I created some new materials for these talks (slide decks/demos etc.) and will publish links to these over the next couple of posts, starting here. For the first time, I’ve recorded my demos and published the videos to YouTube (links in the slide deck) – so hopefully much of the information conveyed in the demos is available too.
"Modern SharePoint development - techniques for moving code off SharePoint servers"
Background
Almost 2 years after many of us first began to get exposure, it’s fair to say that “SharePoint apps” are not going away. Although Microsoft certainly have changed tack on some things in the SharePoint dev world, it does seem that the apps/remote code model is something that Microsoft are committed to and will continue to invest in. Whilst they’re not right for every scenario, I generally do also buy into the message that building solutions in this way can help even for on-premises deployments. Some specific points here include:
- Greater isolation – an app running “off-box” cannot bring down SharePoint for the entire organization
- Ease of upgrade – less customizations made in SharePoint, the easier upgrade (e.g. to SharePoint 2015) becomes
- Possibility of transitioning to cloud – if the organization is even half-considering a move to Office 365 (e.g. in the next few years), building solutions the “cloud-friendly” way means no/minimal re-work is required to move. Certainly we have more than one client who has asked us to build this way – because they want to leave the door open for Office 365 (or hybrid) as they move forward
Speaking to attendees I realise that for many folks, Microsoft’s push to this “Cloud Application Model” hasn’t really resonated yet. They ask “why change, especially when new skills are required and many common SharePoint things become more difficult to implement?”. Well, I do agree that it doesn’t always make sense. No-one is saying you have to do things using these techniques. If, for example, the organization is sure that the cloud isn’t the right solution for them in the next few years, and they are happy with the deal they get in managing SharePoint (including any upgrade projects they might undertake), then fine – you might be able to deliver more business value using farm solutions and full-trust code.
In general, however, I think at least an awareness of this emerging trend (towards cloud-friendly SharePoint development) is beneficial. Hopefully this slide deck is of some use here, but there are many other good resources too – I list some at the end of this article
Presentation
There are 3 main areas – each with an accompanying demo/YouTube video:
- Running code in Azure (Remote Event Receivers used as example)
- Using "PowerShell + CSOM" scripts
- Analysis of Microsoft's "AMS Samples"
Original abstract
Those implementing Office 365 know that custom code cannot run on the SharePoint servers, and remote code alternatives must be used. However, it can be valuable to adopt the same "cloud-friendly" development techniques even for on-premises implementations. In addition to increasing platform stability, this enables you to build in flexibility to your deployment - leaving the door open to a potential move to Office 365 in the future without major re-engineering. With several code-focused demos, this session examines approaches for switching to "off-box" code - including Remote Event Receivers, PowerShell and CSOM scripts, and a nod to JavaScript-based approaches. We’ll also take an in-depth look at Microsoft’s Office App Model Samples (AMS) and why you should care about them.
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