Rencore CEO Matthias Einig's slides of his SPS Madrid 2017 session Transforming SharePoint farm solutions to the Add-In model

1. May 20th, 2017
SharePoint
Saturday Madrid
Transform your full-trust solutions to the
add-in model / SharePoint Framework
Matthias Einig

2. Matthias Einig
matt@rencore.com
rencore.com/blog
@mattein
CEO of Rencore

3. BASICS

4. FULL TRUST CODE vs. “APP” “ADDIN”
Package/Application/Code
that uses
• Server Side Object Model
• Declarative Code
• Infrastructure specific
components (e.g. HTTP
Handlers)
• (Too?) High level of trust
Package/Application/Code
that uses
• Client Side Object Model / REST
• Runs with Office365
• Runs outside the SharePoint box
• Configurable, but complex level of
trust

5. FULL TRUST CODE vs. SHAREPOINT
FRAMEWORK
Package/Application/Code
that uses
• Server Side Object Model
• Declarative Code
• Infrastructure specific
components
(e.g. HTTP Handlers)
• (Too?) High level of trust
Package/Application/Code
that uses
• Client Side Object Model / REST
• Based on JavaScript / TypeScript
• Not yet available for SP 2016
• Has the same rights as the user
running it

6. “Will you ever support farm solutions in Office
365?”
Farm solutions are deployed cross SharePoint farm
and they’d impact multiple customers…
No.
Vesa Juvonen, Microsoft

7. WHAT IS "TRANSFORMATION" ?

9. Magic

11. WHAT DOES
TRANSFORMATION MEAN?
•Look at what you have, then
•Implement from scratch, while
•Re-use concepts, patterns and data

12. WHY WOULD YOU
TRANSFORM?
• Moving from on-prem to Office365 or Hybrid
• SharePoint version update
• To be 'future proof'
• Changed / New Requirements
• Cannot start on a greenfield (time, money, complexity)
• Maintenance problems caused by customizations

13. Replace / gradually update
existing FTC components
Re-use
code / data structures / solution concepts/
integrations
HOW WOULD YOU
TRANSFORM YOUR CODE?

14. MAJOR CHANGES

15. MAJOR CHANGES
• No SSOM, use CSOM/REST/Graph
• Do not use the Feature Framework
• Avoid declarative artifacts / CAML
(WebTemplates, Content Types, etc.)
• Do not use MasterPages
• Minimize Branding
• Approach SharePoint/Office365 as a service
• ”Modern” web development technologies (SPFx) instead of .NET

16. CAML == BAD
Custom Web Template
onet.xml
X feature activations
onet.xml
X feature activations
onet.xml
X feature activations +2
onet.xml
X feature activations +4
onet.xml
X feature activations
onet.xml
X feature activations
<< Copy >>
Significant differences on the outcome unless web template
onet.xml has been updated cross site collections with the
changes which were also done for out of the box team site.
Web Template onet.xml is created by
copying team site onet.xml and by adding
stapled features to the onet.xml
Service updates for introducing new capabilities to
team sites also using feature stapling
Source: TEE2015 DEV-B308
http://matte.in/TTE2015Transform

17. REIMAGINE!

18. TRANSFORMATION != Copy & Paste
• Is SharePoint/Office365 providing already the functionality?
• Does your solution benefit from the SharePoint UI?
• Are you relying on 3rd party systems?
• Does it have to be SharePoint?
• Are the business requirements still valid?

19. TRANSFORMATION
PROCESS

20. THE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS
Learn Plan & Track TransformAssess

21. ASSESS

22. ASSESS CUSTOMIZATIONS
• Understand which customizations you have
• Understand what they do
• Understand why you have them
• Understand the impact they make on the
environment
• Understand the involved effort to transform

23. ASSESS USAGE
• Analyze if and where the customizations are
deployed
• Analyze if the deployed customizations are
still used
• Analyze if the used customizations are
still required

24. ASSESS REQUIREMENTS
• Discuss existing solution with the business.
• Discuss the requirements with the business.
• Learn how the existing customization are used
• Decide what to keep, change and remove.

25. LEARN

26. LEARN
• Add-in Model techniques
• App Part
• Full Immersive app
• UI Custom Actions
• PowerShell Scripts / Console applications
• Client Parts / SharePoint Framework (SPFx)
• Hosting
• on-prem/Office365,
• Provider/SharePoint hosted
• Authentication
• On-prem AD or Azure AD?

27. "NEW" PROVISIONING
APPROACHES
Provider Hosted
App using
CSOM/REST
.NET Console App
using
CSOM/REST
PowerShell
using
CSOM/REST
”Mechanical Turk”
PnP
Provisioning
Engine
Stand alone site
using Graph

28. MOVE TO REMOTE PROVISIONING
• 'Roll your own'
• Complex, high maintenance
• Flexible and potentially build for the task
• Use the PnP Provisioning Engine
• Tested, pre-built
• Template approach
• Code approach
• Extensible
• Use the PnP Partner Pack
• Based upon the PnP Provisioning Engine

29. CONSIDER AUTHENTICATION
CAREFULLY
If you transform your solution to SharePoint Online:
• Do you have an on-prem AD?
• Do you use ADFS?
• Are you moving to Azure AD?
• Will you use Hybrid?
• Will you use explicit or implicit grant flow for auth?

30. DEVELOPMENT: ADD-IN MODEL
• Complex security
• Add-in security vs User security
• Limited ability to specify
what the add-in wants to do
• Powerful: full access to C# / .NET ecosystem
• Rich APIs
• CSOM
• REST
• Microsoft Graph
Add-in

31. DEVELOPMENT: SHAREPOINT
FRAMEWORK
• Not a replacement for Add-Ins but rather another option
• Simple security
• The solution users has the same rights
as the user using it
• Powerful: access to the full JavaScript ecosystem
• Rich APIs
• JSOM
• REST
• Microsoft Graph
Fx

32. DEPLOYMENT
FULL TRUST
• WSP files
• Full control over server
• Flexible
• With great power
comes great
responsibility
SANDBOX
• WSP files
• No control over server
• Less flexible
• With less power
comes great
frustration
APPS / ADD-INs
• Still new to many
people
• Separate hosting
model
• Complex
authentication model
SPFx
• GA since March 2017
• Separate hosting
model
• Potentially very new
development model to
'traditional' SP Devs

33. RESOURCES
Office Pattern & Practices
https://dev.office.com/pnp
• Community project lead by Microsoft
• Core Library, PowerShell cmdlets,
samples, reference implementations
• Endorsed by SharePoint product group
SharePoint Framework (SPFx)
https://dev.office.com/sharepoint
• Additional development model
• Still in preview

34. PLAN & TRACK

35. PLAN & TRACK
• Plan which customization artifacts to transform
or to abandon
• Group depending artifacts to use cases
• Track the progress of the transformation

36. TRANSFORM

37. www.sptransformator.com
Develop from scratch yourself
or use

40. discovers & analyzes…
ü SharePoint Add-ins
ü Sandboxed Solutions
ü Farm Solutions (WSP)
ü Assemblies
ü Executables
ü JavaScript Files
supports…
ü Office 365
ü SharePoint Online
ü SharePoint 2016
ü SharePoint 2013
ü SharePoint 2010
ü SharePoint 2007
transforms to…
ü Client Side Code (CSOM)
ü JavaScript (JSOM)
ü REST API
ü PowerShell Script (CSOM)
ü SharePoint Framework (SPFx)
ü Office Dev PnP CSOM
ü Office Dev PnP JSOM
ü Office Dev PnP PowerShell
ü PnP Provisioning Engine

41. SUMMARY
1. ASSESS Understand the existing customizations and
requirements
2. LEARN Understand the target platform and technology
3. PLAN & TRACK Re-imagine and plan the solution
4. TRANSFORM

42. Please, fill your SPS
Madrid passport if you
want to participate.
You can win one of
these gifts:
Raffle
10
9
8
Odor Odor@winterfell.com

43. Gold sponsors ______________
Silver sponsors
Bronze sponsors
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44. Thank you!

45. Questions?
matthias.einig@rencore.com
@MATTEIN
WWW.SPTRANSFORMATOR.COM