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Installation Instructions – Episerver 7 Connect for SharePoint

This document describes the installation procedure for EPiServer 7 Connect for SharePoint. Installation procedure of the module consists of two main steps:

  • Installation of the EPiServer Connect for SharePoint module on the EPiServer CMS site.
  • Deployment of the Microsoft SharePoint solution.

Configuration instructions can be found in the tech notes Virtual Path Provider configuration and Push to CMS configuration.

Contents

Prerequisites

Listed below are the prerequisites that must be fulfilled before installing the EPiServer Connect for SharePoint module:

  • A working installation of an EPiServer 7 CMS website and its prerequisites.
  • One of the following products are required:
    • Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013 
    • Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2013 
    • Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 
    • Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010 
    • Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 
    • Windows SharePoint Service 3.0.

Components

  • EPiServer Connect for Microsoft SharePoint.msi installs EPiServer 7 Connect for SharePoint module. The module contains Virtual Path Provider for SharePoint and web service for EPiServer SharePoint Web Parts. This file should be executed on the server where your EPiServer 7 CMS is installed. It will add new menu items for module installation and upgrade to the EPiServer 7 CMS Deployment Center.
  • SharePointConnector.wsp and SharePointConnector2013.wsp are SharePoint Solution Package files. These files are used to deploy the EPiServer 7 Connect for SharePoint solution onto SharePoint Server. Information about how to use these files can be found in the SharePoint Solution Deployment section in this document. For SharePoint 2007 and 2010 the SharePointConnector.wsp should be used, for SharePoint 2013 - the SharePointConnector2013.wsp.
  • EPiServer.SharePointWebParts.zip contains the source code for EPiServer SharePoint Web Parts. The compiled version of the Web Parts is included in the SharePointConnector.wsp and SharePointConnector2013.wsp files.

Installing the Connect for SharePoint Module on EPiServer CMS

  1. Download and run the installation package (MSI file) on the computer where you want to install the module. Wait until the installation process is complete.
  2. Open EPiServer Deployment Manager.
  3. Select Install Connect for Microsoft SharePoint from the list and click Run.
  4. Select required features:
    • Virtual Path Provider for SharePoint  - select this feature if you want to add a new virtual path provider targeted to Microsoft SharePoint site.
    • Enable Basic Authentication - select this option to add basic authentication module. Use this option if you are planning to push content from Microsoft SharePoint to EPiServer CMS or you are planning to use Connect for SharePoint Web Parts.
    • Web service for Web Parts -  add a special web service to the EPiServer CMS site. That service is used by Connect for SharePoint Web Parts. Select this feature if you are planning to use Connect for SharePoint Web Parts.
  5. Select the EPiServer CMS website where you want to install the module and click Next.
  6. Configure the settings for the EPiServer Connect for Microsoft SharePoint module. Enter the following groups of module parameters:
    1. Virtual Path parameters:
      • The Virtual root path is the path of the virtual path provider for Microsoft SharePoint.
      • Select Allow to open any file from this virtual path if you want to enable access to the files of any type using this virtual path provider.
      • The Virtual name is the name that will be displayed in EPiServer CMS File Manager. 
    2. SharePoint configuration:
      • By selecting one of the SharePoint environment radio buttons you indicate whether the WSS or MOSS environment is used by this module. This option is important for Search operations in the virtual path provider for SharePoint.
      • Site URL is the URL to the SharePoint site for connection.
      • Domain is the domain name connection to SharePoint. This is an optional parameter.
      • User login is the user name for connection to SharePoint.
      • Password is the password for connection to SharePoint.
      • Target library or folder on SharePoint which will be used as the root directory for the virtual path provider. If this parameter is not filled in then all directories will be accessible through the virtual path provider.
      • Use the Test connection button to test if your connection settings are accessible.
      • Select Use impersonation mechanism if you want to use an impersonation authorization mechanism based on Kerberos protocol. See the tech note Security and Delegation for information regarding this.
    3. Caching configuration:
      • Select Enable cache if you want the metadata and file content from SharePoint to be cached on the EPiServer CMS website machine.
      • Cache expiration time is the time span in seconds to store values in the cache.
      • The ASP.NET application must have read/write access to the files in the temporary files folder.
      • The Temporary files folder is the folder on the file system which will be used to store temporary cached file content. Click the button to the right to choose this directory through the open folder dialog. If this field is blank, a temporary system folder will be used.
    Add the relevant information and click Next.
  7. Provide a full path for the EPiServer Connect for SharePoint license file. Leave the path blank if you already have copied the license file into the web application folder or will do so after installing the module.
  8. Click Install and wait until installation is complete.

Deploying the SharePoint Solution

There are two alternative options: 

Deploy from Command line and Central Administration:

  1. Uninstall existing SharePoint solution if you have it installed on your system.
  2. For SharePoint 2013:
    1. Run SharePoint 2013 Management Shell
    2. Type: Add-SPSolution <path to file>\SharePointConnector2013.wsp
  3. For SharePoint 2010:
    1. Run SharePoint 2010 Management Shell
    2. Type: Add-SPSolution <path to file>\SharePointConnector.wsp
  4. For SharePoint 2007:
    1. Open command line
    2. Changes the current directory to the directory that contains stsadm.exe tool (administrative tool for SharePoint): 
      cd C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\BIN
    3. Add the EPiServer Connect for SharePoint solution to the Microsoft SharePoint application: 
      stsadm -o addsolution -filename <path to file>\SharepointConnector.wsp
  5. Open SharePoint Central Administration
  6. Navigate to System Settings > Manage Farm Solutions. 
  7. In the solution list you should see sharepointconnector.wsp/sharepointconnector2013.wsp with the status Not deployed. 
  8. Open the solution details 
  9. Deploy the solution: 
    • Click on Deploy Solution
    • In Deploy When? select Now
    • In Deploy To? select a target Web Application to deploy 
    • Click OK
  10. For SharePoint 2013 and SharePoint 2010:
    • Run SharePoint 2013/2010 Management Shell
    • Type: Install-SPApplicationContent
  11. For SharePoint 2007:
    • Open command line
    • Changes the current directory to the directory that contains stsadm.exe tool (administrative tool for SharePoint): 
      cd C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\BIN
    • Copy content files to the correct location in SharePoint web application: 
      stsadm -o copyappbincontent

Deploy from the command line (for any Microsoft SharePoint version):

  1. Uninstall existing SharePoint solution if you have it installed on your system.
  2. Download the SharepointConnector.wsp file and save it in a location available to Windows SharePoint Services or the Microsoft Office SharePoint Server.
  3. Make sure that the Windows SharePoint Services Timer service is running (by selecting Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services).
  4. Open Microsoft Windows Command Prompt (by selecting Start > Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt).
  5. From the command prompt run the following commands in the following order:
    1. Changes the current directory to the directory that contains stsadm.exe tool (administrative tool for SharePoint):  C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\<version>\BIN.
      • For SharePoint 2013 <version> should be 15
      • For SharePoint 2010 <version> should be 14
      • For SharePoint 2007 <version> should be 12
      cd C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\15\BIN
    2. Add the EPiServer Connect for SharePoint solution to the Microsoft SharePoint application: 
      stsadm -o addsolution -filename <path to file>\SharepointConnector.wsp
    3. Deploy the solution onto the Microsoft SharePoint website. The <application url> parameters must be replaced with the actual URL of the Microsoft SharePoint website. Note! As this command runs asynchronously, you need to enter the command described below in order to check if the deployment status is complete: 
      stsadm -o deploysolution -name SharepointConnector.wsp –immediate –allowGacDeployment –url <application url>
    4. Check the status of the deploying process, when the command from the previous step is complete you should see the result under the <LastOperationResult> section. "DeploymentSucceeded" will appear if the deployment is successful or “DeploymentFailedXXXX” will be displayed if the deployment failed (XXXX will show the error code): 
      stsadm -o displaysolution -name SharepointConnector.wsp
    5. Copy content files to the correct location in SharePoint web application. Do not run this command until the command from the previous step shows that deployment has been successful: 
      stsadm -o copyappbincontent

Configuring the Web Services Authentication

Configure the Web Service Authentication by running "Install Connect for Sharepoint" from the Deployment Center and choose "Enable Basic Authentication". Manual configuration instructions and more details about web services authentication is available in Developer Guide in the SDK.

Ensure that the user belongs to WebServices or Administrators group. Custom groups or users can also be added by changing the authorization node in the location element with path WebServices (or SharePointConnector/Services for the Web Parts) in the web.config.

Also allow user to act as a web service user on the EPiServer CMS website as follows:

  1. Log on to the EPiServer CMS website with an account that can provide administration access for the website.
  2. Switch to Admin mode.
  3. On the Config tab, select Permissions for Functions.
  4. Click the Edit button for the Allow the user to act as a web service user function.
  5. Ensure that the user or user group are given permission to act as web service and listed on his page. If user or user group does not have permission, click Add Users/Groups and select users or groups that must have permission to act as web service.

Configuring the Web Parts

After the SharePoint solution deployment has been completed you can add Web Parts to the website's Web Parts gallery in the following way:

  1. On the Documents toolbar, go to Site Actions > Site settings > Galleries > Web Parts > New Document. Select EPiServer.SharePointWebParts.PageListWebPart  and  EPiServer.SharePointWebParts.PageViewWebPart  and click Populate Gallery.
  2. Locate and select the new PageListWebPart and PageViewWebPart from the list in the Web Part Gallery:
  3. Click Edit document properties and enter Title, Description and Group boxes and click Save.

When Web Parts are added to the gallery you can place them on a page in SharePoint. Each web part needs to be configured in order to establish connection to the EPiServer CMS website. Click Edit\Modify Shared Web Part.      

Here is Web Parts connection parameters:

  • Web service URL is the address of the EPiServer PageStore Web service (for example, http://website.com/SharePointConnector/Services/PageService.asmx).
  • User name is the EPiServer user name.
  • User password is the EPiServer user password. Click Change password if you want to change the existing password.
  • Root Page ID (only for PageListWebPart) is the id of the EPiServer page that will be used as the root of the page tree.
  • Page ID (only for PageViewWebPart) is the id of the EPiServer page to display.
  • EPiServePageProperties (only for PageViewWebPart) allows you to choose which properties will be displayed. Note! The list of available properties appears only when the connection parameters properly configured and Page Id points to existing EPiServer page. PageListWebPart and PageViewWebPart can be connected to each other. If connection between these parts is established then the PageViewWebPart displays the content of the page selected in PageListWebPart. Both Web Parts need to have correctly configured connection parameters.

In order to succesfully connect to the PageService the web service authentication need to be configured as it is described here.

Uninstalling the SharePoint Solution

There are two alternative options:

Uninstall solution from Central Administration:

  1. Open SharePoint Central Administration
  2. Navigate to System Settings > Manage Farm Solutions. 
  3. In the solution list you should see sharepointconnector.wsp/sharepointconnector2013.wsp with the status Deployed. 
  4. Open the solution details 
  5. Retract solution:
    • Click Retract Solution
    • In Retract When? select Now
    • In Retract From? select a web application to retract from
    • Click OK
  6. Wait until solution state will change to Not Deployed
  7. Open solution details again
  8. Click Remove Solution

Uninstall solution using command line tool:

Note If you installed the connector with a custom name and forgot it, then you can use the STSADM to view a list of solutions deployed to the server using the enumsolutions operation (stsadm.exe -o enumsolutions).

  1. Ensure that the Windows SharePoint Services Timer service is running (Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services).
  2. Open the Microsoft Windows Command Prompt (Start > Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt).
  3. Run the following commands from the command prompt:
    • Retract the solution from the SharePoint website. The <application url> parameters must be replaced with the actual URL of the Microsoft SharePoint website. This command runs asynchronously, so you are required to enter the next command until it finishes checking the status of deploying solution. 
      stsadm -o retractsolution -name SharepointConnector.wsp –immediate –url <application url>
    • Check the status of the deploying process, when the previous command is completed, you can find the result under the <LastOperationResult> section (for Windows SharePoint Services only). “RetractionSucceded”  will appear if the deployment is successful or “RetractionFailedXXXX”  if the deployment failed (XXXX will show the error code). 
      stsadm -o displaysolution -name SharepointConnector.wsp
    • Remove the solution from SharePoint. Do not run this command until the previous command shows “RetractionSucceded”. 
      stsadm -o deletesolution -name SharepointConnector.wsp
  4. If you added Connect for SharePoint Web Parts to the site gallery - they need to be removed manually. Navigate to the Web Part Gallery select PageListWebPart.webpart and PageViewWebPart.webpart and delete them.

Document last saved: February 27, 2013