The SharePoint Content Deployment Wizard from Chris Obrien is a excellent tool for SharePoint 2007 content deployment.
Advantages:
- Ability to “cherry-pick” content to deploy using a tree view – this is from entire site collection down to individual lists, folders, list items (including files)
- Dependencies of selected content (e.g. referenced CSS files, master pages) are automatically included in the export – check ‘Exclude dependencies of selected objects’ to disable this.
- All required content types, columns etc. are automatically included in the export.
- In contrast to STSADM export, it is possible to retain GUIDs during deployment. This is required for scenarios where the destination should be a mirror-image of the source, such as staging/production environments for the same site
- Open Source and free
Disadvantages:
- Cannot automate the deployment using scripts.
- No file system files (assemblies, SharePoint Solutions/Features etc.) are deployed – these must already be present on the target for the import to succeed).
- Following content does not get captured by the Content Migration API – alerts, audit trail, change log history, recycle-bin items, workflow tasks/state.
- Does not support incremental changes.
- No official Support available
Things to know:
- Content is exported using the Content Migration API (PRIME) as a .cmp file (Content Migration Package)
- Tool must be installed locally on the server which hosts the site
- Not all features of the Content Migration API are supported by the tool
- It must be run under an account which has the appropriate permissions to the SharePoint site – use the Windows ‘Run as..’ feature to do this if necessary.
Scenario’s (When to use this tool):
As per the author “I would suggest the tool could well have a place in your SharePoint toolbox, but it’s likely to be something you use every now and then, rather than all the time.
The two main scenarios where I use the tool are:
- At the end of the development phase when I need to move a site from development to staging/production. Here, the tool allows me to be sure that all relationships/linkages between objects will be preserved (so no problems with ListViewWebParts/DataViewWebParts/InfoPath forms for example)
- Any odd occasions where I have a need to move a particular document library/list, or a particular set of files (e.g. master page, page layouts, CSS etc.). This assumes by the way, that the files were not deployed with a feature – I wouldn’t recommend mixing the deployment methods like that.
Helpful links:
Chris Obrien’s Blog
http://www.sharepointnutsandbolts.com/2007/12/introducing-sharepoint-content.html
Download from CodePlex
Praveen,
I would need your help.
I’m new on sharepoint and very much confused with its deployment mechanism. Because of:
According to my understanding, there is no single way to deploy a sharepoint site. Always too many ways and steps involved to do.
I’ve to copy a site from development to production. The site has features, listing, custom template, styles etc.
My first question would be is this would be helpful utility or am I confused with its use.
Is there a way to deploy a site without investing $$$ to buy expensive solution and can be done with ease – package and install.
Thanks.