Step by Step: Install, configure, and Deploy Project Server 2013 – Part 2: Install and Configure Project Server 2013

This is the second part for Step by Step: Install, configure, and Deploy Project Server 2013 Article,

Article Content’s Index:

1. Part 1: Overview and Prepare for a deployment of Project Server 2013
2. Part 2: Install and Configure Project Server 2013
3. Part 3: Configure Project Server 2013 Application Service
4. Part 4: Deploy Project Web App with a new site collection – Project Server 2013
5. Part 5: Deploy Project Web App in an existing site collection – Project Server 2013

Install and Configure Project Server 2013

This Part describes how to install Project Server 2013. The basic procedure is as follows:

 

Step by Step: Install, configure, and Deploy Project Server 2013 – Part 1: Overview and Prepare for a deployment of Project Server 2013

There are many distributed articles and posts to install and/or deploy Project Server 2013, and I desire to write a full instructions for how to install, configure, and deploy Project Server 2013 step by step using best practices and testing what’s on the internet on my server. And put it all in one place to make it an easy reference for me and my followers.

This Article contains 5 Parts as following:

1. Part 1: Overview and Prepare for a deployment of Project Server 2013
2. Part 2: Install and Configure Project Server 2013
3. Part 3: Configure Project Server 2013 Application Service
4. Part 4: Deploy Project Web App with a new site collection – Project Server 2013
5. Part 5: Deploy Project Web App in an existing site collection – Project Server 2013

Overview

Project Server 2013 enables organizations to get started, prioritize project portfolio investments, and deliver with the intended business value. It’s the flexible solution for project portfolio management (PPM) and everyday work.

 

Open Pages and Forms in Modal Dialog For SharePoint 2013

Some times you need to open an internal or external pages inside an OOB modal dialog of SharePoint, such as New Task Form, Upload File Form. Or maybe you want to open external pages and sites.

I create a template functions to open pages in dialog, upload it to a central place, and use it any where I need it in my site collection.

In this post, I write how the JavaScript work and how to use it.

JavaScript File Overview

I have a JS file (SP15ModalDialog.js) that contains the modal dialog functions as following code:

1. OpenInDialog function:
   This function will be called in you links (onClick) or buttons (onClientClick). And it takes the following parameters:
   • dlgWidth: Dialog width (ex: 600)
   • dlgHeight: Dialog height (ex: 800)
   • dlgAllowMaximize: Show maximize button in Dialog (true or false)
   • dlgShowClose: Show close button in Dialog (true or false)
   • needCallbackFunction: determine if you want to register call back function or not for Dialog (true or false)
   • pageUrl: the URL of target page or site
2. CloseDialogCallback function:
   This function contains the logic of work to be done after you close, save, or cancel the dialog box, the main idea here is if you open a form in dialog and save data, you need to refresh the parent page to see changes that done. it contains 3 conditions
   • If user click on OK or SAVE button – if(dialogResult == SP.UI.DialogResult.OK):
     It will refresh the parent page (if needCallbackFunction is true)
   • If user click on CANCEL or CLOSE button – else if(dialogResult == SP.UI.DialogResult.cancel)
     Do nothing or add your custom code
   • If dialogResult return other value – else : Do nothing or add your custom code

 

OOB: Creating Your Own Custom Tiles in SharePoint 2013

When you open SharePoint 2013 Team Site, you will see a Metro Tiles Menu on home page.

The good news you can create your own custom tiles menu by using a new OOB List/App template that called : Promoted Links.

Create “Promoted Links” List

To do that, follow the steps:

1. Go to Site Content
   
2. Click on “Add an App”
   
3. Select “Promoted Links”  list template from available lists
   
4. After creating the list click new item to add a new link and details
   
5. Fill data about the link as below (and make sure you upload Tiles images in picture library):
   
   • Title: the link title text
   • Background image location: the image URL and alternative text
   • Description: description text that will be shown when you mouse over the Tile
   • Link Location: the target URL.
   • Lunch Behavior: determine if you want to open URL in current page, new tab, or in modal dialog
   • Order: order number of the tile
6. Repeat step 4 to add more links

 

I am one of the top 10% most viewed LinkedIn profiles for 2012 :)

 

Export and/or Import All Farm Solutions in SharePoint 2010/2013 Farm using PowerShell

Sometimes you may need to export all SharePoint 2010/2013 farm solutions as a backup process or to deploy them from staging environment to production environment.

Export Farm Solutions

1. Create a backup folder on “C” and give it a meaningful name like “SP2010 Farm Solutions Backup”.
   
2. Open SharePoint 2010 Management Shell
    
3. Change directory or navigate to backup folder
    
4. Enter the following Script to extract all farm solution to current location directory
   
   (Get-SPFarm).Solutions | ForEach-Object{$var = (Get-Location).Path + “\” + $_.Name; $_.SolutionFile.SaveAs($var)} 

   
   

   
   

5. Go and open the target folder to see all exported solutions

Import Farm Solutions

After copy the folder that contains exported solution on production or target farm server.

1. Open SharePoint 2010 Management Shell
2. Change directory or navigate to folder that contains all solutions to be deployed
3. Enter the following Script to extract all farm solution to current location directoryGet-ChildItem | ForEach-Object{Add-SPSolution -LiteralPath $_.Fullname}
   
    
4. So all solutions are added to the target farm.

For more information about adding and deploying SP2010 Farm solution, please to open and read Adding and Deploying SharePoint 2010 .WSP Solutions

Same scripts can be used for SharePoint 2013 Farm Solution

I Hope this useful for you,

Thanks.

 

OOB: How to Add YouTube or Embed Video to SharePoint 2010 Page Content

Many of SharePoint 2010 users like to add YouTube video or embedded videos to their content pages, and it is easy and fast to do that by using OOB Content Editor Web Part.

The following is the fast steps to do that:

1. Go to YouTube video page and click on SHARE button, then click on Embed button. Click on “Use old embed code” checkbox and select the preferred width and height for your video.

   

2. Copy the code in the text area and go to your SharePoint page, and click on Edit Page button.

   

3. From the Ribbon, Insert a Content Editor Web Part

   

4. Click on Edit Web Part to add the content
   
5. From the Format Text Tab in Ribbon, Select and Click on Edit HTML Source,  and Paste the Embedded Code on Text Dialog
   

   

6.  Click on OK button and Save and Publish the page to see you’re YouTube Video

   

 

I Hope this useful for you,

Thanks.

 

From The Field: Move a Site Collection to New Content DB with New Managed Path

Many of clients have multiple site collection stored in the same content DB of the web application. And in some day, they will discover that one of site collection contents is growing so fast, and they decide to have a dedicated Content DB for this Site Sollection. Also they may want to change the Managed Path (url) of site, i.e.: from “http://hostheader/sites/sitename” to “http://hostheader/sitename”.

In this article, I will explain how I did these requirements in the following scenario:

1. I have a web application with url (http://sps:1), and all site collection under this web application shared the same Content DB (Name: WSS_SP01_Content_01)

2. I have 2 Site Collection (Host Header Root Site and HR Site):

• Main portal Site Collection under Host Header Root Managed Path (/)
  
  
  
• HR portal site collection under the managed path (/sites/hr/)
  
  
  
• I want to move the “HR” site to a new Content DB called(WSS_SP01_HR_Content_01)
• I want to change the url from (/sites/hr/) to (/hr/).

The Steps are (using PowerShell):

1. Open PowerShell – SharePoint 2010 Management Shell

2. Create Explicit Managed Path for target Web Application, and call it “hr”

• Enter the following line in PowerShell:
  New-SPManagedPath -RelativeURL “hr” -WebApplication “http://sps:1” –Explicit
• The PowerShell Results are:
  
  
• Check it from Central Administration > Manage Web Applications > Managed Path:
  

3. Create a new Content DB called “WSS_SP01_HR_Content_01”

• Enter the following line in PowerShell
  New-SPContentDatabase -name “WSS_SP01_HR_Content_01” -WebApplication “http://sps:1” -MaxSiteCount 1 -WarningSiteCount 0
• Max Site Count = 1, to make sure No farther Site Collection can be added to this Content DB
• The PowerShell Results are:
  
  
• Check it from Central Administration > Manage Web Applications > Managed Content Databases:
  

4. Back up Site Collection “/sites/hr” to prepare moving it

• Enter the following line in PowerShell::
  Backup-SPSite “http://sps:1/sites/hr” -Path “C:\HR_TempSC.bak” –force
  
• Check the file on “C” Drive
  

5. Removing the Site Collection from old managed path

• Enter the following line in PowerShell::
  Remove-SPSite -Identity “http://sps:1/sites/hr” -GradualDelete -Confirm:$false
• Check the current number of Site Collection of Main Content DB (WSS_SP01_Content_01) , It should be 2 ( minus the HR Site Collection)
  

6. Restoring Site Collection to new Managed Path “/hr”

• Enter the following line in PowerShell::
  Restore-SPSite “http://sps:1/hr” -Path “C:\HR_TempSC.bak” -DatabaseServer “SPS” -DatabaseName “WSS_SP01_HR_Content_01” -GradualDelete -Force -Confirm:$false
• Check the current number of Site Collection of Main Content DB (WSS_SP01_HR_Content_01), It should be “1”
  

7. Remove the backup files from the backup directory

• Enter the following line in PowerShell:
  Remove-Item “C:\HR_TempSC.bak”

8. Check the old url of HR, It should be not exists

9. Check the new HR Site Collection url “http://sps:1/hr” :

10. Check the Site Collection Properties, Central Admin > Application Management > View all site collections

Conclusion

I move and change the managed path of the site collection as simple as described before using PowerShell script. It is easy, clear, and save my time. and the following is the list of scripts i used in article:

1. New-SPManagedPath -RelativeURL “hr” -WebApplication “http://sps:1” -Explicit
   
2. New-SPContentDatabase -name “WSS_SP01_HR_Content_01” -WebApplication “http://sps:1” –MaxSiteCount 1 -WarningSiteCount 0
3. Backup-SPSite “http://sps:1/sites/hr” -Path “c:\HR_TempSC.bak” -force
   
4. Remove-SPSite -Identity “http://sps:1/sites/hr” -GradualDelete -Confirm:$false
   
5. Restore-SPSite “http://sps:1/hr” -Path “C:\HR_TempSC.bak” -DatabaseServer “SPS” -DatabaseName “WSS_SP01_HR_Content_01” -GradualDelete -Force -Confirm:$false
   
6. Remove-Item “c:\HR_TempSC.bak”

For farther information about Windows PowerShell for SharePoint 2010, you can visit: Windows PowerShell for SharePoint Foundation 2010 reference

I Hope this useful for you,

Thanks.

 

Speaking at Microsoft TechDays 2012 in Gaza

I’m very happy that I have been invited to speak at Microsoft TechDays 2012 in Gaza and this is the first official Microsoft event ever in Gaza.

I will present a session about “Understanding Windows Phone 7  Platform” and the topics include:

• New Experience and Philosophy
• Application Platform Overview
• Windows Phone Market Place

And a Co-Speaker with my friend Mohamed Saleh, talking about Collaboration features in SharePoint 2010.

This Two-Days event will be launched on the 14th of March at Islamic University of Gaza (IUG), and the next day will be at Al-Azhar University.

I hope to meet everyone there! 🙂

 

Speaking at Microsoft Tech Talk – Online Series, Microsoft Jordan

As a part of Microsoft Tech Talk – Online Series, Microsoft Jordan, 15-February-2012. I present a broadcast session about “Understanding Windows Phone 7  Platform” and the topics include:

• New Experience and Philosophy
• Application Platform Overview
• Windows Phone Market Place

Click on the following link to download my presentation : Ali Mustafa – Understanding Windows Phone 7 Platform

Click on the following link to download the presentation recording: Ali Mustafa – ASC First Microsoft Tech Talk Session – WP7