How to add SharePoint search to Internet Explorer 7.0?

• Click drop down menu on the right hand side of “Glass” icon and select “Find More Providers…” in IE 7.0

• Under “Create Your Own” enter URL and Name. Please make sure you search for TEST (k=TEST) in URL. For example,

URL:
http://sharepoint.domain.com/sites/TestSC/SearchCenter/Results.aspx?k=TEST&s=All%20Sites

Note: Above URL is for searching in "All Sites" (in entire SharePoint Server Farm).

Also note that I have specified "SharePoint Search" as the name of the search provider.

• Click “View” link, if you want to look at the XML file, click “Install” button otherwise, which will add this custom search provider to IE 7.0

• Once the Search Provider will be added, you will see it listed in Search Engine List.

• Search for something, let’s say “sharepoint” and select “SharePoint Search” – the custom search provider, which we have added in previous steps. It will ask you for credentials to connect to the SharePoint site. Enter your credentials and it will return search results.

How to configure Records Center in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007

In this post, I will walk you through the steps for configuring Records Center site in MOSS 2007. Luckily, Records Center Site template is available with both Standard and Enterprise Edition of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.

Let’s start with understanding the purpose of setting up Records Center site. Why do we need central repository for our contents? Well, you can store almost all kind of contents in SharePoint but if you will not manage it properly, SharePoint contents will grow tremendously and eventually it will go out of control. The only way to prevent SharePoint servers from deteriorating in the future with an overload of content is to start archiving unwanted information. This is done by linking live or active SharePoint sites to a Record Center.

I am going to create a new site collection for Records Center in my existing SharePoint server farm however it is possible to create a Records Center in a separate farm and link it to SharePoint sites in this farm. In fact, that would be a better approach as you will be moving unwanted SharePoint contents to the content databases of another farm which will help you in keeping your live or active SharePoint farm content databases as small as possible.

Here are the steps:

1. Create Records Center site.

2. Create library for storing archive contents from SharePoint live sites.

3. Create and apply Information Management Policy for the retention period.

4. Define Record Routing rule for the content type.

5. Configure Record Center from SharePoint Central Administration site.

6. Start archiving unwanted SharePoint contents.

· Create a new site collection for Records Center.

· I have named it “Records Center Site”.

· Here is the Records Center site out of the box. In this example, we will configure Record Center site to archive project documents from live or active SharePoint site - “Test Site Collection”. Create a new document library for unwanted project records (documents).

· I have named it “Project Documents Repository”. Please note that I have selected “None” in Document Template as my project document could be a word, excel or any other document.

· Define policy for the retention period. Click “Site collection policies” link under Site Collection Administration.

· Create a new policy. Click “Create” link on the top right corner.

· I have named it “Project Document Policy”. I have selected all auditing options to keep the track of any changes in these documents. I have selected 5 years retention period for these documents after they are last modified. They will be deleted after 5 years.

Note: Records (documents) older than 5 years will be deleted and sent to “Recycle Bin”. Records Center administrator will then decide to delete them permanently. If there is a need, administrator can restore documents from recycle bin.

· Site collection policy is successfully created.

· Apply policy “Project Documents Repository” document library. Click “Information management policy settings” link under Permissions and Management.

· Select “Use a site collection policy” option and apply “Project Document Policy” , which we created in previous steps.

· Set same Meta data for this document library - “Project Documents Repository”. This is because when you archive contents from live SharePoint site, it will be stored here and that’s why it is good to have same Meta data as document library of live SharePoint site. Click “Add from existing site columns” link under Columns.

· Add all those columns (properties), which you have for your live document library contents.

· I have also modified “All Documents” under Views to show these Meta data in default view.

· Here is how “Project Documents Repository” looks like after following above steps.

· Create “Record Routing” to archive project documents in “Project Documents Repository”. Click New => New Item under Record Routing.

· I have used “Project Content Type” for creating project documents in my live site – Test Site Collection. Record Routing title will be the content type which you want to archive from live SharePoint site. So in title I have “Project Content Type”. Location will be the name of the document library where you want to route these records. In our case it is “Project Documents Repository”.

· Everything is set in our Records Center and here is how it looks like after following above steps.

Note: If you have not specified Records Routing properly, it will route all the documents to “Unclassified Records” document library using default “Unclassified Records” routing when you archive them from SharePoint live sites.

· Now, configure Record Center from SharePoint Central Administration site. Go to Application Management and click “Records center” link under External Service Connections.

· Provide the URL of the Records Center site appended with /_vti_bin/officialfile.asmx as shown in example. I have used display name as “Records Center”. So when somebody will right click on document to be archived, he/she will see “Send To => Records Center” in the menu.

URL: http://sharepoint.domain.com/sites/RC/_vti_bin/officialfile.asmx

Display Name: Records Center

· That’s it. You have successfully configured Records Center. Now, let’s test it. As shown below, I am going to archive one of the documents from “Project Document Library” of my live site – “Test Site Collection”. Right click on the document to be archived, select “Send To => Records Center”.

· If you have followed all above steps properly, you will see “Operation Completed Successfully” message.

· Document will still remain in the document library of your live site. You may delete it as it has been stored in Records Center already and it is not needed any more.

· Let’s go back to Records Center site to check, if the document is successfully archived and yes, it is. It will create folder with the time stamp to store those archive documents.

· In side the folder, you can see the document and the Meta data (properties) of that document. Properties are stored in the form of an XML file.

There is lot more you can do with Records Center other than just moving archive contents however idea behind this post is just to give an overall idea of how Records Center site works.

· Following screen captures explain how to copy accidentally archived document (if you have deleted it from everywhere – document library, recycle bin etc. in your live site) back to its original location. This has nothing to do with Records Center but I have added this just to give you an idea of copying document from one location to the other. Right click on document to be copied and click “Send To => Other Location”

· Provide the destination URL.

Destination document library or folder:

http://sharepoint.domain.com/sites/TestSC/ProDL

Also you can change the document name if you wish.

· Click “OK” button at the bottom.

· Document successfully copied to “Project Document Library” for Test Site Collection.

Link to a Document content type, Add link to a document to announcement items and Meta data for folder contents

In this post, I am going to talk about few interesting things. Let’s start with “Link to a Document” content type. I will also talk about best practices in SharePoint 2007 while I will go through these topics.

• Create a new document library. I am going to create document library for project documents.

• As shown below, I have named this document library as “ProDL” and entered “Project Document Library” as description.

Note: It is a good idea to abbreviate your list or library name when you create them. This will help in keeping SharePoint URLs as short as possible. You can change the name of the document library to whatever you want later on by going to document library settings. Please keep going to learn how?

• Go to the document library settings of document library – “ProDL”, which you created in previous step. Click on “Title, description and navigation” link under General Settings

• You can change name here to whatever you want. I have changed it to full name – “Project Document Library” and that is what it will display as name for this document library in SharePoint but the URL for this document library will still use the abbreviated name – “ProDL”, which we entered at the time of creating it.

• As shown below, name appears as “Project Document Library” in SharePoint site.

• Click “Advanced settings” link under General Settings

• Select “Yes” for “Allow management of content types?” as shown below.

• After you finish above steps, you will be able to see “Add from existing site content types” link under Content Types. Click this link - “Add from existing site content types”

• Select “Link to a Document” content type and add it.

• After above steps, you should be able to see “Link to a Document” in “New” menu of your document library.

• Click “Link to a Document” under “New” menu.

• Enter “Document Name” and “Document URL” for the existing document at other location (in another document library).

• Here is how “Project Document Library” looks like after adding one document and one “Link to a Document” content.

Note: Always use “Link to a Document” content type instead of adding the same document to another document library or the document library of another site.

How to add link to the document to Announcements list?

• Go to Announcement Settings => List Settings as shown below.

• Click “Add from existing site columns” link under Columns.

• Select “Web Page” column and add it. Please make sure you have selected “Add to all content types” and “Add to default view” as shown below.

• That’s it. You are done. Now you can add link to a document when you add announcement items to Announcement list.

• Here is how Announcement list looks like after adding announcement items with link to a document.

Finally let’s talk about Meta data for folder content type. Never use folders, always use views. It is NOT recommended to use folders in document library or any other list but there are certain situations where you may want to add folders and then Meta data for those folders.

How can you add Meta data to folders?

• Go to Site Actions => Site Settings => Modify All Site Settings

• Click “Site content types” link under Galleries.

• Click “Create” link on top left corner.

• We are going to create folder content type for defining Meta data for folder contents. Please select the settings as shown below. You can add this new content type to “Custom Content Types” by choosing it under “Existing group” or you can create a new group.

• Go to the document library where you want to define Meta data for folder contents. Click Settings => Document Library Settings.

• Click “Advanced settings” under General Settings

• Select “Yes” for “Allow management of content types?” as shown below.

• After above steps, you will be able to see Content Types in document library settings. Click “Add from existing site content types” link under Content Types.

• Select “Folder Content” content type, which we have created in previous steps and add it.

• As shown below, “Folder Content” is now added to your document library. Click “Folder Content” link under Content Types.

• Add appropriate columns for your folder contents. I will add couple of columns by clicking “Add from existing site or list columns” link under Columns.

• I have added “Category” and “Release Date” columns as shown below.

• Now, it will allow me add Meta data whenever I create a new folder in this document library. Following screen shots show how to add Meta data to existing folders in your document library.

• Right click on folder and select “Edit Properties”.

• Select “Folder Content” (which is what we have created in previous steps), if you have more than one content type listed in drop down menu.

• Enter Meta data as shown below.

• Here is how document library looks like after adding Meta data for folders.