How Is This Book Organized?

Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies Administrator's Pocket Consultant is written to be a daily reference for administrative tasks. The ability to quickly find and use information is the hallmark of this book. For this reason, the book is organized into job-related tasks. It has an expanded table of contents and an extensive index for locating relevant answers. In addition, there is a cross-reference in the back of the book to many of the Stsadm.exe command-line options. If you are looking for a comprehensive guide to implementing SharePoint Products, you should consider purchasing the Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Administrator's Companion, since the books in the Administrator's Pocket Consultant series are stripped to the bare essentials required to complete a task.

The book is organized into four parts and fifteen chapters: Part I, "SharePoint Products and Technologies Fundamentals," introduces you to the new features, functionality, and installation options of Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and SharePoint Server 2007. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the products and the minimum hardware requirements, as well as an introduction to the applications, services, and administrative interfaces. Chapter 2 includes instructions for preparing for and installing SharePoint Products and Technologies, implementing database best practices, and upgrading from Windows SharePoint Services to SharePoint Server.

Part II, "SharePoint Core Administration," covers the core technologies required by every Windows SharePoint Services and SharePoint Server implementation. Chapter 3 covers the Central Administration interface, including farm operations and Web application management. Chapter 4 provides a detailed guide to creating and managing site collections. Chapter 5 is a site customization tutorial, including scripts and examples. Chapter 6 shows you how to build and use workflows and Information Management Policies. Chapter 7 walks you through the basic requirements of implementing security for Windows SharePoint Services and SharePoint Server.

Part III, "Working with SharePoint Server 2007," focuses on tasks exclusively available with SharePoint Server 2007. Chapter 8 shows you how to create and manage a Shared Services Provider. Chapter 9 discusses portals and the best practices when creating Corporate, Internet, and Personal portals. Chapter 10 is a guide to the new functionality provided by Enterprise Content Management. Chapter 11 shows you how to install and configure Excel Calculation Services. Chapter 12 simplifies the configuration and administration of Search and Indexing.

Part IV, "SharePoint Performance and Operations," explains the best practices and procedures when increasing performance and monitoring your implementation. In addition, backup and restore tools are discussed in detail. Chapter 13 provides examples and instructions for scaling out to a Windows SharePoint Services and SharePoint Server farm. Chapter 14 explains and details the native backup and restore tools. Chapter 15 is an introduction to monitoring and reporting on your new or existing installation.