Re: What are the official SPS 2003 customization guidelines?

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From: Rob Hindman (robhindman_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 04/03/04 

Date: 2 Apr 2004 22:34:10 -0800

Hi Daniel,

Thanks for taking this issue to the next level - I really appreciate
your effort. You make excellent points...

Still, I firmly believe that Microsoft could reduce support cost by
publishing explicit enhancement guidelines. Let's make a list of
guidelines that we know about so far:

1. Don't modify any of the SPS datatbases. Microsoft only supports
enhancements made with SPS Object model.

2. While many customizations are possible, consider the SDK examples
as guidelines, and stick closely to the techniques shown.

3. Modify only the XML and XSLT files that are modified in the SDK
examples.

Is that a decent start? Would anyone like to add to this list??

I'd like to thank Microsoft for making an excellent product. I have
many years of document management experience, and I've designed
systems that did some of the things that SPS can do - but SPS can do
far more, with FPE, for example. I think that SPS is a great product,
especially because of the multiple ways that it can be customized...

In addition to really clear support guidelines, I would encourage
Microsoft to fully document the SPS databases, and even permit some
customization, such as stored procedures that perform SELECTs only. My
theory is that be better integrators understand what is being stored,
and how SPS works, the better solutions they can deliver, since the
solutions will be delveloped more quickly and more cost effectively.
(Empower the integrators.)

Also, documenting the preferred way for integrators to use
cross-database transactions in the object model (so I can store custom
data in a separate but synchronized database) would be very helpful,
in my opinion.

Thanks Again, Daniel! Let's save time and $$$ for our companies
together!
-Rob.

> Hey Rob,
>
> I think the right people understand that we need to get this information out
> to you all, and I know there are a lot of people (like myself) working to
> get some information together to help make your life easier. Just hang in
> there!
>
> I guess there are really two key points:
>
> 1. Microsoft doesn't really support ANY customisation directly, just the
> interfaces we expose for customisation. You can imagine just how difficult
> such a job would be given the huge number of customers and partners out
> there working to make the product behave just the way they want based on
> their specific requirement. If you call Microsoft PSS (product support
> services) looking for some help with such a customisation, then they will do
> their best, but they can really only fix problems that occur in the
> SharePoint Product itself. So you will need to be able to reproduce any
> problems you have with the standard out of box version of sharepoint. This
> is the same for every product.
>
> 2. At this stage you should be very cautious about any customisations you
> are making. If it is not in the SDK for example then I would just not do it,
> so for example there is no mention of direct database access, so I just
> wouldn't do it. The dangers are too great, for example when you call SP X,
> how do you know that you were also meant to call SP Y? You can't which is
> why we provide an object model that understands these type of business
> rules...
>
> Hope that helps,
> Daniel
>
> "Rob Hindman" <robhindman@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:d4199cf5.0404010105.3835b9a1@posting.google.com...
> > Thanks, Daniel!
> >
> > I appreciate your quick response! I would like to "push back" a little
> > bit on Microsoft on this issue. SPS 2003 is a very customizable
> > product. But I keep hearing: "You can't do THAT, it's not supported!".
> > I think that it is only fair to ask Microsoft to state EXACTLY what
> > modifications are supported - only the modifications mentioned in the
> > SDK?
> >
> > An alternative would be to state that modifying the database is not
> > permitted... But how about calling a stored procedure - is that safe?
> >
> > I don't think this is unreasonable - in fact, I think that it would
> > probably make life easier for everyone supporting SPS 2003 and the SPS
> > 2003 SDK !!
> >
> > Does anyone else out there agree with me, or am I just a lone, mad
> > dog?
> >
> > I would assert that a product that is as customizable as SPS 2003
> > would be more useful to customers and solution developers if the
> > guidelines - and especially "don't do these things" guidelines - were
> > published. It would be better for Microsoft, and everyone else, IMO.
> >
> > Another way to consider this issue is to ask: should I have to call
> > MSDN support for each SPS 2003 solution, to see if PSS will still
> > support a given installation?
> >
> > Seriously, the guidelines have got to be out there somewhere...
> >
> > (Just like Mulder says, "The truth is out there". The question is, how
> > many men in trenchcoats do we have to meet at midnight on a dark
> > street in order to find out?)
> >
> > Many Thanks Again, Daniel!
> > -Rob.
> >
> > > Hey Rob,
> > >
> > > I'm not sure that there is a document that really answers your
> questions,
> > > the closest we come is the SDK. That said I can comment on a couple of
> your
> > > points:
> > > 1. Modifying anything to do with SharePoint at the database level would
> not
> > > be recommended, and not supportable by PSS. Of course by not supported,
> what
> > > I mean is that if you did hit any issue with the product, you would have
> to
> > > be able to reproduce that problem in a version of the software without
> your
> > > changes.
> > >
> > > 2. Profiling the database would probably be ok as far a I know this is a
> > > "Read Only" operation, in that it does not make any changes to the
> database
> > > being profiled. Of course it will have performance impacts.
> > >
> > > 3. I would be cautious with ISAPI filter changes, and again if you hit
> any
> > > problems you would have to reproduce with the standard product.
> > >
> > > Hope that helps,
> > > Daniel
> > >
> > > "Rob Hindman" <robhindman@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > > news:d4199cf5.0403311602.3d0fa0c7@posting.google.com...
> > > > Hi,
> > > >
> > > > Does anyone know what the official SPS 2003 customization guidelines
> > > > are? I have heard that some modifications are not supported, but I do
> > > > not know where to find the restrictions or the guidelines for
> > > > customization. I have looked at all the files in the SPS 2003 SDK, but
> > > > I don't really see any guidelines.
> > > >
> > > > I have heard that if I modify any of the SPS stored procedures in SQL
> > > > Server 2000 or MSDE 2000, then Microsoft Product support will no
> > > > longer support my solution.
> > > >
> > > > I have many questions: Can I add triggers to the SPS database? Can I
> > > > profile the database using the SQL Server 2000 Profiler?? Can I
> > > > decrease the priority of the stsfilt.dll ISAPI Filter???
> > > >
> > > > I know that there are many things that can be customized and modified
> > > > in SPS 2003, but does anyone know of a list of modifications that will
> > > > invalidate SPS 2003 product support??
> > > >
> > > > Many Thanks!
> > > > -Rob.

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