Following my recent posts about the new system for publishing documents on the web, I am happy to confirm the go live date is Tuesday 1 June 2010.  Here are just a few reminders and points before we go live.

The transition to the new system

• If you have existing links to documents within the live content management system (CMS), you do not need to worry about changing them.

• If you have used links to Content Services within systems outside the CMS, e.g. iRecruitment, then:
  • If it’s a manageable amount, i.e. less than 100, it’s probably best to change them manually when the time comes.  We can give advice on that so please let me know if this affects you.
  • If you have very high numbers of direct links, then please contact me about the system or site involved
  • Content in Content Services will still be viewable for a limited period of about four weeks post go-live, however the files will be read only and all new content must be uploaded into SharePoint

• Only the current versions of files will be migrated to the SharePoint site collection in May, so if you’d like to keep any previous version we recommend that you save them elsewhere, e.g. your network drive.

Restricted Viewing Files

• We have come across some files that were in the publicly viewable library (file in Content Services).  We have moved and re-linked these files and have notified the site owners.  Please remember in SharePoint:
  • Restricted view files need to be in the “Internal” libraries
  • Publicly accessible files need to be kept in the “Public” libraries in SharePoint

Permissions and Groups

Group settings and permissions are driven by Portal Groups.  In other words, if you’re a site owner, you should have contribute rights on the corresponding public library and full control rights.  Remember only groups have been transferred over to SharePoint, not individual usernames.

File names

• From now on, when you are uploading new files to the CMS, please avoid using the following characters in your files names:
  • &
  • “
  • :
  • *
  • ?
  • <
  • <
  • #
  • {
  • }
  • %
  • ~
  • /
  • \
  • Tab
  • ‘.<file extension>
  • ….<file extension>

Mapping network drives to SharePoint Libraries

Files can be uploaded directly into SharePoint.  However, mapping a network drive to your SharePoint library makes multiple file uploads easier.  Note this only works on an individual library by library basis (entire SharePoint sites cannot be mapped this way)

1. Open your SharePoint site (www.imperial.ac.uk/workspace) and navigate to the library you have chosen (make sure you are signed in)



2. Copy the URL of the library



3. Right mouse click Start button in lower left corner of Windows to open Windows Explorer -> Choose Open



4. Menu at top of Explorer: Tools -> Map Network Drive



5. Click “Sign Up for Online Storage or Connect to a Network Server” -> Choose Next




6. Click “Choose another Network Location…” link -> Choose Next



7. Insert copied URL into Browse field
8. Delete any part of the URL address that is after the folder name (this usually means delete ‘Forms/AllItems.asp’ or something similar) -> Choose Next



9. If requested, login with username and password
10. Insert a name that will appear as the shortcut on your desktop -> Choose Next



11. Leave the default to Open this Network Place -> Choose Finish



12. Drag the selected library icon to your desktop

More about SharePoint

New FAQs about the new system to the Web Guide site will be published shortly, but in the meantime, general help is available at the following links:

• The basics of how to upload a file.
• Managing Permissions at library and folder levels.
• Version Control
• More general FAQs about SharePoint

Don’t forget you need to be logged in to be able to upload content.  If you have any questions about this new system, please don’t hesitate to comment on this blog post or contact me directly.

Heather Chisholm
Collaboration Projects, ICT