Working with the Content Search Web Part in SharePoint 2013

The Content Search Web Part or CSWP is basically a web part that has been introduced in the latest version of the advanced web application development platform, SharePoint 2013. The web part makes use of the different modes and options of styling for the purpose of displaying content of varying dimensions on the SP pages.

A Quick Overview of Content Search Web Part

The good thing about CSWP is that it displays the search results in a typical manner, allowing users to format the same rather easily. Now, each of it is associated with a particular search query and it is the results of this search query that the feature displays. On the other hand, if you want to change the way in which the results appear on the pages, you have the option of using the display templates. The display templates are basically snippets of HTML and JavaScript that are responsible for rendering information that is returned by SP. The information awaiting display is inserted in the JSON format into the page.

When To Use CSWP and CQWP?

CSWP is capable of returning any content from the search index. This can be used on the SP 2013 sites at the time of connecting to a search service and getting back to the already indexed search results in the pages. The freshness of the content is determined by the number of crawls. Instant content or the fresh versions of the same can be displayed by means of using the Content Query Web Part (CQWP) instead of CSWP. This feature can also be used for displaying the minor versions of the content, which is otherwise, not facilitated by the search crawls. Yet another advantage of the feature is that it offers to display results from sites that are marked to be non- indexed by the site collection administrators.

How to Use the Feature?

Organizations, trying to make the most of this new feature in SP 2013, must follow the required steps in using the CSWP. Here is a brief overview:

• To begin with, the 'my community site' needs to be edited and the CSWP needs to be added. The latter is found in the Content Rollup category.

• Configuration of the feature can be done by means of clicking anywhere in the same and following this, choosing the tab, from which the feature’s Properties needs to be clicked.

• A query has to be setup and for this, one should click on the Change Query from the properties box.

• A Query dialog box consisting of four tabs namely the Basics, Refiners, Settings and Test, will open up. The Basics tab will offer you with the chance to see the Switch to Advanced Mode and eventually, click on the Switch to Quick Mode. The query will begin from the Quick mode.

• Reaching the Select a Query menu, one can either choose items that match a tag or pictures. Querying documents or items that suit a particular content type is also facilitated.

• With the Restrict by app option, one can query the current site, current site collection, specific URL or go for the Don't restrict results by app option. The Restrict on this tag option should be chosen.

• Additional filters can be added here or the advanced mode can be checked out for other options. The Refiners tab, on the other hand, allows further filtering of the queries.

• The Settings tab has additional options in the form of the Query rules while the Test tab offers the final query text for the purpose of testing. On finishing, one needs to click OK at the bottom of the Build Your Query dialog box.

• Setting up the way in which the results will be displayed is the final step in the process.

Knowing about the ways in which the CSWP works helps in making the best implementation of this beneficial feature of SharePoint 2013. You can hire developers from top SharePoint development companies in India who can help you build products within allocated budgets and time schedules.

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Top 12 SharePoint Content Security Risks and how to avoid them

As organizations are increasingly using hosted SharePoint farms, SP sites or SharePoint Online for regulated and sensitive data incorporating PII or Personally Identifiable Information, customer financial data, healthcare information as well as intellectual property, data security has become a thing of high priority. Along with this, organizations also have to combat expensive compliance risks that revolve around regulated data and Sharepoint. Certain compliance or security risks associated with SharePoint environments can have grave impacts on organizations, if they are left unattended. Security breaches, irrespective of the means which cause them, can lead to fines, brand damage, loss of customer trust along with other serious effects. Let us discuss 12 of the commonly occurring security risks and ways to avoid them.

• Lack of awareness regarding SharePoint content: Governance guidelines should be implemented and content classification should be provided. This involves execution of periodic content scans coupled with providing training to end users. Along with this, SP metadata as well as work-flows should be used by teams for routing sensitive information to safe locations.
  
  
• Collaboration barriers: There are a number of users who regularly copy confidential or sensitive data from SP to their hard drive or to a USB drive, for, say, emailing it to some other person. In most cases, the aim of this copying is to facilitate information sharing with a person lacking access to SP documents. Hence businesses need to enforce clear policies regarding information-sharing, followed by access monitoring and enforcement of policy compliance.
  
  
• Not securing SharePoint from privileged insider accounts: Privilege levels with respect to administrator accounts should be limited, followed by deployment of third-party security solutions for enabling encryption as well as access control.
  
  
• Non-existent or deficient audit trails for SP usage or administrative access: For all the administrative alteration made to Sharepoint and also with respect to system or file access, it is advisable to enable auditing.
  
  
• Lack of content security in SP servers, in transits or endpoints: Companies need to implement solutions which offer content security on SP servers and on backups by means of encryption as well as access control. Along with this, teams should take into account whole-disk encryption with regards to end-points, particularly laptops. SSL encryption can also be enabled by security administrators through data in transit.
  
  
• Misconfiguration of permissions or access controls: First, existing SP permissions need to be audited, followed by review or creation of control policies relating to corporate access. It is good to line up SP permissions along with corporate directory services. With this, administrators would be able to comprehend the use of inheritance as well as improperly managed item-level permissions.
  
  
• SP platform security risks: You should harden platforms through disablement of services or ports that are not required for the platform function. Moreover, patch on a regular basis and take into consideration application white listing.
  
  
• SharePoint and Malware: A server malware solution should be implemented, updating the antivirus definitions on a regular basis.
  
  
• Failure to set limitation on service and administrator accounts: It is advisable to set limitations on privileges relating to service accounts as well as go for disablement of the install account. Also do not make use of shared administrator accounts.
  
  
• SP network configuration and system architecture issues: Putting a dedicated SP web front end within a DMZ, make use of a single function with respect to each server and harden SP, database as well as OS in accordance with the best practices.
  
  
• Setbacks in executing backups, and in providing DR capability: On a regular basis, backups need to be performed and the same need to be restored. Then the means of recovery from disasters with the help of SharePoint services should be considered.
  
  
• Improper search indexing: Often to obtain search results, administrators leverage an admin account, which leads to results that are not relevant for everyone. To avoid this, administrative accounts should not be unnecessarily used for operations wherein they are not required.
  

Management of all the above-mentioned security risks by implementing proper security controls help a lot in mitigating compliance and content security risks in SharePoint. Moreover, putting the SP environment across a robust security footing enables you to widen the scope of SharePoint use within your organization for enhanced communication or collaboration. You can hire developers from top SharePoint application development companies in India who can help you build products within allocated budgets and time schedules.

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SharePoint 2013 Performance Best Practices

SharePoint 2013, the newest version of the web application development platform is already giving a tough time to developers working on it with little knowledge. Indeed, the challenges that are faced by developers working on the platform are quite extensive and heavy much like the platform itself. Well, if you are new to the particular development platforms, you must always remember to integrate some tips ensuring highest performance level of the same. Likewise, experience developers must take a cue of the ideas while, taking up any development work as it would help you strengthen knowledge as well as promote discussion, which would ultimately lead to the development of a great application.

Here is a look at the best practices following which is sure to help you build something greater and better with SharePoint:

Always take note of the best time to cross the divide

A pertinent issue that often emerges with the development project while working on the platform is the best way of interacting with other systems in the network. Since, the web application relates to a composite application platform, this particular question needs to be answered quite often. Well, the solution rests with the idea of viewing the architecture of SharePoint from the web application. This particular approach stands as the easiest for now. While writing or coding Web parts, it is always advisable to make use of the object model of the platform.

Additionally, you can also make use of Web controls that function pertaining to a particular web application or ASP.NET form codebehind. The object model offers a rich and well known set of classes that allows you to interact with the web application development platform. Viewed from the perspective of the object model of SharePoint, the web application stands as an essential security boundary. Generally, the use of the object model for initiating interactions between the web applications must be avoided in all causes.

Gain advantage from the capabilities of the Native SharePoint

Development team often face issues that take away the opportunity of gaining complete benefit of the capabilities of native SharePoint. Well, the first issue implies at the platform being wide and extensive, which often makes it easier to develop custom solutions rather than offering time in understanding the offerings of the web application without any sort of custom coding. Secondly, the business owners often creates a list of detailed requirement, application behaviors, and wireframes that leaves little room for flexibility during the time of using OOB capabilities.

However, incorporating the offerings of the SharePoint often provides dividends, even if the deliverable at the end takes a slight move than the original requirement. The trick of gaining the advantage lies in complete understanding of the technology by the development team. Additionally, they also need to communicate the value and other advantages relating to a specific implementation of the application to the business organizations.

Gain knowledge regarding essential SPDev task and information

This particular purpose allows the developer to explain the common tasks that he might need to take up during software development in detail. When it comes to packaging the solutions pertaining to the SharePoint, the ways tend to be multiple. While on the one hand, you can completely rely on manual creation of diamond directive files (DDFs) and manifest.xml, the implementation of the Visual Studio projects cannot be ruled out completely, on the other hand. The use of VseWSS projects tend to be easier than the conventional process of manual creation of DDFs.

However, it is also important for you to note that some alternatives at times emerge to be useful for the enterprise and commercial deployments that also include the WSPBuilder, SPDeploy, STSDev, and DDFGenerator. It is advisable that you evaluate each tool carefully to find out what suits your needs the best. The trick lies in creating Solution packages for incorporating deployment rather than taking up manual deployment of code components.

Find out Solutions Off – Server

Every time, you get to work with SharePoint, you must make it a point to work on solutions that are free of any sort of dependencies that are often imposed by the development process. By making use of the Visual Studio development server, SharePoint Web services, ASP.NET Web Part framework support, along with third-party tools, you can easily finish the development task on a standard and general work station as against on a computer functioning on SharePoint.

Since SharePoint works on top of ASP.NET and IIS, the web development server that comes integrated with Visual Studio often makes a wonderful start point to begin with the process of SharePoint development. For instance, you can go onto developing HTTP handlers, Web controls as well as Web Parts in the particular light ambiance.

These a few of the best practices that can easily pave the road to successful SharePoint application development integrated with high performance and scalability.

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