SharePoint 2007: The Definitive Guide

Conclusion

This chapter provides a step-by-step guide for building a Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 multiserver farm implementation. Essentially, the build process is very simple and straightforward, but what happens after the build can make or break your implementation. Placement of services is critical, and there are many details that must be taken into consideration. As stated earlier in this chapter, there are times when a small farm will make more sense than a medium or large farm, and visa versa. Consider the following areas to start with your planning:

Figure 4-10. Click Retrieve Database Names

• Number of users (multiple WFEs)

• Number of documents (SQL storage)

• Fault tolerance/allowable downtime (multiple WFEs, application servers, clusters)

As mentioned earlier in this chapter, there are a number of worksheets that Microsoft has placed on TechNet that will assist with planning your environment. Without proper planning, your implementation will fail or at the very least cause unnecessary headaches down the line. Using Microsoft's planning worksheets can alleviate some future stress and allow you to provide for your customers with a well-thought-out implementation. This link will take you to the appropriate TechNet page:

http://technet2.microsoft.com/Office/en-us/library/b28ba53d-a3e8-440f-9fcb-f592d858894a1033.mspx?mfr=true

Figure 4-11. Configuration Database Settings, continued

Tip

I suggest making these forms reusable and, in some ways, "smart documents." With Infopath 2007, you can simply convert these forms and place them into a "Site Planning Page" on your MOSS environment. This page can then be used as a template for planning other sites in your environment. Just imagine walking into a kickoff planning meeting and having this type of a form already in place. You will be an instant hero!

Some of the information regarding roles and redundancy were taken from Microsoft's Planning and Architecture for Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server 2007 document:

http://technet2.microsoft.com/Office/en-us/library/d3e0e0fc-77b6-4109-87d6-53ad088db01d1033.mspx?mfr=true

Figure 4-12. Installation summary

Figure 4-13. Advanced Settings

Figure 4-14. Final summary window

Figure 4-15. Configuration progress window

Figure 4-16. Configuration complete

Figure 4-17. Second server in farm complete

Figure 4-18. Completed view of server farm