SharePoint Portal Server 2001 – Install

Introduction

As with any installation, seven minutes of planning will save an hour of re-work.  With SharePoint it is the software requirements that are particularly demanding.

• Planning
• Preparation
• What SharePoint Installs
• New Workspace
• Installing Clients for SharePoint
• Troubleshooting Install

Planning

Pay particular attention how SharePoint fits in with Exchange 2000, Windows 2000 and IIS.   SharePoint is particularly fussy about the edition of Exchange 2000 that it will run on, only the standard edition is supported (not the enterprise). 

Note: You cannot install Exchange AFTER SharePoint, so planning is the key.

Preparation

As you may expect, SharePoint Portal Server 2001 must have an operating system to run on.  Windows 2000 server works fine provided you have service pack 2 or later.  It surprised me that it would not work with Windows Server 2003, however, there is a new version, SharePoint Portal 2003, that will run on Windows Server 2003.  The issue is probably with IIS;  SharePoint is designed to work with IIS v 5.0’s SMTP service not the new IIS v 6.0. 

What SharePoint Installs

• Web Storage System – Relies on IIS’s SMTP Service
• MSSearch V2.1 – Upgrade of Windows 2000 MSSearch
• SharePoint Administration – MMC Snap-in
• Client Component – By far the best client is Office XP (or later).  If that is not feasible then you can install a client from the SharePoint Portal CD.

The actual installation menus and format reminded me of Exchange 2000 install, it was as thought the same team had designed both interfaces.

New Workspace

After the files have been copied, the setup program calls the Workspace wizard to configure the front end of SharePoint.

Pay close attention to the name that workspace name that wizard asks for, it will not be easy to change later if you make a spelling misnake!

Installing Clients for SharePoint

The answer is to install Office XP (or Later).  If you are unable to get Office XP there is a perfectly good client on the SharePoint Server CD.  To install go to the Setup Front menu, and select Client.

The install adds a component called Office 2000 COM, this enables users to check-in check-out and publish documents.

The client install also upgrades the web folders to allow http calls to the documents stored in SharePoint.

Troubleshooting

• Check the Event Viewer.  Not just the system log, but also the application log.
• SharePoint has its own Setup Logs, these are useful for pinpointing the task that caused install to fail.
• Check the software requirements.  The program itself will probably alert you to the deficiency. E.g. ‘Cannot install because detected Exchange 2000 ENTERPRISE edition’.