SharePoint site provisioning on-premises and in the Cloud Mirjam van Olst Avanade

About Mirjamhttp://sharepointchick.com

@mirjamvanolst

mirjam@outlook.com

http://www.diwug.nl/e-magazines

Real WorldCreate sites with predefined configuration

Automate configuration to save time and ensure consistency

Allow users to choose between several configurations

Site Provisioning Options

Site DefinitionsOut of the box available templates

SharePoint 2003 and 2007 approach to creating custom templates for sites

Site definitions cannot be changed and have to be carried forward across SharePoint versions after sites have been created based on them

Can only be deployed in full trust solutions

Web TemplatesIntroduced in SharePoint 2010

Can be updated or removed after sites have been created based on them

Can be deployed as full trust or sandboxed solutions

Site TemplatesCreated through “Save site as template” link on site settings page of a site

Uses web template technique, but contains all features available in the original site

Easy to create, but often unstable

Custom Solutions for Site ProvisioningCreate a provider hosted app for remote provisioningSub sites on both on-premises and Office 365Site collections on Office 365

Use full trust web service (deployed on SharePoint) to use remote provisioning to create site collections in an on-premises environment

Fundamentals

All sites refer to a Site Definition

Reference is stored in the Content Database

Accessed through the SPWeb object:

• WebTemplate• WebTemplate

Id

Don’t create your own

Site Definition

“Based” on a site definition

Can be changed or deleted after they have been used

Created in a Farm or Site scoped feature

Deployed in a Farm or Sandboxed Solution

Web Templates

You cannot deploy web templates to create other sites using an App

Web templates and Apps

You can only deploy a web template to create the App Web

“Save Site as Template” on site settings page

Should not be used on sites where the link is not visible

Creates Sandboxed Solution in site collection solution gallery

Not recommended

Site Templates

SharePoint Farm

Site collection provisioning on-premises

Provider Hosted Apps

Own app specific configuration

Artefacts

1

CSOM / REST

Custom WCF service

2

3

Site collection provisioning on Office 365

Provider Hosted Apps

Own app specific configuration

Artefacts

1

CSOM / REST2

Wrap Up

Don’t create custom Site Definitions

Web Templates a good approach in on-premises environments

“Save Site as Template” not recommended

Use Remote Site Provisioning in Office 365

Wrap Up - Guidance

SharePoint site provisioning on-premises and in the Cloud Mirjam van Olst Avanade