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When working with computers
and software (and a good many other things), it is rarely wise to do
something simply because you can. This basic truth should be a guiding
beacon to any of you who may be toying with the notion of a single
server running both Exchange 2000 and Sharepoint Portal Server. Make no
mistake about it, with Service Pack 2 of Exchange 2000, it is now
possible to run Exchange 2000 and Microsoft Sharepoint Portal Server on
the same box. As you’ll see, I use much of this article to argue against
such a configuration in the name of network efficiency. You’ll also
learn that I am not completely one-sided in my opinions when I
touch—though ever so cautiously—on the few special scenarios for which
it may be a good idea after all.
Covering the Basics
Both Microsoft SharePoint
Portal Server (SPS) and Exchange Server 2000 are applications based on
the Exchange Server Information Store (formerly named the Web Storage
System). Both systems support WebDAV (Web Distributed Authoring and
Versioning) and both use similar methods to process HTTP client
requests. Exchange 2000 comes in two editions: Standard and Enterprise.
With the Enterprise Edition, you can create additional (non-MAPI) Public
Folder stores and write your own Exchange 2000 HTTP applications.
Application developed on these Exchange Stores can be replicated
to other servers, backed up and restored using off-the-shelf utilities,
and can take advantage of anti-virus software. Moreover, Exchange 2000
applications can be designed to leverage existing Active Directory
security groups and user accounts to establish roles and access control
lists for objects and application processes. However, development on
this platform is not easy. Except for the most basic of applications,
Exchange 2000 HTTP development is best left to serious developers and
development companies.
SPS is an application that
extends the Exchange Information Store with additional database
functions and application procedures, including controls for document
storage and versioning. With this new SharePoint Store, Microsoft
has leveraged some of its existing Digital Dashboard technology so that
users can easily create workspaces and collaborative applications on the
SPS server without custom code. By enabling managers and team leaders to
create workspaces, SPS enables document sharing, indexing and team
folders with little to no interaction from the IT staff. This ease with
which users can create their own solutions is one of the strong selling
points of SPS. |
