David Andrew Smith

SharePoint 2010 gives you deeper insight into operations. Features include an easy-to-use Central Administration Web site, new capabilities to manage and monitor your SharePoint farm, and Microsoft Windows PowerShell support.

SP 2010 provides a single, scalable infrastructure that allows better control over server resources. For example, you can manage large lists more easily and improve data management and protection using high availability. A scalable services architecture also helps you centralize services like Search, My Sites, and Taxonomy. These services can be managed through Central Administration and scripted by Windows PowerShell. Plus, because the architecture is extensible, third-party companies can build and add services to the platform.

SP 2010 provides a simple installation and configuration process, including a smooth upgrade from SP 2007. What’s more, new features can help you manage how your people use SP 2010. For example, you can allow site administrators to upload custom code with Sandbox Solutions. You also have more control over how the system is set up: If you want to maintain a centralized SharePoint system, you can block decentralized deployments through Group Policy or track them with Active Directory marker support.

Microsoft’s 5 investment areas for Administrators:

7. Administration
   1. Improved Upgrade
      • Migrate sites with existing 2007 user interface
        • Visual Upgrade: Video (1:02)
      • Preview and switch to 2010 user interface at your convenience
      • Getting Started: 10 | Introduction to Upgrade in SharePoint Server 2010
   2. Throttling, Health Monitoring, Analytics
      • Resource governors increased to prevent server slow downs
      • Proactive and extensible health reporting, monitoring and resolution built in
        • SharePoint Health Analyzer: Video (1:03)
      • New usage analytics logging and reporting introduced
      • Getting Started: 9 | Tools to Optimize the Performance of SP Server 2010
   3. Web and PowerShell Admin
      • Central Administration user interface improved
      • Improved scripting with release of PowerShell commandlets
      • Previous scripting framework also still available
      • Getting Started: 8 | Windows PowerShell for SP Server 2010 Administrators
   4. Scalability and Availability
      • Shared Services and federation model more flexible
      • Getting Started: 11 | Service Applications and Topologies in SP Server 2010
      • Reduced downtime with improved patching and SQL Server configuration, backup-restore, log shipping support and more
      • Getting Started: 5 | Backups in SP Server 2010
   5. Identity Management and Security
      • Claim model introduced
      • Getting Started: 7 | Security in SharePoint Server 2010