CKSdev codeplex SPMetal SPI improvement

Matt Smith, David Mann, Todd Bleaker, Wes Hackett, Waldek Mastykarz & Wouter van Vugt have done a great job with CKSdev and they have upgraded the codeplex project recently that includes "Improved SPMetal SPI".  This is a visual studio template placed under the SharePoint 2010 grouping that allows you to add your SPMetal code to your project easily.  Previously you had to either create the LINQ to SharePoint class using the command prompt and provide switches such as the namespace.   Then I have to manually add/over right the class file generated into my source controlled code.  The other option was to add the SPMetal build to pre-build using the SPMetal cmds and each time and you need the SPMetal proxy file being overwritten to be out of source control i.e. this wouldn't work with your source control without a workaround.

Using the SPMetal Definitions included in the latest CKSDev project code is definitely a productivity improvement.

Data access options - SharePoint Lists or Database Tables

Problem:  I have built a composite application that uses SP 2010 lists for storing the application data.  There are 2 related lists within the application that are high transactional lists like a shopping cart (order with order items).  These 2 lists have had many fields added to them over the duration of the project and are no longer light lists. 
Hypothesis: SharePoint 2010 supports up to 50 million lists and I need to insert, edit and read often the information in these 2 related lists.  The lists are getting rather complex and transactional support is not available vie LINQ to SharePoint.  I need a full audit history which is pretty useful in SharePoint.  The volume and complexity of this transactional data is to heavy for SP especially as the lists grow.  I have to use SQL Server to store the data directly and link the appropriate SP lists using BCS and external content types.  My preferred methods of accessing data are the Entity Framework v4 or Linq to SQL.  As my data is pretty small, I don't need a multi tier system and we are using LINQ to SharePoint. 
Resolution: Create the SP lists in SQL, use LINQ to SQL to add and work with the SQL data.  I use tomb tables in SQL Server to keep a full audit history.  There are now 2 areas of storage: SP lists and directly to SQL tables.  Not ideal but worth that change.

Pros of using SharePoint List vs Database tables

SharePoint Lists	Database Tables
SharePoint Security and Permissions	Transactional
Workflow	Performance & higher transaction volumes
Visioning	Distinct queries and aggregations
Office intregration	Greater Flexibility
Native / Easy setup	Easier for existing .NET developers
SP generates UI

Update 18 Oct 2010 - Storing data for SharePoint 2010 comparison

Image dump - Ribbon actions are disabled

Problem: Adding a new domain account user to the "Farm administrators" group. The new account mydomain\mstest1 cannot use the "New", "Extend" or "Delete" buttons on the ribbon within "Web Application Management".

Rolling over the buttons on the ribbon display the following information: "This control is currently disabled." "You might not have the right permission level to use this, you might need ...".

Additionaly you will also notice the "Manage Service Applications" will not allow you to create or delete new Service Applications.

New user in the Farm administrators group

Hypothesis: The new farm administrator does not have the appropriate permissions on the configuration database.

Resolution: Give the new administrator db_owner rights and the ribbon action options are available.



Further Info:
By making a content database read-only as shown below all Site Collections become read-only, ribbon actions are disabled.  Not coentent can be added to the Site Collection.
Make the content db read-only

Resulting Site Collection (Can't use most ribon options)

NLB
NLB 2

Unified Logging Service (ULS)

Overview: ULS is made up of 3 components: Trace logs, Reporting database & the Windows Event viewer. 

Trace Logs:
Trace Logs by default are located in the 14 hive/SharePoint Root, by default they are created every 30 minutes and can be viewed in notepad. 
ULSviewer is available on codeplex to improve usability as the logs are easier to follow than if you use notepad.
Trace logs can grow extremely quickly.  Only log the appropriate messages for troubleshooting without making the logging to big.  Verbose logging cause huge amounts of logging but it is extremely detailed.  The amount of logging or what is logged can be set using the CA> Monitoring > Diagnotic Logging "Configure Diagnostic Logging".
SharePoint 2010 uses NTFS compression for log files to reduce storage on the WFE (logging) servers.
Consider moving the trace logs to a new drive so that the logs don't fill up the default drive (usually the c drive).  This change applies to all servers in the farm.
Logs by default are kept for 14 days, you can also hold them using sizes rather than duration.
Event Log Flood Protection in CA should always be turned on to stop repeated errors being recorded multiple time in you logs.
Correlation ID's as the name suggest helps us track errors from the UI through to the Trace Logs.  The end user when the receive an error are shown a unique correlation ID that can be used to track down the problem.  Correlation Id's as also shown on the developer dashboard and can be used to tract from the UI into the trace logs without errors.

Update 7 Oct 2010 - Useful Monitoring artlicle:
http://www.sharepointproconnections.com/content.aspx?topic=How-SharePoint-2010-s-Monitoring-Features-Can-Help-Admins&catpath=sharepoint
Update 14 Dec 2010 - ULS Viewer
Tool to view ULS log and filter data


Various SharePoint Logs Explained:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/525197/where-is-the-default-log-location-for-sharepoint-moss

Recomended SP2010 Books

Professional SharePoint 2010 Administration - Todd Klindt, Shane Young, Steve Caravajal.  Wrox.   Good admin book, and useful for architecture.  Has a lot of best practice points and clearly explains core concepts such as service applications in SP2010 & claims based authentication.

Microsoft SharePoint 2010: Building solutions for Sharepoint 2010 - Sahil Malik.  APRESS.  Good all round book - especially useful for getting .net developers into SharePoint.   There are better reference developer books but it clearly works through major areas that SharePoint developer should know.

SPAutoinstaller accounts

Change the setup.xml file to use 5 accounts:

1. SP-Install - domain account with admin local rights on each WFE also need SQL dbcreator and dbsecurity roles (used to login and install binaries, use this account for add new servers to the farm);
2. SP-Farm - domain account no permissions, will be the account to run timer job and other key roles;
3. SP-Web-App-Pool - Content Web app account - Domain account only;
4. SP-Services - Install all services to use the same domain account, this can be seperate for each services but for easy of setup and mainentance use 1 account. Exception is the User Profiles service, setup seperately using Spence Harbors post as the user domain account needs unique security, and
5. SP-Crawl - Used to crawl SP content.

6th SP-SQL - Domain user account with no prividges used to start the SQL service (recommended) can use local/builin accounts but for Reporting services, and other advanced functionality need a domain account.
 
7th account should be used for User Profiles called SP-Service-UP.  This is a complex issue and needs full review don't try install this blindly hoping it will work.

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References
Todd Klindt's Blog
Todd's netcast 49 about installation (specifically install accounts, user profile services and an SP2010 internet version enterprices edition licence bug).
Liam Cleary's list of SharePoint 2010 Service Accounts

SP 2010 Service Applications

SharePoint 2010 Serices Chart