SharePoint 2010 Resource Guide

Here is the link to complete SharePoint 2010 Resource guide compiled in a single location.

Enjoy SharePointing!

Moving the Content DB to new Server

On very rare occasion we may need to change the server in which the content database is located. SharePoint provide a very simple solution to facilitate this requirement.

Word of Warning!
Before getting your hands dirty be sure that you have backed up entire farm or have appropriate disaster management plan in case of any catastrophe.

• Open Central Administration and navigate to the application management tab.
• Under SharePoint Web Application Management Section click on the Content Databases.
• Verify you have selected the correct Web Application from the Menu.
• Click on the database to be relocated.
• Select the checkbox labelled "Remove Content Database" -> Accept the confirmation and press OK.
• Now the selected database is removed from the list of the database .
• Open SQL Server Management Studio and connect to the current database server.
• Select the database -> Task -> Click Detach.
• Select the Drop connection check box and press OK.
• Now copy the MDF and LDF file from the current location and paste it to the new server.
• Open SQL Server Management Studio and connect to the new database server and attach this database
• Make sure that the SharePoint database access account is given appropriate access to the new database.
• Now again Open Central Administration -> Application Management -> Content Database -> Select correct web application.
• Click "Add a content database" link.
• Enter new database server name
• Enter moved database name
• Select appropriate authentication mechanism
• Select Search Server and press OK

Verify the availability of your database in the database list and also verify whether your site is working as required.

Learn how to make web apps more secure

Deny User's access to the entire portal / Web Application

We may have a requirement to block a specific user from entire SharePoint portal. How could we achieve this? What possible solution do we have?

One of the possible solutions is to remove the user from each and every group he is member of. Also remove any direct permission given to him in any of the sub site. But this would be very tedious task if there is large number of sub sites.

Even if we manage to do the task of manually going around in each and every site, there is a catch. What if one of the groups takes all member of the domain as it member? Yes this can happen. At the time of adding users to the group there is option to add all authenticated user to the group. To be specific we will have to add "NT AUTHORITY\authenticated users" to add all users to the group.

In such a scenario, even if we remove the permission of the user from each sub site, even if we remove the user from all groups. Still the user will have access to the portal due to the above action taken in the last paragraph.

Now what?

Don't Panic! There is simple and quick solution to the problem.

1. Open up your Central Administration
2. Navigate to the Application Management Tab
3. Under Application Security Section click on the "Policy for web application link"
4. Select appropriate Web Application to which user access should be denied.
5. Click Add Users
6. Select appropriate zone (Default is "All Zone") from which the user should be removed. Click Next.
7. Now in the people picker add the user(s) you may want to deny access.
8. Under Permission section, click on "Deny All"
9. Press Finish.

That's all folks. Now let the user access the portal. He will be greeted with a sweet message "Access Denied".