Introduction

This training kit is designed for information technology (IT) professionals who support or plan to support SharePoint Server 2010 and who also plan to take the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) exam 70-667, TS: Microsoft SharePoint 2010, Configuring.

The material covered in this training kit and on exam 70-667 relates to SharePoint products and technologies, which enable business collaboration in an enterprise and on the web. It is assumed that before you begin using this training kit, you have a solid, foundation-level understanding of Microsoft Windows client and server operating systems and common Internet technologies. The MCTS exam and this book assume that you have at least one year of experience configuring SharePoint and related technologies, including Internet Information Services (IIS), Windows Server 2008, Active Directory, DNS, SQL Server, and networking infrastructure services.

The topics in this training kit cover what you need to know for the exam, as described on the Skills Measured tab for the exam, which is available at http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exam.aspx?ID=70-667&locale=en-us#tab2.

By using this training kit, you will learn how to do the following:

• Deploy SharePoint Server 2010 farms.

• Create a logical architecture of web applications, content databases, site collections, and sites.

• Manage security of SharePoint content by configuring authentication and access controls.

• Configure SharePoint services including search, user profiles, and the managed metadata service.

• Optimize, monitor, and troubleshoot performance of SharePoint servers and services.

• Ensure that data is protected and highly available.

• Deploy and manage customized SharePoint functionality and solutions.

Refer to the Objective map in the front of this book to see where in the book each exam objective is covered.

P1.1. System Requirements

Practice exercises are a valuable component of this training kit. They allow you to experience important skills directly, reinforce material discussed in lessons, and even introduce new concepts.

Each lesson and practice describes the requirements for exercises. Many lessons require only two computers, one configured as a domain controller for a sample domain named contoso.com and the second configured as a SharePoint server running Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 and SharePoint Server 2010. However, some lessons require additional computers acting as a second server in the SharePoint farm.

The companion media includes the “Lab Environment Build Guide” document, which contains detailed setup instructions for the computers used throughout this training kit. Lessons that require additional computers provide guidance regarding the configuration of those computers.

P1.1.1. Hardware Requirements

You can perform exercises on physical computers. Each computer must meet the minimum requirements for RAM, free hard disk space, and processor cores shown here:

• Domain Controller 1.5 GB RAM, 40 GB free disk space, and at least 1 processor core.

• SharePoint server 6 GB RAM, 128 GB free disk space, and at least 2 processor cores.

• Additional SharePoint server 4 GB RAM, 128 GB free disk space, and at least 2 processor cores.

To minimize the time and expense of configuring the computers required for this training kit, it’s recommended that you perform the practices in this training kit on virtual machines. The training kit assumes you will use virtualization software that supports snapshots, so that you can roll back to a previous state after performing an exercise.

You can create virtual machines by using Hyper-V—a feature of Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2—or other virtualization software, such as VMware Workstation.The Lab Environment Build Guide details the configuration of the virtual machines required for this training kit. Refer to the documentation of your selected virtualization platform for hardware and software requirements, for instructions regarding host setup and configuration.

If you choose to use virtualization software, you can run more than one virtual machine on a host computer. The host computer must have sufficient RAM for each virtual machine that you will run simultaneously on the host, plus sufficient RAM to meet the RAM requirements of the host operating system.

If you plan to run all virtual machines on a single host, the host must have at least 12 GB of RAM. For example, one of the most complex configurations you will need is one domain controller using 512 MB of RAM, and two SharePoint servers using 6 GB and 4 GB of RAM. On a host computer with 12 GB of RAM, this would leave just over 1 GB for the host. The host computer must have sufficient disk space for each virtual machine plus snapshots. We recommend that you have at least 512 GB of free disk space if you want to run all virtual machines on a single host computer. Note that you never use more than three virtual machines together at the same time.

If you encounter performance bottlenecks while running multiple virtual machines on a single physical host, consider running virtual machines on more than one physical host.

Ensure that all machines—virtual or physical—that you use for exercises can network with each other. It is highly recommended that the environment be totally disconnected from your production environment. Refer to the documentation of your virtualization platform for network configuration procedures.

We recommend that you preserve each of the virtual machines you create until you have completed the training kit. After each chapter, create a snapshot of the virtual machines used in that chapter so that you can reuse them, as required in later exercises.

Finally, you must have a physical computer with a CD-ROM drive with which to read the companion media. (If you have the eBook, you can retrieve the companion media from the book’s web page.) You must also have Internet connectivity so that you can download the evaluation versions of software, as specified in the “Lab Environment Build Guide.”

P1.1.2. Software Requirements

The following software is required to complete the practice exercises:

• Windows Server 2008 R2

• SQL Server 2008 R2 (64-bit)

• SharePoint Server 2010 (Enterprise Client Access License features)

• SharePoint Designer 2010

• Office Professional Plus 2010

• Silverlight

You can download evaluation versions of the products from the TechNet Evaluation Center at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter. If you use evaluation versions of the software, pay attention to the expiration date of the product. The evaluation version of Windows Server 2008 R2, for example, can be used for up to 60 days.

If you have a TechNet or MSDN subscription, you can download the products from the subscriber downloads center. These versions do not expire. If you are not a TechNet or MSDN subscriber, it is recommended that you subscribe so that you can access benefits such as product downloads.

To configure the computers and to access files on the companion media, the following software is required:

• If you are not using virtualization software, you need software that allows you to handle .iso files. This software needs to perform either of the following functions:

  • Burn .iso files to CDs or DVDs. (This solution also requires CD/DVD recording hardware.)

  • Mount .iso files as virtual CD or DVD drives on your computer.

• A web browser such as Internet Explorer version 8 or later.

• An application that can display PDF files, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded at http://www.adobe.com/reader.

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Warning:

IMPORTANT LAB ENVIRONMENT BUILD GUIDE

Be sure to read the “Lab Environment Build Guide” on the companion media for detailed instructions regarding the setup of computers for this training kit.

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P1.2. Using the Companion CD

A companion CD is included with this training kit. The companion CD contains the following:

• Practice tests You can reinforce your understanding of the topics covered in this training kit by using electronic practice tests that you customize to meet your needs. You can run a practice test that is generated from the pool of Lesson Review questions in this book. Alternatively, you can practice for the 70-667 certification exam by using tests created from a pool of more than 200 practice exam questions, which give you many practice exams to ensure that you are prepared.

• Practice files Some practices in this training kit refer to files in the Practice Files folder on the companion media. When you prepare for practices by following the instructions in the Lab Environment Build Guide, these files are copied to the C:\70667TK folder on the disk drive of the SharePoint server, so that during the practices you can access the files without the companion media.

• An eBook An electronic version of this book is included for when you do not want to carry the printed book with you.

• Practice answers At the end of each lesson, one or more hands-on practice exercises challenge you to apply the concepts and skills discussed in the lesson to real-world scenarios. Each exercise presents high-level instructions, similar to what you might receive from a manager, colleague, or end user in an enterprise environment. We recommend that you try to complete the exercise by recalling and reviewing what you’ve learned in the lesson. If you cannot complete a step or exercise, you can use the practice answers on the companion CD, which include detailed, step-by-step instructions for each exercise.

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Note:

COMPANION CONTENT FOR DIGITAL BOOK READERS

If you bought a digital-only edition of this book, you can enjoy select content from the print edition’s companion CD. Visit http://go.microsoft.com/FWLink/?Linkid=223198 to get your downloadable content.

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P1.2.1. How to Install the Practice Tests

To install the practice test software from the companion CD to your hard disk, perform the following steps:

P1.2.2. How to Use the Practice Tests

To start the practice test software, follow these steps:

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Note:

LESSON REVIEWS VS. PRACTICE TESTS

Select the (70-667) TS: Microsoft SharePoint 2010, Configuring lesson review to use the questions from the “Lesson Review” sections of this book. Select the (70-667) TS: Microsoft SharePoint 2010, Configuring practice test to use a pool of 200 questions similar to those that appear on the 70-667 certification exam.

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P1.2.2.1. Lesson Review Options

When you start a lesson review, the Custom Mode dialog box appears so that you can configure your test. You can click OK to accept the defaults, or you can customize the number of questions you want, how the practice test software works, which exam objectives you want the questions to relate to, and whether you want your lesson review to be timed. If you are retaking a test, you can select whether you want to see all the questions again or only the questions you missed or did not answer.

After you click OK, your lesson review starts.

• To take the test, answer the questions and use the Next and Previous buttons to move from question to question.

• After you answer an individual question, if you want to see which answers are correct—along with an explanation of each correct answer—click Explanation.

• If you prefer to wait until the end of the test to see how you did, answer all the questions and then click Score Test. You will see a summary of the exam objectives you chose and the percentage of questions you got right overall and per objective. You can print a copy of your test, review your answers, or retake the test.

P1.2.2.2. Practice Test Options

When you start a practice test, you choose whether to take the test in Certification Mode, Study Mode, or Custom Mode:

• Certification Mode Closely resembles the experience of taking a certification exam. The test has a set number of questions. It is timed, and you cannot pause and restart the timer.

• Study Mode Creates an untimed test during which you can review the correct answers and the explanations after you answer each question.

• Custom Mode Gives you full control over the test options so that you can customize them as you like.

In all modes, the user interface when you are taking the test is basically the same but with different options enabled or disabled depending on the mode. The main options are discussed in the previous section, Section P1.2.2.1.

When you review your answer to an individual practice test question, a “References” section is provided that lists where in the training kit you can find the information that relates to that question and provides links to other sources of information. After you click Test Results to score your entire practice test, you can click the Learning Plan tab to see a list of references for every objective.

P1.2.3. How to Uninstall the Practice Tests

To uninstall the practice test software for a training kit, use the Program And Features option in Windows Control Panel.

P1.3. Acknowledgments

Although the authors’ names appear on the cover of this book, we are but one part of the incredible team that has brought this—the first training kit for SharePoint administration published by Microsoft Press—to fruition. Our technical reviewer is Bob Hogan, and the copy editor is Becka McKay. Both of them went well beyond the call of duty, and their attention to detail and to accuracy added tremendous value to this work. Christian Holdener is our project manager. He coordinated the many reviews and, more important, kept the production schedule moving despite the challenges we threw at him. Most important is the astounding Karen Szall, our editor extraordinaire, with whom I’ve worked on many Microsoft Press titles. She has earned herself a place in editorial heaven with this one. We the authors are deeply grateful for the efforts of this talented group of colleagues. Dan also extends a big mahalo to Wyatt, Keith, Maddie, Jack, and the team at AvePoint for their support and soul-nourishment over the course of this project.

P1.4. Support & Feedback

The following sections provide information on errata, book support, feedback, and contact information.

P1.4.1. Errata

We’ve made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this book and its companion content. Any errors that have been reported since this book was published are listed on our Microsoft Press site at oreilly.com:

http://go.microsoft.com/FWLink/?Linkid=223199

If you find an error that is not already listed, you can report it to us through the same page.

If you need additional support, email Microsoft Press Book Support at mspinput@microsoft.com.

Please note that product support for Microsoft software is not offered through the addresses above.

P1.4.2. We Want to Hear from You

At Microsoft Press, your satisfaction is our top priority, and your feedback our most valuable asset. Please tell us what you think of this book at:

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/booksurvey

The survey is short, and we read every one of your comments and ideas. Thanks in advance for your input!

P1.4.3. Stay in Touch

Let us keep the conversation going! We are on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MicrosoftPress.