English:

During PowerPivot integration, I have found some issue which requires troubleshoot. Following are some errors and troubleshoot I have made

1. Problem  
       Error message during test connection procedure “A connection cannot be made. Ensure that the server is running.”.
   Description
       Error raised when you press “Test connection” during creation of new connection type. 
   Resolution
       Make sure that you have associated web application and correct service application proxy. A different connection type may be served by different service application proxy.
2. Problem
      Error message during test connection procedure “Error 404 file can not be found.” .
   Description
      You are trying to create new BISM connection to XSLX file. Then you press “Test connection” , you receive Error 404 file can not be found.
   Resolution
      Make sure that PowerPivot Service Application has been created.
   
3. Problem
       During PowerPivot installation, you receive error message “Instance name is missing…”.
   Description
       During PowerPivot installation and after defining the configuration, you receive Instance name is missing .. error. And then you can not proceed the installation procedure.
   Resolution
        a. Close all SQL Setup application
        b. Restart PowerPivot installation. During Setup Role, select “Add SQL Server Database Relational Engine Services to this installation”.
        c. Proceed to the Feature Selection. (Ignore warning that you already have an SQL instance)
        d. You will notice that Instance name is no longer empty. Click back, to Setup Role, and at this time deselect “Add SQL Server Database Relational Engine Services to this installation”. 
        e. Then follow the rest of the wizard to install PowerPivot.
4. Problem
       During PowerPivot configuration, Configure SharePoint Dependencies failed.
   Description
       Configuration tools can not create unattended account for DataRefresh. The Configure SharePoint Dependencies section failed, so that configuration can not be completed.
   Resolution
       a. In Central Administration, goto Secure Store Service application management.
       b. Add New Target Application with default configuration
                   Target Application ID   : PowerPivotUnattendedAccount
                   Type   : Individual Ticket
       c. Run PowerPivot configuration again.
                       

I hope those experience will help solving your problem.

English:

SharePoint document library has widely used to store Microsoft Office document such as MS Word, MS Excel or MS PowerPoint. It provides seamless integration with Microsoft Office client, in which it will launch appropriate client’s application. For example, if the user clicks *.doc file ; SharePoint client technology will detect and try to launch MS Word application. When the user try to edit document, it also try to launch MS Word application in edit mode. If the client doesn’t have Microsoft Office application installed, then SharePoint will offer file download.

How about launching Remote Desktop Client from SharePoint document library? By default, SharePoint does not support client’s integration for *.rdp file. To provide client’s integration for *.rdp file, we must understand how does client integration in SharePoint happen. Then we will use the same principal, so that we will be able to launch remote desktop client from SharePoint.

How does the integration happen?

Thanks to OpenDocument control, an ActiveX control which is pre-distributed during Microsoft Office client installation. This control is defined in OWSSUPP.dll file. The file is installed in the %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office\Office14\ directory on the client computer during Microsoft Office setup.

On the server side, SharePoint uses definition in docicon.xml to know appropriate ActiveX control for a specific file type. Then it sends JavaScript script to client’s browser (part of core.js). The script will detects ActiveX control availability in client’s computer and then enable or disable action related to it.

Problem Using Custom OpenDocument to Handle File

We can create custom OpenDocument to handle any type of file. However there are some prerequisites before you can use custom OpenDocument in SharePoint:

1. Custom OpenDocument must implement standard OpenDocument public method members. For more information about OpenDocument public method members, please open technical documentation page here : http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc264316.aspx.
2. Custom OpenDocument must be distributed and registered in client’s computer environment. You can use *.cab file to package and distribute the control. For more information about ActiveX packaging, please open technical documentation page here : http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa751974(v=vs.85).aspx.
3. Register the new file type and ActiveX control name in docicon.xml, so that SharePoint will be able to create appropriate JavaScript parameter.

Having those pre-requisites, non-compliant ActiiveX control will not ready for client’s integration. On the other hand, there are lot of ActiveX control that does not necessarily follow the standard OpenDocument, thus creating a compliant ActiveX control for client’s integration become impractical.

The Solution

The solution, actually lies on the client JavaScript and ActiveX control. SharePoint must be able to generate client script dynamically based on the registered file type. The script will run on client’s environment, detecting ActiveX control and launch the application. For this purpose we can use custom HttpHandler in addition to original core.js. The HttpHandler will generate client’s script and construct ActiveX detection and execution. Since the script is generated by our HttpHandler, then it is possible to make a call to non-compliant ActiveX control. Moreover, this approach relies on existing ActiveX control on client’s machine so we do not need to distribute new ActiveX control.

Launching Remote Desktop Client from SharePoint

For this purpose, I will create RdpHttpHandler.cs that implement IHttpAsyncHandler. IHttpAsyncHandler is asynchronous HttpHandler interface to create more scalable HttpHandler. This class, basically will generate appropriate JavaScript to launch RDP client. It also provides *.rdp file stream, to answer client with no RDP client ActiveX enabled.

Finally, we have to register the handler in web.config.

<configuration>
     <system.webServer>
        <handlers>
           <add name=’RdpViewer’ preCondition=’integratedMode’ path=’*.rdp’ verb=’GET,HEAD’ type=’IdeasFree.RdpHttpHandler, RdpHttpHandler, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=a653a773e04292b0′ /> 
        </handlers>
     </system.webServer>
</configuration>

To register in web.config, I use SPWebConfigModification from SharePoint API which will be triggered by feature activation event. The feature is web scoped feature, so that you can activate it from Central Administration for specific web application.

Code and WSP Download

Complete working code and solution file can be downloaded from Microsoft website here (RDPViewer SharePoint Solution).

English:

Imagine that you are delivering a project using MySite functionality in SharePoint 2010. But most of your clients are still using IE6 on their computer, so that you have to provide IE6 compatibility support. Without IE6 compatibility, client will receive a warning to upgrade their browser,

and ugly MySite page.

So, how can we provide IE6 support to MySite? The answer is to downgrade MySite host and personal site to UIVersion = 3.

Follow these step to downgrade MySite UI version to support IE6 compatibility.

1. Locate MySite host and downgrade to UIVersion = 3

2. Locate any personal site collection in the MySite web application and downgrade to UIVersion = 3

PowerShell script to rescue

Unfortunately, SharePoint doesn’t provide UI to downgrade the UIVersion. You can create a console application or just use a PowerShell script. Following PowerShell script, will help you to downgrade individual site collection either MySite host or personal site collection.

Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell

$spWeb = Get-SPWeb "http://mysitehost"
$spWeb.UIVersion = 3
$spWeb.Update()

If you want to change entire personal site collection in MySite Web Application, use following PowerShell script that will iterate through all site collection:

Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell

get-spwebapplication "URL MySite WebApplication" |
    get-spsite |?  {
         ($_.RootWeb.WebTemplate -eq  "SPSMSITEHOST") -or
          ($_.RootWeb.WebTemplate -eq "SPSPERS")} |% {
                $_.RootWeb.UIVersion =3
                $_.RootWeb.Update()
            }

IE6 Compatibility Look and Feel

Following screen shows the old-fashioned SharePoint UI for our IE6 users after we change UIVersion = 3.

And before you deliver to the client, you may want to apply custom branding to the new UI. And your client will be happy to see MySite in their IE6 browser.

English:

Few month ago I have introduced RemoteStsAdm, a PowerShell module that enable you to execute StsAdm.exe remotely. StsAdm.exe is a command line administration tools for SharePoint. Unfortunately to run StsAdm, one must log-in to SharePoint server member – since the tool can not be executed remotely. RemoteStsAdm is to answer this problem, allowing admin to execute StsAdm remotely. You can download the source code from MSDN Galery here or read the original article in previous post here. 

Yesterday, I have released ImportPSModule that will easy PowerShell module distribution, allow update notification and configuration. The RemoteStsAdm PowerShell module is now available via NuGet, so that you don’t need to download and extract manually. All will be done seamlessly, and whenever we got script update – you will get notified as soon as you open PowerShell session.

So what do you wait for, open PowerShell session and type following:

Import-PSModule RemoteStsAdm 

You may already know PsGet by Chaliy or PsGet by Anurse for PowerShell module distribution. They have created PowerShell module distribution mechanism with different approach.

Chaliy uses PowerShell script approach and customized module directory. Everytime you want to distribute your PowerShell module, you have to fork his github project to update Directory.xml content. Even tough the instruction in https://github.com/chaliy/psget/wiki/How-to-add-your-module-to-the-directory is very clear, however I think there is risk of incorrect Directory.xml modification.

Anurse uses PowerShell manifest approach and standard NuGet package to download and put module in appropriate location. In this case you can create a NuGet package containing PowerShell files and publish it to NuGet repository. Using his module, you will be able to get PowerShell module from NuGet repository right to your console. I like this approach because it uses standard NuGet package and publishing process. However, sometimes I want to be able to register the new module in my profile. I also want to ensure that I always use latest PowerShell Module package – ie. update local module automatically when there is new module in NuGet repository.

So then, I started to create Import-PSModule a PowerShell script module that will give you functionalities such as:

1. Importing PS Module from NuGet repository
2. Load imported module to current session
3. Register imported module to current user profile or all user profile
4. Un-register imported module from current user profile or all user profile
5. Auto-update imported module when user start PowerShell session

To start using the module, start PowerShell session and type following

(new-object Net.WebClient).DownloadString("http://blog.libinuko.com/wp-content/plugins/download-monitor/download.php?id=1") | iex 

The script will perform following actions:

1. Download latest ImportPSModule from central NuGet repository.
2. Install the package to desired location. If you choose to install in User-Module or Global-Module, all future packages will be installed under Module path. If you choose to install in other folder, then all future package will be installed within installation folder.
3. Load the ImportPSModule to the memory. It will also  download latest NuGet.CommandLine package if you don't have in your system.

So what do you waiting for? Start to install the module and publish your PowerShell module in NuGet repository. But don't forget TAG "PSModule" to your NuGet package.

If you want to validate InstallPSModule.ps1, please click here InstallPSModule (196) .

English

The STSADM.exe is command-line tool for administration of Office SharePoint Server (SharePoint 2007, SharePoint 2010). It is installed on the same location as SharePoint Products and Technologies location: %COMMONPROGRAMFILES%\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\12\bin (for SharePoint 2007) or %COMMONPROGRAMFILES%\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\14\bin (for SharePoint 2010). You must be Farm Administrator to be able to run the tool.

By default, the STSADM.exe must be executed locally since it will access SharePoint Object Model. It is also necessary for the tools to connect to the SQL Database using credential of the user who executes it. Therefore, normally the Administrator must remote-login to the SharePoint server before he/she can run the tools.

Remote execution of STSADM.exe using PowerShell Invoke-Command cmdlet faces double-hop challenges. This occurs when SQL Database for the farms is installed on different machine than the SharePoint server. The credential in theInvoke-Command session can not pass through to the SQL Database without configuring delegation in the WinRM services.This module solve double-hop problem without configuring CredSSP.

Download the module here:
http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/Remote-StsAdm-in-6fec24b8

English

Before we continue, I suggest you read the first part here ; it gives basic idea of how it works. The purpose of part-2 is to make real implementation of Custom Web Service , but it is not the only way to do it. There are some key points that I want to show here:

1. We will put our custom Web Services in a Custom folder under _vti_bin. In this case we will create new folder WSCustom under (12hive/ISAPI for SharePoint 2007 or 14hive/ISAPI for SharePoint 2010)
2. We will need a helper to read SharePoint context (SPVirtualPath) before passing the request to the real ASMX. In this case we will copy WSDISCO.ASPX  and WSWSDL.ASPX from original _VTI_BIN to _VTI_BIN/WSCustom folder
3. We will need custom SPDisco.aspx for our web services, in this case I will name it WSCustomSPDisco.aspx. This is the file, where we will register our web service. (Note the registration is optional, but it is required for truly SharePoint integration)
4. We need an interceptor so that request to SPDisco.aspx will return combination between original SPDisco.aspx and WSCustomSPDisco.aspx. In this case, we will create WSCustomHttpHandler that combine XML from the two files.
5. We need rules to add rules to redirect request to _vti_bin/spdisco.aspx to our WSCustomHttphandler.

In the diagram, the scenario will look like this

1. Create ASPNET Web Services using Visual Studio. 
   You can follow instruction in MSDN here (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd583131(v=office.11).aspx) and stop until “To copy the Web service files to the _vti_bin virtual directory”).

2. Create custom folder for your project under _vti_bin (for example 12hive/ISAPI/CustomWS for SharePoint 2007 or 14hive/ISAPI/CustomWS for SharePoint 2010). In this custom folder, we will put 3 files for every web service (*.asmx) which are:
   • <service>.asmx , where <service> is your web service file.
   • <serviceDISCO>.aspx , where <serviceDISCO> is corresponding DISCO file of your web service.
   • <serviceWSDL>.aspx , where <serviceWSDL> is corresponding WSDL file of your web service.
     
3. Copy ISAPI\spdisco.aspx to ISAPI\spdisco.disco.aspx . We need copy of original spdisco.aspx, since we don’t want to have infinite loop in our HttpHandler later.
4. Create ISAPI\customws.spdisco.aspx. In this file, we will register our custom web service. This is important to avoid modifying SharePoint built-in file.
5. Create HttpHandler to combine content of spdisco.aspx and *.spdisco.aspx.
6. Register HttpHandler in web.config. We will intercept all _vti_bin/spdisco.aspx with our HttpHandler.

More Information

1. Tutorial video, Writing Custom Web Services for SharePoint in Supported Mode.
   [See post to watch Flash video]
    
2. Download source code for this article Visual Studio 2010 + SharePoint 2010 (http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/Writing-SharePoint-Web-in-cb9de1be)

English

If you have read my comments on the Writing Custom Web Service for SharePont, Is it supported here (http://blog.libinuko.com/2011/02/16/sharepoint-writing-custom-web-service-for-sharepoint-is-it-supported/) ; you may have already created standard ASPNET web services. It is working, but with some limitation:

1. You can not have path virtualization

   Virtualization is one of SharePoint’s technique provided by SPVirtualPath provider, that enable virtualization of your web service path. For example, list.asmx will be available for http://mysite.com/_vti_bin/lists.asmx , or http://mysite.com/sites/myothersitecollection/_vti_bin/lists.asmx. The site collection has been virtualized by SharePoint.

   Without virtualization any web service consumer will have to access to the same path, usually in the root; for example /_services/mywebservice.asmx">/_services/mywebservice.asmx">http://<webapps>/_services/mywebservice.asmx

2. You can not have SPContext

   SPContext is very powerful object in SharePoint development. Using this context, we can retrieve current SharePoint context without having to instantiate it. For example, you can get current SPWeb by calling SPContext.Current.Web – and you don’t need to dispose it (in fact you’re not suppose to dispose it). Still using SPContext you can have direct access to list and everything under SharePoint.

   Without having direct access to SPContext, you have to instantiate SPWeb or SPSite using normal constructor with URL as parameter. It means new SPSite/SPWeb thread in the server memory, and you have to dispose it once you’ve done working with it.

So, how can we write custom web service for SharePoint in supported mode?

Before we start, we have to understand SharePoint architecture and how does the processing works for web services. I take following picture from SharePoint Architecture in MSDN. It describe how SharePoint process our request. There is SPHttpApplication which has SPRequestModule and any additional ASP.NET Module; and before the request returned back to the user SPHttpHandler is doint the job.

How SharePoint process web services?

If we dig into into the process on how SharePoint process request to web services in _vti_bin.

There are 3 scenarios of http request to the web services,

1. Disco request, identified by suffix ?DISCO in the web service address. For example, */_vti_bin/list.asmx?Disco
2. WSDL request, identified by suffix ?WSDL in the web service address. For example, */_vti_bin/list.asmx?Wsdl
3. Web service post request. For example, */_vti_bin/list.asmx?op=GetListItems

Every request will be processed by SPHttpHandler (SharePoint) and ScriptHandlerFactory (system.web.extension), but the SPHttpHandler will be selective only for Disco and Wsdl request.

On disco/wsdl request, SPHttpHandler will transfer the request to wsdisco.aspx or wswsdl.aspx using Server.Execute operation. This operation ensure that wsdisco.aspx/wswsdl.aspx is receiving same request object. wsDISCO.aspx or wsWSDL.aspx will then instantiate SharePoint Context object. Any *.aspx will be successfully instantiate SharePoint context object because they are managed by SPHttpApplication and hence it also impacted by SPVirtualPath provider from SharePoint which will activate path virtualization.

Next, wsDISCO.aspx will transfer the request to the <service>DISCO.aspx and wsWSDL.aspx will transfer to the <service>WSDL.aspx – using Server.Execute operation. So here we have seen 2 transfer operation. At the end, the result is correct WSDL/DISCO request. The correct WSDL/DISCO will point to the correct virtual path of the request. (Remember how do you create <service>disco.aspx / <service>wsdl.aspx)

When a consumer use the contract and tries to consume it. The SPHttpHandler will no longer intercept the request, but the normal ScriptHandlerFactory from System.Web.Extensions. However with the correct path in disco/wsdl, now the asmx now have the ability to look into current context from SharePoint. And hence you will be able to use SPContext.Current.Web in custom web services.

Part-2 is how to start create custom web services. I will need help from my buddy Denni , he will code for me. –

References

1. Writing Custom Web Services for SharePoint Products and Technology (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd583131(v=office.11).aspx)

2. SharePoint Architecture (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb892189(v=office.12).aspx )

3. Architectural Overview of Windows SharePoint Services (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd583133(v=office.11).aspx)

4. Modifying Built-In SharePoint Files (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb803457(v=office.12).aspx)

English

In large network, issuing a command to remote server from current terminal is sometimes necessary. Some propose client-server mode; for example Remote StsAdm (http://netstsadm.codeplex.com/) and other propose to use PsExec (http://thingsthatshouldbeeasy.blogspot.com/2009/08/run-stsadm-commands-remotely.html).

The client-server mode requires installation of 3rd party tools. This kind of installation sometimes (or most of the time) is forbidden by company security policy.
Second option using PsExec from SysInternal (now part of Microsoft) doesn't requires installation to SharePoint server and may be the correct approach. However, I am not convince that this tools will be compatible with the future Operating System.

So, what is the option?
PowerShell and Remoting!

PowerShell has been introduced during Windows 2008 era. However, Windows 2003 server owner can apply KB968930 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968930) to bring PowerShell functionality to their server. PowerShell will replace command.com because of the flexibility – enabling integration between shell and operating system itself.

Let's get our job done

1. First enable remoting on the SharePoint Server.

    Enable-PSRemoting -Force

2.  Prepare the stsadm command alias

 $executable = "$env:ProgramFiles\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\bin\stsadm.exe" 

3.  Remember my previous post about how to avoid double hop problem? (http://blog.libinuko.com/2011/04/29/powershell-how-to-overcome-double-hop-problem-in-powershell-remoting-2/) . Now we will create new function that uses Invoke-RemoteCommand. Basically, we will construct commandline parameter for Invoke-RemoteCommand. We also try to provide AS-IF user call stsadm.

function StsAdm
{
   param(
      [string] $commandOptions,
      [string] $username,
      [string] $password
   )

   $executable = "$env:ProgramFiles\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\bin\stsadm.exe"

   Invoke-RemoteCommand -commandline "'$executable' $commandOptions" -username $username -password $password

}

Usage : StsAdm -commandOptions "-o enumwebs" -username "setup account" -password "setup password"

And voila, you have remote stsadm function without compromising security policy.

English:

Some of you may be not aware that we can use SharePoint List for Visio Diagram data source. So how can we configure SharePoint List for Visio Diagram data source?

Following steps demonstrate how to do it using SharePoint 2010 and Visio 2010, however it also applies to SharePoint 2007 or Visio 2007.

Step-by-step

1. Open Visio (.vsd) file.
2. On Data tab, and  Link Data to Shapes.

   

3. On  Data Selector window, choose Microsoft SharePoint Foundation list.

   

4. Type SharePoint website URL

   

   Note: Enter username and password combination if necessary.

   

5. Choose SharePoint list that you want to use, then click Next and Finish.
   
   
6. You will return to the main Visio diagram with data table from SharePoint list. Then you can use the table (linked-to-SharePoint List) as data source for your diagram.

   

Source: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/4225.aspx