HLD Architecture Designs for Finding SharePoint File data

 SharePoint data source using Microsoft Foundry to build an Agent

Simple comparison of Cloud Storage options

Azure offers 3 main options for storing files:

Azure File Store (Supports SMB, no version control)

Azure Blob Storage (No SMB, has version control via apis, tiers for archiving)

Azure Data Lake Storage -Gen2 (No SMB, no versioning), more relevant to Big data/DataLake

 

AWS also has options to consider:

Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), similar to Azure Blob Storage with an API and tiers

Amazon FSx, similar to Azure File Store, supports SMB and NFS

Amazon Elastic Block Store (ESB) supports NFS

Office 365/SharePoint Archive option:

https://adoption.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365-archive/

Extra SPO/O365 storage costs about $0.20/GB per month, using the SP Achieve service cost 0.05$/TB per month.  Also you only get changed for what you use, no pre-provisioned size.  Security & compliance is maintained so for old data needed to be archive this is a great easy option.

New SharePoint Options to be aware of

SharePoint Embedded

We have all used SharePoint and the API's but this is really useful as it allows me to have full SharePoint API access to use with my applications.  So it can be protected and scale.  I've had tons of projects that should have used this but instead backed on dedicated Site Collections.

External user on SPO have to be guests, and you use the subscription model, so i think you can have 5 guests for each O365 paid user.  Issue is this is then giving access to your internal SharePoint/collaboration area.  SharePoint Embedded provides a dedicated area and offers two types of consumption/billing models: 

• ISV-led, and
• and direct-to-customer billing.

SharePoint Premium

SharePoint Premium offers advanced features such as AI/copilot...

SPO & O365 groups coming March 201

Multi-geo Phase 2 (SPO) : SPO & O365 groups coming March 2019 into GA by 30 March 2019 confirmed.  DLP per satellite geo.  Hub sites can span multi geos.  Search works across geo I.e. all user access across geos is returned.

Today notes:

• SC can’t be moved between geo locations.  
• Satellite only in 14 core data regions I.e can’t use China but could use Hong Komg or Singapore.
• Aimed at 2500 user tenants or bigger, with min 5% users moved.

SharePoint Online Property Bag SPWeb Properties are not indexed by default

Problem:  Moving an on-prem SharePoint solution to SPO, I realised that SPO does not automatically index property bag values.

Initial Hypothesis:  The Search schema looks correct and automatically created the correct Managed Properties.  Asked our Microsoft representative and they sent us a link to enable property bag values in the search index.

Resolution: Be aware that you need to do some Powershell commands on your tenant and site collections when using SharePoint Online to make property bag settings appear in the search results.

More Info:
https://blog.kloud.com.au/2018/04/26/how-to-make-property-bag-values-indexed-and-searchable-in-sharepoint-online/

SharePoint Online Replacement Patterns in Diagrams

Overview: This Post highlights my default position for achieving Common SharePoint solutions using SharePoint Online, flow and Azure Functions.

Matt Wade has a great resource on the components making up O365.
https://app.jumpto365.com/

SharePoint Framework Notes

As the SPFx is progressing and changing rapidly, I shall try to update this page as time goes by.  I have been dabbling with the SharePoint Framework (SPFx) for a few months and went to a day workshop with Andrew Connell (AC) on SPFX as the SharePoint Conference 2018 North America on 20 May 2018.  I would recommend attending Andrew Connell's training (I have gone to a lot of workshops and presentations over the years, and Andrew is excellent). These notes are my summary of items to be aware of.

Last Updated: 12 Mar 2025

https://pnp.github.io/sp-dev-fx-controls-react/

Start here for PowerFx controls and scaffolding.

Last Updated: 15 June 2018

• To use the SPFx on-prem. with SP2016, you need to have feature pack 2.  SP2016 only for SPFx web parts does not do    SP2019 will be behind SP365 but it shall have all the updates circ May 2018 when it is released circa Sept-Oct 2018. 
• Safer to user SPFx on modern pages rather than classic SP pages.
• Development can be done on any laptop with any editor.
• Either build Web Parts in the local or O365 (/_layouts/15/workbench.aspx) Workbench.

• What you need is 1. Node.js, 2. npm, 3. Yeoman, 4. GULP, 5. Webpack (used to check and load dependency JS modules).  AC suggests for simplicity install and forget about: Node.js, Yeoman, Gulp and webpack.  You'll use them but you don't really need to understand them.
• Language-wise, use JavaScript or you can use TypeScript which obviously converts down into normal JS but makes it easier to program (e.g. type ahead/intelisense).
• Use NVM (allows for multiple versions of Node.js; you may have clients of different versions and NVM allows you to have multiple Node.js versions on a machine) and use the LTS (Long-term support) versions: v8.11.2 or v8.9.4
• Install the following pre-reqs using npm:  yomen, gulp and the MSfx template for yeomen scaffolding namely @microsoft/sharepoint…
• VS code makes a good editor, I think Mark Rackly has built a VS template that will do all the scaffolding instead of using yeoman.

SPFx Eqivalancy Comparison:

SPFx Tool	C# WSP Tool	Desc
Node.js	.NET	Used to run npm and compile the SP package (*.sppkg) using gulp and webpack.  Runs a local server to use the tooling
npm	Nuget	Download 3rd party packages/frameworks e.g. jQuery or Angular
yeoman	Visual Studio	Generates basic SPFx web part files, same as a template built using VSIX in VS.  Ensure you have all the basic parts to build a SPFx web part
gulp	MSBuild or F5	Builds the package
webpack	NA	checks dependant files are included in the package.  AC explained it as shaking the tree (removes unnecessary js libraries and ensure libraries are included)

SP2016 on-prem. Dev vs No FTC Sp2016 on-prem. vs SPO SPFx

• WSP
• Timer
• Custom Service Apps
• Event Handlers

References:
https://www.voitanos.io/

Background:
Node.js - Allows you to create a web server and compile JS on the server-side.  It's 2 main functions to use in SP are: 1) Need it for local development workbench and 2) Node.js has npm (package manager) built in, you need node.js that uses npm and webpack to uses gulp to build packages (like we did with MSBuild for WSP's).
webpack - build tool that manages code.  Manages styles and JS files.

SPO 2nd update Statement

SPO made it's 1st update statement in October 2011 which allows BCS (web services) on SharePoint Online.  This is the 2nd change to the SP2010 online version (Feb 2012),

Ability to scale up to 500K users was 20k.

Site Collection Recycle Bin - ability to self restore includes a full site collection restore.

Ability to invite non-domain users  - Simplifies Collaboration with partners, customers, etc as they can use their own email adrs.

Changes to how your browser handles to PDF files - use to have to download and then open the pdf document.  Now will open pdf reader once clicked.