SharePoint Architecture (SPA)

 These are the core components of SharePoint: What are those?

1. Database Server
2. Web Server
3. SharePoint Application Server

SP 2010 Architecture
SharePoint supports only SQL databases to store SharePoint Contents

IIS Structure


Application Pool: What is it?

It is a logical container that groups set of web applications run on a physical win 32 process for better control and for better management.
Application Pool serves three purposes:

1. Application Isolation in execution
2. If multiple web application have same privilege then group them under same identity
3. Application recycling

• Process dumping. It may happen by resource throttling or idle time out.
• Resource throttling can happen at two levels

Note: For every application pool a w3wp.exe is created.

Web Garden: What is it?
Set of worker process run together to load balance request

Web site: What is it?
Network port bound listener that handles incoming web request.

A logical directory that hides         specialized virtual directory that runs on different resource set

Physical directory from web           such as application pool

Integrated Pipeline mode: What is it?
IIS is set to integrated pipeline mode for SharePoint and that is the recommended mode for SP.
IIS configuration mode is up by three XML files

• Application configuration
• Application host configuration
• Redirection Configuration – useful for shared configuration

WPAS – Windows process Activation Services (Spins the process)

Web Application: what is it?
It is a logical stuff to hide everything from IIS. When a web application is created following actions are performed.

• Create content database
• Register web application into SharePoint configuration database
• Create set of Virtual Directories for page control and services
• Create web.config with SharePoint settings

Web Application Extension with SharePoint Farm: what is it?
Another IIS gateway created based on existing web application to use same config file
Multiple sp servers joined together for scalable configuration of SharePoint Services and use same config file.

Zone: What is it?
Set of policy for internet websites.  For every web application you will have zone

Alternate access mapping: What is it?
For every web application, web application extensions created in the SharePoint, an AAM entry is registered in the configuration database to describe possible URLs using which content database can be accessed.

Web Site: what is it?
Any ASP.NET site which make use of SharePoint Features. Can be created in the root level/sub level

Site Quota: what is it?
Take control of size of the site collection to restrict the sandboxed points.   

SharePoint 2010 – Architecture Design


Biju Joseph

MCTS - SharePoint Application Development.