Remove Licensing issues in SharePoint Server 2007 post SP2

 

During the installation of SP2, a product expiration date is improperly activated. This means SharePoint will expire as though it was a trial installation 180 days after SP2 is deployed. The activation of the expiration date will not affect the normal function of SharePoint up until the expiration date passes. Furthermore, product expiration 180 days after SP2 installation will not affect customer’s data, configuration or application code but will render SharePoint inaccessible for end-users.

A fix is now available vide KB971620 - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971620 This issue is no longer observed as SP2 build has been updated on the download site.

Technorati Tags: sharepoint,MOSS,SP2

note: Installation of this fix does not immediately change the license type. There is a background timer job that runs which normally takes about 20-30 minutes.

Note 1: We have also observed recently that in some scenarios entering the product key does not completely resolve licensing issues until and unless the PS Configuration wizard is run.

What is best - Backup/Restore or Export/Import?

 

 

Chart showing the differences between Backup/Restore and Export/Import.

 

Backup/Restore

Export/Import

1	Two methods – when the url parameter is used a site collection backup is created - when the backupmethod parameter is used backup of an individual database, web application or entire farm can be created
2	Backs up entire Site collection including permissions.	Export sites and/or subsite data. A limitation of the Backup operation.
3	There is no Default File Extension for back up files when using the url parameter. Any filename can be provided. However while using the backupmethod a directory or location(can include a unc path) needs to be specified	Default file Extension (if not mentioned) ".cmp"
4	When using the backupmethod parameter also known as catastrophic backup supports "Full" and "Differential" back up of Web Applicaitons. If "overwrite" option is selected while restoring it overwrites entire SiteCollection.	Provides "versions" option to control migrate/overwrite files in site
5	Not possible to schedule backups;however can be automated by creating a batch file and scheduling through Windows Task Scheduler.	Backup files should be copied to server
6	Backup of Site Collection can be tracked by stsadm -o backuphistory operation	Sites/SiteCollections would not track export/Import history

Note:

I) A large limiting factor when restoring site collections is that the backup includes the GUIDs that identify all of the items in the content database and hence are reused during the restore. If the site is being restored to a different URL and the original site still exists there will be a conflict. If this happens the only way for SharePoint to allow the restore is for the site to be restored to a new database so that the GUIDs will be unique in that database. A similar error like the one below may be displayed:
No content databases are available for this operation. Create a content database, and then try the operation again. To create a content database, click "Content databases" on the Application Management page, select the Web application to use, and then click "Add a content database."

II) It is preferable to use the Setsitelock operation to set the site collection url read-only for the entire time of the backup{ stsadm -o setsitelock -url <URL name> -lock readonly }

III) Post SP2 site collections are automatically locked as read-only before a backup process occurs.

IV) Post SP2 the force parameter can be used to ignore disk space check.

 

Command Syntax :

Backup For site collection backup stsadm.exe -o backup -url <url> -filename <filename> [-nositelock] [-overwrite] the [-overwrite] is required when a backup already exists with the same filename. Success/Failure of the operation is displayed. For catastrophic backup stsadm.exe -o backup -directory <unc path or local drives> -backupmethod <full or differential> [-force] [-item] <created path from tree> [-percentage] <integer between 1 and 100> [-backupthreads] <integer between 1 and 100> [-showtree] [-quiet] Restore For site collection restore stsadm -o restore -url <URL name> -filename <file name> [-hostheaderwebapplicationurl] <Web application URL> [-overwrite] the[-overwrite] is required when the site already exists. For catastrophic restore stsadm -o restore -directory <UNC path> -restoremethod <overwrite or new> [-backupid] <GUID from backuphistory, see stsadm -help backuphistory> [-item] <created path from tree> [-percentage] <integer between 1 and 100> [-showtree] [-suppressprompt] [-username] <user name> [-password] <password> [-newdatabaseserver] <new database server name> [-preservechangelog] [-quiet]

Export stsadm -o export -url <URL name> -filename <export file name> [-overwrite] [-includeusersecurity] [-haltonwarning] [-haltonfatalerror] [-nologfile] [-versions] <1-4> [-cabsize] <integer value> [-nofilecompression] [-quiet] Import stsadm -o import -url <URL name> -filename <import file name> [-includeusersecurity] [-haltonwarning] [-haltonfatalerror] [-nologfile] [-updateversions] <1-3> [-nofilecompression] [-quiet]

Technorati Tags: sharepoint. stsadm,backup,export,MOSS

Additional STSADM commands

 

Post release of the SP2 for SharePoint there are additional operations available. Including brief details of the same.

1. stsadm.exe -o enumallwebs -databasename <database name> [-databaseserver <database server name>]

Displays the IDs and site map status for all site collections and subsites in the content database.

More Details: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd793606.aspx

1. stsadm -o exportipfsadminobjects -filename <path to file>

   Description: This command can be used to export InfoPath Forms Services Admin Objects.  This command will create a CAB file containing all the deployed objects.

2. stsadm -o listqueryprocessoroptions -ssp <ssp name>

Description : Displays the current values of the SharePoint Search query processor settings.

More Details: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd789568.aspx

1. stsadm.exe -o preupgradecheck [ -rulefiles <rule files delimited by comma or semicolon> ] [ -listrulefiles ] [ -localonly ]

   Description : Runs rules that are intended to assist administrators in preparing for upgrade from Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and related products to future version of SharePoint and Technology products.

   More Details: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd793605.aspx

Additional information :

• Service Pack 2 Overview : http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=148374
• The full explanation of SP2 benefits - http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=148551
• Description of Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 SP2 and of Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Language Pack SP2 -
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/953338
• Service Pack 2 for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, x86 & x64 - http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=79BADA82-C13F-44C1-BDC1-D0447337051B&displaylang=en
• Description of 2007 Microsoft Office servers Service Pack 2 (SP2) and of 2007 Microsoft Office servers Language Pack Service Pack 2 (SP2) - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/953334
• Service Pack 2 for Office SharePoint Server 2007, x86 & x64 - http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=B7816D90-5FC6-4347-89B0-A80DEB27A082&displaylang=en

• Slipstream Builds For Windows SharePoint Services 3.0

  • Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 with SP2, x86 - http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=EF93E453-75F1-45DF-8C6F-4565E8549C2A&displaylang=en
  • Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 with SP2, x64 - http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=9FB41E51-CB03-4B47-B89A-396786492CBA&displaylang=en
• List of all 2007 Office system Service Pack 2 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Service Pack 2 packages - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968170

Technorati Tags: Sharepoint. stsadm,MOSS

Word 2003: Red "X" displayed in place of embedded pictures/graphs/cliparts in Word document

 

Symptoms Observed and Error Message
------------------------------------------------------------

When a user opens a word document all embedded pictures/Graphics in the document  are replaced with the a blank box and a red "x" at the top left corner of the picture holder.

No error message is observed. However right clicking the blank box with the red "x" can display error messages like "Picture is corrupted", "The server application, source file, or item cannot be found", etc.

Cause and Resolution
----------------------------------

There are more than one reason for this :

Situation 1:
A document is opened from an Internet location, from a Web folder, or from any location that the Microsoft Windows redirector recognizes as being from the Internet security zone.
Situation 2:
User account created under Windows 2000 and later migrated to Windows 2003. User has a roaming profile. Word files are located on a File Share in a central location. When this user tries to open a word document stored on the central File share using Word 2003 SP2 on a machine running Windows XP SP2.
Inference
--------------
This issue may occur when either of the following conditions is true:
- The Content.mso folder does not exist.
- The Content.mso folder has insufficient permissions. These permissions prevent
users from writing to the folder.

Resolution:
---------------------

To resolve this issue, make sure that the Content.mso folder exists and that all users and processes have full permissions to the folder. By default, the
Content.mso folder is a hidden system folder that is located on the computer under C:\Documents and Settings\User name\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files

Related KB - http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?id=897693

 

Technorati Tags: "word 2003","Red X",MSOFFICE