.NET rocks

Auf der OpenSource Plattform CodePlex gibt es für SharePoint Entwickler mal wieder etwas schönes, der SharePoint Solution Installer. Bei dem kleinen Tool handelt es sich um eine Installationsroutine für beliebige SharePoint Solutions (WSP).

Der Solution Installer kann als einfaches zip von der Projektseite heruntergeladen werden. Er unterstützt die gängigsten Aktionen in Sachen SharePoint Solution Deployment. Hier ein Auszug von der Projekteseite

• Support for all relevant operations:
  • Add solution to the SharePoint solution store.
  • Deploy solution on one or more web applications.
  • Activate feature on one or more site collections for features scoped to a Site (site collection).
  • Upgrade solution.
  • Retract and remove solution.
• Pre-install system check for the following conditions:
  • WSS V3 is installed.
  • MOSS 2007 is installed (This check can be disabled in config file)
  • User has permission to install solutions.
  • SharePoint database is online.
  • WSS Administration service is started.
  • WSS Timer service is started.
• Implements a work around for the following error conditions:
  • Another solution deployment job never finished and is now blocking for the creation of a new job. Work-around: Delete old job from the list of Timer job defnitions.
  • Timer service is not started: An attempt is made to start it (please note that timer services on other front ends will not be started).
  • Database is offline, which will yield an ugly NullreferenceException from SharePoint offering little clue to the root cause of the problem. Work around: Detect NullreferenceException and display nice error message.
• Display EULA. (Can be disabled in config file).
• Web application list where user can select the web apps. to deploy the solution to.
• Rollback after installation errors.
• Configurable Product Title.
• Configurable banner image.
• Configurable logo image.
• Supports optionally displaying a documentation/help link at the end of installation.
• Supports optionally displaying a relative configuration link within deployed location for each deployment target.
• Supports a single feature inside a single WSP.
  • (Support for multiple features or WSPs is not yet supported.)
• Support for features scoped to:
  • Farm
  • Site (site collection)
  • (Support for features scoped to the WebApplication or Web (site) is not yet supported.)

Die Konfiguration des SharePoint Solution Installers ist denkbar einfach, lediglich die XML-Config muss an die individuellen Bedürfnisse angepasst werden. Wichtig ist darüber hinaus dass sowohl die WSP, die Setup.exe als auch das config file im gleichen Ordner platziert werden.

Eine einfache Beispiel Konfiguration sieht beim SharePoint Solution Installer so aus

<configuration>

    <appSettings>

        <add key="BannerImage" value="Default"/>

        <add key="LogoImage" value="Default"/>

        <add key="EULA" value="EULA.rtf"/>

        <add key="SolutionId" value="F650C329-D418-4dcf-A19A-7EBDEFDC3565"/>

        <add key="SolutionFile" value="MyExample.wsp"/>

        <add key="SolutionTitle" value="Playing the Deployment game!"/>

        <add key="SolutionVersion" value="1.0.0.0"/>

        <add key="FeatureScope" value="Site"/>

        <add key="FeatureId" value="B9139021-350A-4bdc-A7C9-524323C9F1E2"/>

        <add key="UpgradeDescription" value="Upgrades the Playing the Deployment game solution."/>

        <add key="RequireDeploymentToCentralAdminWebApplication" value="false"/>

        <add key="RequireDeploymentToAllContentWebApplications" value="false"/>       

    <add key="SiteCollectionRelativeConfigLink" value="/_layouts/MyExample/Config.aspx"/>

        <add key="DocumentationUrl" value="http://www.dotnet-rocks.de"/>    

  </appSettings>

</configuration>