No good deed goes unpunished.  Just as I completed significant platform upgrades of my dev and classroom environments, Microsoft announces the release of availability of the next service pack for the Office system, including the SharePoint platform.  It looks like I’ll be doing another BIG update soon.  As for the new environment, I’ll wait another 10 days to begin the implementation, so as to take advantage of the new enhancements in Office and SharePoint 2007.

SharePoint 2007 (WSS 3.0 and MOSS 2007) SP2 is due to ship April 28th (just 10 days from now)!  The announcement was made on the official SharePoint Team blog on Wednesday.  There are some cool new functionality being released with this service pack.  Also, as Joel Oleson pointed out, kudos should be directed to the update teams for sharing the information early, rather than the typical surprise tactic we get with service packs.

Key items found on the Office Sustained Engineering team blog on the SharePoint 2007 SP2 release:

• Enterprise Content Management (ECM)

  • The performance and stability of content deployment and variations feature has been improved.

  • A new tool has been added to the STSADM command-line utility that enables a SharePoint administrator to scan sites that use the variations feature for errors.

• Excel Services

• SP2 makes it easier to configure Excel Web Access Web Parts on new sites.

• Several rendering, calculation, and security issues have been resolved.

• Some display issues have been addressed.

• Improved compatibility with Mozilla Firefox browsers.

• Forms Server

  • Memory requirements and the page load times for large browser-rendered forms have been reduced.

  • Browser rendering of various controls, such as the 'cannot be blank' asterisk and the rich text field has been improved.

• Search Server

• Improvements to the reliability and stability of very large corpus crawls.

• Backup-restore has been improved.

• A new command has been introduced to the stsadm.exe tool that lets a SharePoint Administrator to tune the Query processor multiplier parameter.

• Improved accuracy in searches involving numbers.

• Service Pack 2 adds the ability to open, edit and save documents in version 1.1 of the OpenDocument Format for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. These applications now let users save, open, and edit files as OpenDocument Text (*.odt), OpenDocument Spreadsheet (*.ods), and OpenDocument Presentations (*.odp).

• The 2007 Microsoft Office Service Pack 2 is the first service pack to support uninstall of client updates through the Microsoft Service Pack Uninstall Tool for the 2007 Microsoft Office Suite as well as via Windows Installer command line. The Service Pack Uninstall Tool will be available as a separate download.

• The Microsoft Save As PDF or XPS add-in has been built into Office applications in SP2. Users no longer have to download and install the add-in separately.

There are also enhancements to Groove and Project Server, as well.

However, as Joel pointed out, at least we are prepared for the service pack thanks to great documentation from the team.

As of this past Tuesday, the release name of SharePoint vNext or “14”, as it was referred to by codename and/or the Office version it would be associated with, was officially unveiled to be SharePoint 2010.  Officially, it was released with an interview with Chris Capossela, Senior VP of Microsoft’s Information Worker (IW) Product Management.  It not only talked about Office and SharePoint, bur also introduced the new Exchange 2010 Beta release that day.  Exchange 2010 is expected to launch later this year, leading the 2010 platform wave.  The entire interview with Chris can be found here.  Of course the announcement to the SharePoint world was done on the official SharePoint team blog by none other than Tom Rizzo, Senior Director of SharePoint.

Oh, and if you’ve gotten used to MOSS as an acronym, I’m sorry.  It’s gone like the Dodo bird (or the previous “SPS” acronym).  As of now, there is no naming change for Windows SharePoint Services (WSS).  However, the server product will be called Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 (No Office in the name, folks.).  Since the MSS acronym is already taken by the Search Server products, we’ve been asked by the Product Group to simply refer to SharePoint as SharePoint.  [Note: What?!? No acronym?!? Will wonders ever cease?]

Office, as a brand, will encompass not only the client applications, but also the Office Web Applications and Office Mobile applications and platforms.  Pay close attention on the Office Web App front, as it will be a platform changer, in my opinion.

(Is it bad that I get a giddy feeling of excitement about the next version of the SharePoint platform?  My wife says it is the ‘geek’ in me coming out.)

Well, it’s been over a year since the last posting of this blog.  Why am I now coming back?  It could be my conscience, my wife bugging me about my lack of posts, or the fact that I have 6.5 blog post drafts sitting uncompleted, or the numerous requests from partners, Microsoft friends, clients and seminar/class attendees to post to my blog.  When @TweetSharePoint retweets friends tweeting about believing a blog post when they see it [enough Twitter references there?], it’s THAT time.  So, where to begin when you’ve been away for over a year?

It’s time to revisit my SharePoint Development Environment, the base of which I use for the classes, seminars, and presentations I create and present.  It’s also a handy base for Proof of Concepts (POCs) for consulting clients.  As always, the basis for creating something new is a plan.  Where is it we want to go or be (Point B)?  Where is it we are now(Point A)?  And, then, what is the best way to get from Point A to Point B?

Today, my SharePoint environment consists of the following:

My plan is to update all servers with the latest released software.  I want to be clear, the new environment is a base environment.  My plans are to use a clone of the new environment for testing new beta releases (e.g. VSeWSS 1.3 Feb 2009 CTP).  So, the plans are almost the same.  Below are the specs for the new environment, with changes in bold:

As you can see, the lowest levels of the platform (OS and DB) are changing.  So, I’ll be redoing all three servers.  My client can stay the same, but will have to migrate from the old domain.

To accomplish the new server builds, I’m going to start with a new sysprep image of a Windows Server 2008 Enterprise without Hyper-V.  Unlike in previous versions of Windows Server, the sysprep.exe utility is now included in the OS.  It is located at C:\Windows\system32\sysprep\ directory.  You can execute it from the command line there.  [Remember, by default, UAC is enabled in Windows Server 2008, so run the Command Prompt as Administrator.]  You’ll want to use the OOBE option and have the Generalize option selected (to reset the SID).  Finally, if like me, you are creating virtual images, you’ll want to select the Shutdown option, so you can save the sysprep image for reuse on other images.  An important note, activate the image prior to using sysprep and make sure all updates are downloaded and applied.  Only activated images can access the optional updates, and there will be several you’ll want to have (e.g. Microsoft .NET 3.5 SP1, etc.).

On the next post, we’ll create the new domain controller and add a third-party mail server, since MS, in their infinite wisdom, decided to drop the POP3 service from the Windows Server.  We’ll obviously be using something else…

To be continued…

As I sit here at the airport in San Jose, CA, reviewing the SharePoint (and, to be fair, Office Business Application or OBA) development content covered and gleaned from the experts at Microsoft and partner companies, I'm amazed (and tired).  This is the first ODC open to the public, which is good and bad.  I have to admit, the content wasn't as deep as I'd expected like past, invitation-only ODCs, but it was still good stuff.  To top it off, I was asked to do a presentation on the Developer - Business User relationship of SharePoint application development.  You can download the presentation deck below from Windows Live SkyDrive Beta.

I had the opportunity to do a pre-conference session with Ted Pattison of MSDN magazine Office Space fame and Wouter van Vugt, the Open Office XML Guru.  There were some very good breakout sessions, as well.  Bill Gates' keynote was great.  There was a different version of his "Last Day at Microsoft" video that first showed it's head at CES 2008 and is easily found all over the web.  Unlike most presentations, I was very impressed with the FedEx business services and Microsoft Office 2007 add-ins announced and officially released at the keynote.  It is something I will surely download and install.  I urge anyone that uses FedEx shipping or printing (FedEx Kinko's) or supports users that do, go and sign up for the FedEx Developer Center to see great mature, robust web services (usable by any platform) and add-ins for the Microsoft Office platform.

Just before I left for ODC here in California, my wife started up a blog.  I admit, I was a little humbled at how well she writes in a blogging context.  Be aware, I rarely assist my wife with technical computer issues unless they're severe.  She is quite self sufficient on her Dell notebook (Windows Vista Ultimate, Office 2007 Ultimate) and the web.  In the last few years she has posted over 10,000 entries (yes, that number is correct) on scrapbooking and mother boards.  [The worst part is when she asks me if I've made any posts to my blog lately.  How embarrassing!!!]

I'm glad to be heading home to review what I've learned from ODC 2008.  I'll be back on the road the next few weeks.  Next week, I'll be at Interface, teaching a SharePoint 2007 Development class.  And shortly after that I'll be doing two (yes, two) Microsoft conferences in the same week; The Microsoft SharePoint Conference 2008 (which, by the way, has been sold out for a while) in Seattle, WA and MIX08 in Las Vegas, NV.  [For those wondering about the difference between ODC and SharePoint Conference, the SharePoint Conference is IT Pro or system administrator focused, while ODC is focused on developers.]

Well, I've got to get ready to jump on the plane.  I get home late tonight, but I'm looking forward to seeing my wife and son.

While I was on vacation, Microsoft pulled a fast one and released SP1 for WSS 3.0 and MOSS 2007 earlier than expected.  Of course, SharePoint Designer 2007 was also service packed along with the Office 2007 SP1.

The key points in SP1 for SharePoint Products and Technologies are:

• Support for installation on Windows Server 2008
• ASP.NET AJAX compatibility and support (If you were an ASP.NET AJAX developer, you could do it before, but it was not officially supported.)
• New stsadm.exe operations and properties
  • mergecontentdbs - Permits a site collection to be moved from one content database to another.
  • renamesite - Changes a URL of a host-named site collection to a new URL.
  • peoplepicker properties - Provides setproperty and getproperty operations to define the scope of the People Picker Web control to an Active Directory® directory service organizational unit.

Also, of considerable note in the Technet document about SP1, is the final recommendation for 64-bit hardware for SharePoint deployments.  It is officially reiterated that this version of SharePoint is the last to have support for 32-bit (x86).  So, if you haven't already gone to 64-bit , start planning and budgeting for the shift.

To install SP1:

1. Install WSS 3.0 SP1
2. Install WSS 3.0 Language Pack SP1
3. Install MOSS 2007 SP1
4. Install MOSS 2007 Language Pack SP1

On SPD 2007 clients:

1. Install SharePoint Designer 2007 SP1
2. Install SharePoint Designer 2007 Language Pack SP1

Also, there is a WSS 3.0 with SP1 (slipstreamed) install available from Microsoft Downloads in x86 and x64.

Be aware, that installing SharePoint (WSS or MOSS) on Windows Server 2008 requires SP1.  Until Microsoft provides slipstreamed bits for MOSS 2007 with SP1, installation can be a bear.  I highly suggest you take a look at Ben Curry's blog post on installing MOSS 2007 SP1 on Windows Server 2008.

Carrying on the topic of IFilters from the previous post, Adobe does not currently have a 64-bit PDF IFilter.  My recommendation is to use Foxit Software's PDF IFilter.  With SharePoint, if you are running a 64-bit server farm, the other option is to separate the index component functionality to a 32-bit server and load the 32-bit Adobe PDF IFilter.  (Although, I don't believe this to be a real solution in a true 64-bit SharePoint server farm.)

In examining and utilizing Foxit's PDF Filter, I tried their PDF Reader.  What a refreshing experience.  If you are tired of Adobe Reader taking ages to open and load, Foxit's Reader will please you.  It's all the functionality you need in a reader trimmed down with no bloat.  It also comes in x86 and x64 versions.

Give it a try...

The Microsoft IFilter Team has finally released the Microsoft Filter Pack.  This brings IFilters for the following:

• Metro (.docx, .docm, .pptx, .pptm, .xlsx, .xlsm, .xlsb)
• Zip (.zip)
• OneNote (.one)
• Visio (.vdx, .vsd, .vss, .vst, .vdx, .vsx, .vtx)

The Filter Pack works with the following products and is available in both a 32-bit and 64-bit version:

• Office SharePoint Server 2007
• Search Server 2008
• Windows SharePoint Services v3.0
• SharePoint Portal Servicer 2003
• Exchange Server 2007
• SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2008
• Windows Desktop Search 3.1, Windows Search 4

It can be downloaded here.

One of the constant arguments I hear from some clients, friends, and family is how the Mac OS is much more secure or less vulnerable than the Windows OS (XP or Vista).  I grow tired of hearing that argument, especially when it is blatantly false.

Today, on ZDNet.com, I found a great post on the comparison of Micrsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS X security vulnerabilities.  The post presented statistics of critical vulnerabilities over the course of 2007 between the two platforms.  Even with combining the stats from Windows XP and Vista versus Mac OS X (versions 10.4 and 10.5), the number of exposed vulnerabilities per month was astonishing.  Mac OS X had over 5.5 times more average vulnerabilities per month than both Windows XP and Windows Vista combined.

As in enterprise software implementation and development, I follow the mantra of the best tool for the job.  And, yes, the Mac does have some tools, albeit a significant number less, that are better than Windows-based tools, primarily in the graphic arts/multimedia area.  However, because I'm not a visually creative person, I find the graphic art/multimedia tools available to me on Windows to be much more than sufficient.  Especially considering the arguably much more powerful developer tools available to me.  Also, there are MANY more cases of Windows software that is not available for the Mac than the other way around.

I don't expect this argument to sway anyone to buy a Windows Vista system over a Mac, but I do hope it stops people from telling me the Mac OS is much more secure and less vulnerable than Microsoft Windows.

I know it seems like I set up and abandoned the blog.  This is not the case.  I've just returned from our annual December vacation in our new timeshare at St. Kitts.  It was nothing short of incredible.  It was also sorely needed.

I have to admit that while I did very little with company work, I did take the opportunity of down time to catch up on some reading and research.  (I mean, seriously, isn't that what everyone does on vacation?!?)

Of course, I had the perfect computer desk with a view, as seen below from one of the three balconies at our place.

Although I consider myself a strong .NET and especially ASP.NET developer, I have to admit my CSS design skills are not where I would like them to be.  So, I did some light reading and exercises from a couple of books based on recommendations from my friend, Spike Xavier, who I consider to be a great web designer.  The two books he recommended (which after reading, I, too, recommend) are Professional ASP.NET 2.0 Design: CSS, Themes, and Master Pages by Jacob J. Sanford  and Beginning CSS: Cascading Style Sheets for Web Design, 2nd Edition by Richard York.

Admittedly, most of this was refresher, but I feel more confident when attempting to do more CSS based design in ASP.NET 2.0 and, therefore, SharePoint 2007.

Other than spending some time and becoming more comfortable with Visual Studio 2008 RTM, I also caught up on some Microsoft Silverlight development information.  My good friend, Michael Palermo IV, a Microsoft Regional Director (RD) and Microsoft MVP, has done quite a few videos that are highlighted on the Silverlight site under Learn > Videos section.  I got a jumpstart on the technology thanks to him.

Now, if you think that all I did was read and stay on the computer, you are incorrect.  I spent the majority of my time with my wife and son in the sun and water.  (In fact, most of the day reading was done during nap time, since we didn't have a dedicated nanny on this trip.)  I also did a couple of dives to get my SCUBA fix in.  Unfortunately, my wife had baby duty and couldn't dive with me, which I regret.

All in all, it was a great vacation and I came back recharged and ready to go.

Promulgations?  Soliloquies?  What does it all mean?  For those of you who know me, you are aware of my often strange sense of humor.  I have created this blog site for the purpose of hopefully sharing some of my knowledge and hard lessons with you, the reader.

So, to answer several of your questions, I present the definitions of the words found in the header of this blog.

prom·ul·gate [prom-uhl-geyt, proh-muhl-geyt] –verb (used with object), -gat·ed, -gat·ing.

1. to make known by open declaration; publish; proclaim formally or put into operation (a law, decree of a court, etc.).

2. to set forth or teach publicly (a creed, doctrine, etc.).

—Related forms  prom·ul·ga·tion [prom-uhl-gey-shuhn] , noun

 so·lil·o·quy [suh-lil-uh-kwee] –noun, plural -quies.

1. an utterance or discourse by a person who is talking to himself or herself or is disregardful of or oblivious to any hearers present (often used as a device in drama to disclose a character's innermost thoughts): Hamlet's soliloquy begins with “To be or not to be.”

2. the act of talking while or as if alone.

In other words, I understand that I may be talking only to myself, but am hopeful that my ramblings may give some others insight and usefulness.

What can you expect to read about in this blog?  Topics such as Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies (WSS 3.0 and MOSS 2007), Microsoft Web Technologies (ASP.NET, Silverlight, AJAX, etc.), and Microsoft Business Intelligence (BI) Tools (SSAS, SSIS, SSRS, PerformancePoint Server 2007, etc).  Be forewarned, I may from time to time exit stage left and go "off the reservation" with respect to these topics.  Some postings will obviously be personal in nature and opinion.  I foresee you would also, over time, learn a bit more about me and my life.  I expect that most information will be just my observations on technologies as they pertain to usefulness, primarily in a business environment.

So, buckle up and stay tuned to the future...