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In SharePoint, the core is of course the Document Library – and the tasks of an administrator can be simplified by its proper management. However, administrators can still feel slightly swept over at the numerous options available in the platform. However, there are some best practices that can easily be followed by administrators in order to get optimal returns and reduce the hassles. Read on and know about some of these best practices that you can follow as a SharePoint administrator.

Enforcing Document Check Out

Check Out on documents is not enabled by default in SharePoint document libraries, but happens to be supported. In case a document library is accessed at the same time by multiple users and also quite often, enforcing a check out can assist them in tracking which specific documents are being edited and who are editing them. It is also a useful idea to add a Checked Out By column to the document library default view. Although any user can hover the pointer over the icon “Checked Out” and view in the tooltip which user is editing a particular document, it is not really an intuitive action.

Once the column is added, anyone can easily who is currently editing a document at only a glance. This can make the task of administration simple as well. It is also important to train users about the exact way to Check In and Check Out documents, and the ways to discard the Check Out process.

Proper approach to versioning

For SharePoint administrators, versioning can be an extremely robust tool – considering the way it can easily allow them to roll documents back following data corruption or a goofed up edit. Each time there is editing of a document, irrespective of how insignificant the edit might be, a copy of the document is automatically saved by SharePoint so that it can be recovered by administrators if required.

However, versioning has only one problem – in the sense that the whole file is saved each time it is edited. Over a period of time, this can eat a lot of storage space – particularly when many big-sized files are stored in SharePoint. Naturally, in case versioning is enabled, it is sensible to also set a specific limit over the disk space that would be used by SharePoint. This will ensure that only the most up-to-date versions of any document are kept in store.

Content type creation and configuration in SharePoint document libraries

SharePoint Online from Microsoft comes with several new enhancements and features, which consist of a number of advantageous additions. Whether it comes to robust document libraries, improved SharePoint lists, or a fully redesigned home page in SharePoint, there are many things to attract people. Find out about the best 6 features that make SharePoint Online attractive for anyone.  

Adding a List  

You can click on the +New button present on the command bar, for adding a list to a page on SharePoint Online. Just click on the List, add any name, description, and then click on the button Create to get your list added on the page. Once you have done it, you can add new data and columns to the list with the Quick Edit option, add list-based apps to the SharePoint site you have created and even choose from various apps created by third party developers or even Microsoft, such as calendars, surveys, links and more.  

Automate your workflow 

You can automate your workflows with the help of Microsoft Flow, and get support for various SaaS services and apps designed to help business users. It can be used to send and receive business data between various Microsoft or third party developer services and SharePoint Online. You can directly develop as well as launch workflows with the new List command bar present in SharePoint Online.  

Connect apps with libraries and lists  

With PowerApps, the latest SharePoint Online enterprise service, you can create, share and connect apps for your whole team that can operate on more than one device. You can find a PowerApps button located in the command line in the new SharePoint data libraries or lists. It can allow you to create a PowerApp in a few minutes, with the help of a library or list as the data source.

Secure storage, sharing and accessing of files 

With the latest Document Library in SharePoint Online, you can get a secure Cloud space where you will be able to store files and documents to allow collaboration to your team members. You can grant them access to those files at anytime and from anywhere, with the help of various mobile devices and desktop PC. You may even revert from the Modern look to the Classic appearance, with ribbons and all else, in only one click.  

Working faster with the redesigned home page 

With the help of the new SharePoint Online home page, you can spot and easily access portals or websites that will be needed by your team for work purpose. Rather than clicking on the Sites tile to be found in the previous versions, you can just click on the launch button of Office 365 and then click on the SharePoint tile for launching SharePoint Online. 

Go Mobile with the new iOS app 

Ask a SharePoint administrator about the major challenges they face on a regular basis, and managing the intranet will likely be on the list. Indeed, there are so many little details to take care of that there are times when the task could seem like a nightmare. However, the following 7 tips can make the task simpler and improve your SharePoint intranet.

Restrict external access to the intranet for added security  

Whether it is a contractor or a consultant, the less outsiders have access to the company intranet, the better it is in terms of security. You can start by rounding up e-mail addresses from external domains that have access to content on the company intranet. Then contact the IT people in charge of the Active Directory to find out which of those e-mail IDs they have suspended. Now, revoke access of all the suspended accounts to the intranet and you will have a safer SharePoint network.  

Set naming conventions for better user experience  

Defining naming conventions and following them across teams will help you in managing project documents better. No one is going to remember what the document named ABC-Review contained, 6 months down the line. However, a name like Quarter-3-Review-2016 will be easy to understand, even by new employees. Users will also be able to search for files better. Of course, it will be up to the team leads to convince their team members to use the system in their everyday work.  

Manage outdated content to improve search  

Are marketing collaterals from the early days of the organization or MoMs from internal project reviews done 6 years ago still showing up in search results? Time to de-clutter the search results then. Archive all the content that might be needed later, and delete everything that turns out to be a waste of space. Just send an email to team leads to ask which documents are essential to them and which ones they would never need. This should help you clean up SharePoint search results, and speed it up too.  

Review metadata and improve it as necessary  

Proper metadata improves the quality of search results and helps you define frequently used content types as well. However, you need to review it periodically, to check whether team members are maintaining the metadata correctly. If you spot any problem, fix it and inform team members, so that they can instruct their team members to avoid such mistakes in the future. Do this once every 3-4 months and you should be good.  

Audit SharePoint sites and improve them if needed  

If you have a lot of SharePoint sites that are no longer needed, you might be slowing down the platform and wasting resources. Go through the sites from time to time and monitor how frequently team members are accessing them. If no one has visited a site in 6 months, chances are it wouldn’t be needed anytime soon. Confirm that from the team leads and archive it. However, if you have developed a new site and people are not using it, then you may have to talk to them and try to improve user experience.  

Monitor SharePoint discussion lists frequently

SharePoint discussion lists are certainly great for users to have project-related conversation within the platform, instead of switching to their e-mails. However, if you have too many discussions where no activity has been happening for quite some time, then it is a good idea to close them. Just ask admins whether they would need those discussion threads to remain open before you do this. Also, if you see very few people using discussion lists, tell them how using these will benefit them.  

Check it on mobile devices

 If users can access the intranet through mobile devices, then you need to check whether it looks good and works well on mobile platform. Visit it using a smartphone and a tablet device, to see whether it displays properly on both. Also, you need to update the master page designs of SharePoint sites at regular intervals, so that they keep working well on mobile platforms. Remember that SharePoint is not optimized for mobile devices, and you need to manually do that, to ensure excellent user experience.  

SharePoint offers you an easy way to share and provide specialized access to specific document and files important for your business or organization. In Microsoft SharePoint, URLs having a maximum of 260 character length are supported. Any URL that is longer in character length, whether it is of a folder or a file, is automatically shortened by SharePoint. It can often lead to improper functioning of the URL and can result in big issues, particularly in case you want to share the URL with others. However, there are quite a few methods to prevent this issue. Find out about 3 good ways to shorten URLs for documents and files that are stored in SharePoint. You can choose one which can work out properly for your individual needs.  

Do not create folders in SharePoint  

Every time you place a document within a folder, the folder path and name will get included in the document URL. In case you have more than one level of nested folder to store your documents, you will be compelled to work with URLs with huge character length. It can be very difficult to work with so long URLs or share them even. When you store documents in your Document Library and use metadata for searching them when needed, you can reduce the paths leading to them. This can automatically truncate your URLs, and also make them good enough to share. These will work well as well.  

Try a good URL shortening website  

In case you want to use long filenames, which is common for people who wish to track their revisions, you can make use of URL shortening websites such as Google URL shortener, bit.ly or tinyurl.com. This will allow you to create very short URLs. It is also heartening to remember that these services generally offer basic services entirely free of cost. You can slightly customize the shortened URL and make it easier for your recipients to know what your file is all about. If you wish to send your links to first-time receivers, you can use a custom URL which would take care of the fact that users do not mistake it as spam and end up deleting them or get confused on what to do with them.  

E-mail and fix the problem  

Are you planning to create a new blog in SharePoint 2013? Setting up a blog in the platform is easy, and with a bit of know how, you can do this pretty quickly. Here are a few pointers to help you set up a new blog in a structured manner.

Step-1: Take care of the basics  

Log in to SharePoint and click on Site Contents in the Quick Launch bar. Now, click on new subsite to start creating your new blog. Key in all necessary fields, as follows. 

Title – The name of the blog

Description – What the blog is all about

URL – The custom URL of the blog homepage

Language – Select the preferred option from the drop-down menu

Template – Select any predefined template you want to use in the blog

 Step – 2: Set users and content permissions 

Are you planning to apply same users and content permissions as the parent site to the blog as well? Then click on the radio button that says Use same permissions as parent site. Otherwise, if you wish to set different set of permissions for the blog, then select Use unique permissions and proceed from there. 

Step – 3: Set options for quick access  

Do you want the blog to be present in the Quick Launch bar and the link bar at the top of the parent site? Then select Yes in the respective options. Otherwise select No. Also, if you want the blog to have the same top link bar as the one the parent site has, then navigate to the option and select Yes. Otherwise, select No to give the blog its unique link bar.  

Step – 4: Create the blog 

Once you have configured all the settings, click on Create and your new blog will be ready. You can fine tune the settings you don’t like. Once you are done, start posting content, or ask users with the necessary permissions to work on that.  

Are you planning to create a new blog in SharePoint 2013? Setting up a blog in the platform is easy, and with a bit of know how, you can do this pretty quickly. Here are a few pointers to help you set up a new blog in a structured manner. 

Step-1: Take care of the basics

Log in to SharePoint and click on Site Contents in the Quick Launch bar. Now, click on new subsite to start creating your new blog. Key in all necessary fields, as follows.

Title – The name of the blog

Description – What the blog is all about

URL – The custom URL of the blog homepage

Language – Select the preferred option from the drop-down menu

Template – Select any predefined template you want to use in the blog

 Step – 2: Set users and content permissions

Are you planning to apply same users and content permissions as the parent site to the blog as well? Then click on the radio button that says Use same permissions as parent site. Otherwise, if you wish to set different set of permissions for the blog, then select Use unique permissions and proceed from there.

Step – 3: Set options for quick access

Do you want the blog to be present in the Quick Launch bar and the link bar at the top of the parent site? Then select Yes in the respective options. Otherwise select No. Also, if you want the blog to have the same top link bar as the one the parent site has, then navigate to the option and select Yes. Otherwise, select No to give the blog its unique link bar.

 Step – 4: Create the blog

Once you have configured all the settings, click on Create and your new blog will be ready. You can fine tune the settings you don’t like. Once you are done, start posting content, or ask users with the necessary permissions to work on that.

Business Intelligence was not a part of SharePoint 2016 during the testing phase of the early releases. The removal of Excel Services was likely of concern, especially to those who had grown used to the feature. Fortunately, it is now available as part of the Office Online Server (OOS), and can be connected to SharePoint 2016. Also, with the official release of SP 2016, Microsoft revealed a full stack of powerful Business Intelligence components baked into the product. The only major change is that most of these BI services are dependent on the latest version of SQL Server. Here’s the lowdown on what these BI components are.

Analysis Services  

The Analysis Services for SQL Server 2016 include major enhancements for the Tabular model. If you are running Analysis Services in this model, then expect to get the most out of this component, in the following categories of services:  

Modeling  

From new project templates and improved performance for tabular 1200 models to display folders and bi-directional cross filtering, there are plenty of new additions to guarantee a better usage experience for you.  

Instance Management  

Be it the Database Consistency Checker (which helps identify problems with model or data in a database), or the SQL Server Management Studio (which allows addition of computer accounts as administrators of the Analysis Services), there are plenty waiting for you to explore and enjoy.  

Scripting  

PowerShell enhancements available for Tabular models at the compatibility level 1200 let you use all available cmdlets. Not just that, SQL Server Management Studio now has enabled scripting for essential database commands, such as Create, Delete, Alter, Attach, Detach, Backup, and Restore. The output of these commands is Tabular Model Scripting Language written in JSON.  

Data Analysis Expressions (DAX)  

From improved formula editing (which lets you use multiple lines and indentation in code and also displays errors in code with squiggles) to non empty calculation (which reduces the number of scans needed to be run for non empty), there are plenty of useful features available here.  

Developer  

Microsoft has updated the Analysis Services Management Objects (AMO) to include a tabular namespace (which you can use to manage a Tabular mode instance of SQL Server 2016 Analysis Services), and has added a new JSON editor specifically for BIM files. Both can come in handy to the developers, big time. 

DirectQuery  

From generating simpler queries to boost performance, to ensuring better control over defining sample data sets (which are used for designing and testing data models), DirectQuery has gone through plenty of enhancements that you can put to good use.  

Analysis Services in Power Pivot Mode  

Power Pivot has gone through a number of useful modifications in SQL Server 2016 and can help accelerate data processing for your business. However, in order to truly reap its benefits, you need to upgrade it to the latest version and connect it to SharePoint. Once you have done that, you will gain the following benefits.  

Benefit from the latest features in MS Excel and SQL Server

As soon as you upgrade Power Pivot and connect it to Analysis Services of SQL Server 2016, you will be able to leverage several powerful features available in the latest version of SQL Server (running in SharePoint mode). These features can definitely enhance the BI capabilities of SharePoint to a great extent. Note, however, that once you upgrade workbooks in Microsoft Excel to the latest version of Power Pivot, you won’t be able to roll them back to previous versions. You should definitely make backups of the workbooks before upgrading them to the latest version of Power Pivot.

Schedule Auto Refresh for tables created in latest version of Power Pivot

Auto Refresh helps you by automatically updating the data of tables created using Power Pivot. This helps when you need to work on a table created in Power Pivot using MS Excel, and later access its data through SharePoint.

Data Quality Services

As the name suggests, data quality services help you locate and manage data requiredfor carrying out data quality projects. These are most useful to Data Quality Server admins, data stewards, and SQL Server admins. The noteworthy services included within DQS include the following.

Data Quality Client Application

It helps you create knowledge bases, create and run data quality projects, as well as perform various kinds of administrative tasks, with the help of a standalone tool.

DQS Knowledge Bases and Domains

The service helps you build a knowledge base that DQS can use to filter out incorrect data.

Data Quality Projects

This service lets you use a knowledge base to improve the quality of data of a project by using other services like data cleansing and data matching, and then export the resulting data in the form of a CSV file, or to an SQL Server database.  

Data Cleansing

It is the process that lets you analyze data quality in a source, approve/reject suggestions made by the system and thus make changes to the data.

Data Matching

This process lets you reduce the degree of data duplication and improve overall quality of data. It analyzes the degree of similarities between different records in the same source and returns weighted probabilities about the records that seem to be duplicates of others. You then have the option to either update or delete the duplicate records.

Reference Data Services in DQS

It is a set of data available from premium commercially offered content sources and authority websites on the Internet, present outside the domain of the organization. You can use these to work better with DQS.

Data Profiling and Notifications in DQS

This service deals with analyzing the data in an existing source, and also displays statistics regarding the data.  

Integration Services  

The SQL Server integration services have undergone major improvements this time around, which can help you greatly with the help of enhanced BI capabilities. The noteworthy improvements in terms of BI include the following. 

Support for Hadoop and HDFS  

This allows you to connect to Hadoop clusters and utilize big data stored using Hadoop’s file system technology (HDFS),for business data analysis.  

Support for Excel 2016 data sources  

The Excel Connection Manager, the Excel Source, and the Excel Destination all offer complete support for data sources created using Excel 2016 now.  

Master Data Services  

Microsoft streamlined BI overnight, when they chose to develop Master Data Services (MDS) for SQL Server. The entire concept of departmental heads and managers taking control of their business data made it much easier for people working on data analysis to find the right data at the right moment. In the latest version, this feature has been further beefed up, ensuring high degree of security for business data, and better BI operations.  

Reporting Services  

The reporting services built into SQL Server is immensely useful to people working with BI using SharePoint. The SQL Server 2016 brings several new and powerful enhancements to this component. All you have to do is run it in SharePoint mode, and you can leverage the new features to get the most out of your business data. The noteworthy enhancements include the following. 

Reporting Services Web Portal 

The all new Reporting Services web portal has replaced the Report Manager from previous versions of SQL Server, and includes KPIs, files from Excel and Power BI Desktop, as well as Paginated Reports. This allows administrators and end users to get their reports quickly, whenever they need them. You can apply custom branding to the portal, if you want. You can also configure KPIs contextual to the folder you have open. 

Mobile Report Publisher 

As the name suggests, this component allows you to publish reports on mobile devices. The reports, nonetheless, can also be accessed on other devices, thus ensuring you can generate reports on the fly, even if you are not in front of your desktop computer.  

Since Microsoft decided to retire the chart web part from SharePoint 2013, users have been in the need of something simple to help them build charts easily in SP. True, there is still a roundabout way of importing the SharePoint 2010 chart web part, but that involves quite a bit of hassle. Besides, there are plenty of third party SharePoint apps available that you can use to make stunning charts in SharePoint, using a wide variety of data sources. Here are 5 of them, ready for you to install and start charting immediately, without grappling with any kind of coding.