalability, and how to deploy Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 on a server farm.
• White paper: Configuring server farms   This white paper describes configuration steps that are needed for server farms after deployment. There is also a link to streaming video of a related lecture.
• White paper: Securing server farms   This white paper describes how to help control access to information and how to help protect deployments from malicious users. There is also a link to streaming video of a related lecture.
• White paper: Backing up, restoring, high availability, and disaster recovery for Office SharePoint Server farms   This white paper describes how to back up and recover Office SharePoint Server 2007 server farms. There is also a link to streaming video of a related lecture.
• White paper: Backing up Office SharePoint Server Search by using System Center Data Protection Manager   Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2007 (DPM) is a server software application that enables data protection and recovery for protected computers within Active Directory domains. With DPM, an administrator can back up farms. As a part of a farm backup with DPM, the configurations and site collections stored in the configuration and content databases are backed up, but not the search database and index To back up and recover search, the procedures and scripts are provided in this white paper.
• White paper: Operations and management   This white paper provides information about common operations and management tasks. There is also a link to streaming video of a related lecture.
• White paper: Capacity planning   This white paper describes how to determine requirements to support your capacity requirements. There is also a link to streaming video of a related lecture.
• White paper: Search architecture and configuration   This white paper describes how to plan for and configure search for Office SharePoint Server. There is also a link to streaming video of a related lecture.
• Monitoring usage data for personalization   Administrators can monitor usage data for personalized sites and content, and search queries for people and personalized content. These articles describe how to view and respond to usage data during ongoing operations .
• White paper: Advantages of Deploying SharePoint Products and Technologies with Windows Server 2008 (Office SharePoint Server 2007)   This paper describes how the new features in Windows Server 2008 address important issues that face organizations that deploy Web solutions with SharePoint Products and Technologies.
• White papers: Master data management   This series of white papers discusses a centralized approach to defining, deploying, and managing master data and hierarchies.
• Troubleshooting for Office SharePoint Server 2007   This chapter provides troubleshooting steps for common issues in Office SharePoint Server 2007. As new solutions become available, they will be added to this section

Wss3.0/Moss2007 and .NET Framework 3.5

Wss3.0/Moss2007 and .NET Framework 3.5

Paul Andrew has just posted a post SharePoint does support .NET Framework 3.5 - which is great. The post redirect us to a TechNet aricle Determine hardware and software requirements (Windows SharePoint Services) which in the very end, in the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 section, has a note - " You can also use the Microsoft .NET Framework version 3.5. "

Just incase you had your doubts here is an OLD sample:
MSDN Webcast: geekSpeak: Using LINQ to SharePoint with Bart De Smet (Level 200)
which aired Wednesday, October 31, 2007 =)

SQL Server 2005 SP3 - SOON

SQL Server 2005 SP3 - SOON

Francois Ajenstat [The Data Platform Insider] has posted about SQL Server 2005 SP3 - coming soon - so for more inside information regarding the near future of SQL2008 and SQL2005 , read the post SQL Server 2005 SP3 - coming soon and this article - Microsoft Confirms SQL Server 2005 SP3

Moss 2007 Maximum Length Limitations Check List

Moss 2007 Maximum Length Limitations Check List

And from the SharePoint Portal Server 2003 IT Documentation [ because we are still upgrading Sps2003 sites to Moss2007 ]

Portal Site

• Portal site name  The portal site name is limited to 80 Unicode characters.

  The portal site name can consist of all alphanumeric characters except for the following: \ / : * ? " < > |
  

• Portal site description  The portal site description is limited to 200 Unicode characters.

  The portal site description can consist of all alphanumeric characters, as well as the following: # % * + \ | " ? $ @ [ ] { } ⌂
  

• Portal site logo  The URL for the portal site logo is limited to 256 ASCII characters.

  The URL for the portal site logo can consist of all alphanumeric characters except for the following: # % * + \ | " ? > < $ @ [ ] { } ⌂

  The following file formats are supported for the graphics file: .gif, .bmp, .jpg, and .png. TIFF files are not supported.
  

• Portal site URL  The URL for the portal site is limited to 255 characters for the entire URL, including virtual directories.
  
• Account name for portal site owner  The account name is limited to 128 characters.
  
• E-mail address for portal site owner  The e-mail address is limited to 255 characters.
  
• Location for creating SharePoint sites  The URL for creating sites from the Site Directory is limited to 2,048 ASCII characters. In addition, no component of the URL, such as the virtual directory or virtual server, can exceed 128 characters.

  The URL must end with /_layouts/language/scsignup.aspx.

Backward-Compatible Document Library (Web Storage System-Based)

• Document library friendly name  The friendly (display) name cannot exceed 100 characters in length.

Alternate Portal Site Access Mappings

• Mapping name  The mapping name has a maximum length of 64 Unicode characters and must not be null.

• The following character limitations apply for the default, intranet, extranet, and custom URLs:

  • Each URL has a maximum length of 255 Unicode characters and a minimum length of 5 characters.
  • The user can enter the URL in any combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, but the URL is always saved in lowercase.
  • Each URL must be different from all other URLs.

Content Index

• Content index name  The content index name must be less than 50 characters.

  The content index name cannot contain the following characters: + ~ # ' % * ( ) = [ ] { } | \ " < > . ? / @ & or the euro symbol or a space.

WCF 3.5 Security Guidelines

WCF 3.5 Security Guidelines

WCF 3.5 Security Guidelines was released in codeplex.

The purpose of this project is to build some insightful and practical guidance around using Microsoft Windows Communication Foundation (WCF). It's a collaborative effort between patterns & practices, product teams, and industry experts. - J.D. Meier , Jason Taylor , Prashant Bansode , Carlos Farre, Madhu Sundararajan, Steve Gregersen, Don Smith .

The following are guidelines for Web services created with Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) 3.5. They are based on principles where possible. The recommendations are also as contextual as possible, but abstracted for reuse. Use them as a starting point, but you will likely need to tailor for your scenario:

Auditing and Logging

• Use WCF auditing to audit your service
• If non-repudiation is important, consider setting SuppressAuditFailure property to false
• Use message logging to log operations on your service
• Instrument for user management events
• Instrument for significant business operations
• Protect log files from unauthorized access
• Do not log sensitive information

Authentication

• Know your authentication options
• Use Windows Authentication when you can
• If you support non-WCF clients using windows authentication and message security, consider using the Kerberos direct option
• If your users are in AD, but you can’t use windows authentication, consider using username authentication
• If your clients have certificates, consider using client certificate authentication
• If you need to streamline certificate distribution to your clients for message encryption, consider using the negotiate credentials option
• If your users are in a custom store, consider using username authentication with a custom validator
• If your users are in a SQL membership store, use the SQL Membership Provider
• If your partner applications need to be authenticated when calling WCF services, use client certificate authentication.
• If you are using username authentication, use SQL Server Membership Provider instead of custom authentication
• If you need to support intermediaries and a variety of transports between client and service, use message security to protect credentials
• If you are using username authentication, validate user login information
• Do not store passwords directly in the user store
• Enforce strong passwords
• Protect access to your credential store
• If you are using Windows Forms to connect to WCF, do not cache credentials

Authorization

• If you use ASP.NET roles, use the ASP.NET Role Provider
• If you use windows groups for authorization, use ASP.NET Role Provider with AspNetWindowsTokenRoleProvider
• If you store role information in SQL, consider using the SQL Server Role Provider for roles authorization
• If you store role information in Windows Groups, consider using the WCF PrincipalPermissionAttribute class for roles authorization
• If you need to authorize access to WCF operations, use declarative authorization
• If you need to perform fine-grained authorization based on business logic, use imperative authorization

Binding

• If you need to support clients over the internet, consider using wsHttpBinding.
• If you need to expose your WCF service to legacy clients as an ASMX web service, use basicHttpBinding
• If you need to support remote WCF clients within an intranet, consider using netTcpBinding.
• If you need to support local WCF clients, consider using netNamedPipeBinding.
• If you need to support disconnected queued calls, use netMsmqBinding.
• If you need to support bidirectional communication between WCF Client and WCF service, use wsDualHttpBinding.

Configuration Management

• Use Replay detection to protect against message replay attacks
• If you host your service in a Windows service, expose a metadata exchange (mex) binding
• If you don’t want to expose your WSDL, turn off HttpGetEnabled and metadata exchange (mex)
• Manage bindings and endpoints in config not code
• Associate names with the service configuration when you create service behavior, endpoint behavior, and binding configuration
• Encrypt configuration sections that contain sensitive data

Exception Management

• Use structured exception handling
• Do not divulge exception details to clients in production
• Use a fault contract to return error information to clients
• Use a global exception handler to catch unhandled exceptions

Hosting

• If you are hosting your service in a Windows Service, use a least privileged custom domain account
• If you are hosting your service in IIS, use a least privileged service account
• Use IIS to host your service unless you need to use a transport that IIS does not support

Impersonation and Delegation

• Know the impersonation options
• If you have to flow the original caller, use constrained delegation
• Consider LogonUser when you need to impersonate but you don’t have trusted delegation
• Consider S4U when you need a Windows token and you don’t have the original caller’s credentials
• Use programmatic impersonation to impersonate based on business logic
• When impersonating programmatically be sure to revert to original context
• Only impersonate on operations that require it
• Use OperationBehavior to impersonate declaratively

Input/Data Validation

• If you need to validate parameters, use parameter inspectors
• If your service has operations that accept message or data contracts, use schemas to validate your messages
• If you need to do schema validation, use message inspectors
• Validate operation parameters for length, range, format and type
• Validate parameter input on the server
• Validate service responses on the client
• Do not rely on client-side validation
• Avoid user-supplied file name and path input
• Do not echo untrusted input

Proxy Considerations

• Publish your metadata over HTTPS to protect your clients from proxy spoofing
• If you turn off mutual authentication, be aware of service spoofing

Deployment considerations

• Do not use temporary certificates in production
• If you are using a custom domain account in the identity pool for your WCF application, create an SPN for Kerberos to authenticate the client.
• If you are using a custom service account and need to use trusted for delegation, create an SPN
• If you are hosting your service in a Windows Service, using a custom domain identity, and ASP.NET needs to use constrained trusted for delegation when calling the service, create an SPN
• Use IIS to host your service unless you need to use a transport that IIS does not support
• Use a least privileged account to run your WCF service
• Protect sensitive data in your configuration files

So go ahead and ADD SECURITY TO YOUR WCF Service !

SharePoint Content Deployment Wizard [at] CodePlex

SharePoint Content Deployment Wizard [at] CodePlex

The SharePoint Content Deployment Wizard is a tool for SharePoint 2007 which provides the means to deploy the following content:

• site collections
• webs
• lists
• folders
• list items (including files)

Content is exported using the Content Migration API (PRIME) as a .cmp file (Content Migration Package) which can be copied to other servers for import. Unlike the out-of-the-box tools, the Wizard allows "granular" selection of content via a treeview.