Note: SharePoint 2013 is not out yet.\u00a0 It is in Customer Preview (early beta).\u00a0 I am NOT suggesting you upgrade to SharePoint 2013 at this writing (8\/9\/2013) but rather, I\u2019m going to provide thoughts, suggestions, etc. for helping you start thinking about the process involved and maybe knock off a few obstacles that can be accomplished now.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Also, this information is subject to change when\/if Microsoft decides to change their mind. And, this post is likely far from complete so I\u2019ll endeavour to update it as we go here.<\/p>\n
Change Log<\/span><\/h4>\n\n- Version 1 \u2013 First publish of post, 8\/9\/2012.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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![\"image\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/brainlitter\/2012\/08\/image_thumb15.png\" "\\"image\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nPreparing Your People<\/h3>\n
Some stuff is being retired and\/or \u2018deprecated\u2019 (given the long kiss goodbye, so get used to it).\u00a0 Its time to start thinking about other ways to approach the following and\/or transition existing implementations of these features to other elements:<\/p>\n
\n- RIP SharePoint Workspace<\/strong>.\u00a0 New in 2010 but really an upgrade\/rewrite to the product formerly known as Groove, Microsoft is indicating the product won\u2019t be continued and in fact has not shown up in the Office beta at this time which is also pretty telling (\u201cSharePoint Workspace is being removed from the Office Product Base\u201d). My understanding is \u201cFolder Sync\u201d and \u201cSky Drive\u201d is where you will want to focus your attention now. Reference: http:\/\/technet.microsoft.com\/en-us\/library\/cc178954(v=office.15).aspx<\/a><\/li>\n
- RIP Document and Meeting Workspace Templates<\/strong>.\u00a0 While I can still \u201csend a document to a document workspace\u201d in a library, the Document and Meeting Workspace templates are not going to be available templates in 2013.\u00a0 I won\u2019t miss them as they provided grief with branding and portions of their functionality never were really upgraded from 2007.\u00a0 Time to get used to the idea.\u00a0 Reference: http:\/\/technet.microsoft.com\/en-us\/library\/cc178954(v=office.15).aspx<\/a><\/li>\n
- Internet Explorer 7.<\/strong>\u00a0 Good Riddance.\u00a0 But we have a number of clients trying to make it work (and brand SharePoint to it) still today.\u00a0 Nice to have a big, heavy handed \u201cgive it up mate\u201d to refer them to.\u00a0 They are already letting the Office 365 client base know about it too<\/a>.\u00a0 Recommendation: Move to Internet Explorer 9 (skip 8) or do that Firefox or Chrome thang (though as always, some elements behave, urm, differently).\u00a0 Reference: Plan Browser Support in SharePoint 2013 – http:\/\/technet.microsoft.com\/en-us\/library\/cc263526(v=office.15).aspx<\/a><\/li>\n
- Time to accept that Ribbon<\/strong>.\u00a0 Office 2003 is just not going to cut it (not that it did per se in 2007 and 2010). The minimum recommended \u2018best experience\u2019 for SharePoint 2013 is Office 2010 or better (yep even 2007, the first incarnation of the Ribbon, is now fallen out of favour \u2013 heck we have more customers using Office 2003 and 2010, than we do\/did Office 2007.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Preparing Your Processes<\/h3>\n\n- Implement Good Governance<\/strong>.\u00a0 Nothing new here but it is still something that should be incorporated into your methodologies to ensure success with SharePoint. If you didn\u2019t do it last time, start thinking about it this time, now.<\/li>\n
- Implement Good Taxonomy<\/strong>.\u00a0 See Governance.
![\"Winking](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/brainlitter\/2012\/08\/wlEmoticon-winkingsmile2.png\")
<\/li>\n- Drop the term WFE (Web Front End) and APP Servers (Application).<\/strong>\u00a0 They are \u201cSharePoint Servers\u201d and you move the roles and service applications around based on load and suitability. So avoid using the acronym WFE or APP in your server names, they might not always hold that role.\u00a0 I.e. an APP Server can also be a WFE and vice versa, so just drop the charade instead. Service Applications run on SharePoint Servers, users connect (via DNS) to Web Servers.<\/li>\n
- Get the business to take Ownership of SharePoint<\/a>. Because, SharePoint is a framework, not just another tool<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"SharePoint](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/brainlitter\/2012\/08\/image_thumb16.png\" "\\"SharePoint")
<\/a><\/p>\nFigure: SharePoint is not just another tool, it is a framework<\/span><\/p>\nPreparing Your Systems<\/h3>\n
The good news here is the minimum requirements for SharePoint 2013 from a physical\/virtual perspective are pretty much unchanged.\u00a0 Same base RAM, CPU and Disk give or take.\u00a0 But this time, ask your IT department to give you what you ask for. Don\u2019t get bullied by VMware Admins that say they will give you more resources when they see you need it in their reporting. They won\u2019t see it because they are looking in the wrong place.\u00a0 Ask instead for more and offer to give back what you don\u2019t end up using.\u00a0 However, base Server and SQL OS Requirements have changed a little (no SQL 2005 for example and no Windows Server 2008 64bit \u2013 needs to be at least R2).\u00a0 Refer here for the goods though, as SMB\u2019s will need a beefier box if they are planning to combine everything into one server, gasp! – http:\/\/technet.microsoft.com\/en-us\/library\/cc262485(v=office.15)<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n- Minimum Windows Server OS<\/strong> \u2013 Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1. Reference: http:\/\/technet.microsoft.com\/en-us\/library\/cc262485(v=office.15)<\/a>\n
\n- So along with this, if you have Client Access Licenses for Windows Server 2003 or 2008, you\u2019ll need to upgrade to 2008 R2 CAL\u2019s as part of the upgrade as well, unless some other project takes care of that for you <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Minimum SQL Server<\/strong> \u2013 SQL Server 2008 R2 with SP1.\u00a0 Reference: http:\/\/technet.microsoft.com\/en-us\/library\/cc262485(v=office.15)<\/a>\n
\n- So along with this, if you have Client Access Licenses for SQL Server 2005 or SQL Server 2008, you\u2019ll need to upgrade to 2008 or 2012 R2 CAL\u2019s as part of the upgrade as well, unless some other project takes care of that for you . Note, if you have licensed your SQL Servers for CORE\/CPU, you can ignore this note.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Migrate your Web Applications to Claims Authentication<\/strong> \u2013 SharePoint 2013 will only let you create a Classic Authentication web application using PowerShell and that\u2019s because they are eager to start transitioning folks to using Claims no doubt.\u00a0 Claims also \u201clooks different\u201d so get your users ready for that if they aren\u2019t already.\u00a0 See \u201cfriends don\u2019t let friends use Claims Authentication<\/a>\u201d (tongue in cheek of course).\n
\n- Recommendation \u2013 Convert SharePoint 2010 Classic Mode Web Applications to Claims-Based Authentication while you in\/using SharePoint 2010. Then upgrade to 2013.\u00a0 Reference and HowTo: http:\/\/technet.microsoft.com\/en-us\/library\/gg251985(v=office.15).aspx<\/a><\/li>\n
- Additional References: Office Web Apps Preview does not support Classic Mode Authentication – http:\/\/technet.microsoft.com\/en-us\/library\/cc178954(v=office.15).aspx<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Upgrading will be different this time<\/strong>.\u00a0 Ok first off, there is no in place upgrade (much like there shouldn\u2019t have been last time). Visual Upgrade is gone and replaced by what looks to be a much better approach; Deferred Site Collection Upgrade.\u00a0 Reference: http:\/\/technet.microsoft.com\/en-us\/library\/ff607742(v=office.15).aspx<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
3rd Party Product Retirements<\/span><\/h4>\n\n- Nintex Analytics<\/strong> (not to be confused with Workflow which will most definitely rock on) will no longer be on the Nintex roadmap. I imagine this has a lot to do with the fact that Web Analytics in SharePoint 2013 will be moved into the Search Service Application and fundamentally will be rewritten, etc. and probably will come with more juicy bits out of the box. In short, there will be no Nintex Analytics 2013 version. It ends with Nintex Analytics 2010 (though it will be supported through 2015).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Other Random Gibberish<\/h3>\n
The following are items that just didn\u2019t really fit anywhere else\u2026<\/p>\n
\n- SharePoint Designer<\/strong> (get over the following points, the products are FREE!) :\n
\n- SharePoint Designer 2007 only interoperates with WSS 3.0\/MOSS 2007<\/li>\n
- SharePoint Designer 2010 only interoperates with SharePoint 2010<\/li>\n
- SharePoint Designer 2013 plays with both 2010 and 2013<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Key References<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
Some stuff is being retired and\/or \u2018deprecated\u2019 (given the long kiss goodbye, so get used to it).\u00a0 Its time to start thinking about other ways to approach the following and\/or transition existing implementations of these features to other elements:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Figure: SharePoint is not just another tool, it is a framework<\/span><\/p>\n The good news here is the minimum requirements for SharePoint 2013 from a physical\/virtual perspective are pretty much unchanged.\u00a0 Same base RAM, CPU and Disk give or take.\u00a0 But this time, ask your IT department to give you what you ask for. Don\u2019t get bullied by VMware Admins that say they will give you more resources when they see you need it in their reporting. They won\u2019t see it because they are looking in the wrong place.\u00a0 Ask instead for more and offer to give back what you don\u2019t end up using.\u00a0 However, base Server and SQL OS Requirements have changed a little (no SQL 2005 for example and no Windows Server 2008 64bit \u2013 needs to be at least R2).\u00a0 Refer here for the goods though, as SMB\u2019s will need a beefier box if they are planning to combine everything into one server, gasp! – http:\/\/technet.microsoft.com\/en-us\/library\/cc262485(v=office.15)<\/a>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The following are items that just didn\u2019t really fit anywhere else\u2026<\/p>\n![\"image\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/brainlitter\/2012\/08\/image17.png\" "\\"image\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nPreparing Your People<\/h3>\n
\n
Preparing Your Processes<\/h3>\n
\n
<\/li>\n<\/a><\/p>\nPreparing Your Systems<\/h3>\n
\n
\n
<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n
. Note, if you have licensed your SQL Servers for CORE\/CPU, you can ignore this note.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n
3rd Party Product Retirements<\/span><\/h4>\n
\n
Other Random Gibberish<\/h3>\n
\n
:\n\n
Key References<\/h3>\n