What exactly is Sharepoint?

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Supreme [H]ardness
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Before you tell me to Google it, I have but can't find very clear information. What exactly is Sharepoint? It's for sharing and syncing documents and such right? How does it work though. Do you need to use AD and need a Sharepoint server or can you use Sharepoint Workplace between two computers without needing a server? I'm not understanding how the infrastructure for it looks.
 
SharePoint is basically a huge but specialized Content Management System (CMS). The basic idea is that your company would have a website where departments, hierarchies (i.e. managers, board members, upper-level management), and the company as a whole can (1) collaborate with each other, (2) setup deadlines and events in their calendar, and (3) access a relevant file and document library. In other words, it makes workflow processes, communications, and file libraries easier and convenient.

If I recall correctly, you do not need to use AD to setup and use SharePoint. However, it would be recommended you take advantage of integration. ;)
 
It's a Content Management System. It is not simply a one off server. It requires SQL, While Sharepoint itself doesn't requie to be under an AD environment. It is highly recommended, as configuring it and SQL to be in a non AD environment is a pain in the rear.
 
some day i want to install this and play with it, when i get my 32 gigs ram in my virtual server of course..
 
Think of it like a website, a company intranet website. It's used for collaboration...sharing of "stuff".

You can have daily articles, a company photo section, calendars, interactive pages like "reservations", there are many different templates which can create interactive pages with specialized purposes.

There's also a file exchange interface, when it's setup the admin can make a section(s) that will link to specified folders on a server share. And the remote user can upload and download files through a sort of windows explorer like interface.
 
and its main advantage is integration with other MS products. It integrates with AD, Office Suite, SQL (and SSRS), Office Communicator, Exchange, etc. etc.

It is one massive central repository.
 
Basically put, its another abstraction layer via a web interface to a regular file-share. I personally think its a solution looking for a problem. Others think its the cat's meow.

Now that being said, I can see its use if you heavily customize it for your organization to make it useful. Out of the box, IMO, it just makes access overly complicated for no reason.
 
dashpuppy said:
some day i want to install this and play with it, when i get my 32 gigs ram in my virtual server of course..
Click to expand...

For a testing environment you don't need that much ram. Many of my test machines have 512 or 1024.
 
sc0tty8 said:
For a testing environment you don't need that much ram. Many of my test machines have 512 or 1024.
Click to expand...

I can only have so many vm's running with 8 gigs ram :) I will put 32 into the new server that way i can allot more ram to each vm....
 
Valnar said:
Basically put, its another abstraction layer via a web interface to a regular file-share. I personally think its a solution looking for a problem. Others think its the cat's meow.

Now that being said, I can see its use if you heavily customize it for your organization to make it useful. Out of the box, IMO, it just makes access overly complicated for no reason.
Click to expand...

You're discounting the greater search capabilities, metadata, document check-out/in, revisions, content approval, etc. And document storage is only one facet of SharePoint. The workflow engine is great for automating processes, the Business Data Catalog makes exposing data from databases easy, the other collaborative features are really good, etc. Not to mention it's dot net based so customization is really strong.
 
shabazkilla said:
You're discounting the greater search capabilities, metadata, document check-out/in, revisions, content approval, etc.
Click to expand...

Yes. Yes I am.

Those may be its goals, but I don't think it realizes them very well.

It may have been a goal for a Yugo to drive 80mph on the freeway, but it doesn't do it so well.
 
I just think the interface and general layout philosophy is clunky. The backend features and capabilities are awesome.

And I am not a Internet critique, I use it everyday for work.
 
Grentz said:
I just think the interface and general layout philosophy is clunky. The backend features and capabilities are awesome.

And I am not a Internet critique, I use it everyday for work.
Click to expand...

The out of the box layouts are somewhat clunky. 2010 was a huge improvement of 2007 in that respect. The real power lies in customized masterpages and layouts. Check out the Ferrari, and Starbucks public sites - both are running SharePoint.
 
Think of it as a glorified file sharing program through the Intranet (sometimes used for a replacement for an Intranet) with the ability to be very granular with Rights Management Policies.

Also, hell on earth. +1
 
I've been wondering this myself so after reading this and another thread about it I've decided to take advantage of technet and check out SP2010 for myself, the whole office live addon for it looks kinda neat and I do like the cloud idea so long as I control the cloud and have physical access to the hardware that runs it.
 
-Dragon- said:
I've been wondering this myself so after reading this and another thread about it I've decided to take advantage of technet and check out SP2010 for myself, the whole office live addon for it looks kinda neat and I do like the cloud idea so long as I control the cloud and have physical access to the hardware that runs it.
Click to expand...

Best purchase for me in the last 2 years, i just renewed 2 weeks ago :)
 
Now I gotta figure out what template I want -_-

FYI for people who are checking this out, if you have an existing SQL server install SP in farm mode (second button) and then the first option on the next page to use an actual SQL server and not SQL express.
 
Sharepoint CAN be good as long as users are trained on how to maintain it properly..

My companies sharepoint is a disaster.. 15K people with access, 4K of which actually know how to get to it, and only 5 people who know how to maintain a proper sorting and filing technique..

The other 3995 people just dump generically named files, over write everything that they run into, try to use it as a personal iTunes folder, and just delete things at random if they dont know what they are..

oh yeah.. Sharepoints are REALLY nice..

It would have been smarter for my company to give everyone an encrypted 8Gb USB drive that contains their windows login, email PST files, and all personal files.. And if you lose it, your boned..
 
Sharepoint = Modern day Exchange Public Folders.

That became a dumping ground too, so I'm not surprised.
 
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