An Intranet Based on WSS | Software Testing Fundamentals: Methods and Metrics

The team sites in Windows SharePoint Services are really meant to be a place for collaboration. But this does not stop you from using them as a simple intranet. You have the basic features available for building an intranet, such as:

q A news list - text only, no pictures - but you can add an extra column for pictures.
q A Web Part you can use as a RSS feed reader to display news items from an Internet news web site.
q A list of links that point to important locations inside SharePoint and other locations, including a file.
q A Page Viewer Web Part to display the content of any public Internet site.
q Lists for storing documents, contacts, and tasks related to specific projects or activities.
q A list of employees, including e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and pictures.
q A Web Part for displaying a picture.

These are just some of the tools for building the intranet. You could also find more advanced Web Parts on the Internet; some are free, and others are commercial products. One problem in a pure WSS environment is that you cannot filter any information in a list - either you see the list content or you don't. WSS has no feature similar to the audience targeting that exists in SPS. So, you must think hard before you create one intranet for all users in your organization. One way to solve this problem is to create a top site that is the start of this WSS-based intranet, containing more general information, and from that follow links to local intranets for departments, teams, and similar groups.

The General Features of the Intranet

To make it easier for you to understand how to build an intranet here's an example: Your job is to create a WSS-based intranet for a company named Filobit with 80 users. This company has these departments: Sales, HR, Finance, and IT. There is also an important group named "Board of Directors." All of these groups also need a place to share internal information, beside the intranet web site. Finally, it is important that the Finance department and the Board of Directors team have their own security.

First, you analyze the current situation in your organization:

q You have a fresh WSS site, built on the clean site template, which does not have any lists in the beginning.
q Today, users save some documents in the common file share "P:" and some on their local disk.
q Common calendar and contact lists are stored in MS Outlook's public folders.
q Important news about the company and its customers is distributed by e-mail.
q Information about coworkers is found in MS Outlook's global address list.

Next, you summarize the objectives for the new intranet, based on the analysis you did in your organization:

q There should be one start page on the intranet that displays this info:
- q Common news with pictures for the company and its customers.
- q Links to often requested information, such as company policies, HR documents, and local intranets.
- q A list of external news from the Internet news site: http://www.usatoday.com.
- q A weather forecast function using an RSS feed.
- q A list of employees, including their data and pictures.
q Each of the IT, Sales, and HR departments needs its own local intranet, with the following content:
- q Local news for the department.
- q Local list of customer and vendor contacts.
- q Links to folders, documents, and team sites used by the local department.
q The two Board of Directors and Finance groups also need their own team sites, but the access permission to these sites must be set so that the only people who can view or modify that information are the ones who are supposed to be able to do so.

So now you know you starting point, and you also know where to go, that is, the objectives for the intranet site. Make sure to keep an eye on the objectives during this implementation to make sure not to miss any important features.

Building an Intranet Using WSS

To build an intranet using WSS, following the example discussed above, start with a top site created using the Blank Site template with the URL address http://srv1. Then follow the steps in the Try It Out below to create the intranet.

Try It Out Create a Basic Intranet

Log on as the administrator to the existing site http://srv1.
Create a list of pictures to be used in the News listing:
1. Click Site Actions Create Picture Library.
2. Name: Pictures for News.
3. Display this picture library on the Quick Launch: No.
4. Create a version each time you edit a file in this picture library: No.
5. Click Create.
6. The new picture library is displayed. Click Upload and add all the pictures you will need for the next news items. Make sure to use small sizes, since these pictures will be displayed in their actual size!

The next step is to create a list for displaying the three latest news items, including pictures; make sure that the picture is displayed to the left of the news article.

Click Site Actions Create Announcement.
Name: Company News.
Choose not to display this announcement list on the Quick Launch.
Click OK to save and close the page.

Click Settings List Settings.

Important

If you just want to create a new column, you can also click Settings Create Column instead of following step 3e. However, you will also change the view, so opening the site settings for this list is more effective.

In the Columns section, click Create column. Give it the Column name Picture; set the Type to Hyperlink or Picture, set Format URL to Picture, and click OK.
In the Views section, click All Items and change the Position from Left to 1 for the column Picture, to 2 for the Title, and to 3 for the Body. Clear all other rows in the Display column. Go down to the section Item Limit; set the Number of items to display to 3 and select Limit the total number of items returned to the specified amount. Click OK.
Open the Home page for this team site; click Site Actions Edit Page. In the "Left" Web Part zone, click Add a Web Part; select Company News, and click Add - the news list is now displayed on the Home page.
Since you have modified the All Items view, you must configure this Web Part to use the updated view: Click edit Modify Shared Web Part on the Company News Web Part. In the configuration pane for the Web Part, change Selected View to All Items, and then click OK.
All modifications of this list are now completed; click Exit Edit Mode in the top right of this page.
Click the link Add new announcement to add one news item, including a body and a URL to one of the pictures you added in step 2f above.

Important

The easiest way of copying the URL to any of these pictures is to open the picture library in a separate web browser, click a picture to display it, then right-click on the picture and select Copy Shortcut, as in Figure 11-1.

image from book
Figure 11-1

After adding at least three items, with or without news, you should have a news list that looks similar to Figure 11-2.

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Figure 11-2

The intranet also should have the current weather listed on the Home page. Previously Microsoft offered a free Web Part named MSNBC Weather - this Web Part does not work any more. What you can do is configure a RSS feed that points to a publicly available weather forecast web site, such as the http://www.weather.com/weather/rss/subscription. Use any free RSS Web Part, such as the FeedReader from http://www.smilinggoat.net, or configure the XML Web Part that comes free with WSS to operate as a RSS feed reader, as described in step 6.
You don't need the default picture Web Part displaying the WSS Logo at the top right of this page. To remove it, click Site Actions Edit Page, use the quick menu for this Site Image Web Part, and select Delete. (You can still take it back by adding it from the Web Part site gallery).

To make this page more interesting for your users, add an RSS feed for the latest news from the web version of USA Today. To do that, click Site Actions Edit Page and click Add a Web Part in the Web Part zone where you want to add the RSS feed, for example the zone "Left;" then check the XML Web Part and click Add. Click on the link open the tool pane in this XML Web Part, and enter the following URL in the XML Link field: http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/usatodaycomWorld-Topstories. Expand the Appearance section and set the Title to USA Today. Then click XLS Editor and paste the code below to make the Web Part understand RSS feeds. Click OK to save and close the Web Part.

     <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>     <xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">     <xsl:template match="/">     <html>     <body>     <xsl:for-each select="rss">     <xsl:for-each select="channel">     <xsl:for-each select="item">     <xsl:for-each select="title">     <a>     <xsl:attribute name="href">     <xsl:value-of select="../link" />     </xsl:attribute>     <B>     <span style="color:navy; font-family:Tahoma; font-size:8pt; font-style:normal;">     <xsl:apply-templates />     </span>     </B>     </a>     </xsl:for-each>     <br />     <xsl:for-each select="pubDate">     <span style="font-family:Tahoma; font-size:8pt;font-style:italic;">     ...     <xsl:apply-templates />     </span>     </xsl:for-each>     <br />     </xsl:for-each>     </xsl:for-each>     </xsl:for-each>     </body>     </html>     </xsl:template>     </xsl:stylesheet>

Important

When setting up an RSS feed, it is always a good idea to check the policies and requirements of the provider. For example, to review USA Today 's policies, go to http://asp.usatoday.com/marketing/rss/index.aspx.

Next, you want to make a list of all employees. This list must be searchable by last name. Start by creating a contact list; add all employees, and then display the Web Part for the list:
1. Open the Home page, then click Site Actions Create.
2. In the Communications section: Click the Contact list, give it the name Employees, and click OK.
3. Click New, and add each employee to this list.
4. Add this list to the Home page: Open the Home page, then click Site Actions Edit Page. In the Web Part zone "Left," click Add a Web Part and select Employees, then click Add. The new Web Part is added to the top of the Web Part zone; use the mouse to drag it to the end of the zone.
Make it possible to display only employees with specific last names. Use the Form Web Part for this:
1. Click Add a Web Part and add the Form Web Part directly above the Employees list.
2. Using the edit menu for the Forms Web Part, select Connections Provide Form Values To Employees.
3. Set the column to T1, then click Next.
4. Set the column to Last Name, then click Finish.
5. Use the Edit menu once again on the Form Web Part, and select Modify Shared Web Part to open its tool pane. Expand the Appearance section, and change the Title to Search for Last Name. Then click OK to close the tool pane.
6. To exit from design mode, click Exit Edit Mode. Test the Form Web Part by entering a last name you know exists, and clicking Go - the Employees list below will now only display the names that match your search string.

The page now has some basic features that a simple intranet usually has. It should look something like Figure 11-3.

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Figure 11-3

Creating Local Departments and Team Intranets

It is time to create the local intranets for the departments and the teams. Remember that two of them require their own security settings. Since the current intranet is the top site in this site collection, it will also control all the subsites under it, such as the administrative settings and templates for lists and sites. If the Finance and the Board of Directors groups must have their own settings, you must create a new site collection for each for them. The other local intranets for HR, IT, and Sales can be located under the current intranet site, so let's start by creating the last three site collections.

Try It Out Create a Local Intranet

Log on as the administrator and open the http://srv1 site collection (i.e., the top site).
Click Site Actions Create and select Sites and Workspaces in the Web Pages section.
Now, enter these values to create the intranet for IT department, using the standard Team Site template (accept the other default values on this page):
1. Title: IT.
2. Description: Intranet for IT.
3. URL: it - so the total address will be http://srv1/it.
4. Select a template: Team Site.
5. User Permissions: Use unique permissions.
6. Click Create.
Since you chose to create unique permissions, this will bring you a new form where you define the SharePoint groups for the site. By default, you will have three groups: Visitors, IT Members, and IT Owners. Grant users access to the IT site by adding them to the appropriate group:
1. Change the section Visitors to this Site to the option Create a new group. This will ensure that nobody from the top site will have access to the site unless specifically given the right. Then add the user names or security group names in the field below the IT Visitor group name. Note that there is a link named Add all authenticated users that you can use in case you want to allow every user who logs on to this Activity Directory domain Read access.
2. In the Members of this Site section, add the users or security groups that should have contributor rights to the site. Typically, these are users that read, add, and modify list content and documents.
3. In the Owners of This Site section, add the users that you want to give full administrative access to this site. These users can access everything on this site, and change security settings, create new lists, and libraries, and so on.
4. Click OK to save and close this page.
The new IT site is now displayed. If you look at the URL http://srv1/it, it is clear that IT is a subsite directly under the top site. Click the breadcrumb trail Team Site near the top of the page to go back the top site.
Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4, and add two subsites as local intranets for the HR and Sales departments, respectively. When all this is completed, you will have three subsites under the top-level intranet site.
WSS 3.0 will, by default, add three tabs on the top navigation bar, for the top site and each subsite. Since SharePoint 2007 is security trimmed, a user must have at least read access to see the tab for a specific subsite; that is, users with no access to the HR subsite will not see its tab on the top navigation bar. These sites are also listed in the Quick Launch bar, under the heading Sites; just click on any of them to open that subsite.

Creating Top-Level Local Intranets

Now, you have two more local intranets to create for the Finance and the Board of Directors teams. These must be separate site collections in order to have their own security settings and management settings that are local for a site collection. Both of these intranets require a more elaborate design, and instead of doing this design from scratch, it would be great to use a site template somebody else has created. Microsoft has 40 very nice WSS site templates, known as "the Fab 40," that you can download for free; they will have been released by the time you read this book. They would have been excellent to use for the two new site collections in the example, but as of this writing they have not yet been released. Instead you will use some of the default site templates.

Important

Use this link to download the "Fab 40" site templates: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsserver/sharepoint/wssapps/v3templates.mspx.

Try It Out Create Finance and Board of Directors Intranets

Start the SharePoint Central Administration tool, then switch to the Application Management page. The first site collection to be used is a web site for the Finance team, based on the Team Site template.
Click Create site collection in the SharePoint Site Management section, and then enter these values:
1. Title: Finance.
2. Description: Welcome to the Finance team.
3. URL: Add "finance" (the complete URL is then http://srv1/sites/finance).
4. In the Template Selection section: select Team Site.
  
  Note
  If you have installed language packs, select the language first, then select the site template.
5. In the Primary Site Collection Administrator section, enter the user account that should be the administrator for this complete site collection.
6. For this site you do not need a quota template. Leave the default setting, No Quota.
7. In the Site Categories section, set Finance for the Division.
8. Click OK, then OK again. You are now back on the Application Management page.
Next, you will create a site for the Board of Directors group. Most of their information is meeting minutes, so they want a simple top site that will be the parent of multiple meeting workspaces. For this top site, you will use the site template Blank Site. Click Create site collection in the SharePoint Site Management section, then enter these values:
1. Title: Board of Directors.
2. Description: "Welcome to the Board of Directors web site."
3. URL: Add "bod" (the complete URL is then http://srv1/sites/bod).
4. In the Template Selection section: select Blank Site.
  
  Note
  If you have installed language packs, then select the language first, then select the site template.
5. In the Primary Site Collection Administrator section, enter the user account that should be the administrator for this complete site collection.
6. For this site you do not need a quota template, so leave the default setting, No Quota.
7. Click OK, then OK again. You are now back on the Application Management page.
Time to adjust the design of these site collections; make sure that you are logged on as the administrator for the Finance site collection. Start by opening http://srv1/sites/finance, then:
1. Replace the WSS image: Click Site Actions Edit Page. On the Site Image Web Part, click Edit Modify shared Web Part. In the Image Link field, enter the URL to another picture that is related to the Finance team; for example, their logotype.
  
  Important
  You can use a picture in Pictures for News stored in the http://srv1 top site. When you're ready, click OK.
2. Change the Calendar Web Part to a monthly view: Click edit on the Web Part, then click Modify Shared Web Part. Change the Selected View to Calendar, and click OK save your work.
3. Add a Web Part that displays a Internet web site with financial information, such as money.cnn.com/market/news : While this page is still in edit mode, click Add a Web Part in the "Left" Web Part zone, then add the Page Viewer Web Part. Next, drag the Web Part to the bottom of the Web Part zone. Click the link "open the tool pane" in the text body of the Web Part. Enter the following URL in the Link field: http://money.cnn.com/data/us_markets. Expand the Appearance section in the tool pane, and change the Title to US Markets. Finally, change the Height to 600 pixels. Click OK to save and close the tool pane.
  
  Important
  Make sure to follow whatever policy the public Internet site has regarding using their web site!
4. Define a link to go back to the main intranet site: Click Site Actions Site Settings Portal site connection in the Site Collection Administration section, then select Connect to portal site and enter the Portal Web Address, http://srv1, and the Portal Name, Intranet. Then click OK.
5. Click Exit Edit Mode at the top right of the page. The Finance web site should look similar to Figure 11-4.
Figure 11-4
Your next task is to adjust the Board of Directors web site. It will mostly be used to navigate to subsites with meeting workspaces. It was built using the Blank Site template, so there is nothing on the page. Log on as the administrator for that site collection, then open http://srv1/sites/bod, and do this:
1. Replace the WSS image: Click Site Actions Edit Page. On the Site Image Web Part, click Edit Modify shared Web Part. In the Image Link field, enter the URL to another picture that is related to the board of directors. When ready, click OK.
2. Add a document library: Click Site Actions Create Document Library. Give the library the name Document Archive, select the option Create a version each time you edit a file in this document library. Then click Create.
3. Place the Document Archive library on the Home page of the web site: Go to the Home page, then click Site Actions Edit Page. In the "Left" Web Part zone, click Add a Web Part and add the Document Archive library.
4. Change the color by selecting a new Site Theme for the web site: Click Site Actions Site Settings Site Theme, then select a nice theme, for example "Obsidian" and click Apply.
5. Still on the Site Settings page, define a link to go back to the main intranet site: Click Portal site connection in the Site Collection Administration section, then select Connect to portal site and enter the Portal Web Address, http://srv1, and the Portal Name, Intranet. Click OK. The site should like something like Figure 11-5.
Figure 11-5
Almost done! You only have to add links from the company intranet to the two new local intranets. Go to http://srv1, then:
1. Click Site Actions Site Settings Top Link Bar.
2. Click New Link. Enter http://srv1/sites/finance in the Type the Web address field, type Finance as the Description, then click OK.
3. Click New Link again, and enter the web address http://srv1/sites/bod, then the description BoD. Click OK. The new navigation bar on the top site will look like the one in Figure 11-6.

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Figure 11-6

The next logical step would be to configure the user access list for the Finance and Board of Directors sites and then educate the users of these two groups about how to start adding information to their site. Note that these site collections may grow whenever there is a need to add subsites for projects, activities, and meetings for these teams. Since Finance and Board of Directors are separate site collections, no user outside the group will have access to their content.